jeremiad

I was trying to muscle my kayak on and off the top of my SUV with limited success. I had invested in Yakima EvenKeel saddles that are about half the price of Mako saddles, and mount to factory-installed crossbars. I am very pleased with the saddles, but the rubber pads on them tend to "glue" to the boat so that the kayak can hardly be moved.

Don't get me wrong--"glued" is a good thing. You don't want your kayak to move while in transit, but loading and unloading ...

I floated my kayak solo on Mt. Storm Lake last year. Mt. Storm Lake is the cooling reservoir for Virginia Power's big coal-burning power plant in eastern West Virginia. The lake is has a great reputation for channel cats (also walleye and stripers), with no creel or possession limit on catfish; however, the lake is true to its name.

I went out on a beautiful day, but the wind was so high that I was fighting two-foot wave caps. I didn't have any problem with swamping, but I didn't get ...

I wanted an inexpensive and decent power supply for my kayak that would provide enough power for my fishfinder as well as a few lights for night fishing. I have the fishfinder installed, but am still deciding about what lighting I want to install.



Anyway, I decided on two 6 V, 7 Ahr alarm/safety batteries that are available from Home Depot. These ...

I have read a lot about stakeout poles, but I didn't really need a long pole for lake use; it would just be in the way. I considered a dock pole from K-Mart, but considered it too long for the bother. However, I knew I needed something other than my paddle when near shore. Why bang up an expensive paddle trying to push off or approach the shore?

I decided to buy a Coleman trekking pole. I know it's not made specifically for water, but I can say that it works quite well. It never failed ...

The Thule Water Slide Mat is cool! It works so much better for rear-loading a vehicle than using a floor mat. Having a new 2010 Subaru Forester, I would rather not take chances on scratching it up, something I did all too much on my 2003 Subaru Forester! :shame:

The slide mat is about 2' x 3' in size, rolls up with velcro straps when not in use, and the velcro straps hold the mat to the rear crossbar when in use. A rubberized underside keeps the mat in place against the vehicle, but ...