Wrap Up: 2016 Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Classic

Every year the tournament season opens with the Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Classic. This year the tournament brought together 330+ anglers to fish one of the best locations for the chance of catching large stripers, weakfish, and bluefish. The fluke season had not opened yet so being illegal to even target the species it was omitted from the tournament. The absence in abundance of weakfish over the years has made the tournament more challenging. If you catch a weakfish the chances of completing a slam or grand slam and placing in the competition become very high.

Night StoryboardThis year was to be a kind of special year as a majority of the crew I used to fish with were planning on fishing the tournament. It had been 2 years since Lunchbox last fished it and longer than that for some others. It was set to be a good ole time with practical jokes, camping, and excellent food along with a few brews.

Arriving on the Floyd Bennett Field tarmac around 11:00 PM on Thursday May 12th. The moon in its third quarter onto waxing gibbous was on its way setting in the west against the orange glow of the night urban sky.  The city that never sleeps rustling and bustling. The camp was pretty quiet besides a few loud conversations here and there. Everyone else had gone to sleep early in anticipation of early morning fishing. Captain Jim, Gary and Kevin were still fishing Mill Basin. They informed me that fishing was slow so instead of gearing up I went to take some night photographs. Night settings on a DSLR camera are one of the most enjoyable times of photography for me. Long exposures create the ability to capture low ambient light. After a few photos of around the tarmac i drove down to Mill Basin to get a few photos of the bridge at the basin and my friends as they cane in.

J-BAy BLuefishThe next morning out of the camper by 7 AM we all had decided to sleep in. It was to be the best day weather wise so instead of waiting for the guys to go to the tackle shop and come back I went out fishing. Trolling SP Minnows for hours looking for bait and fish marks. Also learning and modifying settings on the new Lowrance Elite 5 TI. About 2 hours of fishing finally hooked into a fish. It ended up being a big bluefish at 28″ which I took a photo of and released. Before i knew it I was surrounded by Hobbies which is incredibly annoying but they actually didn’t stick around this time. The winds were increasing and the clouds building and building. The front was about to hit within an hour so I was going in.

Many were still going out. I advised some newer guys that were paddling they may want to stay in and wait out the front. It was good advice that one fellow thanked me for.

About 30 min later the front was upon the area. Heavy rain and winds I hung lowrance with birdswith the guys of The Kayak Fishing Store. They were all setup for the rain. Brews and a heater blasting from the trailer door! It felt like camping! Good times hanging out with the crew.

A few hours later the rain had passed. A good fishing buddy of mine Brian was on his way to the camp. Once he arrived we were set to go night fishing. It was a cool calm and clear night.The water was like glass. We launched at the Floyd Bennett field ramp and trolled across to ruffle bar. Along the way trolling 2 rods a fish took my SP minnow and ran with it. The reel screamed. I grabbed the rod from the holder and set the hook. It fought like a bluefish and upon fighting and reeling it in. It was a big bluefish. 30″ + with acrobatics!  While attempting to boga grip the fish it was able to escape the grasp. Again after that another fish hit screaming reel. Spinning my kayak around. The fish jumping and then off.

Fishing became slow but the fish finder revealed fish everywhere. Jiging trolling casting baits. Nothing mattered. IT was now 2 am. The moon had become a yellow hue as it became larger setting in the west. The hill was getting to us. Trolling back into base Brian hooked up. Another blue to close out the early morning. Landing around 3:30 am we rinsed down our gear and passed out.

Morning StoryboardAn hour later however it was time for everyone to get up that was fishing the morning. At this point sleep had ceased for me. As they left I decided to zippp out of my sleeping bag and capture a few photos of the sunrise. It wasn’t the besst sunrise due to low lying clouds of the front from the previous day but was able to take some great photos! It was a spectacular launch from the ramp with over 100 Hobie’s and Noriel with his Big Tuna commanding the launch.

After the sunrise I put the camera into my Dry Case bag and wheeled the Big Rig to the ramp. Fishing was on! I immediately got on the radio once on the water. Looking for my buddies. I should have been fishing the entire time but meeting up with them was important to me. I was trying to find Capt Jim but after texting him for his location he didn’t get back to me. To learn later he dropped his phone and Romano’s camera in the drink. Dropped Something.

Fishing wasn’t good in the area we were fishing. I saw a swirl in the shallow water but was looking for my buddies. Finally finding Charlie ‘LUNCHBOX’ Labar his son and Bob ‘Mullet’ Miller. Fishing was no good unfortunately. Gave it a few more hours and Capt Jim said he was calling it a day and going to grill up some steaks. On the way back in trolling we marked a few fish and decided to give it a shot. Capt Jim ended up with a blue and that was it for the day. I remained skunked for the daytime fishing.

An hour or 2 later the wind kicked up again and made it pretty much un-fishable for the rest of the day. A few showers blew through as most of us took a power nap to later get up and grill up some chicken. The might didn’t last long with the cold wind i was in bed by 11:30.

Sunday morning was very windy and the Tournament Director cancelled fishing for the day. A majority of anglers had already packed up and left the night before as many were leaving in the morning.  I hung out to help with anything needed at the camp then ended up leaving by 11 am.

Looking forward to next year! Jamaiaca Bay is one of those locations every kayak angler should fish one day. I hope to see you and everyone again next year!

 

Waterproof Kayak Battery Box Mods & Upgrades

batt_box_finishedThis article illustrates how to modify and wire a 12V plug port and a USB receptacle for charging electronic devices such as cell phones and running GoPro’s with out an internal battery for an all day charge. Using the existing waterproof battery box from a previous article we will first replace the 12V 12 aH Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery. See SLA or LFP Accessory Battery for your Kayak write up for the differences in batteries and pros/cons of both. I have opted to now use a LFP battery for its long list of great qualities.

Products & materials you will need.

Battery Box Wiring Diagram

Wiring Diagram 8X11

Instructions:

 

 

  • hole ocationsFirst thing you will do is remove the existing battery and all of the wiring in the box. We are going to replace everything inside. Keep the cable gland as it will be reused.
  • Using a hole saw drill match up the diameter to the outside of the hole saw with the two receptacles. Try to keep the holes even and equal distance apart for aesthetic reasons. After drilling the holes trim the excess from the edge of the holes. Set the receptacles and tighten the collar down.
  • Drill a hole using a hole saw that matches the diameter of the switch in your desired location. Make sure the internal protrusion will not interfere with the battery or the 12V receptacles. Install the switch.
  • battery box portsNow we will splice 2 wires together to connect the negative side and the positive sides of the receptacles together. Make one for each RED and BLACK.
  • Connect the spade connectors to the correct terminals on the receptacles + with + and – with -.

 

  • Using a butt connector connect the RED + wire from the Fish Finder Plug to one inline fuse.
  • Using the 3 Way Female to 2 Male connector connect the Two Inline Fuses to the Male ends and the White 12V Positive from the switch with a male spade to the female end on the 3 way its good to tape this connection with electrical tape or purchase a insulated connector.
  • Connect the Red + wire from the switch using a female spade connector to the battery.
  • battery box wiredConnect the BLACK – wires by crimping on a female spade connector from the 12V receptacles, the 12V Fish Finder connection and the black wire from the switch together. Simply twist the (3) wires together feed into the hole on the connector and crimp using the crimping tool.
  • Then Connect the Female Spade with the (3) black wires to the – Negative side of the battery.

 

Upon Completion:

Test by pressing the switch to the ON position. The LED Indicator should light up. Test all receptacles and that the fish finder powers up. You now have a portable waterproof kayak battery box with the option to run additional lighting on your kayak, Charge electronics, and run cameras VIA USB power.

 

This concludes the Kayak Battery Box modifications & Upgrades article. Please leave comments on your thoughts!

 

 

 

SLA or LFP Accessory Battery for your Kayak

IMG_6064In a short period of time Fishing kayaks in most cases a single user vessel have begun using many of the electronics that power boats use. Portable power has become a necessity. Running Fish Finders on a battery pack of AA batteries is a thing of the past. In the present we have Fish Finder/Chart Plotter combos, kayak lighting, and  the ability to charge battery powered devices while away from home is important.

Previously we built a waterproof battery box for a fish-finder/chart plotter. Since then there have been many advancements in batteries. This article explains the difference between the traditional Sealed Lead Acid Battery (SLA) and the latest Lithium-iron-phosphate battery (LFP). Here I list the pros and cons of both. You make the decision!

 

 

 

 

A SLA battery

SLA Battery Pros:

  • Inexpensive (Economically Friendly)
  • Fully Sealed Package
  • Rechargeable
  • Recyclable

SLA Battery Cons:

  • Poor weight-to-energy (8 lbs 12aH)
  • Cannot be stored in a discharged condition
  • Inconstant discharge voltage
  • Limited number of full discharge cycles
  • Lifespan (300 charge cycles)
  • Sulfation
  • Memory
  • Not Environmentally Friendly
  • Contains Lead

IMG_6141There are many cons to the SLA battery for use on a kayak the first being weight. The 12aH SLA will weigh in at 8 lbs. That’s a lot of weight to travel with on any kayak. Battery life is another issue you may get a season or two total out of the lifespan.

New and improved Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries (LiFePO4 or LFP) are slowly replacing Traditional SLA batteries. Although still pricey LFP batteries have many advantages over the previous generation technology of SLA’s.

LFP Battery Pros:

  • Excellent Weight-to-energy (3.5 lbs 12aH)
  • Very constant discharge voltage
  • Low Discharge Rate compared to SLA
  • Rechargeable
  • No Memory (Can Be fully Discharged without cell damage)
  • Lifespan (2000+ charge cycles 5-10+ years)
  • Recyclable
  • Thermal and chemical stable aka Safer (as opposed to Lithium Ion cells)
  • No Environmental Thermal concerns (provides maximum output at hot or cold temps)

LiFePO4 Battery Cons:

  • Cost (Expensive)
  • Contains Phosphates

Looking forward to this conversion. Will report on the experience in the near future.

 

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