# Floundering on the Maya Papaya



## Fishermon

...while the hardcore guys are killing ars I'm taking it easy learning the way of my new (to me) P.A. and going after some flounder. Love the boat(kayak)... I'm hooked on the new (floundering) style, but need to adjust a few things (for the lights) here and there. First trip was just an experiment and it was a breeze...Went out last night again, but it turned ugly in no time after that mini storm moved in...(here in Navarre)
Love my flounder, i can tell you that much, but Im really itching to go out there (Gulf) and score a snapper...I know the clock is ticking and game will be over in a few days...but will def. post if i get to score me one before the show is over.

Here is a pic of my first kill on the P.A. 19"3/4 southern flounder. :thumbsup:


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## oxbeast1210

sweet what lights did ya use?


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## azevedo16

That is awesome I gig out of a gheenoe wich is about the same size as the PA and it is fun!


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## Fishermon

oxbeast1210 said:


> sweet what lights did ya use?


 
Using a wade gigging rig...hence the modifications I will have to make. I just had them clamped to the sides and worked fine but It can be better. Lights are bright with a 1000 lume (500 each). They work great. LED's . This particular set up draws less than 1 amp/hr. (each set) :thumbup:


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## bbarton13

i need to get this setup nice work


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## Caddy Yakker

I have my PA rigged with 2 starfire II lights mounted on pvc which slides right into my ram mount rod holders. I still have yet to use it. I will soon tho. I live in Navarre too.
I'll post a pic soon!


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## MillerTime

Thats awesome. I have been wanting to make something like that.


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## navkingfisher

*LED's*

where do you get the starfire II lights?


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## Fishermon

navkingfisher said:


> where do you get the starfire II lights?


... walmart and Academy ...

I'd advice to try LEDs and a small battery set up..makes things a lot easier.


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## Vondy

Looking forward to Sunday Fishermon. Can't wait to get back to FL and hit the water with ya!


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## Fishermon

*Safety tip (lit up the yak)*

I've been playing around a lot with the pro angler. The new steering kit is installed (thanks Liquid) and love it. The other night Vondy and I went out looking for Tarpon but had no luck. We will keep trying, but in the process I though about making the vessel a more visible (besides your 360 pole light). It accured to me that I could keep my flounder lights (no heat) inside the yak and make it glow/ Well? It worked like a champ. The whole platform lits up and actually can see everything that lays around even better....even tiny swivels. Best of all I had reds and trout following the boat the whole time...lol ( at least I thought that) from the light hovering the calm waters...awesome! So no Tarpon for us, but the idea of lighting up your yak was born.. (just like a pumkin on hallowen night)...here some pics. :thumbsup:


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## Caddy Yakker

Fishermon said:


> I've been playing around a lot with the pro angler. The new steering kit is installed (thanks Liquid) and love it. The other night Vondy and I went out looking for Tarpon but had no luck. We will keep trying, but in the process I though about making the vessel a more visible (besides your 360 pole light). It accured to me that I could keep my flounder lights (no heat) inside the yak and make it glow/ Well? It worked like a champ. The whole platform lits up and actually can see everything that lays around even better....even tiny swivels. Best of all I had reds and trout following the boat the whole time...lol ( at least I thought that) from the light hovering the calm waters...awesome! So no Tarpon for us, but the idea of lighting up your yak was born.. (just like a pumkin on hallowen night)...here some pics. :thumbsup:


That looks pretty cool! I did the same thing with my lime green cobra tandem. I just don't have any desire to inshore fish anymore so I no longer have a use for it except when I go gigging but I would thing it would be better if the flounder didn't see the kayak.


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## Fishermon

yes, you are correct. I thought the same thing. Actually the illuminati will be used for night :fishing: or just crusing around the 3mb (or Gulf) for tarpon or big reds...I Ihave to use the same lights 'out' of the yak and underwater for floundering.


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## kbush

azevedo16 said:


> That is awesome I gig out of a gheenoe wich is about the same size as the PA and it is fun!


What lights are you using on the Gheenoe and which model 'Noe is it? Have a 13'r that I have Starfire lights that I can clamp on the gunnels. Originally set it up to fit rod holders on my Malibu Stealth but figured why paddle when the 4HP mercury can do all (most) of the work.

Trying to decide whether to run both lights off the bow or both on one side. Waiting on good conditions when I am on the coast to try it out.


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## Fishermon

Went out again on the Maya Papaya..man I love this kayak. I used to wade gig a lot ('used to') and I'm glad I went trough that stage. Now things are much smoother and loving it...thanks to the P.A.

For the record I should confess that my one year old bamboo gig was getting weak on every trip because I use it to pole the yak with (not that bright)..I knew it was gonna break at one point or another...wanted to reinforce it better, but instead i just let it go.

Well? you guessed it right....freaking thing breaks on my first flat fish of the night...it was huge too...it loooked a good 20+ buried..imagine how big it was to break my prong in one shake...( i just got too excited when i saw it and didnt't think)...man it really sucked to see that fish go away..I knew I put a good hurt on it...looked around the way it shoot out, but had no luck finding it. I was so sick I broke the bamboo pole in half to remind me no to do the same mistake twice.

Aside form all that, In got to play with the light set up some more and it worked pretty good, but still need some adjustments....the picture shows a weak 5HA battery set up on the left. On the right I have a fully charged 7.2Ah ...just to show the contarst. Up front I just put my spot light (rechargeable) all worked good. Pics dont make justice, but it is comfortably bright to find the fish.


Funny thing is I just finished fixing the same gig , with the same bamboo pole and some pvc...lol...man I'm cheap...I like the way it came out though. More pics later round.


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## romadfishrman

How are you connecting the lights to the yak? clamp to????? In my mind I don't see why you would have lights off the front because you aren't going to stick any fish from the bow of the kayak right? Better to have the lights off your sides pointing towards the bow. 
Sweet set up and I'm digging the glowing pumpkin, does it mess with your night vision a lot? 

I am very interested in stabbing some flat fish out of my yak. Any tips would be appreciated and if your looking for anybody to go with and don't mind teaching a noob, shoot me a PM I'm down to learn. Fishing out of a PA 12.


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## flukedaddy

Very cool stuff Fisher


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## need2fish

That is one cool setup.


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## Fishermon

romadfishrman said:


> How are you connecting the lights to the yak? clamp to????? In my mind I don't see why you would have lights off the front because you aren't going to stick any fish from the bow of the kayak right? Better to have the lights off your sides pointing towards the bow.
> Sweet set up and I'm digging the glowing pumpkin, does it mess with your night vision a lot?
> 
> I am very interested in stabbing some flat fish out of my yak. Any tips would be appreciated and if your looking for anybody to go with and don't mind teaching a noob, shoot me a PM I'm down to learn. Fishing out of a PA 12.



Thank you all for the positive replies.

Lights in the front allow me to see whats ahead...u can see a flounder 15' ahead like a sore thumb...then i can steer the boat left or right accordingly and gig 'm easier. Lights are attached (for now) on the P.A. hand rails via clamp rod holders and control height using a a secondary plastic clamp...I ll take some pics and post them later on.

Lighting the kayak from the inside out is something the I like to do when Im "fishing" or cruising at night..the glow is not as intense as you may think and it doesn't really affect your vision contrast much. 

You are very welcome to tag along any time, not sure when i ll be going out again, but yeah its lots of fun. I've seen a bunch crabs and big mullet last time a went out. Let me know when you'd like to give it a try and we'll go on from there.


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## romadfishrman

that's awesome. What hours do you normally roll out and fish? Evening/night fishing is much easier for me to get a pass from the wif.


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## uyutas

The information is very interesting. I just saw it the first time. Thanks for sharing this.


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## Fishermon

you are welcome uyutas.

As a matter of fact, I have improved 'some' the way the lights are rigged. I use now Scotty mounts, extensions and rod holders to have the lights 'easier to adjust' to different grounds. When on the Gulf lights need to be more angled down than when it is in the Sound....Like on very shallow water the lights need to be almost just below the water line almost flat straight on forward. This is easy to adjust with the scotty setup

Now you may ask, 'but where is all the flounder I'm gigging' no pics no reports?...lol..that's right, no time either...with family and working long hrs,..you know how it is.....but i'll get there; and will be more than happy to make a report or two when the time comes. For now I'm just gonna throw you some vids i did on the past (wading days).

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f32/flounder-gopro-videos-fun-fun-fun-91965/

The pics below also show the new 'yak cart' I built for the P.A. ( thanks to miller time's post a while back) works pretty good.


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## Fishermon

Here is the cart. Use it to slide the yak onto the truck bed...it can't get any easier than that. Thanks again miller time, your post made it happen. :thumbsup:


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## MillerTime

Fishermon said:


> Here is the cart. Use it to slide the yak onto the truck bed...it can't get any easier than that. Thanks again miller time, your post made it happen. :thumbsup:


The cart looks great. Glad i could help out. I may have to borrow your light idea though. They look like they work really well. I have been contemplating putting the shelf on the bottom for some time but have been looking for an alternative to wood. I always wash the pa in the bed of my truck when i get home since i don't want to get the cart wet. I would like something that i could put all the extra stuff on the bottom and wash it there.


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