# Nucanoe Unlimited w/MotorGuide Xi3



## NKlamerus

No more dealing with Cabela's and ascend nuance's, I finally upgraded to something I can relax a little in. 

After hours of research, I decided to skip pedal drive altogether and jump straight to powered. 

Being able to stand in a kayak and fish, there's no way I wanted to switch back to sitting only, and I couldn't find a great pedal drive with an open deck, that I could install a motor on, and just run a plug in the pedal drive spot if/when i wasn't using it. (Paddleboard hybrids were another option, but I still wanted gunnels)

I've seen nucanoes as an option for years, I love the open concept design and this year's model is nicely updated, the company is very active on their social media,they offer 3 years warranty on the hull and free lifetime replacement parts. Definitely took input from their users and fixed a lot of the little issues from previous models. And made in the USA!

Went with a motorguide Xi3 with gps, 55# thrust and a 36" shaft marketed for kayaks specifically. It's no MinnKota, but for the price, and still has pinpoint (spot lock) and gps tracking, its hard to beat. 

Boat is 12'6" and 41" wide, I can walk around in it without stabilizers. (6'3 and 290lbs) seat swivels 360, and there's just over 22' of aluminum track in it. 

Lots of rigging to do, still need get a lithium battery, and I'll need to register it. 

So far I'm very happy with it, and glad I didn't go with a jon boat. Paddles way better than the ascend 128x I had previously.


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## Walton County

I’m about to ditch my boat and go this route. Thanks for the review.


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## NKlamerus

Walton County said:


> I’m about to ditch my boat and go this route. Thanks for the review.


Definitely recommend Boe Marine for the motor, they had 30 in stock and somehow they are 120$ cheaper than anyone else in the country. 

Overnight shipped it to my house for 20$

Let us know which kayak you get!


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## SurfRidr

Nice setup!


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## NKlamerus

Battery moved 

Very impressed with the larger marineco 70amp plug, way overkill for this motor, but it's SO much better than the twist lock versions

The black plate in the first photo are sacrificial spots to do thru-hull wiring, there's one on each side near the chair as well 

Rear thru-hull is a yak attack kit


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## Joetrain

Those are great boats. I was close to buying one. The only thing stopping me was I had to car top it and it was more than I could handle. I ended up with a Hobie Revolution 11. It’s narrow and I’ve never even attempted to stand in it but after 4 + years of use it has been rock solid for me.

You will have that thing slimed up in no time.

~JOE~


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## K-Bill

Man that’s jam up!


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## NKlamerus

Talk about a wallet squeezer 

Just ordered a lithium battery for it. 

100aH and only 24lbs. Half the weight and twice the power of the everstart I've been using. 

Not too happy with the stock prop on the motorguide.


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## NKlamerus

Battery and scupper plugs came in rebuilt my storage cart to be a full 12'

Couple reports on Facebook of hulls sagging if they weren't fully supported, especially in a garage that turns into an oven in the summer


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## NKlamerus

Battery box in progress, another DeWalt Tstak box to match my tackle box.


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## NKlamerus

Seat raise going in as well, found some 2x2 steel tubing, just had to cut it down 

Going to mount a drawer under the seat as well.


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## NKlamerus

Fixed rudder (skeg) install, spring loaded down, no holes in the boat. Used a factory transom plate and a cheap rudder kit from Amazon.


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## SurfRidr

Looks pretty solid - thanks for the continued updates on the project!


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## NKlamerus

Expensive night! 

Dropped some coin on these Ram-X / Hobie rod holders, rocket launcher style with the 1.5" ram ball at the base with a kayak track adapter. 

One Objective kayak keel gaurds are on, one on the bow and one at the transom. Went on very smooth, curved around the hull just fine.


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## NKlamerus

Seat is rigged up 

Went for a test with the rudder, performed excellent


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## NKlamerus

10 hours on the water yesterday, no running issues at all, need to play with the rudder a little bit

Not in love with this front mounted rod holder, but it worked


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## NKlamerus

Battery box update, switched from Bluetooth voltagereader to an amerpage shunt, way more accurate and reads aH to me. 

Downsized to 60ah instead of 100


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## fishinbug

Nice setup on the battery box. Well done fishing machine.


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## NKlamerus

Got a few reports of failed LCD screens in the sun, so I added an outlet cover with the inside opened up, just enough room next to the gauge to add a switch.


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## NKlamerus

Cart had been modified as well, never been a fan of mid-ship carts, just a PITA to load and they don't work off the truck bed 

This should hold at the rear keel pretty well. Just need to figure out strapping


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## NKlamerus

Averaging 7ah per hour of fishing


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## Walton County

What kind of speed do you make in that thing?


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## NKlamerus

Walton County said:


> What kind of speed do you make in that thing?


I believe I checked once with gps, and was getting close to 4.5 

I'll have to check again with the new rigging, I expect it to change when I upgrade props as well


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## NKlamerus

Fix for now, simply unthread the t handle and swap the rear plate. 

Velcro to help with shear load on the skeg.


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## PompChaser315

Spend any more time on her? I'm about to pull the trigger


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## NKlamerus

PompChaser315 said:


> Spend any more time on her? I'm about to pull the trigger


Yes I go about once a week, but the sun sets here about 430 right now. My only gripes are still that read hull access being a waste of deck space, and the plastic overall is kinda thin, but right now that's to be expected from all manafacturers, also nice to know there's a lifetime parts and hull warranty on it. 

Do you have a Facebook? There is absolute TON of deals right now on used/new nucanoe's on the owners group and specific model groups 

Likely "stimulus check" kayaks they were used a couple times but now it's too cold lol 

There are some new colors for 2022, camo seats instead of black, but lots of parts are on backorder as well (decking mat, scupper plugs, etc...) They are included the company just ships them too you after purchase. 

The owner of the company actually vacations in Destin/SRB from Washington, he's also very active on the FB groups helping people with some of their add-ons and any quality issues


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## PompChaser315

Thank you for the response. Naw I don't do Facebook but it sounds like I should. Seems like everyone is selling there these days. 

There is a Nucanoe dealer about 40 miles from me in Daphne, AL. Called up there yesterday and he is actually supposed to be getting more Unlimiteds this week. I'm still laid up from shoulder surgery and won't be able to fish/paddle til around Spring time I'd say. Debating whether to pick one up now or wait a bit and maybe pick up a 2022 model early next year. Not sure if anything will be different than the 2021 models besides the colors. 

Just curious. Have you seen any for sale on the secondary market or a good deal on a new one near me in Pcola? I don't mind driving a bit if the price is right.


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## NKlamerus

PompChaser315 said:


> Thank you for the response. Naw I don't do Facebook but it sounds like I should. Seems like everyone is selling there these days.
> 
> There is a Nucanoe dealer about 40 miles from me in Daphne, AL. Called up there yesterday and he is actually supposed to be getting more Unlimiteds this week. I'm still laid up from shoulder surgery and won't be able to fish/paddle til around Spring time I'd say. Debating whether to pick one up now or wait a bit and maybe pick up a 2022 model early next year. Not sure if anything will be different than the 2021 models besides the colors.
> 
> Just curious. Have you seen any for sale on the secondary market or a good deal on a new one near me in Pcola? I don't mind driving a bit if the price is right.


No change other than the colors, there's constantly more accessories being released by Nucanoe as well 

Most recent I think is an adapter plate to accept boonedox landing gear 

Someone actually asked about pcola 5 days ago, plenty of used for sale 

Keep in mind there will likely be a surge in purchases come spring. Lots for sale right now while it's cold


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## PompChaser315

Thanks man I really appreciate it. I'm gonna see if my wife will let me into her FB so I can check it out. Any other groups you recommend trying besides the NuCanoe Owners Club?


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## NKlamerus

PompChaser315 said:


> Thanks man I really appreciate it. I'm gonna see if my wife will let me into her FB so I can check it out. Any other groups you recommend trying besides the NuCanoe Owners Club?


There are "NuCanoe (insert model here)" owners groups, but the regular nucanoe group is the largest I believe. 

Models such as Flint, unlimited, f12, etc... 

Once you buy a NuCanoe, register it online and they will send you parts as the become available, a free thru-hull kit, and a free t-shirt/hat. As well as their online forum I believe. 

The motorguide trolling motor group has been helpful as well as the motorized kayaks page. 

As much as I hate what Facebook stands for, it's an extremely large wealth of information, I use it for work too, machine (sewing) questions that aren't mentioned online anywhere else. 

Ask your dealer about discounts, I could have saved 10% on the kayak by mentioning KFNW (kayak fishing northwest)

Nick (Navarre kayak fishing) has a great review on nucanoe and the pedal drive system as well


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## NKlamerus

More mods to the rig, anyone want to guess how much 4" of lift is going to affect the stability of the kayak? 

Going to test it tomorrow, really put some weight in the old box and paddle around with it higher and lower


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## SurfRidr

Thanks for the continued updates, looks like you're really dialing it in! I like your cart build, I may use the idea for something similar. I agree the wheels mid-hull are inconvenient with the truck bed but it's a bit heavy if they are at the stern so I"m working on a solution to keep them about 2/3 the way aft so I can load to the truck bed without removing them for short drives. I like the hull guide placements to center it. Appreciate the updates!


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## PompChaser315

NKlamerus said:


> There are "NuCanoe (insert model here)" owners groups, but the regular nucanoe group is the largest I believe.
> 
> Models such as Flint, unlimited, f12, etc...
> 
> Once you buy a NuCanoe, register it online and they will send you parts as the become available, a free thru-hull kit, and a free t-shirt/hat. As well as their online forum I believe.
> 
> The motorguide trolling motor group has been helpful as well as the motorized kayaks page.
> 
> As much as I hate what Facebook stands for, it's an extremely large wealth of information, I use it for work too, machine (sewing) questions that aren't mentioned online anywhere else.
> 
> Ask your dealer about discounts, I could have saved 10% on the kayak by mentioning KFNW (kayak fishing northwest)
> 
> Nick (Navarre kayak fishing) has a great review on nucanoe and the pedal drive system as well


Thanks for all the information! I'm gonna browse around there to see if I can find me a deal before I get a new one.


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## NKlamerus

Went for a test run with the raised tackle box. Just filled them water for test wait 

It's 42 degrees out and I had to wait between storm fronts 

No motor 

Couldn't feel a difference really, my seat up 2" made way more of a change. 

The best thing to do would be to lose 20lbs!


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## NKlamerus

Another trip to the hardware store. 

Ive got the rails pretty much done, don't think I'm going to paint them. 

I went with stainless eyes on the outside of the rear one, I've been looking for a place to strap my kayak cart in that general area, and this should do the trick. 

Rubber fender washers under everything.

The box indexes with 2 of it's feet into the rear aluminum bar, which stops it from sliding unless it jumps out, I don't know if I should secure it further with some bungee loops


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Another trip to the hardware store.
> 
> Ive got the rails pretty much done, don't think I'm going to paint them.
> 
> I went with stainless eyes on the outside of the rear one, I've been looking for a place to strap my kayak cart in that general area, and this should do the trick.
> 
> Rubber fender washers under everything.
> 
> The box indexes with 2 of it's feet into the rear aluminum bar, which stops it from sliding unless it jumps out, I don't know if I should secure it further with some bungee loops


Hey good Idea with the dewalt box lol


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## NKlamerus

jwilson1978 said:


> Hey good Idea with the dewalt box lol


Where you going? Looks like most the ice fishing setups these days


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Where you going? Looks like most the ice fishing setups these days


That's where I got the idea. This will be used on different boats. But only for the active target. It with fit in my Kayak And on the front of my 22 foot blazer bay (Stays in freash water now ) and is not in the way. May also stick it in the cabin off the offshore for cast netting deep bait.


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## NKlamerus

Scupper plugs showed up, these were free, supposed to be included when purchased but they were either redesigning them or out of them. 

Pretty similar to the perception ones I've been using


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## NKlamerus

Legal in Oregon, titled and registered 

Putting together pieces for the last big upgrade, thinking Garmin 93sv UHD while they are all about 700$ with the gt54 

The 73 will be ~500$ according to the leaked sale pages 

Fishing has been incredibly slow especially without side imaging or any sonar, been lucky to find a few small schools by chance


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## NKlamerus

Just need a graph to hang 

Ram 1.5" screen mount 
Ram/Hobie transducer arm 
Yak Attack CellBlok (specifically tracked down 1st gen not 2nd) 

Going to be running a DeWalt 20v battery with battery adapter wire leads.


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## NKlamerus

Fish finder is on wait. 

Got scammed on a FB deal, gave me fake 100s...

But I did find a pair of these!


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## NKlamerus

Test run went good, one loud pop on a big bump, no idea what it was though


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## jwilson1978

May have missed it what you going to run on that beast here is mine from your idea. Just rigged up snuff cans with glow in the dark tape for for baits and attractants. A glued on fish counter. Nowhere near perfect but first working mock up! and catching fish.


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## NKlamerus

jwilson1978 said:


> May have missed it what you going to run on that beast here is mine from your idea


Hopefully a Garmin 93sv UHD, but I got scammed on a chainsaw deal a few weeks ago, guy gave me fake 100s.

So it's on the back burner. Also just bought another vanford 3000 setup out of the same fund...


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Hopefully a Garmin 93sv UHD, but I got scammed on a chainsaw deal a few weeks ago, guy gave me fake 100s.
> 
> So it's on the back burner. Also just bought another vanford 3000 setup out of the same fund...


Super slick rig. Keep posting. I'm loving active target! I know Garmin is probably better. But damn! I played with the scout mode yesterday Garmin calls it perspective. You can see fish beds at 80 foot easily!


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## NKlamerus

Wheels are working great, but the plastic nuts that yak attack uses with plastic 1/4-20 threads are junk. 

Switched to real hardware for now, not in love with the look but it'll be stronger.


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## NKlamerus

We are in the game fellas 

Cabela's price matched the unit I have been wanting for awhile, west marine had it cheaper and in stock 

Garmin 93sv UHD w/Gt54 for 600$ 

I got it wired up last night, mounts all work pretty good, it's a little more wobbly than id like but overall not bad.

Going to order a shorter Ram arm

Running them off a DeWalt 20v battery 5aH, just straight 20V no reducer


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## NKlamerus

Some small modifications. Was tired of seeing red so I blasted these with oven cleaner to remove the anodizing 

Added a small aluminum arm to the upper track for the cellblock, eliminates any of the wobble, 3 points of contact, always. 

Smaller ram arm came in, much better fit. Just waiting on the sun shade


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## NKlamerus

Good heavy use today, everything worked flawlessly. 

Just need to figure out a better way to transport all my crap for it


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## CurDog

Enjoyed the read and ideas. Now if you can just talk Motorguide or even Minnkota into designing a auto-stow/deploy trolling motor for a yak, and with your set-up, you'd be the Cadillac of yaks. 
Liked that smallie you got. Nice one.


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## NKlamerus

CurDog said:


> Enjoyed the read and ideas. Now if you can just talk Motorguide or even Minnkota into designing a auto-stow/deploy trolling motor for a yak, and with your set-up, you'd be the Cadillac of yaks.
> Liked that smallie you got. Nice one.


Thanks brother!

I'd love something auto deploy, I'd also like a foot pedal and cable drives but that might just mean I want a bass boat 

If I had a place to put it, I'd probably have one.


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Thanks brother!
> 
> I'd love something auto deploy, I'd also like a foot pedal and cable drives but that might just mean I want a bass boat
> 
> If I had a place to put it, I'd probably have one.


I have the minn kota with the remote and the (fly by wire?) foot pedal. that thing is awesome every thing is push button and takes no effort like the cable version


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## CurDog

NKlamerus said:


> Thanks brother!
> 
> I'd love something auto deploy, I'd also like a foot pedal and cable drives but that might just mean I want a bass boat
> 
> If I had a place to put it, I'd probably have one.


I was thinking of auto-deploy/stow because your TM is specifically made for the bow. Looks like a PITA to deploy it, whether in the yak or deploying it at the ramp. I know mine can be on my 17' cc. 
It just seemed it'd be an asset over deploying at the ramp around concrete and natural rock, getting it banged it up.


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## NKlamerus

CurDog said:


> I was thinking of auto-deploy/stow because your TM is specifically made for the bow. Looks like a PITA to deploy it, whether in the yak or deploying it at the ramp. I know mine can be on my 17' cc.
> It just seemed it'd be an asset over deploying at the ramp around concrete and natural rock, getting it banged it up.


It definitely would be, I've seen one auto deploy MinnKota rigged on the front of one of these, he trailered it backwards so he'd just back in and click the button 

It's doable but the shaft is way too long, I'm not sure if cutting the shaft down would affect the self launching


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## CurDog

Minn Kota ought to design a lightweight and compact auto-deploy TM just for kayaks and small j-boats. 
If not Minn Kota, maybe Motorguide or Watersnake.


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## NKlamerus

CurDog said:


> Minn Kota ought to design a lightweight and compact auto-deploy TM just for kayaks and small j-boats.
> If not Minn Kota, maybe Motorguide or Watersnake.


Im not fully sure, but I think they are making too much money making the pod motors for old town to venture too quickly into the kayak market

It does have some advantages but definitely isn't as user friendly as a bow mount in my opinion 

I'd absolutely love to see a brushless motor option


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Im not fully sure, but I think they are making too much money making the pod motors for old town to venture too quickly into the kayak market
> 
> It does have some advantages but definitely isn't as user friendly as a bow mount in my opinion
> 
> I'd absolutely love to see a brushless motor option


Yep I believe your right on both accounts


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## Walton County

How does it sit with you and the equipment in the back 1/3rd of the yak?


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## NKlamerus

Walton County said:


> How does it sit with you and the equipment in the back 1/3rd of the yak?


Sits perfect, I've sinced moved my chair about 4" forward but I think I'll be moving it back. 

The widest point of the hull is just about there the handles are, maybe slightly further aft. 

Most people don't get a sense of how wide it is, 41" is almost a full truck width between the wheel wells, but it really pays off and still paddles better than a Jon boat

My next project will be getting a scale and weighing everything, I would bet the motor absolutely covers the lithium and maybe the tackle box too, so it's really just me for weight adjustment. 

Technically the heaviest part of the motor is underwater when in use, would that effect the true weight?


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Sits perfect, I've sinced moved my chair about 4" forward but I think I'll be moving it back.
> 
> The widest point of the hull is just about there the handles are, maybe slightly further aft.
> 
> Most people don't get a sense of how wide it is, 41" is almost a full truck width between the wheel wells, but it really pays off and still paddles better than a Jon boat
> 
> My next project will be getting a scale and weighing everything, I would bet the motor absolutely covers the lithium and maybe the tackle box too, so it's really just me for weight adjustment.
> 
> Technically the heaviest part of the motor is underwater when in use, would that effect the true weight?


Adds ballast. helps


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## NKlamerus

It must, there's been some instances where if it was any lower in the water and had any more leverage on me, I would have been overboard when I didn't realize I was turning it on at 90° P/S at max thrust lol 

That being said I've had 2 trips where I ended up paddling for hours with the motor up and stowed, with absolutely no issues other than that's where my net usually sits


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## NKlamerus

Been running good enough that someone else in my area picked up the same rig, maybe a trip in the future with them. 

Been a steady spring for it, keep waiting for the remote batteries to die but they never do


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## NKlamerus

Been sick as a dog with a cold so I haven't been on the water in 11 days

I bought a matching quick connect plate in black while the price dropped


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## NKlamerus

Took the plate and mounted an anchor chute from anchor wizard, I don't plan on using their reel, not a fan of the mechanism and certainly not the line size 

I'll run polyethylene line back to a cleat, that's stored on a dive reel 

The xi3 has spotlock but I've got some future trips planned on rivers and creeks where I can't use the motor


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## NKlamerus

I figured it would be an issue but didn't think it would happen on the first trip 

The black ones are known to cause problems when it's sunny, during transport the puck (boat half) gets hot in the sun and expands, so going to install the motor it doesn't slip over the puck, have to cool the puck with water and use some force to get the locking pin in 

On the plus side it still looks better, and it's so tight there's no play for it to rock


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## SurfRidr

Thanks for the continued updates on the rig! Very functional


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## jwilson1978

Ya Like Sam said keep giving Idea's and I will keep looking for something steal and incorporate. lol The tool box with forward imagery is kicking Butt! Been in a few boats now and murdering fish. Thanks for that Idea!


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## NKlamerus

New anchor showed up, 5lb yakgear mushroom 

Using a dive reel to manage slack line, I went with 1/4" polypropylene hollow core, won't hold water and floats. Just hope it's strong enough 

Keeping it simple and tying off to a cleat, I've got a rope cutter on the way I'll be mounting right there as well.


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## NKlamerus

Should get a test for the anchor next weekend 

Rest of the rig is fine, burned 89% of my battery in a day which is a first. But that's 4 miles on the river, and another 1.5 in some super thick weeds, actually stalled the motor twice


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## NKlamerus

Put some new scratches in the bottom and definitely tested the wheels out today, crazy drop in. 

Paddled great, took some rapids and took one over the bow, luckily had the scuppers out


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## NKlamerus

Small change, adding a ketch board.


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## NKlamerus

Got pulled over awhile ago, think the cop was wasting time but he said I need a red light on the transom, guess his bright ass headlights don't hit the 16" red flag? 

Anyways using a lantern for now

Used the motor guide in some serious weeds with absolutely no issues, had to clean it off once but did surprisingly well


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## hjorgan

Found this thread and have some questions.
I fish a couple of ponds/lakes out of the Pond Scum, a 14ft jon boat. This works OK but with the trailer and all, I tend to skip those quick trips that would be easier in a yak. I'm thinking a vessel that fits in my truck bed. It would stay in the hunting/fishing truck so I could just jump in and go! But I need a vessel that:
-- a fat boy won't fall out of easily (200 lbs)
-- a fat boy can stand up in to relieve the back (due to being fat)
-- can handle weedy lakes with motor, pole or paddle
-- can carry enough gear and beer to get through a days fishing

I see pics of your nucano in thick weeds. How does it handle that? Is it fat-boy stable?


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## Joetrain

I’ll answer for him. That boat will meet all your needs.
~JOE~


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## hjorgan

Found a semi-local dealer. Will go check them out this weekend. They have some used ones that might serve me well.


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## NKlamerus

hjorgan said:


> Found this thread and have some questions.
> I fish a couple of ponds/lakes out of the Pond Scum, a 14ft jon boat. This works OK but with the trailer and all, I tend to skip those quick trips that would be easier in a yak. I'm thinking a vessel that fits in my truck bed. It would stay in the hunting/fishing truck so I could just jump in and go! But I need a vessel that:
> -- a fat boy won't fall out of easily (200 lbs)
> -- a fat boy can stand up in to relieve the back (due to being fat)
> -- can handle weedy lakes with motor, pole or paddle
> -- can carry enough gear and beer to get through a days fishing
> 
> I see pics of your nucano in thick weeds. How does it handle that? Is it fat-boy stable?


It will definitely handle all that, I'm 300lbs 6'3 and I can walk to the front to stow and deploy the trolling motor 

The 360 fusion seat is incredible, I haven't had any back pain since I switched from my last kayak 

They might recommend the frontier but i would stick with an unlimited. It's wider and supposed to have better hulls 

Check the whole hull well before purchasing, first few off the line had some soft spots that nucanoe had to replace 

First two or last two digits on the VIN number are the year

As far as weeds go, it handled straight forest yesterday. The benefit of a bow mount motor is it drafts way less than a pedal drive, plus it's never any work on your legs to chip through the weeds


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## hjorgan

NKlamerus said:


> It will definitely handle all that, I'm 300lbs 6'3 and I can walk to the front to stow and deploy the trolling motor
> 
> The 360 fusion seat is incredible, I haven't had any back pain since I switched from my last kayak
> 
> They might recommend the frontier but i would stick with an unlimited. It's wider and supposed to have better hulls
> 
> Check the whole hull well before purchasing, first few off the line had some soft spots that nucanoe had to replace
> 
> First two or last two digits on the VIN number are the year
> 
> As far as weeds go, it handled straight forest yesterday. The benefit of a bow mount motor is it drafts way less than a pedal drive, plus it's never any work on your legs to chip through the weeds


Sounds good! I guess if it gets too weedy you can paddle or pole through them. I fish a 35 acre lake that is full of giant bass AND weeds. The channels are clear but the bays get choked in the summer. A weedless frog pull through that stuff is heart stopping.


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## NKlamerus

hjorgan said:


> Sounds good! I guess if it gets too weedy you can paddle or pole through them. I fish a 35 acre lake that is full of giant bass AND weeds. The channels are clear but the bays get choked in the summer. A weedless frog pull through that stuff is heart stopping.


Absolutely, don't be afraid to go as long as you can for a paddle, it's 41" wide with a tall seat, my ~8'4" paddle works but I'd like to eventually get a 9'


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## NKlamerus

Excellent day on the water yesterday

9 hours, used 75% of my 60ah battery

Had some big schools of fish swim right past me on side scan, would have been awesome to have forward facing sonar and track them down....


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## DLo

I see catching them one at a time got boring, lol


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## NKlamerus

DLo said:


> I see catching them one at a time got boring, lol


Yeah this particular lake is an odd one.

It's extremely shallow (14') and even though it's probably 60 acres it drains down to maybe 3 acres in the winter. It's amazing that any bass/fish live there at all 

But there's been multiple 5, 6, 7s, and even a 9lber pulled out of it. It used to be stocked with trout but now it's mainly a million crawfish and baby bass, the bass fry bring in a ton of pelicans too, and they feast once they start draining the lake 

Hard to fish through them, they are willing to attack just about anything, even the bigger baits they will take a swipe at


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## NKlamerus

I bought a nite-ize glowstick and it didn't last one trip 

Switched to some cheap bike lights, 6pack for 15$ 

Paddled it the other day for a trip, anchor system worked great, still need a longer paddle 

Also moved my ketch board forward


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## NKlamerus

Bike lights are crap, going to return them 

Plans are in order for different lights and rearranging the truck bed


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## DLo

Not bright enough or didn't work?


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## NKlamerus

DLo said:


> Not bright enough or didn't work?


Bright enough but the batteries last less than an hour, they auto shutoff without any warning


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Bright enough but the batteries last less than an hour, they auto shutoff without any warning


I may be missing something. Why not a normal 12v light/lights or a set of trailer lights to strap to it and plug in to the truck trailer pigtail?


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## NKlamerus

jwilson1978 said:


> I may be missing something. Why not a normal 12v light/lights or a set of trailer lights to strap to it and plug in to the truck trailer pigtail?


Nope your spot on, tired of messing with batteries

It's not a huge deal in the summer, but with the sun setting at 5pm and the overall overcast rainy weather we get here, its an issue now for sure 

The best solution is a Yakima long arm or boonedox t-bone hitch/tailgate extender, but I may have found an alternative that's even simpler 

It'll support the back of the kayak and I can mount 12v lights to It down to the trailer plug, one less thing to deal with at the ramp too


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## jwilson1978

Keep it comeing very interesting to see


NKlamerus said:


> Nope your spot on, tired of messing with batteries
> 
> It's not a huge deal in the summer, but with the sun setting at 5pm and the overall overcast rainy weather we get here, its an issue now for sure
> 
> The best solution is a Yakima long arm or boonedox t-bone hitch/tailgate extender, but I may have found an alternative that's even simpler
> 
> It'll support the back of the kayak and I can mount 12v lights to It down to the trailer plug, one less thing to deal with at the ramp too


 Keep it coming very interesting to see what you have going on way over there.


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## NKlamerus

No fishing in awhile but did get an extender built. 

Found these brackets on Amazon for 25$ and spent 12$ on some pt 2x4 (they look very different up here) 

Seems very strong, 2x4s or tailgate cables would likely break first


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## NKlamerus

Got some tail lights made, powered by a DeWalt battery. 

Unfortunately one of them doesn't work on 100% brightness but the 50% setting is plenty, company is sending me a replacement.

Completely removable so I can leave it in the truck, I'll have to leave the rudder down when I'm using it, should be fine


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## NKlamerus

Tail lights on for 6 hours yesterday and not a dent in the battery









Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk


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## NKlamerus

Not much to post, spent an afternoon mapping yesterday at about full throttle for 2 hours and dumped my battery fast, down to 14% but it was also 40 degrees.


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## jwilson1978

NKlamerus said:


> Not much to post, spent an afternoon mapping yesterday at about full throttle for 2 hours and dumped my battery fast, down to 14% but it was also 40 degrees.


Good way to find spots check out the scenery and understand where and what fish are liking. And dang sure beats sitting at the house!


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## PompChaser315

Your posts inspired me! Just picked up this bad boy yesterday. I haven't kayak fished or even been in a kayak for 15 years so this should be interesting haha. I also don't know anything about inshore fishing this area as we spend all of our time at the beach chasing Pompano since moving here from Jax about 14 years ago. Looking forward to learning!


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## NKlamerus

PompChaser315 said:


> Your posts inspired me! Just picked up this bad boy yesterday. I haven't kayak fished or even been in a kayak for 15 years so this should be interesting haha. I also don't know anything about inshore fishing this area as we spend all of our time at the beach chasing Pompano since moving here from Jax about 14 years ago. Looking forward to learning!
> View attachment 1098382


Congrats your going to love it! All my other kayak buddies are dry for winter, but with the xi3 my hands never get wet

And I can't stand and move to warm up

Pedal drive might help you stay warm though, I'll still choose spotlock 

Definitely recommend a longer paddle and adding the seat base swivel


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## NKlamerus

Been a minute but I built a quick shelf to store and transport the trolling motor in the kayak, eliminates some wall space in the garage and keeps it off my backseat in the truck. 

The aluminum is just to add some rigidity

Going to sand and finish it but it's pretty solid, might look into some kind of rain cover


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## NKlamerus

Kayaks been doing great, fishing not so much, haven't registered it yet for 2023 just paddling so far

Got some aluminum to replace the steel seat risers


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