A Few Little Improvements To The Trident 13

I have been working on the rigging of my new Trident 13 for several months now. I am finished and am going to start a series of post on what I did and how I did it. I plan on finishing with a monster overview post, showing all of my customization. This is the ninth post in the series.

1st post: Installing a Fish Finder 
2nd post: Upgrading a Plano Dry Box
3rd post: How To Install SuperNova Fishing Lights On Your Kayak
4th post: Install Scotty Flush Mounts on a Kayak
5th post: YackAttack GearTrack GT90 Install and Review
6th post: The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 1
7th post: The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 2
8th post: Silent Traction System Install

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Before I begin to show a few little improvements I made to my kayak, take a look at these trophy fish my good friend Jonathan Walker caught:

Jonathan has had trouble getting on the fish this year, but got into them in a big way on the Western Branch Reservoir. This 13" Shell Cracker is the largest I have ever seen!

This Trophy 43" Gar gave him a big surprise! He was using a light reel and rod while drifting a 3" dead shad in 15' of water, looking for a catfish or rockfish. This bad boy made his day!

If you have a trophy fish you would like to show off, email me a picture of it. I'll add it to the beginning of my next post!

On to the main subject....

I love my Ocean Kayak Trident 13. It is a great, versatile boat. Many things are well thought out on it. The rod pod, sonar shield, and hull design are just a few of its great qualities. However, there are a few minor, nitpicky things I dislike about it.

The paddle holders

The paddle holders on the Trident 13 hold a paddle very, very securely. I have not removed them for this reason. There are times that I want to know that nothing will strip my paddle from the side of my boat.

Realistically, those times are rare.

The standard paddle holder

What the Trident 13's paddle holders do not do is allow you to easily stow your paddle. It takes me two hands and a good deal of effort to do it. Now, someone with larger, stronger hands may be able to do it one handed, but not this guy.

I need to be able to quickly stow my paddle one handed. So, I added a Scotty Paddle Clip to the side of my kayak. It is not as secure, but I can stow and retrieve my paddle one handed.

Just this past week I hooked a fish that felt large. When I hooked it, I had my paddle and an extra rod in my lap. You want your deck clear when a big fish comes on board. As I fought the fish, I quickly put the extra rod in a rod holder and clipped my paddle to the Scotty paddle clip. I could do this without even looking. The fish ended up only being a little 23" catfish, but it was full of eggs and fought like a 10 pounder!

Towing Handles

The towing handles on the Trident 13 are some of the strongest you can find. That is the only good thing I can say about them.

The way they give and flop around make loading my kayak into the bed of a truck very difficult. Since they are attached to bungees, it is difficult to obtain the leverage need. So, I added a handle to the front and rear of my deck.

Now I can grip it with both hands and I have a solid grip to work with.

Take a close look at the picture above. See the drain plug in front of the handle? It sucks. In a $1200 kayak you would have thought they could have come up with something better. It works fine for draining, that is not the problem. The problem is that any time you try to drag your Trident 13 up a hill the handle of this plug digs into your fingers. It is very uncomfortable. I have yet to figure out a practical solution to this problem. I would love for someone at Ocean Kayak to read this and fix this problem in future kayaks. 

The Seat Snap

This one is very nitpicky. 

The seat on the Trident 13 can fold down for transport. It is held in place, up or down, by a bungee and plastic clip.  

This system works well, and I like it. However, the clip provided is a cheap plastic deal. It is hard to fasten and unfasten. I replaced this clip with a small Carabiner .

It's things like this that annoy me. They saved maybe 25 cents by using a cheap clip. Why not just do it right, your customers notice the little things.

The Trident 13 is an amazing boat. No boat is going to have everything I want. When you think about it, this is a very short list.

Camping With Toddlers

I have a dirty secret. Something few people know.

I hate camping.

Oh, I'll do it in a pinch. I'll camp on an overnight hunting or fishing trip, or if my destination is just too far from a town. However, if there is a lodge, cabin, or hotel close by, that is where you will find me.

My two and three year old daughters have a different opinion of camping. After watching Curious George do it on TV, they have decided it is the most fun possible. So, a camping we will go!

Take it from someone who does not like to camp, without the proper preparation and equipment it is no fun. Everyone with young kids knows that things go down hill fast when the kids are not having fun. So before you try camping with young kids, you need to head over to a outdoors store like Bass Pro Shops (or Cotswold Outdoor if you live in the UK) and stock up on kid friendly camping gear.

Before I go any further I should note that this guide is for casual campers. You know, the families that camp once or twice a year. If you bring your kids out every weekend, then they are real troopers by now and can handle more camping hurdles.

There are three enemies to camping with kids, the weather, biting bugs, and poisonous plants. Any one can ruin your trip in a matter of minutes. If you can overcome these enemies, then you are almost guaranteed a positive trip.

The Weather

Cold, Heat, or Rain will ruin your camping trip. Kids cannot handle chilly weather or extreme heat. Rain will keep you all cramped inside a tent. Kids cannot adequately expel energy in a tent.

The fix for this could not be simpler. Check the weather report before you leave to go camping. If it is going the be cold, very hot, or raining, simply change your plans. Do not go camping.

Biting Bugs

Mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, and gnats will ruin your trip in an instant. Fortunately, there are a lot of things to protect you from them.

Start with a bug repellent. Not one of those crappy all natural repellents. They simply do not work well. Find something with at least 30% DEET. DEET is the most effective insect repellent available. Before you start whining about rubbing a chemical over your precious little children, remember this: Not one person has died from DEET, but millions of people have died insect born diseases. I'd rather expose my kids to a safe chemical than to a disease.

Next, wear proper outdoor clothing. This will create a physical barrier to the insects. Most people have no problem buying nice outdoor clothing for themselves, but neglect to get it for their kids. This is a mistake. Clothing made to camping and hiking is made with a tighter weave than the stuff in the kids section at Target. North Face has a nice children's line.

Lastly, you can keep bugs at bay around the campsite with a nice smokey fire or even better, a Thermacell. The Thermacell is probably the best outdoor product made in the last decade. They are expensive to run, but create an invisible force field that keeps the bugs away.

Poisonous plants

Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac will not only make a camping trip miserable. It will make the next three weeks of your kids life miserable. The only thing to do here is scout your camp for these plants and teach your kids to avoid them. Use the rule "Leaves of thee, Let it be!" Of course, young kids can't count, so you are going to have to watch out for them. Here is a good site on how to identify these plants.

Now, there are also a few things you should do to make things more fun for the kids.

Cook Familiar Foods

Most young kids are picky. While, normal camping foods taste great, they often look yucky. Bring the peanut butter and jelly, hot dogs, juice, and cereal that your kids like to eat. They will eat better. A hungry kid is a grumpy kid.

Give them a comfy place to sleep

Sleeping in a tent (or under the stars!) is the highlight of most camping trips. Make it comfortable. Find a nice, smooth, level place for your tent. A mat or cot can really help everyone get a better nights sleep. Buy your kids their very own sleeping bag. Quality kids sleeping bags can be hard to find, here is a link to some. Give them their own flashlight or a glow stick. Don't forget to bring their favorite doll, stuffed toy, or blanky.

Most of all make it fun!

Light a fire

You need a fire. A fire gives your campsite a focal point. It will keep your kids entertained. Building it is a fun activity. (Try using different fire starters for extra fun!) Cooking over it is fun. Poking it is fun. Staring in it is fun. Fire is fun!

It is also a great way to teach your kids about the dangers of fire and fire safety.

Keep your activities short

Please don't drag your 2 year old on a five mile hike! Unless of course, you have one of those fancy child backpack carriers. Keep you hikes short and bounce between activities. This makes for an exhausting day for the grown ups, but a fun day for the kids!

Know when to pack it up

There is a fine line between a fun trip and a bad trip. The longer you stay camping the higher the chance something will go wrong. It is better to quit while you are having fun than to stay to long and have a bad memory.

Camping with young kids can be one of the best memories your family can have. You just have to limit your expectations and know what your kids can handle.

An Ultralight Kind Of Day

Sometimes I have to remind myself that fishing is all about having fun. It does not get more fun than ultralight!

So, when the big fish decided not to bite a few weeks ago, I took out my ultralight rod and slew the dinks!

Bass and Crappie mostly on an unweighted 4" lizzard and top water Teeny Torpedo. 2 pound test at least made the fights a little challenging.

I've had that same Teeny Torpedo for almost 25 years. I think I got it when I was 9 years old. It has caught me hundreds of fish.

Topwater Crappie are always a nice surprise!

My first Blue Gill of the year, a nice handful.

A dozen or more bass were landed.

All under 14"

The ultralight rod I used is 23 years old. It was a gift for my 10th birthday. I found it this winter in an old chest of keepsakes. It still has good juju!

As I was leaving this ugly buzzard landed in a tree just a few yards away from me. He gave me the stink eye, so I backed off. It hopped to the ground and picked up a tiny dead mouse. I found it amazing that it saw such a tiny dead thing from way up high.

No monsters to brag about today, just a lot of fun using tackle from my childhood. Sometimes it is good to enjoy the little fish in life!

What We Can Learn From Old World Hunting Gear

Hunting is cultural. Every culture does it slightly differently.

Last year when my Grandma saw a picture of me in a tree stand, she asked my Dad what I was doing up there. She is from the west and had never heard of someone hunting from a stand. It is all stalking where she is from.

It is kind of silly now that I look at it

On the flip side, when I describe the thrill of spot and stalk hunting to my friends in the east, they are often dumb struck. The idea of hunting in that way had never occurred to them.

Those two example are within the same country, the US. Imagine how differently people must hunt in other countries or even other continents!

We can learn a lot from other cultures. Look at Japan. They are innovators in popular American fishing. They have developed some awesome Bass lures and look at Tenkara, a fast growing fly fishing technique.

The differences in how we hunt in America and how they hunt over in Europe was made clear to me when I was introduced to BushWear, a popular hunting retailer out of Scotland.  I could not stop looking at their products, products not available or popular in the States.

Check out some of the differences:

The first thing I noticed is that while in the States you will get laughed out of your stand if you are not clad head to toe in camo, European vendors do not focus so much on camo. Check out their clothing line.  There is some camo, but not much. It is mostly drab greens and browns.

This makes sense to me. I've always questioned the benefit of camo. Don't tar and feather me! I know camo is effective and important, but I've always felt that staying still and quiet is much more important.

When they wear camo it is often 3D suits. This is also my preferred camo.

Another difference was in their knives. I am a knife junkie, so most people would not pick up on this. While they use the same brands and steels that we do, most of their knives are much more practical. Short, sturdy blades and no-nonsense handles. Compare this with the knife page on Bass Pro's site. Americans tend to prefer more tactical type knives.

Top: Typical American Style Hunting Knife
Bottom: Typical European Style Hunting Knife

I have to say, I've always preferred European styled blades.

Some of the differences are due to the type of quarry available to them. I believe the deer there must be smaller than ours. A popular item in the BushWear catalog is a Roesack. I had never heard of this before. It is basically a backpack that you can put a small deer in. In the US, we usually just grab an antler or foot and start dragging.

Many things are the same. Hunting is hunting after all. A fascination for Bear Grylls and his product line is everywhere. So is the need for solid shooting rests. I was even surprised to see a full line of game cameras. Not sure why this surprised me, I guess I just picture them as being more old school. A poor assumption on my part.

I think it would do every hunter good to look at different cultures and how they hunt. It is not only interesting and educational, you may learn a new trick or two!

If anyone has experience hunting in another country I would love to hear how you do it!

Kayak Silent Traction System Install

I have been working on the rigging of my new Trident 13 for several months now. I am finished and am going to start a series of post on what I did and how I did it. I plan on finishing with a monster overview post, showing all of my customization. This is the eighth post in the series.

1st post: Installing a Fish Finder 
2nd post: Upgrading a Plano Dry Box
3rd post: How To Install SuperNova Fishing Lights On Your Kayak
4th post: Install Scotty Flush Mounts on a Kayak
5th post: YackAttack GearTrack GT90 Install and Review
6th post: The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 1
7th post: The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 2

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Most of the upgrades I have made to my kayak has been either for convenience, or for safety. Very few actually increase my ability to catch fish. The stealthy nature of my kayak and good bait presentation to the fish catching. This upgrade actually helps me catch fish.

Before I got a kayak I used to be a very, very poor fisherman. I would take my Jon boat out and fish, but would never catch much. It was not until I went fishing with my Dad, him in the Jon boat and me in a kayak, that I began to understand why I used to rarely catch fish.

Jon boats are loud. When I fish with Dad I feel like someone is playing the drums right next to me. Every dropped weight, setting down of a pole, or shifting of the feet reverberated through the lake. When I fished next to him, I caught nothing. When I moved a hundred yards away, I began catching. Every time we go out I end up catching ten fish to his one, no exaggeration. This is using the same baits and rigs.

Keeping quiet on the water is vitally important. Now, I am extra careful to not make a sound against my hull.

The black stuff is Silent Traction material

The Silent Traction System is one of the few products you can attach to your boat that will actually help you catch fish. It is an adhesive backed rubber that you can attach to virtual anything, making it absolutely silent. It also makes things very "grippy", meaning you or your stuff will not slip off of it.

It is easy to apply.

Silent Traction material comes in a big sheet. You simply have to cut it with scissors to fit the contours of your kayak.

I like to make a template to ensure a nice, clean fit.

I start out by masking off the area I want to cover with masking tape. Then I gently peel off the masking tape and transfer it to the sheet of Silent Traction material.

I then cut it out, peel off the adhesive backing, and attach it to my kayak. It is a good idea to clean and dry your kayak before applying the material. This will ensure a good adhesion.

Doesn't get much easier than that.

I'm not sure what they use as an adhesive, but it is strong. Treat this like a permanent addition to your 'yak.

Every time I go out I take note of where I tend to rest my rods and other junk. What makes the most sound? Then, when I get home, I add Silent Traction material to that area.

Don't forget to add it to the bottom of your tank well. Not only will it keep things quiet, it will keep your stuff from sliding around.

Silent Traction material can be hard to find, and it goes by other names. It is sold as Conseal at Hook 1. This is probably the best place to buy it. You can get enough for your whole boat for around $40. Money well spent. 

If you do order it from Hook 1 be sure to use coupon code UNLUCKYHUNTER for 10% off!

The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 2

I have been working on the rigging of my new Trident 13 for several months now. I am finished and am going to start a series of post on what I did and how I did it. I plan on finishing with a monster overview post, showing all of my customization. This is the seventh post in the series.

1st post: Installing a Fish Finder 
2nd post: Upgrading a Plano Dry Box
3rd post: How To Install SuperNova Fishing Lights On Your Kayak
4th post: Install Scotty Flush Mounts on a Kayak
5th post: YackAttack GearTrack GT90 Install and Review
6th post: The Ultimate DIY Kayak Crate - Part 1

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In part 1 of making this crate I showed how to make a two tiered crate with hinged lids that can be secured. In part 2 (this part) I'll quickly go over accessory attachments, how I like to secure it to my kayak, and then go over the pro's and con's of this design.

On one side of the crate I have zip tied PVC pipe for my safety flag, camera pole, and net. I have rod holders on my Plano box, so they are not needed here. You could just as easily add rod holders to the side.

Zip ties work well, but be sure to use at least three times more than you think you need. I personally prefer to use pipe clamps where I can. They rust quickly, but hold much better.

These PVC holders are fairly standard. The only improvement I made was adding a little silent traction material to the inside of the tubes.

On the other side I added a bungee and foam ball to hold my Hawg Trough. The Hawg Trough is probably the best fish measuring device available right now. It is also ungainly and difficult to store. This is the best method I have found.

As for securing it to my kayak, the best way I have found is to use Nite Ize Gear Ties. They are easy to attach and undo, but are remarkably secure. Just twist one end though a hole in your crate and twist the other end through a pad eye. Super easy!


The Pro's of a crate like this are obvious. It can hold a lot of junk and will stay closed if you flip your kayak.

It is not without fault, however.

This type of crate is very tall. Not only is it difficult to grab stuff out of it, it catches wind like a sail.   In even moderate wind, it makes positioning you kayak very difficult. Also, it is heavy, especially when fully loaded.

I use this crate on calm days when I know there is a good possibility that I might get wet. What do I use most of the time? Stay tuned for my simple, every day crate.

Floating bait board / knife holder

A couple weeks ago I lost my Scotty bait board and nice bait knife in a kayak disaster. I would love to buy another, but I only have so much money to replace my lost gear. Until I replace more important gear, a fancy bait board and knife is not a great priority.

But, I still needed a bait board.

So, I decided to make one. Instead of just a plain old cutting board, I decided to put together a supper awesome one. The one I made floats and securely holds a full sized chefs knife.

I spent $2 for two cheap cutting boards and $3 for an old chefs knife at a local bait shop. The rest of the stuff I needed, I already had.

I started by tracing the outline of the knife blade on one of the cutting boards. Then I took my plunge router and routed out a trough for the blade the same thickness as the knife blade.

Once the second cutting board is placed over the trough I routed, the knife slides right in. Unfortunately, it was routed a hair to deep, so I had to add a couple of pieces of duct tape into the trough to "grip" the knife blade and to keep it from sliding out.

I connected the two boards with simple stainless steel screws at each corner. Pilot holes need to be drilled as cutting boards can be surprisingly brittle. Don't try to glue them together. The plastic used in cutting boards is made to resist everything, including glue.

Looks good. Now we just need to make it float.

A pool noodle cut down the center and zip tied to the handle works great!

It is a little larger and heavier than I would have liked, but serves its purpose beautifully.