BUZZBAIT
GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING! HERMAN AND HACK HIT THE
“MEAN” STREETS. PHOTO: JOE WINSTON
[CONSERVATION]
THE YAK HACK C
GREEN TO THE BEACH,
LIGHT ON THE WALLET BY JEFF HERMAN
razy-cool? Or just plain old crazy? With gas prices hovering close to $4.00 a gallon, driving the Supercrew to the beach was feeling
screwy. Bring on the “Yak Hack,” a sharp little 250cc Vespa scooter cus- tomized to carry a kayak. Conceived over dinner and many, many, many drinks with some of
the heavy hitters in the kayak world, I offered up the idea for a laugh. When the cobwebs cleared the next morning, I started kicking around designs that might actually work. Back home in Texas, I cornered Jeff Skipski of Mancuso Harley Davidson and Bob Darden of Texas Sidecar Company. Somehow they took me seriously and together we fabricated a mean sidecar carrier or “hack.” I probably spent a thousand dollars
to complete the prototype, but over time it will pay me back in both cash and fun. The design and fabrication were more complicated than expected, but
after months of busted knuckles and blasphemies, the test runs and mod- ifications were complete and I officially hit the highway. The rig runs at 65 miles per hour and gets a whopping 63+ miles per gallon—as low impact off the water as on the kayak. And getting there is ridiculously fun. In the sticky salt air, I run from the upper reaches of the Texas coast south towards the Coastal Bend and hit the best fishing spots along the way. I catch reds, trout, flounder and a daily bag limit of curious stares as we trek the back roads. It tattoos a smile on my face for days. Fill-ups cost $5 and stretch for 120 miles. My favorite moment so far
was the day I pulled up to a traffic light in a sleepy Texas coastal com- munity. An old timer at the wheel of a dusty pick-up hollered out his window, “What do ya call that thing?” Laughing, I replied, “The best and worst idea I’ve ever had.”
Jeff “Birdsnest” Herman is a pro paddler for Ocean Kayak and Necky Kayaks. An ACA certified instructor, when not fishing or paddling, he writes and works with coastal conservation groups.
[CLOWN FISH] BY BEN DUCHESNEY
ents into fishing holes even polar bears can’t get to,” he said. Also coming soon, the Rime Bandit, patterned after the famed Brothers Hillstrand crabber down to the pneumatic winch.
Never Call It Quits New Kayak Cracks Winter Woes
Alaska-based kayak manufacturer Polar Cap has unveiled a line-up that takes the company’s slogan to heart: “Get to the fish, no matter how dangerous.” The Deep Freeze sports a 50-pound steel ice plow that adds weeks to the fishing season. Guide Trent McCoy tested a prototype last year. “I put cli-
16 …KAYAK ANGLER EARLY SUMMER 2012
RV builder Livin’ Outdoors is moving into the kayak market with a strong offering for those who hate calling it a night. The com- pany’s new “paddlehome” kayak the Never- est features a pop-up tent and mattress that deploys at the push of a button. “My wife calls the tent the doghouse, but this dog seems to already be in heaven,” said Greg Stern, a Livin’ Outdoors pro staffer. Stern
said the best is yet to come. A plush recliner option should be available soon.
Can’t Cast? Your Ship has Come In
The new Hook ‘Em Kayaks line is ideal for long-time touring paddlers who can’t fish a lick but want to fit in with the cool crowd. Each model comes with a patent- pending solid rocket fueled line launcher and integrated fishing rod. The electric reel is pre-spooled with 30-pound mono. Simply add bait to the handy no-knot hook changer, then duck, cover and hit the trigger. “I haven’t met anyone yet who can’t fish from this kayak,” said Hook ‘Em Kayaks CEO Richard Dinero, “not even my grandmother.”
ILLUSTRATION: LORENZO DEL BIANCO
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