Pelican Catch 120 - Fishing Kayak

[Demonical]

I ordered this Pelican Catch 120, online through CTC. It was $1,049.99 inc taxes and shipping.

I have a few accessories to install; a Garmin Striker 4DV Sonar/GPS. Getting a Scotty 140 Transducer Mounting Arm.

I'm not sure yet how I will mount the Garmin... I'd like to minimize the number of holes I'm drilling into the hull.

I'm going to rig up an anchor trolley on it, plus setup a basic milk crate tackle organizer.

As I get the accessories added, I will update with new pics.



As it was 'packaged' by Canadian Tire


Side view; the seat looks wicked. It has two pockets that it sits in, for a Low or High seating position.


Pelican Catch 120


Pics taken with a Blackberry Leap cell phone

[bwackwabbit]

Sweet!

Cheers,

Scott.

[Sitkaspruce]

Nice Yak!!

It was a toss up for me between the Catch and Pescador Pro 120.

I went with the Pescador due to a more comfortable seat (IMO), more open deck storage, little lighter, can mount my Lowrance and use the scupper mount transducer and had yak traks already installed.

http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/us/p...scador-pro-120

I rigged it up with Scotty Gear Heads and rod holders, picked up a Werner Skagit paddle and will be mounting my Lowrance and transducer next sping.

Picked my Kayak up at Aquabatics in Calgary....awesome to deal with!!!!

Have fun rigging it out and enjoy fishing out of it....it opens a whole new world.....

Cheers

SS

[Demonical]

Sitkaspruce, I just picked it up this aft', then had to go to work, so didn't have time to figure out how I'll mount the Garmin.

The obvious mounting place of course is the center 'console' on this kayak. But then I'd be drilling holes... but I'm thinking I might try to make a base for it, that fits in one of the scupper holes?

It would position the Garmin closer to me and require no drilling.

[Sitkaspruce]

Originally Posted by Demonical

Sitkaspruce, I just picked it up this aft', then had to go to work, so didn't have time to figure out how I'll mount the Garmin.

The obvious mounting place of course is the center 'console' on this kayak. But then I'd be drilling holes... but I'm thinking I might try to make a base for it, that fits in one of the scupper holes?

It would position the Garmin closer to me and require no drilling.

Check out RAM mounts at either Amazon or GPScity.ca, that's were I got my sounder mount at. They make a mount for pretty well everything.

I went with Scotty for all my other stuff mainly because I have been using their products for years and they make some pretty good stuff for kayaks.

The centre console is where I will mount mine, it has a battery compartment and a couple small holes to feed the line through to the supper transducer.

Have fun, they are addicting!!

Cheers

SS

[James Henry]

Nice yak Demonical!!!
I was looking at the same one at Crap Tire, but lucked into a used Hobie at a great price.
Keep in mind The Catch is a heavier yak and if you have to drag it any distance a cart will come in handy. YouTube is full of "do it yourself" kayak accessory video's, Zoffinger has some great ones.
I started kayaking this summer and love it, I am hoping to get out to the coast with mine later in the month and am thinking Texas over the winter.
Cheers
JH

[aulrich]

Those flat sides scream t-track, but I get where you are coming from with the reluctance to drill. Definitely fish it a while before modifications.

One thing I am dropping is the plastic milk crate I am switching over to a cooler more space and if it latches it should float


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[aulrich]

One other thing personally I like the rod holder centre and the finder on the side. I find having the holder centre and far enough forward you can paddle and keep an eye on your rod while trolling


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[ROA]

If I was working for Pengrowth I would drown myself too.

[Demonical]

^ I've considered it! Haha!

[James Henry]

Have you had it out yet? Do tell

[Demonical]

^ NO!!

I've been working 3 weeks straight night shifts.

Haven't had time to do a thing with it, which is making me nuts.

In the morning the wife and I are heading to Jasper, do some hiking and mountain biking for 3 days.

First chance I will have to play with the new boat will be this coming weekend, after we're back from Jasper.

I can't wait to get it set up and take it out!

[RavYak]

If those side rails are wide enough I would be tempted to install flush mount scotty bases otherwise throw a track on top. Both require drilling but well worth it just make sure you plan and try placement options out first before you dive in.

I like having my fish finder on a gear head extender arm out of a scotty base on my left side. I can easily position the finder wherever I want it on a certain day and even have mine rigged up to also mount a downrigger although a downrigger wouldn't work on a paddle kayak like this one.

[Demonical]

RavYak, both styles of Scotty mounts are available at the local CTC. I've looked at the flush mount bases and they look pretty handy.

Is the gear head a Scotty product?

I'm getting the Scotty 140 Transducer arm, which comes with the other style mount.

The only thing I know for sure is the battery box I setup for my fishfinder batteries is too big to fit into the front storage compartment... doh!

[RavYak]

Gear head, extenders etc are all Scotty products. Ram mounts has some good products too but I prefer Scotty.

[Demonical]

1-3/8" hole drilled to install the Scotty flush mount bracket.


Scotty 140 Transducer mount, Garmin Striker 4DV transducer


Close-up of the transducer and Scotty 140


So this is what I got done today... not much, haha!

I was running around finding bits n pieces for the job; bought a bunch of stainless 10/24 machine screws, #10 stainless screws.

I sat in the boat and did practice strokes, so I was pretty sure where I could install the Scotty flush mount base (as RavYak suggested).

I put the transducer arm together, then found there were no screws provided, for mounting the transducer to the Scotty lower arm. Used the afore-mentioned 10/24 stainless machine screws. Put some Lok-tite on the threads to hold the nut in place... damn small little nut...

I like the transducer set-up.

Have to look at it tomorrow and decide just how I'm mounting the sonar unit, plus rig up the anchor trolley.

Kind of a p.i.t.a. that there's no marine store here, where I could go and easily find Scotty components.

Because I mounted the transducer on the starboard side of the boat, I guess the anchor trolley is going on the port side...

[Brandonkop]

Nice Yak you'll have fun out there!

[RavYak]

If you would have preferred the anchor trolley on right side then just put another flush mount on the other side and use it for your transducer. I am sure you can figure out a good rod mount or fish finder mount, camera mount or something from that other base. As you go you will keep wanting to add more and more junk as you think you need it lol, I like those flush mounts because they are nice and neat and stay out of the way.

[Demonical]

RavYak, haha, I got two more flush mount bases on order!

Plus one of those gear head arms.

I'm going to add another flush mount, in the same position on the port side, maybe another on the 'console', and use them, with the gear head, to mount/position the sonar unit.

I have the other style raised mount, which came with the transducer arm, which I gotta figure what to use it for.

For now, I'm doing the basic milk crate tackle organizer. Just using that for stuff that I don't care if it gets wet, eh? 'Dry' stuff, I'll stuff into the front storage area.

I'm going to add rod holders to the side of the milk crate.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Demonical

I'm going to add rod holders to the side of the milk crate.

You will want a rod holder in front of you for trolling with.

[Demonical]

Originally Posted by RavYak

You will want a rod holder in front of you for trolling with.

RavYak, I'm not sure about that, since I'm primarily on the McLeod, which is a shallow river. Lots of issues with rocks n snags. I kinda think I will focus on anchoring and casting or jigging.

I'm going to get a rod holder set-up each side, so I can move the transducer, so hey, what about a rig that lets you move the anchor trolley quickly from one side to the other?

Ever fool around with anything like that?

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Demonical

RavYak, I'm not sure about that, since I'm primarily on the McLeod, which is a shallow river. Lots of issues with rocks n snags. I kinda think I will focus on anchoring and casting or jigging.

I'm going to get a rod holder set-up each side, so I can move the transducer, so hey, what about a rig that lets you move the anchor trolley quickly from one side to the other?

Ever fool around with anything like that?

You could put an anchor trolley on each side if you really wanted to but makes more sense to just figure out which side you really want it on and then put transducer on other side. I actually don't even bother with an anchor trolley although they are nice in some situations.

Even fishing the riveryou will most likely at times want to put the rod in a rod holder in front of you either while waiting for a bite while using bait or even just as a place to conveniently rest your rod while unhooking a fish etc. Not to mention if you use it on a lake too for trolling(or I have trolled on the NSR but its a bit bigger/deeper so different).

[Demonical]

^ The river current is what it's all about; the McLeod has such a steady deceptively powerful current. I quickly learned of the need for a means of controlling the boat position. Hence, an anchor trolley.

But if I were fishing lakes, then there's the wind, which blows the boat about; an anchor trolley there, to set your boat, at the angle you want, would really help.

Previously, I was always facing downstream (and looking over my shoulder constantly). I'm planning on fishing with my bow positioned upstream, so I can see any logs/trees that might float down on me.

With the transducer on the starboard, and anchor trolley on the left, that will position my kayak pretty decent (I hope).

Thanks for all the advice, eh?

[Demonical]

Set-up my anchor trolley today. Right now the rope looks pretty tight, but I know from experience, the nylon rope with stretch and it will loosen up quite a bit. More than likely will actually require tightening later.

Practiced tying a loop knot for quickly releasing the anchor...

Soldered the connections for power cable for the fish-finder, and tested it out. Everything functioned perfectly (of course).

Until I get some more components, I screwed the fish-finder base onto a small piece of plywood, so it can just sit in the bottom of the boat.



Initially, I tied off the tag end of the anchor trolley rope, to a pad-eye. But I decided against this and nipped it off.


I attached the pulleys with small stainless carabiners. The pad-eye is secured with stainless screws.


I attached the stern pad-eyes with stainless 10/24 machine screws.

[Demonical]

Took the kayak out for the first time today.

I have to say it tracked and handled pretty well. I had no problem paddling upstream, against the current, as well as the breeze that was blowing today.

I may need a different anchor; there was one spot I tried to anchor and my anchor just wouldn't hold. I re-positioned the boat and then the anchor did hold.

I thought the fish-finder and transducer setup worked okay, but I still have the fish-finder on a temporary mount (just screwed to a piece of plywood).

My buddy also took it out for a paddle and he also stood up in it, but I didn't try that.


This thing is heavy enough, it's a 2-person job loading. Need some kind of cart.


Just paddling at the boat launch, Whitecourt.


The seat is so comfortable in this! Even in the 'low' position, you sit up.


Went back and forth a few times, scoping out the depth read-out of the sonar, and checking how it paddled.

[Demonical]

Well here's the next 'lttle thing'...

Damn kayak is too heavy to lug around easily. I can do it but I'd end up skidding the thing and banging it up, scraping it etc...

So I watched Youtube videos and copied this idea from there, with modifications, to suit my kayak.

The center 'bunk' rails, are dimensioned to fit just inside the edges of the tunnel.

The tires are for some kind of yard implement and are solid rubber; never have to worry about a flat. It rolls beautifully.

The handle on it (for those who haven't seen these contraptions), is just to steer the thing into position under the kayak. Once it's in place under the rear end, I'll just put a strap (bungie) around it, to hold it in place.

Dimensionally, it's 31-1/2" to the outside of the tires, 24" from the ground to the rails, and the rails are 9-1/2" outside. They should fit perfectly inside the tunnel, which is 10" inside measurement.

I'm missing two end caps to complete the thing... hardware was out... plus I'm going to add two eye-bolts to the tees on the top, that I will attach a strap (bungies) to.


[b]It's built out of 1-1/4" PVC.


Right side view.


Left side view.


Front of the cart.

[dutchman]

I built one very similar (a little lower to the ground) and it works great. I used wheels from a golf cart and anything else that was lying around in the shed. Only thing I had to buy was the pool noodle. For what I do it works excellent, but if you venture into rough terrain, taller tires would help.
Don't have any better pics, but one mod from your sample....The 2 top T's were moved from the cross beam to the outer edge. That way all the weight is directly straight down over top of the axle. Also those 2 top T's (that support the yak) are not glued in so they swivel and can be removed for easy storage.

[Demonical]

dutch, that's a decent looking cart (and it sounds a helluva a lot cheaper than mine!!).

This thing I built was no bargain... $90 just for the two tires... Haha!

Today I tested out the cart.

I rolled it around the yard, through the grass, up and down the driveway. There was no bending or twisting of the frame. The wheels kinda would 'walk' a bit when they'd bump over something, but not a concern. They'd just straighten right back out.

One issue; the rails are smooth, bottom of the kayak is smooth... the damn thing wanted to slide off all the time. I had to place a piece of wood behind the wheels to hold it, while I'd get the strap on it. I've got to attach some type of thing to the rails, to give a bit of grip... I tried sliding old bicycle inner tubes onto the 1-1/4" PVC but that didn't work too well

The bunk rails fit the tunnel pretty darn good.

The height I like. It pulls pretty much level.

I experimented with different ways to strap the thing on and ended up with two small rubber bungies wrapped around the lower frame elbows, with a ratcheting tie-down strap hooked to them (which I don't have pictured obviously).

[bhlehr]

Nice. I just used a three foot 2x4 with wheels attached to each end. The wheels come off, so I can put the whole thing in the front cargo area.

Heading to pigeon lake tomorrow to try out my new garmin striker fishfinder. I attached the transducer to the trolling motor.

Love my Pelican Catch 120. Put it on my van on top of some water noodles, strap it down, and away I go.

[Demonical]

bhlehr, looks like you inserted pipe(?) into the rod holders and mounted a 2"x4" off it, to mount the trolling motor?

I seem to do everything the most $$ way possible. I think cuz seriously I'm ocd... haha!