Well, this is my first real post.
Here in Alaska we have what’s known as dip net season where residents converge on one of only a half dozen streams in the State where it’s legal to dip net Salmon out of a river. In my case; it’s Fish Ck which flows to Cook inlet about 5 min from my house. You can google “dip netting fish creek Alaska” if you care to watch a mud riddled, combat fishing escapade. The majority of the folks fish from shore but there’s no shortage of boat people as well. The legal area is from the Inlet to the bridge 1/2 mile upstream and all but the last 100 yards at the bridge is in the tidal affected zone and the swings in Cook Inlet are some of the largest in the world with 20 ft not being uncommon! I’ve fished it several seasons but just recently began “perfecting my presentation” and this latest outfitting project should bring me to the pinnacle as i ply those waters next season in “The Alaskan DipShip”.
Humor aside, heres what I'm working on. I’m starting with an Old Town Discovery133, which has been heralded by many as too heavy, too short, too wide, wont track etc. etc. In her defense let me point out why she’s perfect for my purposes.
She’s too heavy; yep, i’ll agree at 78 lbs. that’s a bit much to lug very far. However, i only need to drag it 50 ft to an entry point and im making numerous efforts to lower that weight as i go about setting her up for solo dipping.
Too short; at 13ft she fits perfectly in the bed of my truck with the tail gate down, eliminating racks or other contrivances that would make loading difficult for a mature fellar.
Too wide; at 40 in. I will feel comfortable in her while frantically maneuvering a 4/12 ft dip net and handling the catch. There’s about a 2 hour window when the fishing is usually great and it can get somewhat frantic; with lots of un-orthodox canoe moves being displayed!
Won’t track; that’s not a problem because with my limited skill set i wont know the difference! I’m certain i can move her 1/2 mile each way just fine especially with the pair of high tech paddles i’ve got, and will discuss later.
At this point the center seat has been removed, cutting the weight by 5.7 lbs! It was replaced by an ultralight weight balsa thwart skinned with 3 layers of carbon fiber sleeve material. The thwart weighs 1 lb and will give me an attachment point for a pair of soft fish kill bags. I chose the kayak model bags which are 20 wide and 36 long. A pair of these tapered bags fit nicely from the mid ship thwart up to the bow seat and only standing 9 inches tall they’ll help with the center of gravity thing. I’m allowed 35 of these Salmon, which takes a bit of cooler space. Not having a cooler standing above the gunnels will be a plus while maneuvering the net too.
Currently i’m building a replacement stern seat, a webbed seat of greater size than the original and sporting a Carbon frame as well.
This is probably a good place to mention; i’m a wee bit off with a penchant for chasing butterfly’s and reason is something i usually reserve for more serious matters in life. My new seat may beat the 2lb original but that’s not a goal. Comfort is, and along the way if i loose a bit of weight, great. For me the fun is in conquering all the little challenges!
I‘ve machined a thru hull fitting from Acetal (delrin) that pokes out the stern where my anchor line will pass. That line will be held by a small Harken cleat mounted on my seat frame and i’ll have full control of the anchor from the seat, without even looking back.
when i get a little farther along on the seat i’ll post some pictures of these items and would encourage your feedback. Sometimes while chasing a butterfly; ive been known to stub my toe.
Mike
Here in Alaska we have what’s known as dip net season where residents converge on one of only a half dozen streams in the State where it’s legal to dip net Salmon out of a river. In my case; it’s Fish Ck which flows to Cook inlet about 5 min from my house. You can google “dip netting fish creek Alaska” if you care to watch a mud riddled, combat fishing escapade. The majority of the folks fish from shore but there’s no shortage of boat people as well. The legal area is from the Inlet to the bridge 1/2 mile upstream and all but the last 100 yards at the bridge is in the tidal affected zone and the swings in Cook Inlet are some of the largest in the world with 20 ft not being uncommon! I’ve fished it several seasons but just recently began “perfecting my presentation” and this latest outfitting project should bring me to the pinnacle as i ply those waters next season in “The Alaskan DipShip”.
Humor aside, heres what I'm working on. I’m starting with an Old Town Discovery133, which has been heralded by many as too heavy, too short, too wide, wont track etc. etc. In her defense let me point out why she’s perfect for my purposes.
She’s too heavy; yep, i’ll agree at 78 lbs. that’s a bit much to lug very far. However, i only need to drag it 50 ft to an entry point and im making numerous efforts to lower that weight as i go about setting her up for solo dipping.
Too short; at 13ft she fits perfectly in the bed of my truck with the tail gate down, eliminating racks or other contrivances that would make loading difficult for a mature fellar.
Too wide; at 40 in. I will feel comfortable in her while frantically maneuvering a 4/12 ft dip net and handling the catch. There’s about a 2 hour window when the fishing is usually great and it can get somewhat frantic; with lots of un-orthodox canoe moves being displayed!
Won’t track; that’s not a problem because with my limited skill set i wont know the difference! I’m certain i can move her 1/2 mile each way just fine especially with the pair of high tech paddles i’ve got, and will discuss later.
At this point the center seat has been removed, cutting the weight by 5.7 lbs! It was replaced by an ultralight weight balsa thwart skinned with 3 layers of carbon fiber sleeve material. The thwart weighs 1 lb and will give me an attachment point for a pair of soft fish kill bags. I chose the kayak model bags which are 20 wide and 36 long. A pair of these tapered bags fit nicely from the mid ship thwart up to the bow seat and only standing 9 inches tall they’ll help with the center of gravity thing. I’m allowed 35 of these Salmon, which takes a bit of cooler space. Not having a cooler standing above the gunnels will be a plus while maneuvering the net too.
Currently i’m building a replacement stern seat, a webbed seat of greater size than the original and sporting a Carbon frame as well.
This is probably a good place to mention; i’m a wee bit off with a penchant for chasing butterfly’s and reason is something i usually reserve for more serious matters in life. My new seat may beat the 2lb original but that’s not a goal. Comfort is, and along the way if i loose a bit of weight, great. For me the fun is in conquering all the little challenges!
I‘ve machined a thru hull fitting from Acetal (delrin) that pokes out the stern where my anchor line will pass. That line will be held by a small Harken cleat mounted on my seat frame and i’ll have full control of the anchor from the seat, without even looking back.
when i get a little farther along on the seat i’ll post some pictures of these items and would encourage your feedback. Sometimes while chasing a butterfly; ive been known to stub my toe.
Mike
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