Veterans Day.....

Had the day off from work, since my company honors Veterans Day as a company holiday and paid day off! I only had about a four-five hour window to fish due to other commitments later in the day, so a pre-dawn excursion was in order.  Made my way to the lake and headed out to a spot after some discussion with a fellow Hobie Team member.

As I arrived at the launch, I had to pause and take in the early morning sunrise that was unfolding before me.  Truly an amazing sight to see.  As I unloaded all of my gear and prepared to launch, the sun had crested the horizon and yet another astonishing scene laid before me.

I made my way out to my first spot and worked the area over from top to bottom as best as I could with the little gear I had brought.  I saw a surface swell and thrash of a bass attacking bait, so I grabbed the topwater rod and cast in the vicinity and was rewarded with an almost immediate strike - not a bad way to start after being in the spot for all of 15 minutes.

I had a 3-pronged arsenal today - topwater, mid-level and bottom but all moving baits given that the water temps were still in the mid 60's.  I kept at it, casting in and around this spot for the first three hours of the day, but no more fish were found.  I decided to fish my way back to the launch given that I only had two more hours left.

I made my way into a shallow cove with exposed timber and was rewarded with another topwater strike, right in the nook of an exposed root ball, albeit another juvenile largemouth.  But still a landed fish is better than no fish I always say.

I kept working any structure I could find and was rewarded with my third and final largemouth on the day, yet again, a proud serving member of the juvenile bass brigade made a cameo appearance.

I missed a few others in the same area, but from what i could see, they were members of the toddler class and had no business attempting a strike at my lure 😂😂.

While not the best day for size and numbers, a day on the water is never a bad thing.  As I look back on the day, my plan to use moving baits may have been my downfall today.  As I was heading to the lake, I noticed two things.  One, when I left my house, the weather forecast indicated a chance of rain. Second, as I was driving, I noticed all of the cows along the way at the nearby farms were all laying down.

Hindsight is always 20/20 they say, but I'll chalk it up to another lesson learned for this popular and highly pressured lake.  Looking forward to coming back again and giving it another shot.

In summary, here was today's arsenal:

Kayak: 2019 Hobie Outback
Rods: Bull Bay Rods Stealth Tactical casting and spinning
Reels: Abu Garcia Gen2 Revo Inshore & Shimano Stradic FJ3000
Lures: Whopper Plopper, 6-9' depth & Lipless Crankbaits, FishHead Spin w/ plastic trailer

Lastly, as if the day couldn't be any more perfect, a bald eagle soared over head and watched me as I pulled away. Maybe that was his way of saying thank you for my service.  I say thank you for giving me a reason to serve!

Tight lines! And remember the 120 degree rule - if the combined water temps and air temps are less than 120 degrees (especially with water temps below 60) then you should be wearing proper cold water protective gear!

Hello Darkness My Old Friend......

......I've come to chase you once again!

That's right, another Friday off from work and off I went looking to up my personal best snakehead!

Today's tools for the trip were simple:

Kayak: 2019 Hobie Outback
Stakeout: Power-Pole Micro Shallow Water Anchor
Electronics: Lowrance Elite 7 TI2
Accessories: YakAttack Omega Rod Holders and Lowrance FF Mount
Rods: Bull Bay Rods Tactical Assault and Custom Flipping rods, and an Orvis 8wt Clearwater

Non-sponsored equipment I was using:

Reels: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore GEN2 & GEN3 baitcasters, Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor IV
Lures: Stanley Ribbit, SPRO Popping Frog, Rebel Pop-R and a Cohen's Manbearpig
Lines: Sunline FX2 Frog Braid, and PLINE 20lb Flouroclear
Other Items: ANGLR Bullseye, EGO Slider Landing Net and Fish Grips

I went back to the same spot as last time but explored other areas.  I found my first taker oddly enough on a Rebel Pop-R.  I was working an area and drifting with the wind when I heard a huge flush behind me.  I tried the frog but no luck as the wind had picked up and made the surface a little choppy.  So I switched over to the Pop-R which I had tied on to try and entice bass that were in the area.  I worked the Pop-R back with vigor making a ruckus that would surely irritate a snakehead I hoped.  As the bait approached, I saw the ominous shadow approaching, so I paused my retrieve then gave it one more twitch and that was the ticket.  She inhaled it and immediately started fighting to unhook both sets of trebles buried in her jaw, but to no avail.  First one on the board and it was a nice 25" fatty.

Not a personal best but a decent start after fishing for over two hours and only one half-hearted swipe at my Ribbit and a lazy follow from a short one on the fly.  I kept working the area until the winds picked up in earnest to the tune of 10mph which is normally not bad but in a narrow creek, it creates a wind tunnel effect.

I drifted along and found another shortie that fell prey to a SPRO Popping Frog and measuring in at 18" but the coloring on this one was amazing.

I kept the wind at my back and kept drifting and casting.  I finally found myself in water that was too shallow to proceed, so I made my way slowly back working every little pocket and was rewarded with two more quality snakeheads - another 24-25" chunk

 and my new personal best measuring in at a whopping 31"+.  I say plus because my measuring board tops out at 30" and this was over an inch past that mark.

The rest of the day was a bust, because the winds started blowing stronger making casting windows less than optimal, so I packed it in and headed back to the launch.

All in all a good day - landed 4 and had two other opportunities that fell short.  If you haven't tried chasing snakeheads, you should.  I know I'll be back at it again and soon.

Until next time, tight lines and stay safe out there!

Frogs, Flukes and Snakes....

Another Friday off from work and another morning on the water.  Today we were back at it slinging frogs and chasing snakeheads.  These creatures are not for the faint of heart or those that prefer light tackle.  They have a mouth full of teeth that will shred light lines and destroy your lures.  It can be a frustrating yet very fulfilling adventure when you chase these beasts.  My last outing, I was fortunate enough to catch, photo and release my very first snakehead measuring in at 23.5".  My goal today was simple - beat my previous personal best.

I was in my trusty 2019 Hobie Outback again decked out with YakAttack Omega Rod Holders, my Power-Pole Micro shallow water anchor, my Lowrance Elite 7-TI2 and three of my trusty Bull Bay Rods.

The first cove I ventured into had some activity and I quickly found a willing follower, but the snakehead was a bit small and not fully interested in my Ribbit.  I kept probing that creek arm and heard some more thrashing activity, but I was cut off from the area and had no casting angle.  I had a tip on an area to try, so I double-checked my source and with a quick text was pointed in the right direction.

Once I made it to the area, I kept looking for ambush spots and making targeted casts to those areas.  I was rewarded with a vicious fight that found this beast wrapping herself all in the thick of some pads then under a submerged fallen tree - I basically held pressure but loosened the drag slightly to allow a little leeway to the fish in the hopes it would free itself.  She finally came free and relaxed long enough to slide the net under her - that's when she got her second wind and proceeded to thrash and splash giving me an impromptu morning shower.

After a few minutes of this, she finally relaxed long enough for me to pry her mouth open with my pliers in order to get my lip grippers on her.  I was finally able to get her on the board and measured for what looked to be at least 27.5" - later confirmed to be 28.25" and a new personal best snakehead.

 I was ecstatic - she was hefty, too!! She was wider than the measuring board and so thick that I had trouble getting my hand around her at her thickest point.  I let her relax on the lip gripper in the water for a couple minutes, then when she had fully recovered, I released the grip and she swam slowly away no worse for wear.

I moved back over to the same area and make a couple more casts to see if there were any more takers and was rewarded with a more vicious strike only this time is was a bowfin or grindel as some refer to it.  As I got the bowfin closer, I could see she was barely hooked.  I knew if I tried to put the gripper on her, she would thrash and throw the hook.  I couldn't reach for my net either because I was trying to bring the fish through some pads and sticks which would impede the net.  My only choice was to try and hoist the fish in quickly.   This bowfin would have been another personal best - she was every bit of 24-26", but alas she thrashed as I lifted her and she escaped.

It was then that I realized I hadn't turned on my video camera, so I couldn't even prove I had the fish on the line and was lifting her into the kayak when she escaped.  Oh well, lesson learned.  I missed a couple more over the course of the next two hours until I found a nice secluded and protected area that looked prime.  I made a cast and immediately a thrashing strike as another bowfin reared it's ugly mug, but she didn't come tight.  Another cast closer and I hooked into a strong snakehead that was a little smaller than my one from earlier but still chunky and strong.  I got her to the kayak as well, but found myself in another predicament, I was too shallow and couldn't get any closer to the deeper pool where the snakehead was anchoring down in.  She managed to come off right at the kayak even though I managed to slowly drag her across the mud.  When she came off, I didn't see where she went.  A couple casts later and she apparently had taken up residence right where she came off.  She freaked out when I made another cast and startled me as I watched her scurry across the mud in the open air and right back into her protected pool.

The rest of the trip was filled with swings and misses of bowfins and snakeheads with at least 10-12 never coming tight.  I even switched up things by throwing a fluke for something completely different, then followed that up with a hollow-bodied frog before switching back to the Ribbit. which turned out to be the only lure that produced.  Oh well, the topwater strike on a moving frog is a pure adrenaline rush and a technique I highly recommend anglers learn.  Once you get your first topwater frog fish, you will literally be hooked.

With the storm front moving in and rain very close, I headed in and loaded up.  As I was making my way back home, the skies opened up.  Missed it by that much!

Trip Summary:

Kayak: 2019 Hobie Outback
Stakeout: Power-Pole Micro Shallow Water Anchor
Electronics: Lowrance Elite 7 TI2
Accessories: YakAttack Omega Rod Holders and Lowrance FF Mount
Rods: Bull Bay Rods Tactical Assault,  Prototype Spinning and Custom Flipping

Non-sponsored equipment I was using:

Reels: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore GEN3 baitcasters and Shimano Stradic FJ3000 spinning reel
Lures: Stanley Ribbit, Evolve Hollow-bodied Frog and Zoom Fluke
Lines: Sunline FX2 Frog Braid, PowerPro Hi-Vis Yellow Braid and PLINE 20lb Flouroclear leader
Other Items: EGO Slider Landing Net and Fish Grips

Until next time, tight lines and stay safe out there!

A Game of Thirds.....

You know how there is a common saying that things happen in "3's"? Well today was that in full effect.  What do I mean?  Let's review......

There was the Three Stooges segment:

1. Driving away from my house with a full mug of ice and water for the day, only it was still atop my vehicle when I left the house and promptly fell and popped open losing all of its contents as I left the neighborhood.
2. Launching and getting halfway to my spot before I realized I had left the water I had purchased in the car to replace the lost water and ice spilled earlier.
3. A lack of concentration later in the morning that resulted in a massive tangle of line, treble hooks and crawling all the way to the back of the kayak to unravel the mess.

Later, there was the Get Smart (Missed it By That Much) trifecta:

1. The first fish of the day was a largemouth bass and sure to be a miss simply because I had paired the wrong bait with the wrong rod - the action was too fast for a hookset that required more power (topwater frog should not be placed on a traditional topwater rod (Moderate) = wrong action = bad hookset = lost fish)
2. The second fish of the day was another largemouth bass and sadly a partial hookset, but at least it was with the right rod this time.  The fish just spit the bait as fast as it had swallowed it.
3. The third fish of the day was an over 30" snakehead that waked like a torpedo chasing the Ribbit only to barely swipe at it and spit it again before I could set the hook.

Then there was the Murphy's Law episode:

1. The winds picked up and started blowing 15+
2. I launched at the peak of outgoing current (my primary spots were not fishable)
3. The carp and gar were in a full frenzy clouding up the water with their shallow water antics 

But, it wasn't all bad.  There was the trilogy of positive things that happened on the day:

1. When I saw the fish were not hitting the Ribbit with full vigor, I changed up my frog presentation to the Evolve Hollow Body frog (has a rattle inside) and paid instant dividends
2. I caught a 18" fat largemouth bass on the Evolve frog
3. I caught and landed my first ever VA snakehead at 23.5" on the same Evolve Frog  

All in all a successful day even if Mother Nature decided to kick it up a notch on the wind scale by the time I was headed in - winds were gusting to 20+.

As with all of my blog posts moving forward, I will divulge what I was using in the hopes that some may find it helpful.

Technique: Targeting backside of spatterdock pockets that protruded away from the shoreline in current. I also targeted weed lines and any clear water. For the spatterdock part, I also apply the same technique for traditional lily pads, rocks, water shield, lay downs, grass, etc..  Basically, I was looking for likely ambush points where a predator fish could get out of current but still have access to any nearby forage.

Today's shout out to my sponsors:

Kayak: 2019 Hobie Outback

Stakeout Power-Pole Micro Shallow Water Anchor

Electronics: Lowrance Elite 7 TI2

Accessories: YakAttack Omega Rod Holders, Panfish, Panfish Portrait and Lowrance FF Mount

Rods: Bull Bay Rods Tactical Assault and Flipping custom, Orvis Clearwater 8wt fly rod

Sunglasses: Hobie Polarized Mantas

Non-sponsored equipment that I was using:

Lures: Stanley Ribbit, Rebel Pop-R and Evolve Frog

Line: Sunline FX2 Frog & Flipping Braid (60lb) and PLINE Fluouroclear 20lb Fluourocarbon

Other Items: EGO Slider Landing Net and EGO fish grips

Tight lines, stay safe and hope to see you on the water soon!

2019 YakAttack Tournament Wrap Up

Every year since 2012, I have participated in the YakAttack annual kayak charity fishing tournament to benefit Heroes On the Water and Project Healing Waters.  The format for the tournament is a catch, photo and release tournament with five divisions - bass, crappie, sunfish, slam and big bass.  For each of the species divisions, your best two fish combined length is your entry.  For the slam, you need to have at least one fish in each of the three species for a combined total length.  Finally, the big bass is simply that - the biggest single bass is your entry with the one limitation of a person can only win one of the five divisions.  Each year kayak anglers from literally around the US flock towards this event to fish the likes of famous bodies of water like Briery Creek Lake and Sandy River Reservoir.

This year my plan was to fish quieter waters with less water traffic and revisit a lake I hadn't fished in over 5 years - Bear Creek Lake.  I also was interested to check out some new toys - my newly installed Lowrance Elite 7 TI2 paired with my new Nocqua YakAttack power supply, as well as my new Lithium Ion Power-Pole battery, as well as the new ANGLR Bullseye Fishing Tracker.  You could say that it had all the makings of a potential disaster, but I am happy to report that all of them worked amazingly.

With a full moon phase in effect, I had a feeling the bite was going to be tough once the morning pressed along.  I also learned that the bass were also still spawning, which for me personally, is one of my biggest weak points - I am not a bed fisherman.  I don't have the patience to sit there and stare at a fish for potentially hours on end trying to entice one bite.  I'd rather explore an area and see if I can figure out the puzzle.  With my new toys, this approach is much easier now with respect to acquiring information - now I just need to learn how to piece it all together to get better.

As for my setup on the day, it was as follows:

Kayak - 2019 Hobie Outback
Rods - Bull Bay Rods, 5wt Fly Rod and a couple Ugly Stik ultralights.
Lures - Powerteam Lures Sick Stick and Finicky Tickler (Kitchen Sink color), Squarebill, Whopper Plopper, Stump Jumper Road Runners and a black ant
Accessories - Power-Pole Micro, YakAttack Omega Rod Holders and Lowrance FF mount
Sunglasses - Hobie Polarized Mantas

I started the day off with a flurry - 3 bass in the first hour but nothing any larger than 11.5".  I missed several larger fish, too. And then the bass were not being cooperative, so I switched over to the ultralight and started slinging a little white grub in the hunt for crappie and landed one at 8.5" shortly thereafter.  I couldn't find another in the brush piles, so I switched over to the fly rod and literally slayed the bluegills and redears on every cast for the rest of the day the biggest checking in a 8.25".  I was so immersed in how many fish I was catching off of the bluegill beds that I forgot to keep pressing the ANGLR Bullseye for about an hour.  Every bluegill landed was over 6.5" with most  checking the box at or just shy of 8" - not enough to improve my total length to turn in.

At the end of the day, as I was loading up I ended my trip on the ANGLR app on my phone and let the data synchronize.  Of the catches I remembered to actually record totaled 78 catches, but like I said, I was still catching the bluegills and redears off of this one massive bed in the back of a creek and forgot all about the Bullseye. I was still catching so many gills that I literally was slinging my little fly without even hauling or stripping the line and catching a fish every cast, unhooking and casting again immediately with sometimes up to 3-4 fish per minute.

While the day in total was a success with literally over 100 fish caught, it lacked in quality which is what is needed to win any of the divisions.  Here are a few highlights from the day:

Looking back on the day and reflecting on what could have been, I think my biggest mistake was not being flexible in my approach.  I had in my mind a plan for how to target the bass, but once I arrived at the water, I failed to adjust my plan and modify my approach.  Hindsight as they say is 20/20.

Once I was loaded up, I headed back to the weigh-in to turn in my scorecard with fish in each category and enough to turn in a micro slam, bass division and panfish division ultimately not large enough to place but still fun.  Once the awards had been announced and supper was all done, the stage was cleared and the raffles began.

I normally don't worry about the raffles too much, because there is very little that I need at this point, but I did see a few items of interest this year - including a fly rod set from Orvis, a couple Nocqua battery pack kits, a couple PFDs and the new Hobie Livewell v2.  When the ticket numbers began being called out - my prizes of interest quickly started to disappear.  Then one of my numbers was called, and I noticed the fly rod setup was still available, so I quickly made my way forward and gladly selected that setup for my prize.

The setup was comprised of:

• Rod - Orvis Clearwater rod - 9' 8wt
• Reel - Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor IV reel
• Line - Orvis backing and floating line and tippet
• Other - Orvis Tacky Fly Big Bug Box filled with flies

I also heard my numbers called two other times and selected a set of YakAttack Kayak Straps and a YakAttack shirt giving the straps to a friend who needed them and giving the shirt to my son.

All in all I can't complain because the fishing, the raffle and the food are just added bonuses for me.  I look forward to just sitting down and shooting the breeze with fellow kayak anglers many of whom I am friends with and don't get the chance to share the water with.



I'm already looking forward to next year's event and the chance to share some stories and reminisce once again.  Until the next time I'm on the water, tight lines and stay safe!!

2016 YakAttack Tourney wrap-up

Another year has come and gone and left the kayak angling community longing for the next year already.  Why you ask?  Plain and simple, the 8th Annual YakAttack Kayak Fishing Tournament to benefit Heroes On the Water and Project Healing Waters is now officially in the books.  This event draws some of the best kayak anglers from all over the US.  This year we had representation from Maine all the way to Florida and points in between.

The tournament weekend starts off with an awesome dinner that included this year: ribeyes, pulled pork, bbq chicken and all the sides that go with it.  The weather was a bit challenging with rain over the last couple of weeks throughout the region.  On tournament day, the rains moved in yet again and doused us for most of the day.  I came into the weekend battling a sore throat and sever sinus congestion and headaches.  Not a winning recipe for overall comfort and enjoyment, but thoughts of these things fell to the wayside as I unloaded all of my gear and prepared to launch.

The format of the tournament is fairly straightforward.  Four divisions in total: Largemouth Bass, Crappie and Panfish with a Slam for the best length of a single fish from each division.  So you could theoretically not catch large fish but still win the slam for total length.  After some brainstorming with fellow Hobie Fishing Team member Grant Alvis the night before, a plan was put in motion and I hit the water.

The rains tried to dampen my spirit and had even forced me to reconsider staying out in the damp conditions in my current sickly state.  Having not caught a single fish for the entire morning, I finally caught up to good friends Daryl Boyd and Greg Timmer (Hobie Fishing Team member from FL).  We made a tactical decision to escape the wind in a small cove before heading back down lake.  We took the opportunity to refresh by eating some food and hydrating with some water.  This little respite revitalized and re-focused my energy.  I set out again with a different mindset and decided to switch up my approach and opt for a thumpin' plastic over the preferred spinnerbait.  I was immediately rewarded with two smallish bass, but still a rewarding situation given my production thus far.

I kept at it with cast after cast and switching up casting angles, retrieve speeds, lure depths, etc.   Another smallish bass came to play but was welcomed regardless.

As the fishing window started to close, I decided to switch things up and try for some panfish and crappie back in a protected cove.  I switched rods to my U/L spinning rod rigged with 6lb test line and a white Rooster Tail as the bait of choice.  After 5 minutes of slinging it around the protected cove, I slowed down my retrieve to a crawl and slow rolled it back to the yak.  The line came tight and started peeling off of my reel.  When I first caught glimpse of the fish as it rolled, I knew I would have to baby this fish if I had any chance of landing it.  After a good 2 minute fight, the big bass decided to chill out long enough to get it kayak side and be landed.  Finally, a respectable fish to put on the board at 19 1/4".

Well, that would prove to be my last fish on the day, since no panfish or crappie made an appearance for me this tournament, but I still managed to turn in 34.5" of fish as my two-fish submission.  Sadly it fell 3" short of placing this year, but I still managed to enter fish.  I still walked away with a cool assortment of goodies in the captain's bag, and I was one of the people fortunate enough to win a premium raffle prize - a new Hobie Fish Bag for keeping my salty catches in the future to feed my family fresh fish!!

Saturday for the tournament is always fun, because of the raffle and fellowship that ensues once the fishing is done, but the main point of the tournament is the benefit aspect of it, and the raffle and tournament entry fees when totaled are estimated to exceed $22,000.  It's an amazing tournament coupled with a meaningful benefit theme and fellowship that is unequaled in the kayak community.  Luther and the whole crew at YakAttack outdid themselves yet again this year.  I know that next year's event will be even better and am already longing for that Armed Forces weekend yet again!

Tight lines everyone! Stay safe out there!

Playing Hooky....

Sometimes you have to trust your instincts and just do it - so I did!  I took a vacation day mid-week and went fishing.  The weather window was favorable for a change, and I didn't have a single meeting or task due at work the following day.  No brainer!

The arsenal for the day was the same rod selection from last week but the lures of choice were different due to stained water conditions.  I tried a couple lures in lighter colors (a vibrating jig in chartreuse/white tipped with a PTL Grub and a PTL Sick Stick in Pearl) but the water clarity was less than 6".  So, I switched out to a PTL Sick Stick in Okeechobee Craw and a PTL Gator in Junebug.

This pond is mostly flat with an average depth of 4' and a multitude of overhanging brush and trees with several laydowns and brush piles from trees and brush that have fallen into the water over the years from strong storms.  With the water clarity as it was, you are forced to slow down and work literally every square inch of an area.  I come here a few times a year to simply hone my skipping and pitching/flipping skills.  The added bonus is that there are some fat bass lurking about and always manage to give me a nice fight.

It took a couple hours to find some takers but I finally managed to get into a few managing only three on the day and missing a few as well including one pesky bass that managed to break me off not once, twice but three separate times!   The first bass of the day was the best and measured in just shy at 20.75" and was very fat and rather perturbed that she was caught.

I had skipped my cast to a cut in between two big bushes and was met with a violent strike as the lure hit the water.  This big girl hit the Sick Stick so hard and fast that I barely managed to get the GoPro turned on in time to catch the last few seconds of the fight.

When the Sick Stick found no more interest, tried using a heavy tungsten pitching weight to punch through pockets of thick brush with a PTL Gator but to no avail.  Flashback a few hours earlier to the point of loading my gear for the day.  I stood there in my house looking at my gear and made the conscious decision to leave my terminal tackle tray thinking I would not need it - big mistake.  I'm sitting there in my Hobie Outback cruising about and chastising myself for not having different rigging options.

As luck would have it, one of my casts became entangled with a previous anglers broken line.  I cleared the tangle and found a busted bobber and hook at the end along with a small split shot on the line.  "DING" lightbulb moment.  I cleared the tangle, removed the split shot and rigged up a simple split shot rig and a texas-rigged PTL Gator.

Apparently, it was the right decision.  Not five minutes later, I noticed my line swimming towards me but felt no hint of a fish.  I reeled in the slack and swung for the fences - hook sets are free right?  I was rewarded with another angry female bass that was none too pleased with her predicament.  After a brief fight, I brought her in and measured a healthy 19.75".

She must have really liked that PTL Gator because she choked it!

The last bass of the day was nothing to brag about but confirmed to me that the bite was over for the day.  A slow but productive day away from work.

Catching fat bass like this makes me want to play hooky again and very soon.......

I think I can find a window and know a "spot" I could target.....

Until then, enjoy a video summary of my day on the water........

Tight lines and stay safe!

PowerPole Micro Install (2015 Hobie Outback)

Let me take a moment and apologize for the long hiatus - I've been battling a case of no vacation left at work combined with the holidays with kids out of school/day care, family visiting and Mother Nature not cooperating.  My last trip was actually one late in the fall and was on a boat with some good friends chasing citation Sea Bass and monster Bluefish, but I digress.   With 2015 already in full swing, what better way to get my year started right than to start rigging my latest addition to the fleet - the 2015 Hobie Outback.  I decided to switch things up by trying a new hull and a new color, so I opted for the Ivory Dune this time in place of the yellow.

First order of business - installing my new Power-Pole Micro Anchor courtesy of JL Marine.  I first reached out to the good folks at YakAttack to send me their custom mounting plate that not only serves as the base mount, but also still allows full operation of the twist and stow rudder on the Hobie Outback.  To get things started, it is recommended but not required to have some form of stable/elevated work station - it will save you from having to kneel and bend over too much risking strain on your neck and back.  With the freezing temps in my neck of the woods, I brought the hull inside the house in our kitchen and made do by using four of our dining room chairs - shhhh don't tell my wife!

Once positioned and balanced, you first remove the port side rear rudder tie down cleat.  Simply done by using some form of pliers.  I used a crescent wrench but anything will work, since the fitting is not locked in place with Loctite.

Once removed, as you are standing at the stern of the hull by the rudder, you orient the YakAttack mounting plate with the side that has the countersunk screw holes up and with the non-countersunk screws (hint: they have lock nuts installed on the underside) that form a triangle facing to the right.  You'll want to place the mounting plate in a manner just forward of the rear stainless steel cleat and parallel with the rear twist and stow hatch hinges.  Once it is positioned, you'll notice that the large countersunk holes are on the outside of the elevated gunnel ridge.  Now is the perfect time to take a moment to secure the mount by using some duct tape to hold the plate in place while you mark and drill.  Like this.....

Using a narrow marker or gel-style pen, mark your first hole and use a 1/4" drill bit to drill your first hole.  In the same packet that contained the mounting plate, you'll notice a mounting kit on one end.  Open it and remove one of the three large countersunk screw head bolts.  The fourth large bolt is a round head Allen bolt and is installed last, so leave it aside for now.  Using a Phillips head screw driver, hand tighten/install the screw through the mounting plate and into the hull until it is reasonably secure but not fully installed.  It is recommended that you go ahead and setup your first bolt with the rubber bushing installed along with the other rubber bushings in each recess to that help minimize the plate moving while you finish your pilot marks, and drill one hole at a time to secure the remaining holes using the hardware provided.

Next, it is time to secure the mounting plate using the remainder of the mounting hardware.  This step requires the four o-rings, washers and lock nuts for this part of the install.  If you find that your rubber bushings are moving and shifting about, try this out.  Remove the partially installed screws and the mounting plate, then flip the mount upside down.  Using a small dollop of silicone sealant, you can secure the rubber bushings to the underside of the mount into the recessed bushing mounting points.  Like this.....

Once all four are installed, I add a small dollop of silicone sealant over the four mounting plate screw holes and reposition the mounting plate with the bushing side down over the holes you previously drilled.  You can re-install the countersunk screws so the bolt threads come through the inside of the hull enough to install a nut.  Remember to leave the starboard side front screw uninstalled, this mounting hole is reserved for the round head Allen bolt once the Power-Pole mount is installed.  Once the three screws are partially installed through the hull, you will complete the install by placing in order the following - the o-ring, washer then the lock nut.  You will most likely need the following: the same Phillips screwdriver, a ratchet with a 3/8" socket or box wrench.  When installed in the correct order, it will look like this (with the gap between the bushing and the o-ring filled by the hull of course).....

When installing any locking nuts and washers on the my kayaks, I prefer to go one step further and use silicone sealant whenever possible.  In this case, I filled each o-ring with a small dollop of sealant, then a little on the washer as well.  Once I have installed all of the lock nuts, I have a silicone barrier above (remember that dollop I placed in the screw hole before installing the screw) and below the hull and have minimized the chance for water to creep in.  After you have installed the lock nuts, the rubber bushings will start to seat and compress slightly.  It is recommended to not over tighten the lock nuts any further at this point.

You're almost there.  Only one more part, well two more if you include the optional release handle, but we shall get to that in due time.  Hang in there.  Now for the installation of the Power-Pole mount itself.  While standing at the rear of the hull, position the mount with the vertical flat sides to the rear and the sloped/curved part of the bracket facing forward.  Using the three remaining countersunk short bolts, install them in the top left and lower left and right mounting holes.  You will feel them seat and snug firmly into the integrated lock nuts already installed in the YakAttack mounting plate.  Remember that Allen bolt you held onto?  Now is the time to install it in the front right (starboard for you maritime people) using the same process as before: bolt through bushing, o-ring, washer and lock nut.   Once properly installed, it will look like this....

Now you can install the Power-Pole Micro motor using the instructions included with your Power-Pole.  It takes a little finesse, but basically, you will thread the locking pin through a slotted polygon grooved lock nut and through the motor into another polygon grooved lock nut then into a screw fitting.  Like this.....

And lastly, the locking pin you just installed rotates and conveniently serves as a way to release the lock on your Power-Pole and rotate it up and out of the water whenever you are ready to move to another spot or you are ready to remove your kayak from the water.  This part is optional, so don't feel you have to do it.  Basically, there is a retaining clip that holds the release cord that is attached to the locking pin handle you just installed.  I installed mine so that the release cord runs under my tank well bungee and reduces the likelihood of it falling into the water and getting snagged or caught on something or by a hook.  Like this....

For power, some of you may choose to use the included power cable.  If so, you will need to find the proper battery and mount it.  For those that have Hobie hulls with the twist and stow hatch, you can use the Hobie Power-Pole Power kit (Hobie Item #72020076) which includes all the necessary items to install the power source you will need to place it in the rear hatch, or just the battery bracket (Hobie item #72025007) if you have the rest of the items.  I installed mine to ensure it works, but I prefer a cleaner look and ability to remove the motor without leaving wires hanging about or another battery to charge and carry,  so I am opting for the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack once it is released.  Until then, I will use an external battery in a sealed dry bag for easy removal when loading and unloading.

Hope you found this install helpful.