Motorized Yak

Just picked up a used Malibu X-Factor equipped with a 30lb trolling motor with a homemade bassyaks style mount and Sea Dog foot controls for direction.

I have a little experience paddling, and have been renting a 13' Wilderness Systems yak every weekend for the last 3 months.

I purchased a group 27 deep cycle battery which I think will give me a good amount of range. On my maiden voyage yesterday, I motored/paddled a total of around 3 miles and didn't hurt the battery (or my arms).

I know that a lot of people view motorized yaks as 'cheating' and I respect that. I have paddled 3-4 miles before, and think that motoring is way better. Plus I can actually fish while traveling.

Anyway, if anyone is looking for someone to fish with in Venice/LaFitte/Delacroix/Lake P or anywhere in between just let me know. I can fish most weekends, and probably can swing weekday trips as well.

don't have a yak but I don't think you are cheatin, maybe a little smarter? even a lot of sailboats got a motor!!

I fish out of KC and most of the time use my trolling motor. If its a competition event, then that's different. But who cares what anyone thinks, your out there fishing having a good time. It also allows me to go out in conditions, where I normally can not paddle in. At the end of the day when I'm tired I can just troll in. I mainly use it to get to different spots and pull it up in the shallows.

If you have a motor on it (any type) you have to have numbers. I wouldn't want you to have to donate any of your money to LDWF.

Yeah, I am working on that part today. Thanks for the heads up :)

Could you explain a group 27 battery and the app. weight.

Here is a link that explains battery group sizes and their approximate amp hour ratings. Generally with deep cycle batteries, the larger the physical dimensions, the more capacity (amp-hours).

http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/bci-battery-group-sizes.html

Group 27 batteries are widely accepted to carry a ah (amp-hour) rating of between 85-105. They are also approximately 12.88L x 6.75W x 9.13H in size. Mine weighs right around 50lb.

The math for exactly how long your battery will last is somewhat complicated. A 30lb trolling motor with multiple speeds can draw anywhere from probably 3-30 ah of power depending on how hard you are running it. You can assume roughly 1 ah per 1 lb of thrust (roughly I said lol).

As I said, the math is fairly complicated, but I expect that with paddling/fishing and running at moderate (not wide open throttle) speeds, I can expect between 12 and 20 mile range (round trip) out of my battery.

For the sake of easier numbers, a 100ah battery will give you roughly 4.8 hours of constant run time (would probably burn my trolling motor up if I ran it for 5 straight hours without pause lol). At roughly 3mph @ 1/2 throttle (15amp draw) that would give me a little over 14 miles of range if I have done the math right.

But that is assuming that I don't stop and fish, don't drift, and there is no tide/wind to help/hinder me along the way.

That is probably way more info than you asked for, so to sum it up. It is a 50lb battery that I can easily fish all day on, and probably all weekend seeing as I rarely fish more than a mile or two from where I launch.

I think that's real cool.... I have an Outback, maybe I'm cheating too :) I hope so.....I have a Jackson cruise set up for fishing , like both! I also have a Gheenoe with a 9.8 Tohatsu , and a Nitro Z6.......I must be cheating haha. Enjoy your rig.

I don't think that you're cheating at all. I've got an Ocean Torque. I love being able to motor to a new spot and tie on a different bait or fish a shore line with out putting the rod down. I got it off CL from a guy in P'Cola that had it all set up with a fish finder and lights. I'm really new to the Yak fishing and would like to get together with someone sometime.