I need to go pick up a yak on Friday and I am without a roof rack and I am embarrassingly broke.

So I think I can get a fit kit that works for me, and I would just need the 460 series feet and cross bars 50"+.   I will pick up and drop back off, if you can part with them from Thurs-Sat...

Shot in the dark, but just asking.  Thank you!

Met up with tallpaul shortly after 7, and after surveying vis (400-500' maybe), and Paul with VHF, me with GPS and WAAS tracking 8 satellites just fine, we decided the flat conditions were worth going for.  Took our time launching by around 8, paddled south to ride the north drift over structure, fog was patchy dense but cleared to typical coastal fog by around 10. 

Action came in flurries - Paul was first with a nice ling almost to the boat, but unfortunately it had other plans for the morning and went home.  After picking up a nice 18" black, I was next with the ling, and after a solid 5 minute fight, this one did find its way onto my game clip, 36" and chunky ~20 lbs. 

About 15 minutes later, I had a hookup with what I thought was another ling.  It was taking drag, running and fighting like heck.  But much to my surprise it ended up a rather huge black hooked on my shrimp fly.  It actually bent the hook to an "L shape," then shook the fly but I managed to trap it between my thighs and carefully maneuvered to force it into submission with my heavy bat.  Uh..  Anyway, it was just shy of 23" (if its mouth wasn't stuck open) and 5 lbs.  My biggest black, for sure.

The rest of the day we mostly spent dealing with a rather aggressive, lone bird (cormorant?) that would jump onto our yaks, lunge for, chase, divebomb, and otherwise attack our lures nonstop.  A fair amount of trickery was required to drop our lines without getting involved in a tug-of-war with it.  While no harm came to the bird, we had to physically push and slap it away at times.  It followed us just about everywhere.

Like we had the only bait in the ocean?  Paul thought it might have been a rescued bird, hand fed, spoiled rotten, then released to terrorize yakfishermen.

It was a fun day overall, the fog got better, and there was great company OTW; Paul is cool to fish with, even as his day was mostly C&R and most busy with a grumpy, mean panhandling bird.

What a difference a day makes, both good and not very good.  Sorry, no photos of either!

The good - while I was out alone, JTF makes a surprise appearance OTW mid-morning, always good company.   Earlier, Guitarzan/Ben stopped by to say hi on VHF, before getting back in his truck in search of more Hawaii-like conditions.  Said he was thinking about trying Paradise.  Guess he hadn't got enough of that already?  Aloha Ben!

The not very good - conditions.  Swell was unpredictable - seemed around 3-5, with a few sets of 5-7's mixed in, but they were all fairly tight, so it was bumpy.  It was overcast, light breeze at best, misty at times, but not cold.  Just the varying swell and short period made it less than comfortable.

I started for halis w/sardines on 2-hook nose/tail rig, had a few tail bites that didn't stick and one good takedown, but about halfway up it let go.  Just didn't hook it well, might have been too quick to start fighting it.

Went WNW out to 60-70ft, picked up a ling 26" - he dissed my swimbait and bit the shrimp fly tipped w/squid.  Solid hook through the upper jaw.  Good thing I got 5/0 shrimp flies.

Then met up with JTF, hit the reef WSW of the hollow about .75 miles out, 36-55 FOW, got a cabbie 22" on a halloween fish trap 7" swimbait.  JTF had some hookups and a huge copper.   The bite seemed tentative.  There were big schools of blacks, seemed like all of them were 12" or less tho.  Threw back some, kept 4 biggest.

Landed was uneventful, and from the beach, conditions looked pretty nice.  Just wasn't like that when we were out there.  But good fun and company - thanks John!

Hope conditions cooperate the next 2 weekends...

Sheesh...  $600.... This is a great deal for a high quality new yak!

here's a summary of the main differences between SPTW and Tempo:

The Tempo is different from the Scupper Pro mainly in that:
- Tempo seatwell has no scupper drains and is a half-inch higher, which MIGHT be better fitting for wider paddlers and give a drier ride in calm conditions
- the front hatch is double-gasketed for an excellent watertight seal (opening is about 10"x20" egg-shaped, smaller than SPTW's access)
- molded-in stainless steel D-rings for rigging, instead of riveted plastic pad eyes
- it comes with comfortable side handles good for lifting, one of which has a paddle-holder bungee
- the rear tankwell is teardrop shaped, smaller, and shallower, ostensibly for improved drainage (but I prefer the SPTW's bigger tankwell)
- there isn't a flat compass-mount on the center console, nor mini-wells above footwells
- it feels more solid/rigid than the Scupper Pro

I just like the deep seatwell and the layout of the SPTW better for fishing purposes.  But the Tempo works for light rigging, or for a significant other  - or teen - who you keep trying to get to tag along with you to yak while you fish.

Lemme know if ya have questions...  Thanks!

Craig

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/boa/343085084.html

Might be an older model, with OK backrest.

Color unknown.

Probably paid less for it new, or close.

Working on shortening my posts.

Decided to try my luck with the weather and head to Muir.  No wind at the top of the hill, bit of a marine layer, looked promising for awhile.  Got there 6.45am.  Steady 15-20 kt at the beach, but there were not many whitecaps.  Figured I got that far, so why not try.  Wind rocked yak back and forth on the beach while rigging up.  Plugged the drain nicely with a rolled/folded platic bag, worked like a charm.  Thought twice, and again.  And again.  Went anyway, on the water at 8am. 

Fought wind waves, which worsened after about a mile out.  Fought to make 2 mph, then 1 mph.   Swell spaced wide but seemed to start to increase around 9am, building combined seas varying 6-9 ft total, but they were stacked tight.  Imagined this was like riding a mechanical bull.  Metered some decent bait and schools of something on the way out.  Lots of birds, though not working too hard, mostly relaxing.  Wind blew harder and continuous, had to focus on the paddle, could not turn much away from W heading straight into the wind, as quartering the seas seemed risking capsizing due to periodical large seas and rolling whitecaps.  Lots of water over the bow, and in my face.

Finally about 2 mi. offshore W of Slide Ranch, decided to drop gear.  Had my bait/tackle in my tankwell cooler.  Got it out alright, but couldn't put it back in because the lid kept being blown closed.  Unable to sidesaddle, gave a good reach back, turned halfway to see what I was doing, got caught by a big breaking wind wave, capsized.  Lost the bait and tackle tray with apex, FBR and some leaders and weights, but that's all.  Rod stayed in the holder, untied, and net stayed folded under my tankwell tiedowns.  There was a 21 ft powerboat behind me who saw me bobbing alongside the yak then do a (slow but) surprisingly really good self-rescue on the first try.  Decided I gave it my all (and no tackle left anyway) and headed in, which was harder than coming out because if I was just a little off 90 degrees with the seas, I was pushed radically by waves, surfed 2 big ones, almost capsized by one of 'em, still 1 mi offshore.  Very tricky keeping a heading actually, had to be either at 90 degrees or 0 degrees to the waves, and not get blown too far off in either direction, towards rocky shore or Australia.  Seemed like trying to whitewater kayak at times.

Total trip, 7.4 miles, pretty straight out and back (out of necessity).

Launch and landing were cake, surprisingly little water inside the yak upon return.  Got my new OK drain plug on the way back @ Outback Larkspur.  Woot!

Definitely was a lot of fun, a lot of learning how to handle high winds and big combined seas, and a bit of a rush, my first time back on the big water since November.

Water color wasn't great but lots of stuff marked on FF.  I am sure i woulda slayed 'em if I dropped gear!  However, likelihood of actually boating a legal salmon in all that slop was kinda low.

Good times, though!  Some days I wish I had a Marauder, some days I am glad i have a SPTW.  This was one of the latter.

Ben, good call not showing up.  I just really wanted to go out, regardless of bringing home fish or not.

WHOOSH.... they're all sold!

So, I am listing these on the rodbuilding forum, but I know a few of us build rods out there, so I will offer 'em up here too. 

Die-hard rodbuilders know how good these blanks are.  If you fish any of these rods, you'll know too.  Comparable to Loomis, I think.  They are fantastic boat/bank, even surf rods and will throw 1.5 oz pretty dang far!

These are actual Cascade Composites blanks - not the current Batson ones made in China (which are still very good, though).

Cascade ISA 1086F / 12-25 / 9'-2pc / .52 butt / 6 tip  matte (grey)
Cascade ISA 1266F-G / 12-25 / 10.5'-2pc / .516 butt / 6 tip (green)
Cascade ISA 1446F/ 15-30 /  12'-2pc / .70 butt / 5.5 tip  matte (grey)

For lure casting wt ratings, check here (they will be pretty much the same):
http://www.batsonenterprises.com/blanks/salmon.php

I posted the specs I have on record, as they appear to not be quite the same as current production.  Just FYI.

I bought these from Mudhole in Feb and March '05, just never got around to building them.

One has the label on it (the 1266) but the other two don't.   (I have the dated receipt for the 1086 and 1266, just can't find the one for the 1446 - oh well).

1086 - $50
1266 - $55
1446 - $60

Or get all 3 for $150

For true Cascade-vintage Rainshadows, this is an awesome deal.  They won't last long on the rodbuilding forum, so let me know ASAP if you're interested.

Will ship in PVC tubes wrapped in the same plastic they have been in for 2+ years, or you can pick up/meet me anywhere between Fremont and San Pablo to save shipping.

Or we can settle up in HMB at the derby. Yeehaw!