Hi Bruddahs,
Lowrance is shipping me a Hook 5 FF with a HDI Skimmer 83/200 455/800 KHZ transducer as a RMA for a malfunctioning Elite 5 FF. I wanted to find out if anyone has any experience or recommendations about the best way to mount this transducer. The pre-2015 Hobies do not have a Lowrance-Ready scupper mount and I would like to have the transducer mounted out of the hull, as my first choice.
It looks like if I do scupper mount, there is no way that it will not be flush with the bottom of the hull and will more likely protrude below the hull and would be more easily damaged when landing or get caught in kelp, etc. (I was able to mount my previous DSI transducer under the scupper hole with a Lowrance Scupper Mount kit and it was flush or a little recessed from the bottom of the hull as it was a smaller transducer.)
Any tips?
Mahalo,
Da Bruddah (Michael Y.)

Eh Bruddahs,
this just popped up on my email today. GPS Store is selling the Standard Horizon HX 870 w/ GPS w/ a $40 Rebate comes to $169.95. The rebate starts 8/1/16, this month. I had to buy a new radio last month because I lost mine, unfortunately I bought the HX 870 in July and does qualify for the f___ing rebate!!!!
The HX 870 has a much bigger screen and SH has made improvements with the keypad and functions so that it is a lot easier to operate!!!
Here's da link:
http://www.thegpsstore.com/Standard-Horizon-HX870-Handheld-VHF-with-GPS-P4248.aspx?utm_source=610%2C+hx870%2C+547%2C+3597&utm_campaign=547%2C+hx870%2C+3597%2C+610&utm_medium=email

Go for it!!!!!

Aloha,
Da Bruddah (Michael Y.)

August 10, 2015

Dear NCKA Bruddahs,
I have been spending time reflecting on my experience of participating in my first NCKA Tournament (Albion 2015) and trying to reflect in a deep way of what this journey has been for me and how I have been transformed.
I initially was very excited about attending the Albion 2015 Tournament as the time was right and I missed going to the GS8 in 2014 because I had just started a new and demanding job. When I realized that I was going by myself and I have not fished or know a lot of other NCKA members. (Lingading (Herb N.) and I have fished together a lot at HMB and he couldn’t go because he had a wedding to attend. I also know Agoodhi (Ryan R.) also from fishing at HMB and we had a good connection from the beginning.) As time went on, I decided to go for it, take a risk and go by myself. I knew that even though I did not have a campsite, I was committed ted to go. A few weeks ago, I met Bones at HMB and he encouraged me to not worry and just go. I kept telling myself things will work out, even though I posted needing a spot to pitch my tent and got no response. As the days got closer, Craig hooked me up and I was able to camp with Fishkraft (Reuben L.) and his family.
About 2 weeks before the tournament, I noticed that I was feeling anxious about the event and I couldn’t put my finger on what was going on with me. Was I going to catch anything worthwhile? What was the ocean conditions going to be like? Fishing in a place that I had never fished before and not knowing the underwater terrain? Over a hundred kayak fishermen, including the best!!!
Fast forward to Saturday 5am. I wake up and it is totally dark. Guys were talking about going out at 5am and I just could not see how could be possible? I couldn’t even see anything and was thinking, man this was not going to work. I waited to launch until around 6:30am or 7am so that I could see where I was going. I had been preparing for this for a few months now. Making sure I had everything that I needed and organizing my stuff so that I would have easy access to my lures and jigs once I was out in the open water. Paddling out from the river looked really great, no waves, looked pretty easy until I started heading out past the big rocks. As I headed out to the open ocean, everything changed. The ocean was really choppy with big swells. As I headed over the larger swells, my kayak came crashing down on the other side. I seriously thought that I had to be kinda crazy to go out and fish under these ocean conditions. I almost thought of turning back and saying fuck this, it’s not what I had in mind. I kept punching through the swells and the farther out that I got, the better the ocean felt. I also noticed that I was fishing at 120’ depth, something I had never before done on a kayak. After busting through the swells, I felt more confident and knew that I could stay out and all my fear and anxiety just dissipated. (I think that’s what I was feeling anxious about for a number of weeks, the worst case scenario, going out in a new spot with less than ideal ocean conditions.) As my fear and anxiety left me, the ocean conditions started to change, the further out I went the better it got. It seems that after about 2 hours out, the winds seemed to have slow down and the ocean was not as choppy. Wheew!!!!
I started trying all of what I thought would be my best jigs and only ended up catching a couple of small rockfish. Decided to keep them and use it for bait. Must have been around 10am or so, with not much luck, I decided to use my new 7oz silver diamond jig and drop down to around 120 ft. As soon as I hit the bottom and start reeling up, I feel a strike with something big at the end of my line. I was using my 7’ Trevala rod with my Chronarch C14+150HG  baitcasting reel, which I thought would not be good in deeper waters, but it was perfect. Reeling up I see this big, beautiful Vermillion come up next to the kayak, I grip it and haul it the kayak and it feels and looks pretty heavy that was the first big fish and it ended up weighing in at 5+ lbs. I strung it up and left the fish next to my kayak in the water. I drop the diamond down again and get another big strike. This time the fish feels heavier and I’m cranking it up again from 120’.  When the fish come into view, I see that it is another vermillion and looks even bigger. I pulled it next to the kayak and go the grip it and it was such a beautiful sight to see these two big vermilions next to each other. The 2nd vermillion later weighed in close to 6.5 lbs. and after I string it up, I’m pulling both fish in the boat and it’s heavy!!! After hooking the 2 verms, I switch to my other pole with a Shimano TLD 15 reel with a stiffer 6.5ft Penn rod. I use one of my ling jigs and hook the small live rock fish on. Again dropping down to 120’ and I get a strike pretty quickly and end up reeling in a 25”+ Ling. I caught all of 3 fish in less than 15 minutes. I was feeling so stoked that I had hooked the 2 big vermilions as they are my all-time favorite fish for steaming Chinese style. That was my prize and I didn’t need any more. I decide to start heading in around 11am as I’m not getting any more bites and tried dropping my lines at various spots going in, no bites. Again at the mouth of the bay, the ocean gets rougher again, but this time the fear and anxiety are gone as I head in and call it a day.
As I headed to the Albion River launch spot, I feel at peace, satisfied that I had hauled in 2 big fish, went out in not the best ocean conditions. Some nice young woman offered to take a picture of me under the Albion Bridge with my kayak Hokulani (Heavenly Star in Hawaiian) and this pretty heavy stringer of fish.
It didn’t hit me until last night that I felt really proud of myself for taking a risk and going to the Albion 2015. I won the best prize in the tournament, gaining more courage and self-confidence as a kayak angler. Today at work I felt different, more grounded and connected to a deeper sense of gratitude and peace. I work at a crisis residential program in Martinez, CA called Hope House for adults with serious mental health conditions who have suffered a mental health crisis and had to involuntarily hospitalized for being a danger to themselves and others or being gravely disabled. As I was facilitating my Hope and Recovery Group this afternoon with the residents of our program, this dialogue of taking risks, feeling afraid and anxious about the future emerged from the residents.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
Da Bruddah (Michael S.  Yamagata
Oakland, CA

Eh NCKA Bruddahs,

I recently bought a used Hobie sail from another NCKA Bruddah, bought the new Hobie sail furler kit from Austin Kayak and looked at different posts on NCKA, Hobie Kat as well as pictures and not too good video on Youtube.
The instructions that come with the furler kit does not really do it for me and I don't want to drill any holes in my kayak until I know what the hell I am doing.
Would greatly appreciate any help with a good video, talking to someone who has installed it on their kayak and would mostly want to see a Hobie rigged with this new sail furiing kit.
I live in Oakland and was wondering if there are any Bruddahs in the East Bay that has got their Hobie rigged up with the furler kit as it would help me a lot to see how the whole dam thing works!!!

Mahalo,

Da Bruddah (Michael Y.

Dear NCKA Baruddahs,

I purchased a Shmano Chronarch 150 C14 Baitcasting reel and want to get a Trevala rod for this reel. It seems that there are a lot of differentTrevala rods that range from$119 to $169. I like one piece rods because they are very stong and looking at a 6'6" rod. There is  the Trevala TVS-66MH 6'6" rod that got good reviews for $119 and Trevala 60 Heavy Actin for $169.
If any of you have a great recommedation for a Trevala for the Chronarh reel, I  would greatly appreciate your feedback.
My main fishing combo right now is a Shimano TLD 15 reel and a 6'6" Penn Power Stick rod. the TLD 15 reel is also a great reel for deep water rockfishing. It is light with the one piece graphite body I have dumpd it in the ocean and even after being fully submeged, it works like a charm. I think that this is the best al around reel for the price.

Anyway,mostly want some info about Shimano Trevala rods that would be a good combo for the ChronarchC14 Baitcasting reel???

Mahalo,

Da Baruddah (Micharl Y.)

Dear NCKA and HOW Bruddahs,

My dad Wallace S. Yamagata wrote this note to me on July 12, 1993, shortly before he passed.

"Dear Michael,
Sending you this book "Bridge of Love"  by John Tsukano for you to read and pass it on to your brother Ryan.
It depicts what your father went through World War II.
I served in the 442nd and 100th Battalions from 3/18/43 to 12/31/45.
I was 19 years old when inducted and discharged when I was 22 years old and married when I was 23 years old.
Love,
Dad"

"By the end of the war, the 442nd had become known as the "Purple Heart Battalion" and has often been cited as the most decorated unit in the army for its size and length of service. In all, the 100th and 442nd received 9,486 Purple Hearts, 8 Presidential Unit Citations, 559 Silver Stars, and 52 Distinguished Service Crosses among many other decorations. In the immediate aftermath of the war, only one member of 442nd received the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor. However a review in the 1990s resulted in 20 additional Medals of Honors being awarded in 2000. Among the decorations received by the MIS are a Presidential Unit Citation, 5 Silver Stars, and 3 Distinguished Service Crosses.

An estimated 33,000 Japanese Americans served in the military during and immediately after World War II, about 18,000 in the 442nd and 6,000 as part of the MIS. Approximately eight hundred Japanese Americans were killed in action during World War II. "

In Memory of you Dad-my greatest hero and bravest warrior!!

Love,

Michael
Da Bruddah

Hi NCKA Kayak Bruddah,

I lost your link that you posted for the sale at TheGPSStore for the great offer for the Standard Horizon HX851 vhf radio. I was planning to buy one at West Marine for $249 and the $30 Rebate and was willing wait to see if there were better deals around.
Thanks to your info and link to thegpsstore, I wa able to get it, lke you said for $199.50, free shippng, and the $30SHRebate about a $85 savings!!
That about the best that I could have gotten te 851 for!!

Thanks so much,

Da Bruddah (Michael