Gear rating

Let me start by saying this site is simply the greatest for experienced kayak info and kayak fishing techniques. But finding gear reviews seems fragmented, it always involves searching and scanning threads while hoping you used the right search terms or asking questions that have surely been asked before.

Check out this site. It has an indexed gear review system that is slick, useful and the envy of its competitors. It really is the go-to place for anyone in the market for mtb gear. The beauty of a centralized rating site is it tracks gear over time too, if there are durability problems it eventually shows up in the reviews.

Just food for thought.

Exelent idea, Mtbr is an awsome site wih a wealth of info. There is nothing like it in the kayak world.

Exelent idea, Mtbr is an awsome site wih a wealth of info. There is nothing like it in the kayak world.

That's what I thought. If you want to know about a particular reel you go to the reel section look at the ratings, comments and comparisons all in one spot. Mtbr has built into an invaluable resource from this one feature. No blind searching and trying to make sense out of multiple threads, no re-asking the same questions, just simple one stop user reviews.

Unfortunately, from the reponse here I'm not sure people are seeing the utility of this feature. My guess is that you have to use it before the advantages become clear.

Oh, I see the potential utility of this feature, I'm just trying to figure out how to best implement it.  From my two minutes on Goggle I haven't found a pre-written modification to SMF (the software that runs this site) that would allow for a product rating system. That would really be the best/easiest way if it existed.  There are a few mods for rating topics and users, but not for products like fishing gear.  Alternatively, I could write something from scratch like I did for the AOTY site.  I'm not sure how motivated I am do that.

Brian

Oh, I see the potential utility of this feature, I'm just trying to figure out how to best implement it.  From my two minutes on Goggle I haven't found a pre-written modification to SMF (the software that runs this site) that would allow for a product rating system. That would really be the best/easiest way if it existed.  There are a few mods for rating topics and users, but not for products like fishing gear.  Alternatively, I could write something from scratch like I did for the AOTY site.  I'm not sure how motivated I am do that.

Brian

SMF is a php/mysql package right? Check out the Mtbr ratings site, pretty simple query built tables, this shouldn't be too bad, even from scratch. And I would be more than happy to help.

In the mean time I'll look around. No sense in reinventing the wheel yet, I'm sure there is an existing script with these features that could be hammered into a SMF template.

Littoral, Tomahawk.... I feel your pain.   NCKA could use a bit of an overhaul especially in the area of gear, rigging tips, launch sites, etc.  I'll try to get with BSteves and Bill and start looking into more effective ways of organizing and indexing useful information on our site.

The idea of gear ratings and consumer reviews like on MTBR has crossed my mind too.  Coincidentally, I was intimately involved with MTBR and it's parent site (ConsumerReview.com) back in the early dot.com days as one their very first full-time forum moderators and marketing guys.

I just don't think the sport of kayak fishing is currently big enough to for such a gear rating system, but I know we can do a much better job presenting our site's most sought after info.

Here are a few links to good resources for gear reviews and useful articles:

http://kayakfishingstuff.com/review/fishing_kayak_review.php?
http://kayakfishingstuff.com/ri_articles.asp
http://www.topkayaker.net/KayakData/Reviews/index.asp

If you guys know of other kayak fishing/gear sites that you guys really like, let me know.  Perhaps, we can borrow a some ideas from best.

The hard part is that as a nu-be to kayak fishing I wanted to know if the aqua bound carbon stingray was a good paddle for a starter. All I could find on the forum was Werner's, Swifts and the like,($400) . I seen a picture of the "Great Chuck E" with a monster Dino. and an Aqua Bound paddle clipped to the side of his yak . I bought it. Thanks Chuck. Reviews would be nice but this is still a great site.

It seems that there are a few decent kayak review sites, a few pages of kayak gear reviews here and there and general fishing review sites like Tackle Tour.  No on seems to have a site that allows kayak anglers access to user reviews for a wide variety of kayak fishing gear including kayaks, paddles, pfds, fish finders, vhfs, seats, carts, rod holders, rods, tackle, etc..  all in one place.

A combination of full reviews from kayak angler OGs like ChuckE, SBD, etc..along with user reviews would be pretty good. If every active member spent an hour rating all the gear they currently use it would be a pretty good site.  Pass it around to some of the other kayak fishing sites around the country to also participate and we'd really have something.  However, if no one bothers to rate anything it would be a pretty useless site.

Brian

However, if no one bothers to rate anything it would be a pretty useless site.

Somehow, I don't think that would be an issue here. Everyone seems pretty engaged on this site.