Perry Mack
Simply mount the track to your kayak and start fishing.
Words and photos by Perry Mack
RVers are embracing paddlesports with elevated enthusiasm. Canoes, kayaks, and a variety of affordable inflatable watercraft are a lightweight, compact way to get on the water while at a destination.
A huge pastime among paddlesport enthusiasts is fishing. It’s a big draw at campgrounds during the summer months north of the border and equally as popular at southern RV resorts through the winter in the U.S.
We highlight a few incredible accessories that we believe will make your angling excursions more successful, which also means more enjoyment. Best of all, they are designed with paddlesports in mind, so they are easy to use, practical and very functional.
HawkEye FishTrax 1C-K Paddlesport Fish Finder
HawkEye Electronics designed this fish finder exclusively for kayaks, SUPs, canoes, or tubes. It’s compact, lightweight, waterproof, comes with a carrying case, and with just four ‘AAA’ batteries, you’re provided with 30 hours of power for multi-day use.
Although compact, the FishTrax is designed with a full set of features. We like the high-definition, glare-free, polarized, colour display to easily choose between raw sonar data or the unit’s FishTarget fish indicators. It also displays air temp, water temp, depth, battery voltage, plus bottom depth and composition.
While all this data is great, its ability to focus on the fish that you’re targeting is better. Selectable frequencies mean you can ‘bullseye’ on small or large prey and FishID with Target Depth displays where the fish are in the water column.
The unit comes complete with a mounting bracket so you can be on the water and fishing in no time. The only complaint we have is the stainless hardware for mounting the track. The screws were too long for our hull and we had to buy more appropriate stainless screws and nuts.
Perry Mack
Sonar in the palm of your hand. Attach the HawkEye FishPod 5x to your line like a bobber and cast away.
HawkEye FishPod 5x
If you’re looking for the ultimate in portability, consider the FishPod 5x. Don’t forget to bring your phone (or tablet) to use this 6 cm (2.5 in) fish-finding bobber, which, aside from your essential gear, is all you need to remember. You can attach the FishPod 5x to your paddlesport craft, cast it from shore or troll using the ShootThru technology, designed to ‘see’ through fibreglass or aluminum hulls.
The ‘how-to-use’ video is exceptional and we had our FishPod 5x charging and connected to our phone via Bluetooth in under two minutes, never having seen the device before. One charge is enough for a few days of fishing and it’s compatible with iOS and Android systems.
One con is while the FishPod will last for days, your phone won’t. As you can imagine, having a screen running for hours will drain the battery. So, charge everything before you hit the water. If you have a portable charger, remember to bring it along.
There are three settings for beginner, intermediate, and expert sonar users of fish-finding devices. You’ll see bottom debris, contours, and composition to find the optimal habitat for your prey, which you’ll see in high definition on your mobile device’s screen.
You can switch to data mode for an easy-to-read digital readout of depth and water temperature. You’ll also appreciate its five adjustable sonar settings with accompanying explanations to fine-tune your angling adventure.
Planning a nighttime outing? The FishPod also lights internally to more easily used at night. It also has an ice fishing mode if you’re willing to brave winter weather.
There are several optional accessories available to adapt to your fishing style including a suction cup phone holder, a wrist-mount phone holder, a chest-mount phone holder and of course, a paddlesport mount phone holder. All are available from HawkEye.
Both the FishTrax and FishPod come with a two-year year warranty from the date of your original purchase and the company will even cover the depth sounder against all damage.
For a full list of features, instructions, videos, and specifications for the HawkEye FishPod 5x and the FishTrax 1C-K Paddlesport Fish Finder visit https://hawkeyeelectronics.com. For up-to-date pricing for the FishTrax with delivery go to https://amzn.to/3OZbDWF.
Perry Mack
A Relentless knife (or two) that will conveniently round out your day of fishing.
Relentless Perpetual Edge Fillet Knife
If the area you’re fishing only allows catch and release, don’t read this section because this fillet knife will want to make you clean and cook what you catch.
Proper filleting is a necessary part of getting meat to fire and having a great knife makes the process easier, faster and leaves you with more to eat with fewer bones. The three key components of any great knife are longevity, an ultra-sharp blade, and a great handle.
The Relentless design is impressive. It incorporates 100 percent aerospace grade-5 titanium on the left side and a ‘Power Strip’ of ultra-hard carbide and crushed diamonds bonded on the right, creating edges with two different hardnesses.
The titanium blade sharpens as it cuts and the handle is a glass-reinforced polymer with a ‘true grit’ aggregate. The grip is also exceptional. Even with all the slime and fish guts that come with filleting, your hand won’t slip. The shape is comfortable and the tang is substantial enough for a firm grip and precise cutting. It’s the best fillet knife we’ve ever used and one that our kids will probably inherit.
Five models are available ranging in size from 15 - 25 cm (6 - 10 in) in curved and straight blades. Prices range from $209 to $239 USD. www.relentlessknivesusa.com
1 of 2
Perry Mack
A designated cleaning station is necessary at a campground. Just pack your own.
2 of 2
Perry Mack
The handle on the Relentless knife isn’t as homegrown as our Rapala J. Marttiini, but when you start filleting, it’s in the class of the NHL instead of Junior B.
CleanCut Cutting Station
Once you have a great knife, a well-designed cutting board makes the job of filleting even more convenient. The CleanCut station is a tough, lightweight, multi-purpose, rotomoulded cutting board. It has a raised cutting surface to provide ample clearance for the knife and your hand, while grooves help drain fish slime. The moulded pockets give you space for fillets and carcasses.
While it was designed specifically for filleting, it also works for cleaning small game or even other foods like roasts or fruit. Flip it over and it works as a serving tray. Since we received ours, the company changed its branding to the CleanCut Cleaning Station (from the Filletmaker). But it’s the same reliable product.
Two models include:
CleanCut 32″
- It measures 82 x 61 x 8 cm (32.25 x 24 x 3.25 in) and weighs 4 kg (8 lb).
- The raised fillet area is 57 cm wide x 25 cm deep (22.5 in wide x 10 in deep).
CleanCut 22″
- This version weighs 2 kg (4 lb) with dimensions of 58 x 44 x 8 cm (22.75 x 17.3 x 3.25 in).
- The raised fillet area is 36 cm wide x 19 cm deep (14 in wide and 7.5 in deep).
For more information visit https://cleancutstation.com