Why am I calling this article the fishing kayak on steroids ? Because as you learn using a Solo Skiff, it really is a fishing kayak…on steroids. You may think that because it goes 15mph.
When you head out to fish in a Solo Skiff you may think the motor is the only difference, it’s not.
Because of the overall design many things are awesomely different, let me clue you in on the wonders of this watercraft. The Solo Skiff truly fishes like a kayak, but has the addition of a motor, which by design allows the boat to have attributes other fishing kayaks cannot, let me explain.
So, you launch you Solo Skiff, fire up your motor, and take off to your fishing spot of the day, once you arrive if you think the difference stops here- your wrong.
Because of that little motor the Solo Skiff can carry more beam (width) than any kayak.
By design kayaks are narrower, they have to be, or paddling/ peddling them any distance would be a nightmare.
Because the Solo has a motor it can have the extra beam so the extra beam is bonus, not a hinderance.
This extra beam makes it a simple task to :
- MOVE AROUND
- ACCESS GEAR
- STAND
- RELAX
Moving around to do anything- cast, grab gear, throw a net, is all made easier with more beam. The more beam, the less chance you take a spill- period. Standing up all day, or standing and sitting, moving around, shuffling around, its all done without a thought.
The wide open floor is a product of the motor / beam combination.
Accessing the main storage under the seat, is easy, again due too the width of the boat. With nothing in your way in the cockpit, and the width of it you can cram all the gear in the world in there for a day trip, and actually be able to get to it andnot be worried about falling into the water, looking for something.
Standing in the boat is awesome, again, because the stability is beyond a normal fishing kayak.
Relaxing. Regardless of what your doing in your Solo, it all is made more comfortable and easy to do as a result of the extra beam.
Now I do not know how to say this other than be blunt.. have you ever tried going to the bathroom from a kayak lol ? Well – I can promise you doing it from a Solo Skiff is ten times easier, and I will leave it at that !
A Solo Skiff with paddle mounted – ready to SUP, and fish
A surprising thing about Solo Skiff is how well it paddles. No it doesn’t paddle like a ‘normal’ kayak- it does not have too , it has a motor for the long distances!
You only have to paddle it around after you get where your going.
Getting back to the motor this is worth a mention. When you are drift fishing, or covering water and decide to move say a few hundred yards, maybe to drift back over a spot with the wind, or to re-work your favorite smallmouth ledge, that motor is your friend !
It takes 30 seconds to start the motor and be on your way, and a minute to move a few hundred yards, and start a new drift in the wind.
That motor comes into play again when your favorite stretch of water is non productive. Instead of thinking,”maybe I should go home, I don’t feel like getting further from the dock”, you just fire up the motor- go anywhere and forget about it!
I am a run and gun fisherman. If my spot does not produce in short order, I move out to the next one. The “fishing kayak on steroids”makes this aspect of fishing so much better than paddling or peddling.
Have you ever paddled around the bend only to see someone in your favorite spot ? No worries mate! The motor is your friend ! Just keep on too the next spot instead of thinking about more paddling.
The motor also makes this watercraft a true kayak on steroids when it comes to trolling ! Oh man… until you try it you can only image. I plan on writing a blog entirely devoted to trolling on a Solo Skiff.
Trolling with the Solo Skiff is awesome., the definitely shows the fishing kayak on steroids nature of the craft.
Set up a rod , fire up the motor, and your trolling. As you move along covering water, you can drink water, check your phone, tie rigs, or whatever. There is something about trolling in a Solo I just love, it is just one seriously relaxing day of fishing, again because of the motor and design of the boat, all allowed by the addition little motor, and the design attributes allowed by it.
Another, yet not quite so obvious thing is moving around, as when your landing a fish.
Landing a fish in a Solo Skiff is much easier than a normal fishing kayak.
Watch a couple of the videos on the website or youtube. When landing a fish you can easily pivot around to grab it, or clear your line, setup to scoop it up with a net, etc.. When you bring it into the boat you don’t have to drop it in your lap either. It is so easy to land fish in the Solo Skiff ! Get on your knees, or bend down and grab it or net it, its easy.
Fishing in a Solo Skiff really makes you realize how kayak like it really is, and yet at same time why we call it the fishing kayak on steroids !
Tight lines friends
