Phishpula wrote: The start of something new. I have one of the original profish with the short back end and internal rudder system at the back. The white covers of the centre well had always bugged me so decided today to remove everything and paint it black. I think it looks choice. Used a new 3m product specially for vinlyls leather and plastic. Looking forward to installing the new sounder this week. |
Phishpula wrote: Lowrance Elite 5 all but installed now. |
Muppet wrote: You got the HDS 5 don't ya Glyn? I have the Elite. |
Rainbow wrote: My New Ultra Lite 4.1 ready to hit the water. Everything on this yak has to earn its place. Rainbow |
Hi Rainbow, nice set up. Do you mean this lite version is 3kg lighter than the standard 4.1?
Rainbow wrote: Yes, it is 3kg lighter and as I understand this new plastic is going to be used on all OK fishing yaks. |
pizzaeater wrote:
Spoiler alert! |
I am delighted to be able to review the latest version of the original Ocean Kayak’s Prowler 13 now running under the new name of Prowler Ultra 4.1. It has been my favourite fishing kayak since the first container load arrived from the US in 2004. I am pretty confident that I have done more sea miles in this craft than anyone else in this country. Most of my fishing is on the rugged West Coast and the P13, as I affectionately call it, has earned my full respect. Not only has it kept my family supplied with table fish all year round, on several occasions it has got me safely home when I got hit by foul weather a long way from the shore. Confidence is hard to quantify but to me sliding into the seat of my P13 feels as comfy as putting on my old hunting Swannie.
This kayak has a well-designed 4.1m x 0.71m hull that is an ideal compromise between stability, speed and ease of handling. It has set the benchmark for middle sized fishing kayaks and craft of this size are now the undisputed best sellers of most local manufacturers. There is a good reason for this ideal length: shorter designs become slower while longer ones are becoming heavier. One could do a similar comparison with beam width: anything below 70cm is faster but also less stable and anything above 75cm takes more effort to paddle.
Competition among fishing kayak makers in this country is pretty fierce and to maintain market share new models are popping up regularly. Not surprisingly most incorporate a number of features that over time have been identified, as “must haves” for the way we fish in this country. Our kayaks differ markedly from say the South African designs, which reflect their quite unique fishing conditions but not necessarily ours.
Ocean Kayak has been a leader in fishing kayak design and has brought out several new models in recent years but in my view it has wisely chosen to upgrade rather than to replace its most popular fishing kayak; the Prowler 13. The company has done that in two bites. A minor change added new side handles and adjacent forward facing rod holders while the latest upgrade was more substantial. On the underside the proven hull has been left largely unaltered except for the change to the same “multi model” transducer scupper that was developed for the new Ultra 4.3. and a protective wear strip for its tail skeg.
However, the main changes have occurred topside. The most noticeable is the new centre well. It is a bit narrower but longer than that of the Ultra 4.3 and has plenty of room for storing fish finder, small tackle box, food and bits and pieces that need to be easily accessible. Like the Ultra 4.3 the well rim incorporates a rubber seal, which should ensure that when the new lid is strapped down the well is waterproof. The lid itself is diecast plastic and has been sourced from the US parent company where it is used on one of their own models. Its topside has numerous small plugs for self-tapping screws, 7 precast base cavities for Scotty foot plugs and a cup holder. To my more minimalistic mind this generous provision is a bit over the top but at least it offers plenty of fit out option for the most innovative spirits. The centre well displaces one of the cup holders and the small bucket hatch near the seat of the old Prowler. Although this well almost extends to my crutch, it is narrow and low and so avoids the annoying discomfort I have experienced with wider centre wells.
A welcome change has been the click seal lid for the front hatch, which has remained large enough for the storage of a take down kayak trolley. This lid is identical to that used on the Ultra 4.3 and since I have used that kayak all summer I found that this lid is not only a breeze to operate, with its clever rubber seal it is also completely waterproof. I have already mentioned the new side handles and two forward facing rod holders a little further along the gunnels, which are very handy for bait fishing with more than one rod.
It has always been my belief that the original Prowlers had the best rear well in the business and I am pleased that this well has been retained in its original form. If anything it has become more catch friendly as it can now be fitted with a custom made insulated ice box. Ocean Kayaks has pioneered kayak iceboxes for its larger Ultras and making one for its other Prowler models is a logical extension of a good idea. Not so obvious is that this latest version is about 3kg lighter than previous ones. This has been achieved with a new and stiffer plastic that will be used across the entire OK kayak range. This is work in progress and as the new plastic gets dialed into the rotomulding process more weight reductions are possible.
I had been warned that my test kayak would be of a mystery
colour combination but was still a bit stunned when I freed what looked like a
psychodelic Brazilian parrot from its captive bubble wrappings. I had to remind myself that this was merely
an example of the new customisation service Johnson now offers to individual
buyers. As I understand it a wide
range of colour combinations are available for fashionistas who want to paddle
a kayak that looks like no other. While
talking to Johnson staff about this service I also learned that all Ocean
Kayaks are now coloured with pigments that are free of highly toxic ‘heavy
metals’. I applaud the company for
continually looking for ways to reduce the already minuscule environmental
footprint of our fishing kayaks. It fits well with the image of kayak fishing as a low
impact fishing practice.
The almost continuous winter storms have given me plenty of time to kit out this kayak for my style of fishing. The changes I made do not really belong in a general product review except to say with the Ultra 4.1’s generous number of brass inserts it leaves plenty of scope for DIY experimentation.
Finally the storms eased enough to allow me to take the “parrot” for a swim. Despite a 3m swell and the residual storm waves still white capping I was keen to pull my cray pots that had been unchecked for nearly a week. As expected the new kayak provided a stable platform for this risky task. Outside the harbour the Ultra 4.1 really showed its mettle. Its ample rocker enabled this kayak to climb all but the biggest oncoming chop waves. It is this ability to ride big waves without constant submarineing that makes the Prowlers such safe and dry rides.
Over the years I have had my share of surf turtles and with the water temperature still around 13 degrees it was easy to talk myself out of doing a surf test. Nevertheless, from my previous experiences with the P13, I am confident the upgraded version will surf equally well.
Like rust progress does not stop and right now new fishing kayak designs will be taken shape on back room drawing boards. Inevitably this kayak will be superseded by new designs but thanks to the new upgrade there should be at least another five years of life left in the reincarnated P13.
Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >
Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >
Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >
Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >