After over a year of searching, reading and researching-I bought a used yak. Jackson big rig fd. Could not pass up the deal I got. So, test run on Lavon tomorrow. This thing is heavy. Truck bed transport with t beam extender.

Recommendations for dolly?
Anchor system?
Sonar and battery?

Tips, starters, checklists? Look out Lady Lavon crappie…I’m back!

Thanks

Jeff

Congrats. I like the ctug cart. For my diablo ive got an anchor trolley and then I use chains inside bike tires that I can drag along and control my drift or add on lengths as needed to hold me in place. I just picked up a yak gadget anchor line management system so I recommend checking them out for anchoring options and gear trak accessories. Fishfinder will be my next purchase.

Congrats!!! I'm quite certain that you will enjoy your purchase!

Cost aside, I strongly recommend Boonedox Landing gear if you plan on using boat ramps or hard banks. If not, I recommend a C-Tug cart. Both are expensive, but it's a one-time purchase and worth the money in my opinion.

I suggest that you keep the sonar and other accessories very basic to get started. From here you will figure out what you really need/want.

I personally like the Garmin Striker 4... you can pick one up for $120 ($99 if you catch it on sale). It will do everything that you need (depth, water temp, speed, etc) without breaking the bank or requiring a large battery. I ran a Garmin Striker 4 for 3 years and it did everything that I needed and more.

If you get a basic sonar, a $20 lead-acid 9ah battery will run you all day long and more.

https://www.mariner-sails.com/groovy-landing-gear-standard.html

https://www.amazon.com/C-Tug-Kayak-...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Striker-Transducer-Fishfinder-Traditional/dp/B017NI17HQ

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K8V2Y8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Very nice man! Welcome to the yak club

Choosing a kayak is hard!

Buy the biggest, baddest sonar you can afford.

So true. CTug for your cart, and Yak Attack or Yak Gear for your anchor trolley. Just as your kayak, do your research but I like both. I do not have any electronics on my kayaks because I like to keep things simple. I use my kayak to get me to my wading spots unless I am bass fishing.

Go to the Trading post(3 Depth Finders for Sale thread)........there is a Lowrance Elite 4X for sale ,$75 if I recall correctly.I think that'd be a perfect fishfinder for a kayak.

Finally got the sea trials done. Things I learned today:

1. Having your dolly(I bought the Malone XT) positioned correctly makes a world of difference.
2. Lavon boat ramps are slick as owl poop. I’ll just say I got wet before I planned too! LOL!
3. This thing weighs 145lbs. It’s a beast to handle to and from the water/truck bed.
4. See #3. There’s a small trailer in my future.
5. I was very impressed with how smooth the pedal drive operated. Granted I didn’t go a long ways, but I was impressed.
6. The steering system was mediocre at best. I had no to light winds today.
7. I definitely got a workout today. Secondary reason I wanted a pedal drive…my Dr likes the idea.
8. I pulled the prop to upright and paddled a bit. I’m a noob at this and have no comparison, but seemed to handle well considering the kayak size.
9. I now have a long list of wigets and gadgets that I need for this big Dawg.
10. I stood up a couple times just to see how it felt…nope not for me. Sitting down I rocked the heck out of it side to side. Solid performance…I’m not sure I could turtle it from sitting down.

In summary, this thing is a beast to handle to and from the water. Other than that I think I did good with this purchase.

Thanks for all you’re inputs. Appreciated and noted.

Jeff