Gear Review: YakAttack ParkNPole

 

Fishing out of a kayak is quickly evolving as more and more people are getting into this great sport. The gear is keeping up with the pace of the industry's growth, especially by a company called YakAttack out of Virginia, owned by Luther Cifers. I have been using a product from them called the ParkNPole for about a year and it pretty much looks as good as the day I got it, even after torturing it against razor sharp oyster beds in the Everglades to stinky mud in Jacksonville.

 

They come in 3'2”, 6'1” and 8' lengths and have many, many uses that I would like to show you in case you have never seen or used one before.

Hold your kayak in place

When thinking of a stickit pole, usually the first and foremost use is the purpose of holding your kayak in place in shallow water. The composition of specially formed fiberglass/epoxy keeps it light weight and with the tip made out of UV stable, wear resistant nylon, helps penetrate hard soil, sand and other types of stubborn surfaces. The foot is made of the same and is shaped to ergonomically push down with your hand, allowing you to put a good amount of pressure on it without flexing. It can be pushed down through a scupper hole, attached to a rope from your kayak or held in place by a few other inventive ideas I've seen by searching the Internet.

Pivoting, Maneuvering, Launching

Instead of using my paddle to launch/return from shallow water I usually pull out the ParkNPole and with a few easy pushes find myself in deep enough water to drop in the Mirage Drive of my Hobie, then quickly stow it on my side bungee. It also sits on my paddle keeper without assistance of a bungee to keep it in place that was built on my Revo, so it's easy to grab and use to quickly reverse or stop if needed. They also float…just in case it's dropped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCxV5Ek27H4&feature=youtu.be

One thing I REALLY like about it is if I'm in a tight situation and I need to turn my kayak around I can use it as a pivot point by sticking it on the ground on one side of the kayak and use my Mirage Drive like normal and it will turn on a dime, making me do a 180 degree spin in an area the length of my kayak and then I'm on my way again.

Hook Removal?

Many a times I will have a lure sail off into the mangroves or get a jig stuck on a submerged log. We all love that don't we? The foot end of the ParkNPole can be used to dislodge a hook(s) from these places as I did this past weekend with my topwater that caught the base of some mangroves. I wish I had the patience to take a picture to show you but after getting the kayak under and finally able to reach with my six foot pole, frustration set in pretty strong. Without the pole to use, I would have had to get out of the kayak, get wet, possibly step on some oysters or barnacles and sink in some smelly mud.

Pushpole

Many kayak anglers are relying more and more on sight fishing. Not so much in the area I normally fish, but the more opportunity I can stand in my kayak, opens up another world in seeing things you can't while sitting. You'll be able to spot more fish while standing, observe more holes to throw to, and recognize drop offs to remember for future fishing. I'm able to quietly push and pole with the 6'1” length, even more-so with the 8” length and sneak up on fish to make a more presentable & appealing cast to the fish you may have seen. Another advantage to add to your arsenal.

 

Easy paddle

Sometimes I need a few strokes in a direction where I cannot reach the bottom to push off from. The foot end of the ParkNPole is wide enough where I have actually been able to paddle with it – at a good speed! Again, this past weekend, I used it to reverse from a few docks and push off from them to get myself going again.

Camera mount – in ground or as an elevation on your kayak

Recently, I have learned that the keyhole on the foot end of the ParkNPole can be used as a camera mount for your GoPro or other camera application. What a great use to be able to stick in the ground to get an additional angle on your pictures or video of hold up shots or the like. Also, it can be placed in a rodholder and be used as a “skycam” holder to get vantage shots. This video goes into more detail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHRHKzN5sQU

Price and Website

With a price range of $45-$75, I think it's well worth the investment that will last you most likely a lifetime if you treat it right. Also, it can be used with your boat as well as your kayak. They are available at http://www.yakattack.us/