Improving steering of motorized fishing kayaks and small boats

Here is some exciting news – Wavewalk is offering a new joystick steering system for its 700 series of two-person car-top fishing boat and microskiff. The new system makes steering easier and more comfortable, and safer too if you happen to use a powerful outboard motor such as the 6 hp Tohatsu featuring in this video:

Attaching and detaching this system is a breeze, and it takes seconds, literally. This means that an angler who wants to get the joystick and cables out of their way in order to make room for casting and landing fish can do it effortlessly and in no time, and later reattach the joystick and cables with the same ease.

Kayak Stability and Fishing Standing

A kayak's stability is key, especially if you want to fish standing in it in full confidence.
Many kayak manufacturers claim they designed their kayaks for stand up fishing, but other than pictures in glossy magazines and videos showing young and athletic fishermen who stand on their kayaks and fish in mirror flat water, how practical are these products for average anglers in everyday fishing trips? How well do those kayak perform in real world conditions?
Can a middle aged or elderly fisherman feel at ease getting up and standing on a SOT kayak, and could they ever feel confident fishing from it?
There is more to standing up and fishing from a kayak than just that - You need to do it comfortably and safely, have a plan B in case you lose balance, and be able to focus on what you're doing i.e. casting, reeling, and landing the fish, and not on maintaining your balance through constant micro-adjustments.
If you want to understand the physical and ergonomic principles that affect a kayak's performance in terms of stand up fishing, read about it in the article entitled Paddle and Fish Standing

More about kayak stability »