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Quickstart Guide - Skipjack

Quickstart Guide - Skipjack

Fishing in a Skipjack 90 kayak

The Skipjack Series fishing and recreational kayaks – the 12-foot 120T tandem “companion-ready” kayak, and the “throw and go sports car” 9-foot 90 – offers greater maneuverability, greater stability and more flexibility across all sorts of on-water activities at a better price than competitor recreational or fishing kayaks.

This quick start guide covers the basic install, setup and operation of key Skipjack components and accessories, such as:

For your safety and to ensure your highest level of enjoyment from the Skipjack 120T or 90, it is important that you read and comply with the included Owners Manual and safety information that came with your Skipjack.

INCLUDED WITH YOUR SKIPJACK

 

All Skipjack Series fishing kayaks come with certain parts and components, to include but not limited to:

Built-in Ergonomic Backrest and Cushion

 

The very comfortable and ergonomic Backrest(s) and Cushion(s) already come conveniently built-in to each Skipjack, so no installation is required.

Vibe Top Loading Gear Track Instructions

 

No tools are needed, as the gear tracks come pre-installed.

Instructions:

  1. Unscrew the T-Bolt on your accessory until it is almost removed from the accessory.

  2. Tilt the accessory at an angle.

  3. Insert the T-bolt into the top of the track.

  4. Straighten the accessory and tighten down the bolts until secure.

Top-loading gear tracks will allow you to easily attach external rod holders, camera mounts, gear retractors and more, so that any essential gear is close-at-hand when you need it most.

Installing a Fishfinder

 

Additional Items you will need:

  1. A transducer arm of your choosing. These can be found at any kayak dealer, or at VibeKayaks.com.
  2. A fishfinder mount of your choosing. Most fishfinders come with a screw down mount, we suggest a track mounted option, you can find these accessories from companies like RAM, and Yak Attack.
  3. (Optional) A battery box.

The only tool you will need is a Phillip’s head screwdriver and the hardware that came with your fishfinder.

Instructions:

  1. Decide where you are going to mount your transducer arm. This is moveable later, but most people will choose a spot on the gear track out of the way towards the bow, where you can still reach it to pull it up quickly if needed.

  2. Bend or position the arm so that it holds the transducer level and below the waterline.

  3. Attach the transducer using the included hardware and your Phillip’s head screwdriver.

  4. Decide where on the track you want the fishfinder unit itself. Be sure that it is not in the way of your paddle stroke.

  5. Mount the unit using the track mounted accessory you purchased.

  6. Wire up your 12v battery to the fishfinders battery lead, being careful to wrap your connections. If you opted for a batter box, you could install it now.

  7. Coil up your transducer cable, this cable cannot be cut so coiling it up to get it out of the way is the best option for us as kayakers. If you opted for a batter box, many have enough room to insert the coiled-up cable as well to get it out of the way.

  8. Hook up the cables to the unit and you are good to go!

Adding a fishfinder to any of Vibes kayaks is easy, though a few additional accessories will make your life easier for some models.