Ropeless Anchor Kayak Fishing Wobblers for Chinook Salmon

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Fishing wobblers on anchor during the outgoing tide is a popular and effective technique that has long been employed by power boat anglers on the Columbia River in pursuit of King Salmon. Anchoring in depths of 40-60' with strong current has always made this fishery a dangerous and challenging one for kayak anglers. With the innovation of ‪@OldTownCanoeKayak‬ 's AutoPilot kayaks that integrates ‪@MinnKotaMotors‬ I-Pilot motor with features such as Spot-lock this fishery is now wide open to kayak anglers.
This is the first time taking out my AutoPilot 120. Despite the tough conditions the I-pilot motor has zero issues keeping the kayak in position with minimal power draw.
For more information on the Old Town AutoPilot kayaks click here: bit.ly/2BWCX6e
Thanks for watching!

[@chrisstone1933]

Thanks for confirming what I wanted to know about the autopilot for the lower Columbia river. It’s a strong contender again

[@boattothebelly]

Ahhh he’s off…no he’s still there, he’s still there! Ohh he’s off…he’s still there, he’s still there! Life of a salmon fisherman. Nice job

[@todgarred1450]

I remember seeing you that morning and yelled at you. Was goung to come and say hi on next pass and noticed you were on the bank. Great job!

[@thomassteele8150]

No more waiting for slack or incoming tide. Opens up a whole new fishery for me

[@conk8636]

Bad ass sir. You got more balls than me, I’m out there all the time in a boat and gets sketchy. Give guys in smaller craft some room folks. It’s a big River.

[@jaredstark231]

That was really cool man!

[@richdagsher2931]

Nice job Tyler! You've inspired me get out in the river and fish for fall kings out of my kayak! I finally hooked one this last weekend, October 2nd. Lost it because I had two rods out though. Lesson learned, these fish are two crazy to be trolling two rods in a shallow river with snags to manage. Thanks for putting out all of the great info to help anglers like myself get on fish sir!

[@spiltmilt]

Keep at it! You will get one in the kayak soon.

[@oldpolak5203]

That kayak is something I would not fish for sturgeon with . That's crazy !

[@HuyFishin]

ohhhhhhh My bucketlist is sturgeon for a kayak :)

[@Phishrman]

That was incredibly cool. I love watching your videos. Proof of concept epic success!

[@SVaya2018]

I use those wobbles as a dodger fishing Chelan kokanee. I also do the I got him... He's off... No he's still there... Lol. Glad I'm not the only one!! Great stuff Tyler!

[@spiltmilt]

They are so fast when they run at you the rod just goes completely limp. I always expect heartbreak in these barbless fisheries.

[@cithamao7181]

On the reel in! kick ass!

[@stevej2120]

That was a first for me to see. Seen it on the drop once, but never on the reel in!

[@DavidJones-uh9rg]

Holy crap, i never actually thought you could brave that mess in the columbia down there in a kayak and hook up a king. Been watching your videos lately and I just picked up an autopilot saturday...mostly due to a video I saw you trolling up some kokanee. Was planning on getting a Coosa or Hobie prior but after i saw that video i figured i needed to look into the autopilot. Just so happened that the day I went and looked the place I looked at just got a load in the day before and they had 2 left. These things are hard to get your hands on.

[@spiltmilt]

They are hard to come by but I am really glad you got one! Congrats.

[@DavidJones-uh9rg]

@@spiltmilt looking forward to getting on the water, was planning on just getting it and using the winter to get it rigged up, but still maybe some opportunities to get out before the cold hits here in eastern wa. I guess im a little surprised to see the spot lock holding up so well in the columbia. Totally did not expect that.

[@albertapikewalleye6833]

Cool methods and video✌

[@doctt6639]

Nice one!

[@reapergrim76]

Cool stuff! 😎

[@PramonoMbetik]

wow very entertaining I really like it, good luck always amen

[@markhunter1959]

That was awesome! Could you float a big buoy off the stern, just so it looks like an anchor buoy even though there's nothing attached to it? Although, that might be even more confusing as it should be coming off the front obviously. Awesome fish! Thanks for the info and demo on the anchor lock! Looks like my wife just finished her Christmas shopping! ;)

[@spiltmilt]

The buoy off the stern might be just enough to get their attention. You'll love the AutoPilot couldn't ask for a better gift!

[@lindashones4726]

when i saw the shad fishing with stop lock i bought a minn kota i dont have a depth finder that can communicate with the motor could do tutorial on what the motor says to your finder and phone and how they help control.

[@spiltmilt]

There are not networkable so they do not communicate with your fishfinder. They are controlled by a remote or an app on your phone.

[@bryceperkins2259]

I know most fishermen don’t like giving out there special spots, but what river mile marker were you near. Awesome fish and love learning from you. Thanks for the awesome content!

[@spiltmilt]

I was at the mouth of the Lewis River

[@scottrouwhorst881]

Nice

[@ShenpaiWasTaken]

Fantastic fish as always! How fast was the wind blowing? You made it look easy!

[@spiltmilt]

Wind was sustained at 16 mph gusting to 20

[@fishmojo865]

Nice video, as always. I would think a Jumbo Jet Diver would be a better tool for holding your gear in position for spot lock due to the minor positioning changes. If you have enough current for the depth. Nice work on the fish!

[@spiltmilt]

Jet divers don't work for getting to the correct depths on the lower Columbia. I had zero issues with lead being dragged or bounced by the kayaks minor movements which were not any worse than anchored powerboats experience.

[@MarkoAbo]

Great video Tyler. Did you release the anchor when you caught the fish? I didn't see that. And when you do release do you go back to the trolling motor? It looked like you stayed in place the entire time you fought the fish. For safety I think I'd just throw a float out there. Even though it'd be behind you I think other boats would get the message.. Fun system. Be safe out there! Fish on. Mark in the blue Hobie.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes I dropped off spot lock. When you disengage spot lock the prop is turned off. I was drifting downstream the whole time.

[@FishandForage]

Damn those autopilots are crazy! Do you have a video/guide on how you set up your traditional anchor system? I just got a pedal kayak and would love to see how you set that up. Probably not looking to anchor up on the big C, but I can see that being effective in some lower tribs, too!

[@spiltmilt]

I show the traditional anchor setup at the end of the video.

[@FishandForage]

@@spiltmilt I did see that! Was hoping for a video demonstration ;) I should be able to get it sorted out with that overview. Thanks again, your videos are always on point!

[@rja62b]

they always run for their lives literally when they see the net

[@AutoChaser]

What wind direction and wind speed are best for taking out a kayak in this spot? I plan on only fishing the incoming tides here but I’m not sure what winds to watch out for

[@spiltmilt]

Austin Point near Woodland, WA. North winds are your enemy here

[@matthewbarron1054]

Thank you for the video where do you get the transfuser attachment for that style of set up for your fish finder?

[@spiltmilt]

I use an over the rail mount

[@coolifadventures608]

Have you considered hanging a black anchor ball signal when spotlocked?

[@spiltmilt]

An anchor ball behind the kayak? I am not sure that makes sense. Just something for a fish to get tangled in.

[@coolifadventures608]

@@spiltmilt not in the water. It just a black flag or thin fabric in the shape of a ball hung up on your kayak/boat mast or signal flag. USCG and Universal boating signal for a boat on anchor. Normally for larger boats but might be an option here. But perhaps the other boaters won’t know what it means either…

[@HickorySticksWoodworksNW]

Hey Tyler just got my OT Autopilot 120 and was wondering what I need to have to register it in Washington state? Any info on that would be very much appreciated, thank you.

[@spiltmilt]

You will need a manufacturers statement of origin and a receipt to document that you paid sales tax. If you get hung up with registration start referring to your kayak as a boat and that generally seems to alleviate the confusion at the DMV.

[@HickorySticksWoodworksNW]

@@spiltmilt thank you

[@NorthwestOpenSeason]

Do you have a video on how you load that kayak on top of your car? Just loading our Hobies into truck beds is a chore. And why don’t you leave the kayak on SpotLock once you hook up?

[@spiltmilt]

Here is the video of me loading the AP kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6vamIClgdehedk The reason you don't leave your spot lock on when fishing in hog lines is that there are other anglers to my left and right. If I stayed on spot lock the fish might run sideways and tangle in their gear. Drifting back and fighting the fish away from everyone prevents that from happening.

[@NorthwestOpenSeason]

@@spiltmilt I’ll check it out, thanks. And that makes sense about keeping the fish out of other lines. I thought maybe there was a danger of getting the line caught up in your prop or something. Thanks Tyler.

[@troygeer4547]

Been enjoying your vids. Came across researching AP136. Never seen that kind of fishing. So hang you wobbling spoon behind and let current action the lure?. How to control depth? How far back? Also was your kill switch lanyard connected to you?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes wobbler fishing depends on the current. You fish it just off the bottom.

[@lawrenceblue8207]

Are you allowed to keep wild Chinook Salmon?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes

[@RoxnDox]

So, an autopilot station keeping system for the Tupperware Navy. Wow…. How bad is the battery drain on the Big C’s currents?

[@spiltmilt]

4-5 amps per hour. I have a 100 ah lithium battery so I could conceivably do that for 20+ hours on a single charge.

[@tla1950]

@@spiltmilt Does the ipilot app on your phone give you the amps you’re using (saw you glance at your phone). 0r is that a calculated # from your past experience? Thanks for all the great videos.

[@spiltmilt]

The lithium battery I have is fitted with Bluetooth so I can check remaining charge and draw

[@charlescook94]

Just make a neon light that says "on anchor" instead of open or closed

[@tarasaudi]

Would you be able to post battery specs/brand? I just got a min cotta motor for my Hobie Outback and looking for a battery. Also how heavy is yours?

[@spiltmilt]

I use ReBel batteries 100 ah lithium battery. Extremely lightweight and superior performance plus has a built in bluetooth for monitoring battery usage and health. www.rebelbatteries.com?afmc=1d

[@tarasaudi]

@@spiltmilt Much appreciated! You saved me some research time

[@Meerkat000]

As a noobie, why is it incredibly dangerous to anchor in fast current with line out? Just trying to learn all the things I shouldn’t be doing before I do them

[@spiltmilt]

If you get tangled in your anchor rope when deploying the anchor or retrieving it. You very likely will drown

[@hermanosamuel8744]

I fish mostly lakes with my BF120 so I don't have the heavy current issue. I not-uncommonly anchor in 40-80' on Lake Washington. I too noticed that a lot of folks don't expect a kayak to be anchored in big water, so power boaters sometimes swamp me a bit, even with fair scope out. I looked into small maritime signal flags to indicate that I'm on the hook. Both "Mike", and/or "Tango" would work. Problem is that few inland boaters have any idea what they mean. Even in a place like Seattle with such a huge offshore industry, likely only 1/3 of average lake boaters would know.⛵🛶

[@ivan_pavlenko23]

Is this place a place I can troll with my 106pdl?

[@spiltmilt]

on the incoming tide yes

[@stevenjensen2649]

Nice salmon! I thought that Columbia river didn’t allow to keep the wild chinook caught. I am puzzled.

[@spiltmilt]

You should take the time to review the rules. Retention of wild fall kings is legal in most years.

[@arob54]

Yeah, my Hobies don’t do that...

[@dougivan100]

Big anchor flag⚓"He's off, no he's still there, no he's off, oh he's still there" End result... massive sh!t eaten grin 😁