Stinger Testimonials

On installing and using the Stinger:

“I got it installed, ended up using the blind rivets. The installation was simple and quick, the instructions were thorough and easy to understand.” I did get out with it on Sunday, it is performing as promised. I am going to write a review on it for the next issue of kayakfishing magazine.net.

The stinger works like a charm, it is a great addition to the propel kayak. It is so easy to use and never skipped along the bottom, even in heavier currents. You have a great product and it is going to do well with the skinny water anglers who are not afraid to buy a quality product.

Cory Routh

Author of Kayak Fishing - The Complete Guide
Owner, Ruthless Fishing, Inc.

Short but oh, so sweet

“I think it does add to the stability some but most of all it is quick and does the job.”

Jimbo Meador
Angler and Philosopher
Vice President, Kayak Fishing
Legacy Paddlesport

Read “Jimbo’s cast”, regularly feature kayak fishing articles at: http://www.nativewatercraft.com/fishing/fishing.cfm

Smallmouth and Stingers

“I’ll never get away with this”, I said, as I watched the 12” smallmouth holding tight to the bottom less than 7 feet from the side of my Kayak. “He’ll spook for sure”, I thought.

I kept one eye on him, gently dipped the paddle to stop, and lowered the Stinger Anchor with just my wrist without moving anything else. The rubber coated 5/8 stainless rod tip gently telescoped out, silently rested on the bottom, and the kayak held perfectly still…the fish never moved. “Well, he’s at least put down”, I thought. “He’ll never bite”.

What the heck. I ever so slowly grabbed my spinning rod, and with just a backwards wrist flip sent the black plastic leech upstream of the smallmouth. Splat and Splash! He shot up from the bottom like a rocket and nailed the leech the second it hit the surface.

The circle hook held, then skipped out and the fish was gone. I’m sure I didn’t tension up correctly for the circle hook to set, but I didn’t care. I just put an anchor down in 3 feet of water, 7 feet away from a fish that was so undisturbed he instantly took my lure. I knew no weight and rope could ever have been that stealthy. I also knew anchoring and fishing in shallow water would never be the same for me again.

C.P.K.
Heritage Endorsed Kayak Fishing Guide
May 13, 2008

An overall evaluation:

Dear Golden Drake Outdoors,

“After using your Stinger anchor system all summer, I wanted to write to tell you how satisfied I am with the performance of your product. I fished several lakes, rivers and streams and found that the Stinger system made fishing a better experience. The installation of the Stinger onto my kayak was simple and your on-line installation video made the process a walk in the park. While using the Stinger for the first time on the river I noticed how well the Stinger held the kayak in position even in faster flowing water. In slower moving water or in lakes I could see why you call the Stinger a “silent anchor”. There is virtually no noise made when deploying the Stinger and this allowed me to move up onto fish without being noticed. In deeper water I was able to swap out the Stinger pole for a standard anchor and use the system like that on a drift boat anchor. Finally, I am grateful for the heavy duty design of the Stinger. On a few occasions I have crashed the Stinger pole or the clamshell bracket and was relieved to find that the unit could take the abuse with hardly a scratch.”

D. L.
Canton, MI

From an experienced Heritage endorsed kayak fishing guide:

“It is awesome! Works like a charm in our soft mud. I don’t see any way to improve your design. It was so easy to lift it up and down. I am so impressed. I put it on a Ultimate 14.5 and left out from my house, fishing downwind along the marsh grass.. I really slowed down and made a lot more casts than I would have if I was just drifting, or sticking my leg out on the grass to hold my position. I caught three reds and a trout and headed home with a big smile on my face. I held tight even in light chop. I will feature it in a monthly magazine called Marsh and Bayou and mail you a copy. I think the invention will sell! I really would like to outfit all eight of my boats…..throw the stick anchors away! I’ll send you some pictures with red fish and the stinger in use soon.”

Captain Danny Wray
Calmwater Charters

From a guide with over 20 years of experience:

Product Review

Stinger Anchor System

“As a veteran river guide and frequent recreational paddler, I tend to view anchors as a necessary evil. They are bulky, noisy, hard on the back and hands during use, and a pain to lug back and forth to the river.

When fellow guide Craig Kivi told me he was working a new style of anchoring system that would apply physics rather than bulk to the task of stopping a river craft, I was excited, despite my skepticism.
My skepticism came from years of trying various “improved” anchors – window sash weights, balled up chain, homemade concrete and lead molds, etc. They all worked to a degree, but they all had the same shortcomings.
But, as promised, the Stinger was different. Completely different.
The first pleasant surprise came when mounting the Stinger to the back of my kayak. A simple line up of the two support brackets (which pretty much self-center on the back of the craft), six screws and voila; back anchor mount. The simple cleat up front was a no-brainer, and the fact that after I stopped the boat, the Stinger holds so well means there is no excess anchor line, or “scope” to handle.

On the water, the Stinger earned its keep early. I found that in slow and moderate flows, a simple back stroke with the paddle to stop the craft allowed me to deploy the Stinger and come to a complete stop – within about a foot! And, since the anchor point is so close to the craft, there is no side-to-side drift, as you have with a traditional anchor and line.

The difference for the angler is dramatic. You can literally hold on a dime and fish a piece of water without having to readjust your position.
The other thing the Stinger gives you is true pinpoint control when you want to “inch” your way down through a run. You simply uncleat the line, pull the Stinger up a couple inches off the bottom, drift a few feet and re-deploy. The difference between this and a traditional weight-based anchor and line is night and day. Even in modest flows, the scope of the anchor line has to be overcome before the anchor comes up (i.e., the boat is pulled back upstream to put the anchor’s weight under the pulley), which means you have pulled yourself 10 or 15 feet upstream BEFORE the anchor comes up and you begin to drift down. (The other choice with a traditional anchor is to uncleat and drift a few more feet; the problem is when you re-cleat, you now have more line out, leading to more side-to-side drift and less control.) The Stinger wins big-time in this game.

The unit I attached to my 14-foot kayak was more than adequate for mild to moderate flows – and I think this is where the Stinger will ultimately rule. Craig tells me that a beefier version, designed to hold drift boats in heavier flows, is in prototype. I will eagerly try it when it is available.
As for now, I will happily let the Stinger provide my holding power for my kayak-based fishing on the Huron. Even when storing, remembering what a hassle a regular anchor is, the lightweight stainless steel Stinger tip and tube fit neatly into the hull of the craft in a pair of quick-release braces similar to those used for stern lights on motorized watercraft.

As I told Craig, the Stinger made for a perfect fishing companion except for two small drawbacks. In an entire evening of fishing it did not once offer to light my cigar, or open a beverage for me. But, then again, most of my other fishing partners don’t either. And they make a lot more noise than the Stinger!”

- Dirk Fischbach, Huron River Fly Fishing Adventures

Took the Stinger to school

Before I made a decision on purchasing a fishing kayak, I wanted to try fishing FROM a kayak. So – I called Craig and set up a guided trip on the Huron River - - going after smallies and the other assorted piscatorial delicacies that river has to offer.

Subtle fellow that he is, Craig put me in HIS Native Ultimate 12 - - the one with the Stinger anchoring system on it – while he used his sit-on-top. We launched at one end of Huron-Clinton Metro park and just “lazied” our way downriver. I never once had to worry about where my anchor was relative to the boat. (It was ATTACHED!!) When I was ready to fish, I just turned the Stinger line loose from its cleat and I was firm on the bottom - - and quickly facing in the proper direction for cross-current or down-river casts. When it was time to move on, I just hauled and cleated the Stinger line and away we went. No dropping anything over the side. No hauling anything muddy or weed-clogged into the boat. No back-wrenching twists to see what was happening behind me. It was just a constant series of anchoring, fishing and moving on - - without even thinking about anchoring. At one point, I DID say, “Where has this been all my life?” The only “worry” I had was low-hanging branches to snag the raised Stinger on - - but, then, I had to worry about those with respect to my HEAD too.

Naturally, I purchased my own Native Ultimate 12 - - - WITH a Stinger installed - - by Craig! But the pre-installation was his idea - - and his kind offer. I “read the book” and the installation can’t possibly take more than half an hour when done by anyone who knows which end of a screwdriver to pick up!!

Now, I’m up in the Leelanau Peninsula until next summer and find that the Stinger is just as convenient and reliable in the shallow-water parts of our lakes up here. I’ve been out on Shell Lake – for instance – with several boat loads of students from the school where I teach. Most of them have never fished – anywhere – before so, naturally, their lines get snagged on just about anything within range - - including on one another. While I’m just watching, I’m firmly attached to the lake bottom – out of range – not worrying about where I or they may be drifting off to. When it’s time to untangle or de-snag their lines, I just mosey over, drop my Stinger (in about 2 seconds) and work on the problem hands-free. Then, I hustle out of the way to avoid their next casts.

Now, I don’t expect the Stinger to work for me when I go into deep water after the Pike we have up here - - - but I’ll use the Stinger RIG for that purpose. With a longer line attached to an appropriate amount of logging chain, I expect to drop and haul anchor just as easily as with the Stinger’s rod attached. I still won’t have to drag anything muddy into my boat if I don’t mind a little bit of extra drag from the dangling chain.

I’ve only begun to enjoy my new kayak and the Stinger - - and the circle hooks Craig introduced me to (for guilt-free fishing) - - but I have no doubt that my money was well-spent. It’s easy to use. It’s reliable. It’s well-made - - and I expect it will out-last me!!

P.W.
Michigan’s upper peninsula