DIY Kayak Monopod for GoPro / Camera

Whether you want a better viewing angle for filming your adventures, need a better vantage point to capture your catch with you in the picture, or need a flexible way to use your GoPro ingeneral while on your kayak, a monopod which fits in your rod holders will be of great help.

This monopod costs under $25 and can extend to 6 feet in length, and have the GoPro tilt forward, backwards, side to side, and rotate 360 degrees.

Note that this is an improvement of the original DIY Camera Mount by Palmetto Kayak Fishing.


What You'll Need:

• Targus TG-MP6710 Monopod (12.99 @ Radioshack)
• Professional Mini Ball Head Camera Mount ($13 @ Amazon)
• All original tools/materials from original Palmetto Kayak Fishing blog.

Basically the idea behind this tutorial is to add the ball mount to any monopod, but particularly the DIY monopod as it will provide you with additional rotation while keeping your project under budget.

Cheap DIY Hobie Hatch Bucket/Liner

The front hatch of your Hobie Outback/Quest/Revo is pretty much useless without the hatch liner. However, the Hobie hatch liner can run you $60 which is ridiculous, instead you can use a flexible tub.

As noted on other posts, what you can do instead is spend about $15 getting the materials below and make your own hatch.

What you'll need:

• 10 minutes
• Scissors
• Marker/Pen
• Flexible tub "TubRub" Model # SP26SK.BL

1. Measure where you are going to cut:

• Place the tub inside of your hatch. 
• Push the tub down as far as possible to make sure it rests on the bottom
• With a pen or marker, draw a line on the tub right above where the black joint of the hatch meets the tub.
• IMPORTANT: make a note of how the tub is oriented, so that you know how to drop it back later.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

2. Cut the tub to measurements:

• Now that the tub is out, cut along the lines with your scissors
• To be on the safe side, cut above the line rather than under.

3. Place/Fit the tub into the hatch:

• Use your earlier note to direct how the tub should be oriented
• Push the tub down as far as possible.
• Check for any parts sticking out for additional trimming.

That's it, you're done! Now you've got some additional storage space in your Hobie kayak.

Add Storage for the Hobie Outback

One way to add more "secure" storage to the Outback for things like your phone, pliers, fish holder etc... is to add the Hobie Mesh Pockets. These pockets will also avoid things moving around in your kayak unlikes the side storage areas.

Installation Time: 15min per pocket

Supplies Needed:

• Hobie Mesh Pockets (Model #: 78560001) $10
• Stainless Steel Hardware (I used nuts/bolts rather than screws) 6 nuts, flathead bolts, fasteners
• Goop or preferred silicone product
• Duct Tape or Paint Tape
• Drill with a drill bit (3/8 of an inch I think)

Step 1: Mark Down Placement of the Pocket

• Tape down the pocket at your preferred location
• I recommend the locations in the pictures. The closer to the top, the easier it'll be to place things in there
• Before drilling make sure that there is nothing behind (rudder lines) that'll get in the way

 

Step 2: Drill the holes

• I recommend drilling the two top holes first, without stretching the pocket much. If the bottom corners are <90 degrees it's a good thing.
• Once these two are drilled, place two bolts in there so it stays in place
• Drill the remainder of the holes

Step 3: Screws everything together

• Before screwing everything in, add a some Goop to cover each hole, as well as on the threads of the bolt
• Fasten each nut/bolt one by one - not too tight otherwise it'll squeeze the rubber part of the mesh pocket and damage it

Finished! Work on the other pocket if you want, let dry for 12 hours, and you're set!

Rod Building 101 - Part 5: Last Coat, Signing Blank, Finish Butt

-------- Section 8 ------ Last Coat + Writing + Sand Off Fighting Butt

Ok so at this point the Rod should be finished, however I am still debating what to do about the writing, which once coated revealed that the clear coat it was on that had been sanded for writing, still displays scratches from the sandpaper.

After Sanding off Butt Cap

Last Coat

Writing

Rod Building 101 - Part 4: Hook Keeping, Finishing Wraps, Cutting Off Handle Plug

------ Section 4 ------- Re-Wrapping the Hook Keeper

After the first coat, I had over-sanded the finish and got to the wrap. Therefore I ended-up having to strip off everything and start again :S (good practice I guess).

------ Section 5 ------ Finishing Guide Wraps + Finish

The first set of wraps for my guides had pretty thick trims. I decided to redo those and prefer the way they looked. 

My problem with thin trims was the wraps loosening up when cutting the tag ends, so I resolved that somewhat by:

1) rubbing denatured alcohol before on the blank
2) tightening my wraps (used my finders as well as the thread tensioner).
3) Didn't cut the tag ends until the first coat was cured and then shaved it off with a razor blade

Trims BEFORE thinning and finish:

Trim AFTER finishing and thinning (about 2-3 threads narrower):



Tip Top Trim: went with black to keep it subtle, added a small white spiral thingie (think they're called inlays)

Overview After first 2 Coats:

-------- Section 7 ----- Cutting Off Handle Plug

Although a little untimely, as it probably should have been done earlier, I also cut the plug with a razor, and sanded left-overs with 90-220-300 paper.

Progress Status: Once again I was sanding the hook keeper because I noticed a bump, but overdid it and am in the process of re-wrapping it. TODO: sign the road and add the last coats.

Rod Building 101 - Part 3: Wrapping the Hook Keeper

Ok so this section I have been having issues. (see my post: How To Hide tag end once cut?)

I have gotten to a point where I am somewhat please but I am attaching some photos of my progression because I have some questions.

First wrap, didn't get the tag end located well so that was a do-over

This second one was a little better but I ended up messing up a lot of wraps but scraping the metallic color off of the wrap when cutting of the tag end.

I ended up having to clean and re-wrap this, because you'll see some places where the wrap's blue color is either silver or black (thread damaged because I sanded the first coat of fishing too much), but at least I learned how to remove the whole thing and re-do it (may be helpful for repairs).

Finally this is my last wrap, I think it looks better but hesitant to put the finish on it. I do have the tag end sticking out a little but I think I should be able to sand it down or shave it with a razor blade after a thing first coating of finish.

Rod Building 101 - Part 2: Guides Preparation (Part 2)

This is pretty straightforward, I sanded down the guide a little both under for better adhesion to the blank and on the top for smoother contact with the thread.

After figuring out my guide spacing, I taped the blank to the meter and marked down each guide placement with the 3/4" masking take that I cut into 1/4" wide strips.

Mark your guides using a meter and masking tape

Sanding down guide with a flat file

Check that guides sit on blank correctly

That was pretty straightforward and I'll make sure to test the spacing by setting the reel and running a line through it when I get closer to wrapping the guides.

Rod Building 101 - Part 1: Grip and Foregrip Set-Up

For my first rod I bought a St Croix kit and in terms of tools I didn't really buy any, so I'm using the box and book wrapper jig, the drill to sand the cork, and other things laying around when substitution was possible.

------Section 1 ------

Here is the grip and reel seat section of the build. Not that the handle kit from St Croix came with the foregrip, but I over reamed it and decided to get a new one. When I did, I realized it needed to be shaped so I built a makeshift rotating device based on some things I saw on the forum

First reamed the grip and that one fit nice. Used marking tape as recommended.

Then reamed the thing that goes inside of the reel seat (forgot the name). This one was a lot more tender so reaming was slower and more meticulous.

For the fore-grip, I over-reamed the one that cane with the set, so after finding the only local supplier I got one that I hadn’t planned on being standard in shape. Decided to figure out a way to smooth out the edges. Additional tools like clamps and driveway reflector courtesy of my local hardware store.

Sanded down with 90 - 140 - 320 sand paper.

Scary moment but this one was not over reamed (Fun Fact: I had bought 2 foregrips just in case, and after shaping this one, I thought I had reamed it to perfection when I noticed that I had reamed the unshaped one. So I decided to shape the already-reamed one and that worked out well.

Sanded down the blank gently to prepare for the epoxy.

Applied epoxy in between the masking tape and smoothed it out with the pop sickle stick.

Repeated steps for reel seat and fore grip, and then put some epoxy on the winding check when in was about 1inch from the foregrip, and voila.

Did some reaming inside of the cord to prepare it for the rounded shape of the plug.

Stuck in the plug by holding the handle grip tightly and rotating the plug slightly. I didn't want to temper with the way the grip had been glued to the blank a day before.

Still haven't cut the sticking end of the plug, but once that's done I'll sand it down and should be done.