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Utah, USA
Chasing Scale visited remote water in the Beehive State to chase Tiger Muskie and Striped Bass
October, 2020 ~ The COVID19 Pandemic is limiting travel abroad. Luckily, the good ole US of A has world class fisheries! No need to cross oceans in order to chase incredible fish—they’re right here in our own backyard. In fact, we were on a mission to find a few select species. This time were on the chase for a unique hybrid giant and a striped beastie in the great state of Utah—namely Tiger Muskie and Striped Bass.
Nicknamed “The Fish of a Thousand Casts”, Tiger Muskie (Tiger Muskellunge) are a sterile hybrid cross between a Northern Pike (Esox lucius) and a Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), with intermediate characteristics between the two parents. These fish have extremely elongated, torpedo-like bodies. Their most notable feature are the grey-green vertical bars along their sides.
These monsters thrive where there are good numbers of perch and sunfish for food. They can be expected to grow to 50-plus inches long and weigh over 30 lbs. Because the tiger muskie is a hatchery-produced hybrid, it does not occur naturally anywhere in the world. [ UtahFishingInfo.com ]. This is a new species for us at Chasing Scale. It was exciting. It was humbling. It ended in triumph. All we needed was a bunch of time and patience to keep casting to these finicky hybrids. Check out the vid.
Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are a favorite target for us at Chasing Scale. Another favorite: Lake Powell. This magical reservoir in Southeast Utah happens to be one of the best places in the US to chase these monsters, also known as “Stripers”. Not only is Lake Powell an incredible setting for fishing, it’s a the perfect amount of “remote” that we’re always searching for.
This landlocked population of striped beauties has found a home in one of the largest bodies of water in the West. At full pool Lake Powell has 1,960 miles (3,161 km) of shoreline, over 96 major side canyons, and a capacity of 27 million acre-feet (32 million cubic meters) [nps.gov]. This Fall 2020 adventure was round 2 for us at Lake Powell. Check out our last epic journey from a few years ago. 100+ mile kayak journey surrounded by those majestic and imposing sandstone walls.
You might be wondering how chasing stripers fits into our “Fly of the Tiger” experience. This may be a stretch, but… they do have stripes. Ok, they don’t really fit the scenario, but what’s a trip to Utah without a stop at Lake Powell? It’s a home away from home for us. And, with elbow grease and our rad Bixpy outboard motors powering the beefy Advanced Elements StraitEdge Angler Pro kayaks, big water like this is beyond appealing. With rods, fish finders and cameras (mounted with Scotty accessories) filling out our arsenal, we hoisted many a big fish in such this awe-inspiring setting. Check out this latest Lake Powell short: “Away From It All”
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StraitEdge™ Angler Pro: AE1055
It was awesome working with Advanced Elements once again! Of course, we are ambassadors for their brand. This trip, however, was a different user experience for us. We have only had the chance to utilize their “Advanced Frame” kayaks (AE1012 and AE1009) during our past adventures. We’ve loved those models immensely. This time we got a chance to cheat a little bit… to stand up tall! The rigidity of the StraitEdge™ Angler Pro: AE1055 allowed us to stand and sight cast to rising fish which definitely raised our odds of hoisting big fish. These kayaks also offered us the opportunity to add lots of fun accessories (see below) like trolling motors, fish finders, rod holders, coolers, etc. Also, they look rad! These things are right up our alley when it comes to chasing fish around the world.
Length: 10’6” | Width: 38.5″
Product Weight: 45 LBS. (20.5 KG)
Max Weight: 400 LBS. (181 KG)
The StraitEdge™ Angler PRO takes fishing from an inflatable kayak to the next level! With a wide beam and Drop-stitch floor technology, you can feel confident standing up or bringing in big catches. Multi-layer material and multiple air chambers provide maximum durability for aggressive conditions. Its revolutionary Accessory Frame System offers a variety of easy access options. By adding aftermarket 1” rail-mounts you can customize your kayak with rod holders, a fish finder, or other equipment. Its AirFrame PRO™ seat with mesh paneling provides real support and comfort on long days. With additional features such as stainless steel d-rings, bungee deck lacing for abundant gear storage, paddle holders, and our patented aluminum rib-frame technology, for superior tracking and performance, there’s nothing left to say but “Fish-On”!
Features Drop-stitch Technology!
With Drop-stich floor technology, you can feel confident standing up for sight casting or while bringing in big catches! As shown in our inflatable standup paddle boards, drop-stitch technology allows us to create high pressure forms that are extremely rigid. A drop-stitch floor not only creates a hull with chine, for added tracking ability, but it adds superior rigidity for stand-up ability and provides more stability in rough conditions or while bringing in big catches. [ copy borrowed from AdvancedElements.com ]
Fishing Accessories
Scotty Manufacturing has been around since the early 50s! They’ve been integral in the world of fishing accessories. It was like Christmas morning when we rigged up our AE kayaks with the cornucopia of accessories we ordered! The rod holder was money when it came to trolling for the big boys. The cup holder was perfect for securing our tasty beverages. The camera mount was perfect for our GoPro. We got amazing footage. Just check out the recent videos. We even utilized a mount for our fish finders for the first time! It was super easy and gave us a heads start on the fish activity!
more at Scotty.com
We’ve never had the pleasure of using motors on our kayak adventures in the past. Elbow grease got us where we needed to go. After using state-of-the-art outboard technology, we may never go back! Adding motorized propulsion to what we do at Chasing Scale is a no brainer, especially for our Utah trip. We hit a lot of big water where distances and conditions would’ve made things a lot more challenging. With the easily mountable motors, getting to the fish was a piece of cake. This excerpt from bixpy.com about their Bixpy PowerShroud™ Motors says it all:
“While everyone else was trying to achieve more thrust by using bigger batteries and bigger props, we approached the design of our new product differently. Borrowing technology from hydro-electric dam turbines and jet engines, and by also modifying the motor and fine-tuning prop pitch, and most importantly adding air-foiling and flared ducting, we created what we now call the Bixpy J-1 PowerShroud™Motor. An optimized impeller jet system that is designed to work more efficiently than any propeller or jet drive system, allowing for super compactness and portability.”
Bixpy J-1 Outboard Kit
The Bixpy Outboard Kit combines the awesome power of the Bixpy J-1 PowerShroud™ Motor with the finely tuned, waterproof, wireless Bixpy Outboard Battery to power virtually any personal watercraft on the market.
There is nothing else on the market made so specifically to give water enthusiasts an ultra-light and super adaptable package to power their boats.
In addition to the motor and battery, you have a large array of Bixpy’s Plug and Play WillFit™ Adapters to choose from to make installation on hundreds of small and large brand name boats a snap!
The Bixpy Outboard Kit enables you to stay out longer, explore new waters, fish more, troll for hours or just get home effortlessly at the end of a long tiring day on the water or when the weather turns on you and you need an extra push to get you back.
FEATURES
- Runs for approximately 75 minutes at top speed and up to 10 hours at slow speed
- Ultralight setup (weighs just 9 lb including battery and motor)
- Operates via wireless remote control with 12 forward speeds and 3 reverse speeds
- Waterproof and dirt-proof with corrosion-resistant components
- Outboard Power Pack and remote control floats in case of accidental slippage
- Modular Motor: allowing you to attach the same motor to our Handheld Batteries for use to snorkel or scuba dive
KIT INCLUDES
- Bixpy J-1 PowerShroud™ Motor
- Bixpy Outboard Battery (333 Wh)
- Wireless Remote Control
- Magnetic kill switch with floating leash
- 100 – 240V Wall Charger
- Allen key to open PowerShroud™ for cleaning and repairs
- 5ml tube of di-electric grease
- Quick Start User Manual
- Bixpy Vinyl Decal
Bixpy SUN45 Waterproof Solar Panel
The Bixpy SUN45 Waterproof Solar Panel is the perfect companion to your Bixpy PP-166 Power Bank. With 45 watts of output from monocrystalline cells, this solar panel will charge your Bixpy PP-166 Power Bank in about 6 to 8 hours.
FEATURES
- Outer Shell material: ETFE Laminate
- Folded size (3 folds): 16.5″ x 15″ x 1.25″ (420 mm x 380 mm x 32 mm)
- Open size: 16.5″ x 54.3″ x 0.4″ (420 mm x 1380 mm x 10 mm)
- Weight: 3.9 lb • 1770 grams
- Output voltage: 22.0 V
- Output current: 2.0 A max.
- Total output: 45 watts
- Efficiency: >20%
- Connection point: Standard SAE Connection
- Charges the PP-166 in: 6 to 8 hours
- Warranty: 1 year from date of purchase
INCLUDES
- SUN45 Solar Panel
- Cable to charge PP-166
[ from Bixpy.com ]