Buff UVX Mask Review

A gorgeous weekend in central Texas opened up an opportunity to get out on the water and I was sure to take advantage of it. Fishing in January is not something I am used to and I definitely need to learn some winter time tactics if I actually want to catch some fish; sadly I caught zero, skunk city. I did however get a chance to use some great products I got as gifts for Christmas. One such item is the Buff UVX Mask. Not just your ordinary piece of fabric that fishermen wear around their necks, the UVX mask is purpose built for all around protection. The biggest advantage to the UVX mask is the ability to tuck it under your shirt. If your wearing a collared shirt, no big deal, but I usually wear a moisture wicking long/short sleeve and I would routinely get sun burn on my neck where my previous Buff failed to cover. Another added feature is the breath holes that don't fog your sun glasses up as much. It doesn't completely stop it, but the holes are sure better than just a solid piece of fabric. Lastly, the UVX is super soft and has extra material that clings to the back of your head for the perfect fit. Little touches, but these added features put the Buff UVX Mask above all others. If you are fair skinned and don't play nice with the sun like me, the Buff UVX Mask is a perfect option for all day comfort and sun protection for fellow kayak anglers.

Anchor Wizard Installation

photo courtesy of yakattack.us

For the last two years I have been using, what seems to be the kayak fishing standard of the anchor trolley, 3lb claw anchor and about 25 feet of nylon rope as my anchor system. Don't get me wrong, this system works and doesn't set you back a whole ton of money, but there is always room for improvement. With that being said, I have searched for some different options for a while now. The two options that I really like that have come onto the scene fairly recently are the Powerpole Micro and the Anchor Wizard. Polar opposites in price, the Powerpole Micro will set you back around $600 when all is said and done and the Anchor Wizard around $150. The Powerpole is a little steep in price for me right now and I figured the Anchor Wizard may make a good Christmas present this year. From my previous post ( http://catchmeifyoupaddle.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-kayak-fishing-gifts.html), you can see that I was a good boy and got an Anchor Wizard as a present.

Winter time means rigging season for most of us and since I am not able to fish right now, I quickly got the itch to work on the yak. Installing the Anchor Wizard onto the Slayer Propel is almost bolt on and go. The mounting of the spool is extremely easy due to the factory installed rails in the cockpit and the track adapter hardware that is supplied with the Anchor Wizard. The obstacle becomes the mounting of the chute onto either the bow or stern of the boat. Once again, factory installed equipment helped solve the problem. The padded carry handles that Native supplies on the Slayer Propel are bolted on by hardware and sturdy brass inserts. Having that feature, I decided to use the hardware and brass inserts as a mounting point for my Anchor Wizard. The problem now is that you only have one mounting point connected to the chute of the Anchor Wizard which is just not going to cut it. To solve this final problem, I dug into my scrap metal bin, found some aluminum and made a bracket to connect the other brass insert to the second mounting hole on the Anchor Wizard. With two solid connections and a brace between them, my Anchor Wizard is now rock solid and ready to help catch some fish. I can't wait to try it out and do some reviews on it. For now, enjoy the installation video.