February 26, 2013 by Neil Taylor, www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
Luther Cifers is a pioneering, engineering kind of guy. In tune with the needs of the kayaker, kayak angler he has fashioned and refashioned ideas into products that are very useful to the serious kayak angler. The better kayak shops, if they don’t have his products and accessories, they will. I will be reviewing a number of his products in the future but I am starting out with one that is the very best choice in 360 degree lighting for a kayak.
The VISICarbon Pro is something that I heard about a while before I actually saw one. When I opened up discussions with Luther about his products, it was the one that I asked him about first. He sent one to me and when I first got a look at it, I was impressed. The design is very smart. Jointed carbon fiber tubing, with a bungee going through the “fishing rod-like tube”, it is easy to assemble and disassemble.
[Another option: the VISIPole II is the rigid, non-collapsible model, made from fiberglass instead of the carbon fiber in VISICarbon Pro.]
From the Yak Attack web site:
The Mast • Manufactured from domestically manufactured tube. Permanently attached to the light and the floating base (when a floating base is selected). • With an overall height of 4′-6″, you will truly be visible from 360 degrees.
One thing I didn’t realize until I was talking to other people. TheVISICarbon Pro “flag” is also a light bag. When not in use, the VISICarbon Pro folds down and fits nicely into the flag. It folds all the way down to a length of 14 inches.
The flag itself is great for visibility but the primary function of this equipment for me is as the 360 degree light for nighttime use. The light is top-quality. When I am examining new equipment I look very closely at the performance, durability with respect to the cost of the item. With so many things, you can buy a cheaper piece of equipment and have to replace it way sooner than if you make a different choice. I experienced the durability problem with some lights that were not exactly cheap. The VISICarbon Pro is worth every penny. Mine is still “working every time” and it is such a joy to set up, breakdown and store. I will be adding more of them with the nighttime fishing of summer arriving soon. From the Yak Attack web site:
The Light • Uses the same light body designed by YakAttack and manufactured by TekTite® for the VISICarbon Pro™. With remarkable light diffusing technology, an incredible balance of brightness and burn time ensures you get the visibility you need and a surprisingly low operating cost. • With a burn time of more than 100 hours on 3 AA batteries, you’ll save as much as $20 on the first set of batteries compared to other popular safety lights lasting only 8 hours on a set of batteries. Using your VISIPole II for an 8 hour night of fishing, your operating cost will be less than 25¢! • Waterproof to a depth of 1000 feet.
In Use Mounting options are available for however you need to do it. I have the Native Fishing Buddy so on my kayak I am using the “Light on 3/8″ carbon fiber mast with Floating Base”. Others can consider options where the VISICarbon Pro is going into a base mount. There are a lot of advantages over other options, the biggest of which is that it achieves what it is supposed to. Other lights I had in the past were probably more like “250 degree lights”, the reason being- they did not sit up high enough. My body would block the light if I put these shorter lights in one of the rod holders of my crate system. The VISICarbon Pro has the appropriate elevation for the light to be a great beacon in the night.
It is easy to turn on and off and it is easy to replace batteries, something that does not have to be done that often (see battery life and projected “operating cost” above).
Give this a look. If you like to go out very early in the morning or make nighttime trips, you are going to want to get one of these.
Yak Attack is always looking toward new ideas to enhance the kayak fishing experience. Take a look at their products and stay tuned for another review on the rest of their product line!
More of Yak Attack accessories to familiarize yourself with: http://www.yakattack.us/Products/Products.html
Plastic Threaded T-Knob (sold in a package of 6)
The track system components and accessories
BlackPak
Dog Bone
Fullback/Rigging Bullet
Gear Track
Mighty Mount
Nite Stripe
Panfish/Panfish Portait (camera mounts)
ParkNPole
Screwball
Information on Yak Attack: www.YakAttack.us
Technical Support and Forums: http://www.yakattack.us/Products/Products.html
Neil Taylor Owner and Guide: www.strikethreekayakfishing.com PH: 727.692.6345 Email: Livelybaits@aol.com “Something violent is about to happen!”
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
