Just got a Big fish 120 (used). Looking into getting a rudder system. Various rudder kits for other brand kayaks, eBay etc are all around the $100 mark. Big fish 120 kayak rudder system $255 + postage. WTF???? Are the gold plated or something? Im thinking of the possibility of making one.
I just received the kit in the mail this afternoon. I bit the bullet and bought one even thought they are expensive, I had too. I put a Watersnake T24 down the sonar pod hole with a custom mount bracket which is an excellent set up but without a rudder the back end of the kayak was all over the place and very hard to turn. I could only turn by putting drag on either side with the paddle which slowed me down somewhat. In its defence, the kit is good quality. Way better than some of the universal kits I have seen.
My first kayak, I just bought a used 1 year old BF120 from a guy in my town in great shape. Pedal steering is very stiff for some reason, is that normal? A quick glance everything looks in order, I will look closer soon as I get time lol. I can't tell if it turned or not, very weird feeling, I keep looking behind me which is super hard to see if the rudder turned. How can I make it smooth and not binding?
Probably too late for ya on this one , but may help someone else . I went through my entire rudder assembly (bought 120 second hand , so not trusting anything previous owner did ) . I ended up replacing entire cable system with stainless 1/16” cables (tractor supply carried it by the foot ) (i used 1/4 poly tubing from lowes as the new cable sheaths and left some excess out each hole placing 2 zip ties at each end as a strain relief after stretching any slack out by doing one end at a time )( cable swags crimps can be also purchased for a nice job at tractor supply as well but must have a swag tool on hand to perform the task ) , ran new cable sheaths(which i found the end stops to have broken off letting the sheath fall into the haul (only means of access is through your pole holders left and right by removing the 3 screws if you find yourself in this situation …) to replace the sheath cable jacket you will have to use a stiff wire (bailing wire from farm supply store is best !!!) and access mid way through the pole hole i mentioned and hook it again . Its a real pita to say the least . After getting all the adjustments and cables up to workable , i still had the still foot control rudder but moves freely at the rudder itself . Cables binding at the poorly excited pully on the weak foot pedal design (just my 2 cents ) ! Long story short went through the entire deal due to it breaking and seizing up on a day fishing at the lake 😢, as a last resort of fabing my own rigid pedals from aluminum to get it back up and going , i removed the flat metal springs behind each foot rudder thinking it was creating to much drag each direction over the cable span (2 flat springs per pedal have to remove pully screw and flip pedal back to remove them ) and bam !!! No more ruder drag . It moves as it should now with very very little effort . Not aure what the consistence will be if any yet as i have yet to have it back on the water , but i see no issues comparable to binding controls on the water as before ….
Update : may consider adding 1 spring back to each foot control only near the outer most position under pulley and play with spring tension by bending in our outward so there is just a slight bit of drag to hold rudder position in water when feet are not on the pedals . If you do not need to hold position and remove feet dont worry with it . I use mine to combat current and use it to set counter current wind etc but both springs make this system way to tight and binding
thank you i used this video step by step to install my rudder on my big fish 105 worked great. i used soapy water to feed the rudder line threw that helps.
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Just got a Big fish 120 (used). Looking into getting a rudder system. Various rudder kits for other brand kayaks, eBay etc are all around the $100 mark. Big fish 120 kayak rudder system $255 + postage. WTF???? Are the gold plated or something? Im thinking of the possibility of making one.
I just received the kit in the mail this afternoon. I bit the bullet and bought one even thought they are expensive, I had too. I put a Watersnake T24 down the sonar pod hole with a custom mount bracket which is an excellent set up but without a rudder the back end of the kayak was all over the place and very hard to turn. I could only turn by putting drag on either side with the paddle which slowed me down somewhat. In its defence, the kit is good quality. Way better than some of the universal kits I have seen.
My first kayak, I just bought a used 1 year old BF120 from a guy in my town in great shape.
Pedal steering is very stiff for some reason, is that normal?
A quick glance everything looks in order, I will look closer soon as I get time lol.
I can't tell if it turned or not, very weird feeling, I keep looking behind me which is super hard to see if the rudder turned.
How can I make it smooth and not binding?
Probably too late for ya on this one , but may help someone else . I went through my entire rudder assembly (bought 120 second hand , so not trusting anything previous owner did ) . I ended up replacing entire cable system with stainless 1/16” cables (tractor supply carried it by the foot ) (i used 1/4 poly tubing from lowes as the new cable sheaths and left some excess out each hole placing 2 zip ties at each end as a strain relief after stretching any slack out by doing one end at a time )( cable swags crimps can be also purchased for a nice job at tractor supply as well but must have a swag tool on hand to perform the task ) , ran new cable sheaths(which i found the end stops to have broken off letting the sheath fall into the haul (only means of access is through your pole holders left and right by removing the 3 screws if you find yourself in this situation …) to replace the sheath cable jacket you will have to use a stiff wire (bailing wire from farm supply store is best !!!) and access mid way through the pole hole i mentioned and hook it again . Its a real pita to say the least . After getting all the adjustments and cables up to workable , i still had the still foot control rudder but moves freely at the rudder itself . Cables binding at the poorly excited pully on the weak foot pedal design (just my 2 cents ) ! Long story short went through the entire deal due to it breaking and seizing up on a day fishing at the lake 😢, as a last resort of fabing my own rigid pedals from aluminum to get it back up and going , i removed the flat metal springs behind each foot rudder thinking it was creating to much drag each direction over the cable span (2 flat springs per pedal have to remove pully screw and flip pedal back to remove them ) and bam !!! No more ruder drag . It moves as it should now with very very little effort . Not aure what the consistence will be if any yet as i have yet to have it back on the water , but i see no issues comparable to binding controls on the water as before ….
Fyi took 20 ft of stainless cable for 2 sides on this 120 12’
Update : may consider adding 1 spring back to each foot control only near the outer most position under pulley and play with spring tension by bending in our outward so there is just a slight bit of drag to hold rudder position in water when feet are not on the pedals . If you do not need to hold position and remove feet dont worry with it . I use mine to combat current and use it to set counter current wind etc but both springs make this system way to tight and binding
thank you i used this video step by step to install my rudder on my big fish 105 worked great. i used soapy water to feed the rudder line threw that helps.
You guys are goin way too fast to follow along.also the instructions you guys sent are really vague
Why no videos of the 103 pdl?
Oh that’s what those metal pieces are for, your directions you send with the kit are crap
Awesome Tutorial