Kayak angler James Van Pelt recently hit an incredible milestone by catching a 300 lb. goliath grouper from his electric Hobie eVolve kayak powered by Torqeedo’s Ultralight kayak motor. After a 15-20 minute struggle, he claimed victory and contributed part of his success to the Torqeedo electric motor.
The Torqeedo motor may not have hooked the fish, but it helped keep Van Pelt in the best position to do so. “The Sanibel Causeway is one of the busiest areas for boat traffic in Southwest Florida,” said Van Pelt. “The Caloosahatchee River empties out into the Gulf of Mexico and as a result we experience some of the roughest conditions and strongest currents in the area. The Torqeedo Motor is worth its weight in gold. It helped me maneuver into position and stay there despite wind and current, which normally wreak havoc on us kayakers.”
“In the past I had done the whole trolling motor set up on my kayak and was less than impressed with the added weight and performance,” continued Van Pelt. “So when I first learned about Torqeedo’s Ultralight motor, I initially wrote it off. Then after learning more, I gave one a try on a Hobie ProAngler. It only took me a few short minutes before I completely went back on my initial thoughts.”
Completely waterproof, Torqeedo’s Ultralight kayak motor weighs only 15 lbs. It’s faster than any trolling motor on the market and can reach speeds up to 5.5-6 mph, depending on the boat. At low speed, it has a range of 26 miles and displays remaining range with its precise GPS-based calculation. The Ultralight is solar rechargeable and can be charged while in use.
A video of James Van Pelt hooking his catch can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1AIJ4kdoNk.