Category: RTM Abaco 420

RTM Abaco 4.20 - Review

7/11/2015

I was recently asked by the Canoe Shops Group to write a review of the RTM Abaco 4.20 for their fishing kayak review website. I have been paddling and kayak fishing from an Abaco 4.20 for almost 2 years now and have fished from it in all sorts of conditions around the Cornish coastline. I feel i can give a comprehensive review on the pros and cons of this kayak. Despite being sponsored by RTM, I hope you will find this a fair and balanced review and I have highlighted the reasons why i like this kayak, as well as the areas that could be improved on in future designs. This review is not based solely on my experiences but also includes the comments from those who have paddled my Abaco along with others who also own and fish from one.

Rough Water Paddling - 7th October 2015

7/10/2015

It had been weeks since i had been on the water. Conditions were touch and go for a fishing session with a brisk breeze and 6ft swell forecast. It didn't matter, i wanted to get out on the water and Andrew was keen to join and have a go the Abaco. We would take a lure rod each to have a few casts but we would mainly be battling the sea conditions..... sounds like fun to me!

Tope Feeding Frenzy!

18/8/2015

It was time for another Tope session. The weather was calm and swell was low so a launch on the north coast would be possible. It would be an early start but Rob was keen. It was a beautiful sunny morning as we set up our kayaks. Everything was looking good but we have found the Tope fishing to be hit or miss. Sometimes they just don't seem to be there. Fingers were firmly crossed they would be today!

Tope Time!

7/6/2015

This time last year i had caught my first Tope from the kayak so i have been itching to get out again this year to try for them. A very narrow weather window presented itself but it would be choppy with an onshore wind. I contacted Rob who had just brought an RTM Abaco and we planned an early morning session on the North Coast......

The Swanage Classic 2015 - An Awesome Weekend!

19/5/2015

I had been planning to fish the Swanage Classic kayak fishing competition for several months. Not only would it be my first kayak fishing competition, it is also held at a venue which throws up a few species that i really wanted to catch. This was going to be an interesting weekend.......

The Big Pollack and The Big Cuckoo

29/9/2014

It was an early start. The alarm went at 5:45 and a strong coffee made very soon after. Im back living in Plymouth now so if i want to fish my usual haunts it involves an early start and a long drive. I left Plymouth at 6:30 and drove home to get the gear ready and load the car. Kieren and myself were heading out for a reef fishing session. He had caught an 18lb Ling the weekend before. What would turn up today?

The Big Blonde and The Big Ballan

20/9/2014

Ive been targeting the Blonde Rays quite heavily over the last few weeks in the hope of latching onto one of the 20lb+ beasts..... today was the day!

Blonde Ray Day

5/9/2014

The Blonde Rays have been hard on the feed but the swell and wind over the last few weeks prevented us from fishing the marks which hold the bigger fish. Finally the weather forecast showed high pressure for the weekend so Kieren and myself formed a plan of attack with one aim.... Big Blonde Rays!

Tope-busters!

31/5/2014

I have often contemplated targeting Tope from the kayak but have never got round to trying for them. News was in of Tope showing on the North Cornwall coast so hatched a plan to dedicate a session targeting them. A bit of research online into rigs, gear and conditions and I was ready. I spent the evening before tying tope traces – 8/0 Mustad o'shaughnessy hook double crimped to 12” of 100lb Sakuma coated Wire biting trace attached via a swivel to 5ft of 80lb Fluorocarbon rubbing leader. If I hooked one I wanted to land it!

Tempo Time!

27/5/2014

It was time to get my new Tempo in the water. Elliot was dead keen to get out on the water after suffering the same exam revision ordeal as i had for the past month. A plan was set to see if much was about in the deep waters off West Cornwall.... we were in for a surprise.....

A Cephalopod from the depths

11/4/2014

The swell and wind has finally dropped enough for me to launch from one of my favourite fishing marks. The winter storms had destroyed most of the harbour wall protecting the slipway, with the boulders from the wall strewn across the once pristine sandy beach and slipway. This makes launching and landing tricky but possible in the calm and impossible with 2-3ft of swell. Kieren and Dwyer were keen for another trip after the successful mackereling trip the day before. A local came over to me whilst unloading the car and informed me that the beach and slipway would hopefully be restored soon, with diggers coming to move the rocky rubble, so that piece of news was promising. We negotiated the boulder field and made our way offshore to fish the deep water in the hope of catching whiting and haddock......

Spring Mackerel

11/4/2014

The weather has settled down and the sunshine is warm…. Spring has arrived and with it the mackerel have moved inshore to chase shoals of sand eels. The plan was to have a session afloat to hopefully find a few mackerel to stock up the bait freezer for future fishing trips. Me, Kieren and his friend Dwyer headed to a mark on the Lizard Peninsula in search of the shoals. Kieren and Dwyer shared the Hobie Outfitter Tandem and I used the RTM Abaco. The forecast was great, the sea was glassy calm and the tide would be pushing. All was looking well for catching mackerel.

Fitting an Anchor Trolley and Reel to the RTM Abaco

11/4/2014

An anchor trolley is a fairly essential part of anchoring up whilst fishing. It allows you to position the point along the kayak at which your anchor line will enter the water. This allows you to position the kayak in a comfortable and, more importantly, safe position relative to the wind, swell and tide......

Accessory mounting board for slide tracks

11/4/2014

Slide tracks can be fitted to many kayaks for mounting various accessories onto. The RTM Abaco 4.20 luxe comes with slide rails factory fitted either side of the footwell. Some accessories such as the Yak Attack screw balls or purpose made Ram ball slide track mounts will fit directly to the rails. I was planning to mount a scotty base onto the slide track but wanted a solid board on which to attach it to. Slide track mounting boards can be purchased but seem very expensive for what looks like a simple strip of plastic so i planned on making my own.

RTM Abaco 4.20 Luxe - Initial Overview

2/3/2014

At the start of the year i was lucky enough to be offered a place on the 4-man RTM UK fishing team. I happily accepted the offer and will be sponsored/supported by the company over the next year. RTM are based in France and are Europe's largest kayak manufacturer. I very much look forward to using and testing their products over the year. After browsing through their catalogue i settled on getting a RTM Abaco 4.20 luxe, as it looks most suited for what i will be using it for. An order was placed with RTM and on friday i received my brand new kayak! Here's the initial overview with lots of photos.....