There is no doubt that 2020 will go down in history easily as one of the most challenging weather years that the Southeast and Gulf Coast has ever experienced. It has been one hurricane and tropical storm after another, and among the casualties of all that brutal weather, were many docks. The beloved fish cleaning tables and stations that held fond memories of past fish caught and battled are now history. On the other hand, there is a silver lining in every cloud and this presents an opportunity to step up a notch when it comes to rebuilding and installing the best fish cleaning table for your dock.
To that end we interviewed Jay Williamson, KillerDock Vice-President, on a recent GDO Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report podcast to bring us up to speed on things you need to consider when rebuilding your dock and choosing the best cleaning table or station to make your dock great again.
KillerDock is a family owned business based in Mobile that manufacturers six different high-quality fish cleaning units, utilizing marine grade aluminum and state-of-the-art components.Â
Williamson emphasized that one of the criteria for people to consider when determining what type of fish cleaning station to install is whether the manufacturer is constantly upgrading and improving its products.
âFirst off, we are constantly improving our products to make them perform better and deliver more value,â Williamson said. âFor example, we are now using SG Marine ceramic coating that allows the water, blood and guts to bead up and not stick to it, doesnât show watermarks and keeps a really nice shine on the aluminum.â
âAnother thing weâve done is improve our canopies with just little design changes that actually make a big difference on performance and appearance,â he said. âFor example, we used to use round expansion poles on the top where the canopy lays but we changed that to an airfoil design, which adds to the strength of the unit and it looks really nice.â
Williamson pointed out that KillerDock recognized that there is a corrosion situation that exists between dissimilar metals. For example, stainless steel used with aluminum will make the aluminum corrode quicker. Â
âWe use 5052 marine grade aluminum and 316 grade stainless steel hardware, and we use a nylon washer to separate the two dissimilar metals. These high-grade materials alone give strength and longevity to the product, but we go beyond that to ensure product integrity for as long as possible.â Williamson said.
Since a fish cleaning station is not something you replace often, it makes sense to determine exactly what your needs are presently and factor in what they may be in the future. You also need to balance that out against how much space you have on your dock (or the new one you will be building) and what are the options you want to incorporate. Â
KillerDock has two different styles, the Slam and the Upscale, available in five, six and a half, and eight feet sizes. Depending on the models, customers can choose options for the water manifold location, drain location, sink or no sink, hose location and type of mounting base. The Upscale line is the table itself with options while the Slam line incorporates the canopy to protect you from the elements. Of course, customers can add all kinds of several options to best meet their needs.
âThe eight-foot model offers a lot of space for big fish and if you anticipate having two guys clean fish side by side,â Williamson said. âA lot of it depends on what the anticipated use is and the budget.â
âWe have five-foot models, six and a half foot models and then eight-foot models and in the canopy versions the canopy is actually two feet wider than the tables,â Williamson noted. âSo that with a five-foot table, you are going to have about a seven-foot canopy and on an eight-footer, you will have a ten-foot canopy which is plenty of shade and protection.â
âWhile the canopy is large enough to keep you in the shade, it is low profile and so we havenât had any complaints from people installing them on their docks and it blocking their view and, in most cases, it is lower than their boats on the boat lifts,â Williamson said.
Williamson pointed out that as important as the budget considerations are, the size of the dock is also a major concern when determining what fish cleaning station to install.
âYou may only have a narrow area like a finger pier and donât have space for much. We have a table model that will fit,â Williamson said. âThe nice thing is that our table models only take eight inches of dock space because they hang over the water. Youâre freeing up the maximum amount of dock space and because they hang over the water by 19 to 21 inches.
According to Williamson one of the major benefits of having the KillerDock’s best fish cleaning table extended over the water all of the fish cleaning waste is drained out below the deck. The cleaning table has a front lip designed to prevent spillage on your feet and the table itself is angled 2 degrees front to back and drains through the legs. In addition, hose stations are built into every model.
âThe lip keeps everything from coming off the front and it all drains around the King Starboard cutting surface, and goes down the drains which are in the legs,â Williamson said. âIf youâre a high-volume fisherman, or just prefer the classic slotted draining table approach, we offer that option on all of our models.â
Customers can order KillerDock units and they arrive crated up. Williamson says that they arenât difficult to install.
âWe say that if you can hang up a tv mount on the wall, you can definitely put up a KillerDock fish cleaning station,â Williamson said. âThe tables go up very simply, just a couple of bolts, lay it up, lag it in and itâs done. Obviously, with a canopy model there are a couple more things involved but itâs not too bad.â
Just a reminderâŠChristmas is just around the corner and KillerDock’s best fish cleaning table for Christmas is the perfect gift that will last a long, long time.
Contact Information
Killerdock
251-207-1743
