Fishing out of a kayak?

I installed the OEM roof racks and carry the kayak on those. Hobie Outback, 12’-6” 85lbs

 

I am proud to represent Team Philippines at the USAngling Pan-American Kayak Fishing Championship on Lake Murray, South Carolina on September 25-28.

Team Philippines will be competing in the USA Cup in a multispecies (black bass and striper) contest.

 

Getting a pickup made my kayak life a lot easier. Used to disassemble everything, put the yak on the roof of the cruiser and the seat, pedal drive, electronics, rods and lure box in the cargo - an ass whoopin' in Tejas heat (esp after a morning on the water). Now I load/unload it basically assembled.

 

Anyone have any ideas on a good starter fishing kayak? Not wanting to break the bank. Just wanting something to start with. I'm sure it's been mentioned in this thread and I'm still searching if it is.

 

We have a couple of kayaks, but they are not fishing specific (OT Heron 9 and Vapor 10). I prefer to fish out of a canoe. I've got a one-person Old Town Pack 12 that weighs about 35 lbs. I've also switched from the traditional canoe paddle to a kayak paddle. I had to get a longer kayak paddle because the canoe has a wider beam than the kayaks. With the canoe I can change my seating position from the seat to kneeling if I want to give my back a rest or change the weight distribution to cut though the chop better. Plus, if the fish swallows the hook I can deal with unhooking the fish at my feet in the bottom of the canoe instead of my lap when in a kayak.
I'd love to get one of the fishing kayaks with the peddles. Something like the OT Topwater PDL.

 

What extension rack is that and will it work with plywood sheets and lumber?

 

Ocean Kayak Prowler 13. T-Bone extension.

 

Finally caught a few Sheepshead…

 

Sorry about the delayed response. Its a "Boonedox Groovy T-Bone Bed Extender". It should work for lumber/plywood - it extends the bed 4', 300lb capacity, crossbar is 50".

 

Just snagged my Bonafide RVR 119 and broke it in well within the past couple weeks. Integrated anchor wizard mounting and cable routing is amazing for keeping the deck clear while making anchoring a breeze. And that tan/blue steel color combo POPS!

 

This big girl took me for a ride on the kayak.

 

Where do you all store your Kayaks when you aren't using them? Do you try to get them out of the Sun? Do you use a Hanger System of some kind?

 

I store mine under an oak tree, under a kayak cover (Native cover), on 2 Husky plastic sawhorses. I saturate the cover with Starbrite waterproofing and all gear (seat, hitch extension, paddle, landing gear, etc) are stored in the hull - pedal drive is stored in the garage. Been fine for 3 years of Texas weather.

I had a pic on my phone I took last spring (grass is still dormant), forgot to mention the kayak is shielded on the south and west side with Red Tip Photinias.

 

I have a large shed in the back. I store it inside sitting on 2 kayak carts, one front and one back. I open the hull plug

 

I have a storage shed in the back yard with a kayak rack I built out of PVC pipe. There are lots of examples of those online. Store as directed by the manufacturer of your kayak, some are flat and some direct them to be stored on their sides. Sun and UV are killers, so a cover is good if you don't have garage or shed space. My kayak gets a 303 Protectant treatment twice a year and looks great after 7 years.

 

What are the straps you are using on the Kayak hanging?

 

Just NRS Buckle Bumper Straps, and I screwed some bike hooks into the joists. Easy peasy to raise since that kayak is supposed to be stored hanging on its side.

 

This is what I am looking for, I had some straps that were made for this that I got at Sportsmans Warehouse, The kayak was hanging in a portable building, The straps couldnt handle the weight.

 

The 1" wide NRS straps are rated at 1,500 lbs breaking strength and 500 lbs working load.

 

I totally forgot about this thread! I'm at Quantico VA and can say without question my fishing has been 100% more fun from a yak. I can get into areas where it's too shallow for a boat and access areas that no one else has touched. Also, I don't get the boat messy from any fish slime and the yak just gets hosed down. I got this a year ago and I've been trying out different ways to transport it (bed extension and Will I loader). Also have been trying out different setups such as a micro pole. I've enjoyed it so much that I have up'd my gear too. It really has made a huge difference for me catching way more bass and snakehead than ever before.

Delivery day










First day out



First Fish



First Snakehead from new yak



New Rod setup after cheapy broke in half