I really want to get into fishing with a sit-in kayak but im alittle confused where you keep your essential items. I always thought that you keep alot of stuff in the dry storage area but I talked to a guy at the store and he told me you cant access the fore and aft storage while on the water, or you will bail.
At the very least I know ill need some form of tackle box. Minimal size but with the essentials. Id also like to take a lunch and drinks. I dont understand where fisherman keep all their stuff if you cant access the dry storage at sea. There doesnt seem to be enough room in the “cabin” area.
I need help. thanx
go with a sit on top
– Last Updated: May-20-09 8:49 AM EST –
If you've not already bought the kayak or are able to return it, I highly suggest a sit on top. I tried fishing from a sit inside (Stingray 14) after hearing about how much better it is in the winter and hated it. It was used twice and sold it immediately. I'll never fish from a sit in again.
A sit on top gives you so much more accessable space for gear. I'm using a Trident 13 currently and can get all my rods (4 of 'em) inside the kayak through the Rod Pod hatch. It has dedicated tackle box storage in the tankwell which is easy to get to unlike a rear hatch on a sit in. Due to the stability and open design of sit on tops I can access my front hatch if needed while I'm on the water.
You’re living my same problem
Since I bought my Sit-in (Manitou 14) for Paddling 1st, and fishing a far second, replacing with a sit-on is not in the cards. I have found that I can get my single rod to strap nicely under the forward (reachable) bungie while paddling around… the Tackle box presents some fun… if it’s already in the cockpit… getting in without going for a swim is a tad difficult. I think my solution will be to get a much smaller tackle box for my Kayak excursions.
Which kayak?
Which boat do you have? A sit in can be rigged but how depends on what.
Minimalism
I have used an Altoid tin for a small tackle box, even on the SOT. For things you need like weights and hooks they are great. Pliers and other stuff can be attached to your PFD and if you get a fishing PFD you’ll have tons of pockets.
Be creative and think about what you really need to have access to.
jim
Kayak Fishing
Hello:
In answer to your questions: try to keep it as simple as possible. Take 1 maybe 2 rods, pack your lunch in a cooler and set in the rear well on the sot yak, when you need it just pull ashore to access the cooler. Make sure you purchase good quality rod leashes to secure your rods. Also secure anything than you do not want to loose with a bungee or carbine clip. Try to take only a couple of lures and some soft plastics. A small soft pack will hold more than you will need for the day.
If you have other specific questions you can email me directly or check out my website www.thepondhopper.com
Good luck, you’ll love kayak fishing very inexpensive and fun
Happy fishing
sit inside fishing
I’ve been using my sit Loon 160T and Pamlico 140 for fishing and having no problems. Just think “downsize”.
In the Pamlico I use one float bag in the rear, a soft cooler in the front for fish and my lunch, PFD behind the seat, a milk crate bungied on the rear deck for tackle and rod holders and a short spray deck on the front of the cockpit for GPS and cell phone. My net is under the front deck bungies. A couple of small plastic lure boxes, sea snips and pliers on the floor in front of me rounds it all out.
The anchor stows behind the cockpit on the deck.
Everything is within easy reach and I still have a sit in.
For the Loon 160T I have more room for everything due to the huge cockpit.
Very, very doable
I fish from two sit-insides. The first is a Perception America, a 13’ enormous recreational kayak. It’s got a huge cockpit, upon which I usually have a skirt. I have long arms, so I can reach the front deck. I have tackle in one of these: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_13318____SearchResults. I put a 'biner on the handle so that I can clip it to the deck bungee to prevent losing it. Otherwise, it fits under the bungee easily. I have two Scotty rod holders behind the cockpit, and I intend to add a third in front. Not because I need three rods, but because I think it would be convenient for rigging purposes to be able to rest the rod where I can see it. Lunch and drinks go inside the cockpit with me and roll around the floor. Lunch is in a dry bag.
I also use a Dagger Approach. I use the same concept, except that in the approach, I’ve dug out a small shelf in from the center support and ran a bit of small webbing with a clip around it. I set a small tackle box with terminal tackle on the shelf, then clip it in with the webbing. I have a rope poked through the center support and a clip on each end. I clip a small tackle binder on each side. One binder has buzzbaits and spinnerbaits in it. The other has a variety of soft plastics. Lunch goes in the rear storage and I land to remove lunch. I fish rivers, so there’s always a bank nearby. Because the Approach is a more aggressive (though still recreational) kayak that I use in rougher water - up to class III - I have only one rod on it.
In all cases, I use what I call “kayak rods.” These are rods that if I lose them I won’t cry.
- Big D
No problem…
– Last Updated: May-26-09 12:15 PM EST –
..fishing out of my Perception Sundance or my WS Pungo 14. I carry two short ultra light rods and a small tackle box. All fit in the cockpit with me. My lunch and drinks are in a small cooler behind my seat. I never have to go to shore for lunch if I choose not to.
No problem at all.
Of course I don't use live bait, and I practice "catch and release," so I have no need to carry a bait container or anything to keep the fish in.
Details, details…
Where are you fishing? What kind of fish are you after? What is the weather, water temp, etc? All of those are factors in kind of boat, what kind and how much gear and where to store it, etc.
You could fly fish all day for trout with a shirt pocket fly box and a bit of gear in a fishing vest. You could do the same jigging for walleye or throwing spoons for pike.
I have two sit-ins, and fish most of the time from my 13’ 6" Velocity. It has a flat deck in front and I built a low walled wooden box that fits the corners of the bungees and attaches securely to them with removeable plastic sliding lock ties. You can get those with a release lock so the box is easy to put on and take off in a minute or so. The plastic strip goes through holes in extensions to the box sides, and around/under the converge point of the bungees on each corner.
There is no bottom in the box so bungees are easily accessible to clip things to or stuff things under. Holes and notches cut in the top sides of the box let me tie or clip lanyards and lay down rods, gaff, net and paddle where they will stay in place. I have a pair of paddle clips on the near side of the box which snap my paddle in place across in front of me with a light snap-in hold. Or I can lay it lengthways to the boat on the box notches.
A Scotty rod holder is attached to the box, to hold a rod while underway if I want to do it that way, or to troll. The base is permanet but the actual rod holder section that adjusts to all range of motion pops out for storage.
My main tackle box is inside the cockpit, under my spray skirt, and I seldom reach into it. A smaller plastic tackle box clips in the deck box via the store “hanger tab” that has a hole in it. I can and do fish many hours with very little terminal tackle, and I ususally fish where I can get to shore easily, though not when I’m fishing salmon in tidal straits.
I could use a sit on top, and it might be marginally safer with a wet suit, but I like to paddle long distances sometimes, with no fishing, and the sit in serves my uses much better over all. I do more than fish. It is often COLD in water and air when I fish for salmon, with some long paddling days and distances. I prefer not to wear a wet suit all day, though hmmm, it might work to wear Gore-tex chest waders to keep dry in a sit on top.
For warm southern fishing waters, especailly smaller, slower and less techincal waters, I’d have a sit on top.
Good luck!
balderdash!
I fished out of my Old Town Dirigo 14 all last year. It took me a long time to figure out how and what to pack, but I got it down. You just have to pare down what you would normaly take fishing to the bare minumum and then randomly throw half of that away! I have a Scotty rod holder mounted on the front deck, an anchor trolly mounted to the bow and a soft bag with some tools and Plano boxes in it for tackle. I have a OD green painted Big Gulp cup with air holes in it for worms that fits into the factory cup-holder. I will probably add a set of flush-mounts or other arrangement behind the seat so I can carry more pre-rigged rods but other than that I’m done.
I also learned, very late in the season last year that you CAN get into the back hatch under way. You have to have a good feel for the stabillity of the boat and be a little bit limber but it CAN be done. My hatch is prety big so fishing around in there is a little iffy but YMMV.
The only reason that I would reccomend a SOT over (a bought and paid for)SINK would be to fish salt water where the safety issue would come into play.
Okanagan’s questions should be…
established beforehand. If you’re going with a flyrod…ie flyfishing tackle…you might need a few more things, but they take very little space. Flybox, replacement leaders and/or various pieces of leader to re-tie, clippers, and a net…etc…can be secured under the bungee cords. A kayak can make trolling a reality as well. Used to canoe when I flyfished, a long time ago, but the kayaks of today can do just fine…once one knows how to paddle and stay relaxed whle stationary.
$.01
99 out of 100
99 out of a hundred serious kayak fishermen are using SOT’S for a reason and 1/2 of them are noew using Hobie foot propelled for an even better reason.
The sugestions to pack lightly are the best info you have been given. Less stuff is more eficient, safer,and more satisfying. And you actualy catch more fish when you have less gear.
BS
Your statistic is waaaaaay off base. It may relate to coastal fishermen, but there are tons of river fishermen who wouldn’t even consider a Hobie. SOTs are definitly more convenient, but your ratio is far off. Many people continue to use SinK’s for fishing, especially in rivers, especially rocky mid-Atlantic rivers where there aren’t really any SOTs specifically made for them. There are some that work quite nicely, but they are nevertheless designed for other types of water and made to work. Using a SinK for fishing can and is done, frequently, by many people. It is convenient, easy, and fun. An SOT is MORE convenient, but that does not in any way diminish the SinK’s capabilities. It is merely an alternative.
- Big D
I think that’s part of the problem
many “serious” fishermen DO prefer the SOT Kayaks and because of that many NON serious fishermen feel that you NEED one to fish. Nonsense. I VASTLY prefer my SINK for all non-ocean useage (NB: I avoid fast water like the plauge as I have no game). I am perfectly able to fish comfortably from it and I don’t have to get soaked through whenever I use it and I know all about “proper clothing” but sitting in a puddle (of COLD water!) is sitting in a puddle no matter what you are wearing! If you ahve a nice, stable recreational SINK use it and fish from it. There are MILLIONS of people doing it. You aren;t likely to find them on this, or any other board for that mater, because they are’t “enthuists” they just do it for fun! Oceans? SOT. Flat water? Run what you brung.
Crow Wing Kayak!!!
The 1080 model is all setup for fishing and has two dry storage areas! This is what i use, i found mine cheap here. http://www.sportkayaks.net
Sit in (Sundance)
I use a Perception Sundance for fishing the rivers and streams here in the ozarks. The cockpit is huge and is easy to get in and out of. I usually get out and wade fish when I get to a hot spot on the river (unless of course its too deep). the Sundance has plenty of room right behind the seat for a large soft tackle box, and then there is room down beyond your feet for other tackle if you need it. The back hatch compartment holds safty gear and lunh etc. I can get in or out in crotch deep water with no problem - about as easy as my fishing buddy can get back on his SOT.
Outfitting a sit in
Would you have any photos of how you outfitted your boat, I just bought a Hurricane 116 sport and an going to add flush mounted rod holders to the rear, but uncertin about what to do with the cockpit. It has a oversized cockpit so lots of room for tackle by your feet. Too far to reach bow though. But would be interested in hanging tackle boxes from the skirt rims. Thanks
Yup… & Surprising…
went by NESC couple of weekends ago, on the way north to a weekend of surfing. First time in over a year.
I went into the back boat storage area to look around (as I always do when I am there). Found the inventory less in number and diversity that it used to be. The boats most represented are those by Hobie.
When I asked Joel about it, he said that fishing SOTs were selling way more than any other boats. Said he reduced his “Brit” boat inventory because he can’t afford to sit on a bunch of 3-4K boats that don’t sell that quickly…
sing
Deck Assessories…
Johnny bar and dashboard storage:
http://www.gearbuyer.com/bc/harmony/fishing/accessories/index.html
Actually, if get a plastic cutting board, you can modify along the lines of a Johnny bar to strap onto the back deck, but with more options because of the greater surface area.
sing