Here’s a few tips:
Cut a 7" piece of PVC, shove it between
your legs as a rocket launcher to hold
your rod in…Then brag about what a big
pole you have! (
In fresh water or salt flats, I’ve fished from
a Necky Manitou for years…Have caught more fish
dragging lures while the rod’s been held down in
the aft bungies whilst I gently paddled along, than by any other method. Keep a small tackle box stashed behind the seat, my knife attached to my vest.
What someone said above about minimalism being the way to go is where it’s at (Fat guys who don’t like tippy boats/don’t roll–opinions may vary.) And unless you’re planning to do a great deal of ocean paddling on highly textured water, no reason to feel compelled to go out and buy an SOT just to catch fish.
Deck Bag
Seattle Sports makes deck bags that fit small tackle boxes and hold lots of gear and rods on the side.
Mine is a Crossfire got it for around 40.00 from Cabelas.
I have a dirigo 14
I fish out of, I use a milk crate on the
back with rod holders on it. works great
and I can carry a ton of tackle in it.I also have a rod holder on the front with a small work deck
I can’t get to the rear hatch with the crate ont he back
Goretex waders and a drytop
Keep you perfectly warm and dry on a SOT in cold weather, without the cost of a full drysuit, or discomfort of a wetsuit.
Think like an old-school fly fisherman
I know the best option might be to get a canoe or a SOT, but if you’ve already got a SINK and/or most of your paddling favors a SINK but you want to fish sometimes, too, there are ways to fish from a SINK. First, think like an old-school flyfisherman. They don’t have a boat to haul their gear, they don’t carry tackle boxes; they carry a net, a creel, a rod and all their tackle with them. An essential piece of clothing for the flyfisherman is his fishing vest, with all its loops and pockets. There are a lot of PFDs out there which are cut for paddling but have plenty of pockets on them for fishing.
Here are two I found on Extrasport’s website:
http://www.extrasport.com/product/pfds/canoe_kayak/striper.aspx
http://www.extrasport.com/product/pfds/canoe_kayak/osprey.aspx
I know they are kind of pricy, but recently at Academy (a discount sporting goods store chain in Texas and neighboring states) I found an Extrasport PFD with plenty of pockets for only about $35. I can’t seem to find it on the Extrasport or Academy websites, though. Though the Osprey, which Extrasport lists at $85, sells at Academy for $70.
Will the drytop mate well with waders?
I have a SOT for WW and couldn’t afford/didn’t want a drysuit, but went with NRS Blackrock Dry Pants and a mating NRS semi-dry shorty top. More comfortable, easier to put on, a fraction of the cost (about $220 with one item being on sale) and even in a full on WW class-IV+ swim, they kept all but a few tablespoons of water out.
The waders might keep him dry while in the boat, but unlikely to keep him dry in a swim. I know there’s all kinds of debate on waders filling up and drowning a swimmer, or not, and I can’t speak to that debate, but they’re also not nearly as comfortable as dry pants and won’t mate up with a drytop as well.
YoS
YMMV
You’re right, it’s not going to mate up as well as dedicated dry pants. I think the surface on the waders is probably going to have an impact on the mating. I got lucky, I guess, in picking a wader-drytop combination. But with the right combination, it is going to buy you enough time to remount a SOT before you get more than just a little bit of water inside. Well, at least it buys me enough time, but I’ve got experience on surfskis, so my remount on a fishing SOT is really fast. Plus, fishing SOTs are really stable beasts, so the chances of unintentional swimming are really remote – the drytop is an insurance policy for the unlikely. (The waders are for keeping the butt dry while sitting in the SOT). I’ve never accidentally flipped mine on the bay side of the island, even in considerable whitecaps. On the Gulf side, the only time I flip accidentally is when I am surfing, which I don’t do in winter, nor do I do any fishing on that side in winter, either. You bring up a good point about waders filling up with water – one should always wear a belt with waders to avoid that.
storage space
Ah so…I’m not the only one with this dilemma. I’m in my mid sixties and not nearly as flexabe as I once was. I picked the Emotion Grand Slam which has a small hatch in front of my seat and below my legs. A small canvas bag fits neatly in the hatch and holds drinks, two flat Tupperware boxes for food, wallet and car keys.The bag keeps the items from shifting forward or aft. Extra tackle goes in small flat, plastic lure boxes tucked into the pockets of my life jacket. A larger flat ,two sided plano box carries a surprising assortment of tackle and fits neatly in the cockpit with me. Another small light weight box fits nicely behind my seat and can be easily reached and accessed when needed. For me the hardest part is
paring down the 11 tackle boxees of lures I’ve gathered over several years of tournament bass fishing. Picking the right assortment for the days conditions can be as satisfying as the trip it’s self.
Maybe one day the manufactures will get smart and put small fold down compartments in the sides of the kayak for extra gear we can easly reach. Smooth Waters to ya ! Gary R.