Thread: Kayak rigging

After a thread a while back asking some of the kayak fishermen what kayak to consider I finally Made my decision and joined the yak brotherhood. I went out and bought a pescador perception pro 120! Now it's time to get this sucker rigged up. let the fun begin. Any and all ideas appreciated! It does have a yakattack gear track just looking for ideas from the veterans! Also anything that would be handy to take along I've seen things from a golf ball retriever as a stake out pole to almost like a parachute to anchor in swift current.

i'll offer all advice that i can but i'll keep it simple now, and that is to keep it simple. the first thing most people want to do is to rig every inch of the boat out. over time i promise there will be gear and just stuff sitting on a shelf that is never used. i will assume we're speaking of fishing the gulf/saltwater so keeping a minimalist approach is quite handy. i generally head out with two rods. one to troll a bait and one to cast at schools of fish i might be lucky enough to happen upon. usually just one plastic box/tackle tray (no zippers or metal for obvious saltwater reasons) with terminal tackle and lures, paddle, pfd and safety gear. obviously, this depends on your disposition, wants/needs, and what fish you are targeting so this is by no means an exhaustive explanation. i'm certainly not the expert but have been in a kayak in fresh and saltwater for quite a few years now so i'll be happy to help however i can. just let me know.

I've been doing this for awhile now and I've tried all the types of rod holders and other accessories. I have found that what works for me is nothing fancy, I'm pretty satisfied with my current set up on my Outback. I really like my H-Crate for storage and holding rods and the molded in for rod holders w/pvc extensions. I just put an anchor trolley on it last fall when I came down there, still have never used it, I actually hate using them. I added a short piece of track for mounting my fish finder. I really liked the track system on my last kayak. Anyway, simple is better for me. Would really like a PowerPole like my son and buddies(they have Hobie ProAnglers) but won't put one on my Outback, already have 2 batteries, 1 for ff and 1 for lights. Rigging is a lot of the fun when getting your first yak, just try things and see what works best. It will take awhile learning how and what to bring along and how to organize it to suit you.

My advice is to go out several times and see what it is you feel like would enhance your trip. It is very easy to take more than you need. You'll discover what works best for your situation. The hardest part about rigging is drilling that first hole in your yak. Lol

Don't overlook safety equipment in calculating load. Also remember that the more you take out the more weight you have to schlep back in an emergency.

A lot of good info yes I can see where the excitement of getting my first yak like a kid on Christmas wanting to get all I can on it when some would just sit on the shelf. The safety part I haven't even thought about 😮 I guess a quick kit would suffice? I also thought about doing the pvc extensions in my molded rod holder because they are really loose with a rod there so far really the only thing I have is a crate with a 3 rod holder attached. What I was looking at that you guys could maybe give me some more info on is some type of DIY stake out pole just trying to keep the budget down. On windy days if I run into a school of fish maybe something to stay in the area even with deep water without drifting and having to keep paddling back and forth too much. Simplicity wise I guess the only other thing I'd may need if fishing live bait some type of good livewell to make that is kayak space.friendly. As to where I'd be fishing it would be freshwater creeks,rivers, to the mobile causeway bay. Maybe gulf shores once I get my sea legs on the kayak haha

Look at an anchor trolley to stay put in deeper water. For shallow water check you tube. I've seen several home made stakes that seem to work well. As far as a live well you can use an aireated bucket or a submersible bucket.

MB, I bought my first kayak last year, so I feel you on wanting to rig it from bow to stern! The above info is great though. Look into safety first, and then start thinking about what you actually "need". In response to your stake out pole question, I just bought and assembled a pole from Max Gain Systems. I've only gotten to use it once so far, but it worked like a champ! Also, after fishing the last two weekends in the wind, an anchor trolley is a huge help! Don't be afraid of cutting/drilling holes in your boat. Just do the job right and reseal them properly!