Q: How do you set up your kayak to carry all the gear required?
RICHARD SHORT, BRIDLINGTON, EAST YORKSHIRE
MC says: All the gear? Why would you carry that much? I’m very much in the camp of less is more in all aspects of my adventuring. When I launch, I carry a paddle with leash, two rods and reels leashed to the kayak with two tube-style rod holders fitted to the sides, and a stringer attached to my anchor trolleys for my catch which can go into the footwells or tankwell when I’m moving.
I carry a few extra rigs inside the pockets of my personal flotation device (PFD), which also holds my knife, VHF radio and personal locator beacon (PLB). A couple of bags of squid, some worms and half a dozen leads or a small selection of lures and maybe a couple of strings of feathers, depending on what kind of fishing I’m doing, and an anchor with reel attached in the tankwell if I’m baitfishing is enough to do me for a session.
If I’m launching from somewhere that requires me to transport the kayak for any distance, I will have a C-Tug trolley, broken down into the front hatch. The more I take, the more space I fill and it means additional weight. It is also more I can lose if things go wrong and I capsize.
If I’m fishing a competition then I add a deck bag or two and carry spare anchors, a drogue, a greater selection of bait and rigs, more lead weights and perhaps a third rod.
I’m a lightweight, but many people carry additional items such as a small coolbox or coolbag, catch bag, landing net (great to catch wind, hooks and stray lines), a lunchbox and drinks, plus assorted crates, boxes, towlines, buoys, fish-finder, batteries, GPS unit, spare clothing, drogues and anchor, much of which remains unused and requires carrying back up the beach and washing off back home.
This is often what we all do when we start out however, and I admit to being guilty of this in my early days, often taking four of five rods as well but I soon tired of the fuss and clutter. Now I never find myself left short.
My best advice is to think about what you will use, what you might lose and about comfort and effort.