Max gets a ride in the kayak with daddy
I love kayak fishing, but I am no expert … yet. As I have been learning, I have solved a few problems and I have a few opinions that are described below.
Factors in choosing a kayak
The number one factor in choosing my kayak was safety. For me, at the ocean, this means paddling efficiency and speed. Prior to selecting my kayak, I had the good fortune of borrowing a freind’s kayak to paddle from McMillan Wharf to Long Point in Provincetown, MA. The typical trip takes 20 minutes one way. One day while I was fishing, the wind shifted and picked-up. The trip back took 60 minutes and had I not been in an efficient kayak, I may not have made it back. I decided to get a sit-in touring kayak.
Recreational use was also a factor. I did want to be able to tour and I wanted to be able to roll. Beam was a stickler for me – I wanted a wide beam for stability but a narrow beam for efficiency and rolling. I chose the narrower beam.
Another factor in selecting my kayak was that I did not want to worry about beaching it or accidentally scrapping rocks when I fish. For a material, I chose “Polymer” (roto-mold). Sure, I would love to have a thoroughbred skin on frame or carbon fiber, but prefer not to worry. I also considered a hard-chine wood boat, I loved the light weight and I think they are a bit more stable – at least the ones I tested were. In the end, plastic won.
Weight was a factor, but it fell to the bottom of the list. My kayak is about 60lbs.
What did I buy? A Necky Chatham 17
Paddle holder
I use a paddle leash, but letting the paddle float had several issues. First, it is quite possible that you will find yourself fighting the fish on the side with the paddle and that’s no fun; you can get tangled, etc. Second, I found the paddle pulling in the current when the current and wind were opposed. Third, the paddle often knocked against the kayak in the waves – not a real issue, but it could scare the fish.
I crafted a fancy rod holder, but I lost it over board – oops! Then, I found these “GripTwist” floating wire ties at Walmart, 2 for $4, so I tried it and it works great. The flexible foam-covered wire holds its shape, floats and doesn’t scratch the boat or paddle.
Adding a rod holder
Drilling a hole in my new kayak was a bit concerning – once drilled, there was no going back. On the one hand, I needed a rod holder. On the other hand, I hadn’t been in the boat long enough to really know what I wanted. I knew I wanted the rod holder out of the way, but I also wanted it accessible. I sat in my kayak and reviewed all the possible locations for a rod holder. I also considered both the surface mount as well as the flush.
I decided to go with the flush mounted rod holder behind the cockpit. I can easily reach around and access a rod in the holder. If I choose to troll, it is out of the way of my paddle. If I fall into the water, there is nothing surface mounted to get in the way of a wet entry. I chose PVC because of the weight.
I purchased two types of flush-mount holder, straight and angled. I ended-up using the straight because the deck of the boat was already partially angled where I was mounting the holder. I drilled the hole in the deck using a rotary saw attachment for a standard drill. (I should have saved the cut-out in the event I need to make a repair – be sure to save yours.) I placed the hole against the rear bulkhead so that I would be able to secure it better – though I was still not sure how. After inserting the holder, I found it to be too long and had to trim it. I also had to plug the end so that water coming into the rod holder would not drain into my day hatch compartment. After trimming it and gluing a PVC plug inside, I had to secure it to the boat.
Securing the rod holder on the top was easy. The rod holder is secured by bolt front and back. However, securing the rest of the holder was not so straight-forward. I needed to secure the lower end of the holder in the event the rod is pulled by a fish or the rod gets caught on something like a bridge or another boat. From an engineering perspective, I wanted to put a bolt up through the bottom. However, I just couldn’t drill a hole in the bottom of my new boat. I ended up wedging a scrap of Styrofoam insulation between the front and back bulkheads of my day hatch compartment. I carved the Styrofoam to accommodate the rod holder snug against the read bulkhead of the compartment.
The rod holder has worked very well for me.
Using an anchor
I bought an anchor because I fish a tidal river with a swift current. Every time I would get into a spot I liked, I would get two or three casts in before I would be past. So I bought a three pound anchor.
The anchor works well, but I don’t use it very much.
- It is cumbersome to use and my boat “fish-tails” in the current. As I fish-tail, I often get a wave broadside and get wet if I’m not using a skirt.
- I am pointed the wrong way – I like to cast up-current and retrieve with the current. The trouble with anchoring from the bow is that you must constantly avoid hooking the anchor line.
When I reviewed what others had written about anchor set-ups, I felt they were overly complicated. I like to keep things simple. I avoided the use of a trolley to move the anchor point along the length of my boat. I knew the only way that made sense for me was from the stern. I bought a little pulley so I could feed the line in and out, but I don’t even use that. I simply feed the line through the rear handle and tie it off on one of my deck lines. I used a floating line so when I need to pull up the anchor, I simply back-up over the line and grab it and pull it into the boat.
An anchor poll was not an option for me because the current is too swift.
Most of the time, I avoid using the anchor and try to pick a route along which I can drift and find places to fish along the length. At times, I will back my kayak onto the flats. I simply sit in the boat on the edge. The bugs can get bad on the flats when there is no wind but with a wet suit and/or repellent, this has never stopped me. If the tide is coming in, I have to periodically back-up more. If the tide is going out, I sometimes have to get out to get the boat back in the water.
