Tricking up a Kayak (and other useful hints)

[Cheech]

As per my other thread, I have just bought a new Ocean Kayaks Scrambler XT and need to now trick it up for fishing. I am planning to use it in the Pine River and Redcliffe reefs. Maybe even do a few trips around the Pin when I get experience. I know that area from when I had a tinnie.

Any suggestions of what to add, how to add, where to get, how to make, etc will be greatly appreciated. Would be handy if you can post some pics of your yak, or the mods you have made.

Some of the things I think I will need are;


seat
paddle (but which one and why?)
extra rod holders
set up an esky
set up a create
anchor?
other tethers
anything else I missed
Thanks in advance.

Cheech

[Cheech]

Come on guys, surely you have lots of suggestions for getting a yak ready. I thought this was going to turn out to be a useful thread for others as well, to have hints and tips in the one thread.

[wags on the water]

Give it time mate and best of luck with the new toy.

Cheers,
Wags

[Cheech]

That's it. New toy so I am anxious to get going. :) I shall be patient.

[Just_chips]

I'll try and get some pictures of some of the things that I have set up on my yak and post over the next few days. But for a start I'll give a breif description.

Kayak: Viking Profish 45, original prototype model with inbuilt rudder system (this design was discarded after the initial run of about a dozen yaks) C/W 6 flushmount rod holders, front and centre hatch covers, round screw on access holes for access inside hull rod storage etc. Paddle keepers and bungy straps over well recesses.

Paddle: Glass shaft touring paddle by Northwest 230cm long. (Rosco Canoes)

Seat: Viking high back seat

Other Accessories:

Lowrance X52 Sounder connected to 7amp hr 12v sealed lead acid battery.
Garmin GPS72 handheld GPS mounted on swivel base.
Home made plumbed livewell with rod holders (fits in rear well).
LED white light wired internally through hull to sounder battery with piggy back connectors when required.
Two rod lock (berkley) style forward mounted rod holders.
Flush mount rod holder extensions (40mm pvc drainage pipe) to keep reels up and away from water level.
Full length anchor trolley / pulley to allow anchoring from stern, bow or centre of kayak.
Small folding anchor rigged with breakaway cable tie on quick release float.
Small drogue / sea anchor to slow drifts
Numerous rod leashes made from bungy strap.
6mm rope leashes with clips both ends (previously used for rod leashes) to hep secure yak in fishing spots without the need to anchor etc (tie off to tree branches, pontoons etc to give position without drifting or messing about with an anchor).
Lots of gear with lanyards/leashes attached and also anything I can find that floats or is more resistant to salt water and corrosion ends up coming home with me too.
Lots of innox. I buy it by the box now rather than a can at a time.Hope this helps with a couple of ideas, hopefully it should make a bit more sense when I get a few pictures to accompany the post.

Hopefully a few of the other yakkers show us theirs if I show them mine ;D .

Kev

[PinHead]

I am still trying to work out how to install a sounder in mine.

[Just_chips]

Here Greg, check these vids out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SguqNiC0rec&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Y3pFg0Gu8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG7jQadF8o0&feature=related



Other than that you might want to talk to your hobie retailer, i'm sure they will help.

Kev

[LostNearBribie]

This could be a Kev appreciation thread...

[LostNearBribie]

OK here are some of the things I have done...

Got most of the bits from Be Cee Eff including the box.
Lights run on batteries and I haven't had to change them yet.
Front light is just zip tied on back light is mounted to the timber.
There is a piece of timber on the inside of the box for strength.
I always have cats eye lights on my hat also.
Also is a pic of the sounder box I put together (since been changed to a narrower box).
The transducer stays in a mount on the yak.
There is a transducer scupper in the middle of the yak.
I bought the Humminbird rubber boot that is made for it.
Was lucky that the Lowrance still fit in it.
I also run PVC pipe around 60cm long in the flush mount rod holders.
And have put a Cannon rod holder on since these photos...

[Cheech]

Some very good ideas so far.

Was wondering about the anchor and if you could rear mount. Looking forward to seeing how the pulley system works. And how you cleat off the anchor line.

I tried fitting some of the 40mm pipe, but it seems the rod holders that are already fitted to the yak are about 1mm too small in diameter and cannot get the pipe in. May be slightly out of round or something. I will see if a bit of sandpapering will allow it to fit when I get some time on the weekend.

With the drogue anchor, do you use the same fittings as your normal anchor to get it to connect to the back of the kayak? I have a small parachute drogue chute that will be perfect.

I was wondering how and where to mount the transducer. I have a spare sounder that was in my boat that I will be able to use. The scupper hole looks to be a good place as there is a scupper just a bit forward to where my feet rest. I noticed the the scupper hole is small at the top, but is a cone shape under the yak, which will be big enough to take the transducer and not have it protrude below the hull. Will play with that on the weekend as well.

I also have 2 of those cannon or scotty? holders. The kind that have a base mount and the top adjustable holder slots in and locks. I think that is the sort you guys mean. They were sitting in the shed gathering dust, waiting for a new life.

Do you think 1 scupper will be enough? I plan to block up the 2 scuppers at the seat area with pool noodle foam, as the seat is really low and will be constantly wet. And if I use one of the remaining 2 scuppers for the transducer, then there will only be one left. I suppose it does not matter unless the kayak fills with water, and I am not planning to use in any rough water.

One question I asked on another thread that I am interested to know is with transportation. Can you transport them right way up instead of upside down on the roof rack? The curve or the yak and low roof racks, it touches the roof and has a gap between the rack and the yak. If I have it upside down I will need to make some sort of extension to the roof rack to make it higher. But if right way up, will it get lift at speed and convert to a low flying plane?

[Just_chips]

Some very good ideas so far.


Was wondering about the anchor and if you could rear mount. Looking forward to seeing how the pulley system works. And how you cleat off the anchor line.
I tried fitting some of the 40mm pipe, but it seems the rod holders that are already fitted to the yak are about 1mm too small in diameter and cannot get the pipe in. May be slightly out of round or something. I will see if a bit of sandpapering will allow it to fit when I get some time on the weekend.
With the drogue anchor, do you use the same fittings as your normal anchor to get it to connect to the back of the kayak? I have a small parachute drogue chute that will be perfect.
I was wondering how and where to mount the transducer. I have a spare sounder that was in my boat that I will be able to use. The scupper hole looks to be a good place as there is a scupper just a bit forward to where my feet rest. I noticed the the scupper hole is small at the top, but is a cone shape under the yak, which will be big enough to take the transducer and not have it protrude below the hull. Will play with that on the weekend as well.
I also have 2 of those cannon or scotty? holders. The kind that have a base mount and the top adjustable holder slots in and locks. I think that is the sort you guys mean. They were sitting in the shed gathering dust, waiting for a new life.
Do you think 1 scupper will be enough? I plan to block up the 2 scuppers at the seat area with pool noodle foam, as the seat is really low and will be constantly wet. And if I use one of the remaining 2 scuppers for the transducer, then there will only be one left. I suppose it does not matter unless the kayak fills with water, and I am not planning to use in any rough water.
One question I asked on another thread that I am interested to know is with transportation. Can you transport them right way up instead of upside down on the roof rack? The curve or the yak and low roof racks, it touches the roof and has a gap between the rack and the yak. If I have it upside down I will need to make some sort of extension to the roof rack to make it higher. But if right way up, will it get lift at speed and convert to a low flying plane?
Anchor can be rear mounted if you want to. I use my anchor trolley to pull the anchor down to the rear. But there are other methods without the need for an anchor trolley. Most answers can be found by searching youtube.
Put a cut length wise along the pipe for about 60-70mm and then a second about 5mm wider at the open end closing back to the original cut to form a narrow birdsmouth. The pipe will now fit in the holder.
Yes same fitting. Small stainless steel carbiner clip.
Transducer mount is a personal choice, some mount inside the hull in a bed of silicone shooting through the hull but if your scupper accepts the transducer and keeps it fairly flush then this may be a more than acceptable option.
Perfect.
Don't know, this you will need to gauge for yourself by using the yak with only the one scupper. Don't be scared to get wet though cause it will happen and you won't notice your wet arse till you sit in our dry car.
My yak goes on the roof right way up no probs at all. In fact everything that is in the centre hatch stays there also adding a few extra kgs to the whole thing.I will try and get some photos done in the next couple of days but this arvo I have kids cricket followed by my footy training so it won't be till Thursday atleast but more likely Friday.

Kev

[Just_chips]

Ok first lot of photos include:-

My small folding anchor that is tied initially at the top but then the rope runs down the side of the anchor and is attached with a very small cable tie to the bottom hole of the anchor. This means that if the anchor is stuck hard I can pull hard enough on the rope to snap the cable tie and the anchor will then turn and come up front first without me capsizing trying to pull it up.

The anchor trolley is basically a pulley system that runs the full length of the kayak. I use a ring and a caribiner at each end of the rope. I connect my anchor float or drogue to the ring and then use the pulley to take it up to the bow or stern of the kayak so that the anchor is not attached mid yak allowing swells and boat wash to hit me side on rather at the ends where the kayak can ride these out better.

Notice I also have a float attached to the anchor. If I hook a good fish i can simply disconnect the carabiner that joins the anchor setup to the trolley and give chase or let it tow me and come back to the float later to pull the anchor in or re-anchor in exactly the same poisition.

My Drogue is just one from a chandlery that is for small tinnies I have added a float to the top of it to keep it up high in the water column at all times, it is attached to about 5 - 6m of rope, once again finished with a carabiner at the end.

My second anchor is for shallow water only and is simply a PVC coated 3kg dumbbell. This can just be dropped over the side and will hold your position or slowly drag in strong current. Not really suitable for snaggy areas but compact and very handy otherwise, same again with the carabiner for quick connections.

Kev

[Just_chips]

Next lot:


The centre well built in my kayak allows for heap of storage and all my tackle and accessories get jammed in here during a trip.
The small hatch at the end of the well gives access into the hull and I can store a fullly rigged 7ft rod in the hull. This is particularly useful when launching and returning through surf as if you get rolled there are no rods sticking out of holders waiting to be broken.
This is how I cut my PVC pipe to fit the flush mount holders, and a couple of shots of them in the flushmount, notice the extra height above the water that this gives. I also cut a small notch for the reel to seat nicely in the holder.
A couple of photos here of my current style of rod leash. The plastic 'D' ends come from bunnings on a short bungy cord and you can also get the small plastic carabiner from the same area. I discarded the original bungy strap and replaced it with one of a finer diameter and made them a bit longer. These seem to work fairly well for me at the moment.Kev

[Just_chips]

Sounder and Handheld GPS mounted on a cradle with forward mounted rod holder in background.
LED white light on small post, I also use a good quality LED head lamp which I can turn into any direction as well as keeping a well charged dolphin lantern with me at all times if fishing in darkness/low light with any possiblity of interaction with other boats.
A couple of shots of my livewell setup which is basically a butchered esky. I cut off the handles and drilled holes in it and mounted skin fittings, one for water in which connceted to a bilge pump that I toss over the side and one is just water out so it forms a basic recirculating live well. The box on the front contains a 7am hr 12v battery connected to a switch and a small device called a tank timer, this cycles the pump automatically running about 34seconds on and 166 seconds off thus conserving my battery power as the 7amp hr battery would only last about 2.5-3 hrs running continuously.Kev

[Just_chips]

A few other accessories that I use regularly:


Trolley made from a supacheap fridge trolley. Cut the handles off and cut the tray to the shape of the bottom of the yak and trim with pool noodle. One strap and you can cart it anywhere.
Touring paddle. I used to have the standard paddle that came with my yak but got this new one recently and have found it so much better to use, less effort for the same power/speed means you feel better at the end of a long day.
Paddle keeper on the side of the yak is almost necessary for stowing your paddle when not in use.
Paddle leash is great when you are surf launching as if you come off your yak you just need to hold your paddle and eventually the yak will come back to you.
Ping pong bat hand paddle - great for small adjustments to drifts or slight manouvering in tight spots without having to dig out the big paddle, can be used one haded with the rod in the other hand also.
Floating gaff
Dry bag for mobile phones keys etc
One of my first rod leashes, just 2 carabiners joined by a length of rope. I now use these to tie off to trees or pontoons without needing to deploy anchors etc.Everything I have posted here is a copy of what others have done before me and most of this info was found by searching the dedicated kayak fishing sites and forums. There is also mountains of info to be found on youtube you just need to customise what others have done to suit your needs.

Good luck, I hope I have helped.

Kev

[Cheech]

Kev, cannot thank you enough. That is a huge amount of effort and excellent information. I am sure other yakers (is that what they are called :) ) will also get lots of useful info from you photo's and explanations.

I now get the anchor system. I should be able to use the carry handles connection point to connect the end bungees. I need to try to use existing points for anything that will take a load, because without access holes due to the Scrambler XT not having any access hatches, I cannot get inside the boat to add a backing plate. I was trying to work out what you do with the excess anchor line, but from what I can tell from the photo, you have it wrapped around the float, which will keep it neat. I assume you cleat or just tie it off so that it does not accidentally unravel. Great idea.

Adding the slit to the pvc solves my problem. Thanks. I am going to experiment with using a bit of heat to mold the tube into a longer slotted section. I will add a photo if it works out.

With the paddle, fortunately I did not buy one yet. I borrowed one from my neighbor (non fishing yaker) till I get some more cash together, so will look to get a better quality cruising paddle.

Table tennis bat. who would have thought!

Now that you and also LostNearBribie (I will be stealing your sounder setup Idea as I think it will work better for how and where I will be mounting my transducer) have shown yours, it would be great if others would do the same. I will ask the moderators to make this a sticky.

Thanks again,

Cheech

[Just_chips]

Glad I could help.

The biggest problem with being in a yak though is the fact that you are so quiet you get to see heaps of fish.:o (especially in the estuaries)

What? This isn't a problem I hear you say?:-/

Well, just because you can see them don't mean you can catch them.;) I have found nothing more frustrating :-[ But it is all good fun trying.:D

Good luck mate and I hope to see the finished product with some blood on the decks.

Kev

[wags on the water]

Kev, great job on the additions to your kayak. Thanks for sharing. I might have to get me one of these down the track a bit......

Cheers.

[PinHead]

thanks a lot for the info and pics Kev..now time to do something with mine.

[Lucky_Phill]

Great work Kev, muchly appreciated.



Phill
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[Ozie_3]

just decided on getting a kayak yesterday (99% sure about it anyhow)

and i see this....WOW....awesome kev... you the man :)

thanks for starting the thread cheech :)

and all the others who contributed
cheers chris

[FishHunter]

Some more ideas on something slightly different
this is just after I got it and I have only had to change things slightly over the last year

Sounder on Ram mount
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030612.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030611.jpg

transducer in rear well
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/14022009317.jpg

Anchor trolley
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030619.jpg

battery box
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030603.jpg

rod holders, they were removed the first time I squeezed a 1m GT in the hatch
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030604.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/08032009327.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/08032009331.jpg

Anchor light
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Stealth/P1030772.jpg

GPS now opposite sounder on ram mount
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Fishing/Kayaking/Mackay%20Harbour%2020-12-09/P1000673.jpg

[tunaticer]

In my Swing I have the following mounted:

two forward mounted Scotty 230 rod holders 1 each side.
Between them I have a Garmin 140 sounder with the 5" b&w screen.
One forward facing angled surface rod holder (very handy when a fish is on a big run and you need to chase)
A hitch point smak in the middle of the cockpit for paddle and rod leashes and hitching up big fish whilst you are getting organised to lift it aboard.
A basic seat with backrest (viking brand)
two surface angled rod holders facing 45 degrees aft 1 each side
two vertical rod holders for transport
one all round light with a plug in socket ( light is well above head height to conform with regs)
one drogue with 8 feet of 3mm rope and a carabiner to clip to a paddle cleat
one 60cm gaff and one fish gripper and no net. Nets are more trouble than they are worth in a yak. Most smaller fish can be easily palm lifted or dragged aboard by grabbing the jig hook anf the gaf takes care of bigger keepers.
One anchor made from a 30cm length of alloy tubing filled with led and a hole drilled through right in the middle. it has a suitable lenght of rope for the location and a carabiner to attach to one of multiple cleats on the yak. (no anchor trolley as i very very seldom need to anchor more for safety mooring near shore whilst taking a leak) nothing worst than trying to control a fore hose when the yak decides to drift off without you.
I use a 30 can cooler bag for general fishing to keep the fish in, for offshore i use a custom fish keeper bag.
between my thighs i have a Garmin 276 chartplotter that is very easy to read and operate there plus it is below the level of your lap so tackleboxes and fish can go straight over the top without touching it. Every snag i encounter i plot and have worked up a very extensive reef map for the areas i fish that you could not buy or imagine seeing.
Custom made s/s trolley for moving the yak around fits neatly in the scupper holes for both moving and on the topside in the same scupper holes when on the water.

When fitting your rear and forward rod holders you need to sit in the yak and simulate your paddle stroke areas to avoid clipping reels with the blade and flicking them out of the rod holder ( if this happens you will not usually notice it until you reach around for your rod which is not there)

Thing I have found important:
sounders can be set forward enough so you can just touch the buttons to turn on and tune, after that you simply watch the screen.
GPS's need to be mounted close to you for logging points and zooming etc, why between the thighs is so good.
limit tackle to what you need for the day, not what you can carry. Makes a big difference if you are 3km offshore and facing the wind on the return paddle.
two lights are minimum on board, one all round light well above head height, one headlamp (eveready dolphin waterproof LED headlamp) and one standby micro light (adventure safety beacon waterproof micro clip on light weighs 10 grams including battery and lasts for about 50 hours continual use)
try and set up the yak so opening hatches is avoided on the water cuz sure as eggs when the going gets rough and you need to open a hatch it will let a gut full of water in quickly then you have to cart that weight back home too.
hav e two sources of drinking water on board, easy to lose one overboard without noticing so0metimes esp in the dark heading out. Happened to me once, once too often.
limit your clothing so you are not too bulky, once you go over you need to be able to get back on board. There are amply dry clothing products on the market that are not bulky as well as warm clothing that is not bulky. I regularly hit the water in winter at about 2c and never feel cold or bulked up with clothing.
be sun wise with your clothing selection too esp in summer it is not neccessarily cooler without a shirt than with a long sleeve shirt on. Skin cancers start yesterday and today you deal with them tomorrow.

first aid kit is essential as well micro of course and in a sealed container under a hatch.

[bigtez]

Here is my yaks mods. Sorry I don't have how to or progress pics, only thought to take some photos of my mods after deciding to sell it.

This is my Tarpon 160, have had it for 12mths and have slowly been modifying it.

When I first got the yak I had a few issues with lines tangling in the split rings that held the steering cables and rudder pivot post in place. So they have been replaced with bolts on the cables and a split pin on the post.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000739copy.jpg

I also wanted to improve the turning ability so made up a new, larger rudder from 3mm flat aluminium.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000740copy.jpg

Then there is the usual sounder install and a couple of bungy loops to hold the GPS and landing net. I also installed an anchor trolley. Originally I had separate front and rear trolleys using the track mounts but found occasionally I wanted to swing the boat 180deg while fishing the flats so replaced the separate ones with a single full length trolley.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000750copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000751copy.jpg

I also found the buckles for adjusting the thigh support on the seat would dig into my legs when dangling them overboard, so I made the support work with a single buckle located under the seat. The backrest buckles have also been shortened to sit below the gunnel line as well. I am a bit disappointed with how the seat has faded, even though it has been stored under cover, in an open front shed, but that is fairly typical of some American materials.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000748copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000747copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000746copy.jpg

Next up was the live well, which is fairly simple. It’s a 25L Ice Kool ice box with a bilge pump to fill it and an overflow so I don’t have to bail it when I want to refresh the water. The pump is on a swing-away mount to avoid extra drag when moving between spots. Power to the pump is supplied by the sounder battery, via a connection behind the seat and a switch in the centre hatch.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000752copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000754copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000753copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000755copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000745copy.jpg

For days when I don’t need the livewell and want to bring home a feed, I made up an insulated bag with a movable divider. The base of the bag is mesh to allow any water to flow outh the scupper holes as per normal. If I was going to do more offshore work I would probably make up an insert to keep the fish juices in the bag and not flowing out the scuppers, burleying up the sharks.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000741copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000742copy.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000743copy.jpg

I found the rubber net on the side pockets was only useful for holding small items but I wanted to put tackle trays and an anchor in them so the rubber had to go. I had strap between the 3 screws for a while but think this final arrangement will be best. Bungy cords at the front to hold bulkier items and tools, and strap down the side to stick zip lines to to hold scissors pliers etc.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj221/terrylangham/P1000758copy.jpg

[chaspion01]

Nice work Just-chips!

Get a padded or self inflating seat, your butt will sure thankyou for it!
As for mounting a fish finder, make the transducer "through hull", scuff the face of the transducer and the inside of the kayak hull (on a flat surface parallel to the water below) with rough sand paper, apply marine silicon to one face and push together and tape overnight, works fantastic and can be removed or repositioned at any time, the battery can be housed ina mounted container this way inside the kayak also. make sure you have a dry bag for the keys and phone etc also!

[yellatail]

hey guys

just wonderin if anybody has any imformation on the prowler torque angler 4.2m with the drop-in mini kota motor with 33lbs thrust any imformation before purchase would be appreciated.