Advice for carrying fishing gear in a kayak? 2024
TriStateBassin106 reply :
Hey Bassresource.
I am currently in the works of buying my very first fishing kayak, a wilderness systems ride 115 to be exact. I wanted to know how much fishing gear I should carry when fishing in it during the warmer months on my local backwoods lakes and ponds here in Pennsylvania.
I was told that you should bring light gear (Only your rods and some light tackle) and other people said just only bring your rods with Pre-selected lures tied onto them.
Also my second question about bringing gear onto your kayak is about the kayak flipping over, any way to secure your rods or gear so they don't sink when the kayak flips over?
I look forward to the responses! 
Dens228 reply :
When I started I brought two rods and a couple 3700 boxes. Now I bring between 6-8 rods and 6 3700 boxes and 2 3600 boxes.
If you bring only the lures tied on what happens when you lose it? What if it isn't what the bass want that day?
I'm all for starting light but as your abilities improve what you bring will most likely increase.
I could still bring two rods and a few 3600's but that's not as fun! LOL
Look up rod leashes for securing your rods to the kayak.
I'm sure you're gong to get many more responses to this post.
Bird reply :
If I'm fishing lakes, no precautions are taken as I've never come close to flipping a fishing kayak.
I often do overnight river trips so all camping gear goes in dry bags and rods are secured with bungee when navigating rapids.
NOW, lol
I did however flip a jonboat after hitting a bridge pillar not paying attention and lost all rods and reels "Shimano " , cell phone, tackle box , basically everything so it can happen.
BoatSquirrel reply :
Its all about your comfort level in the boat and the likelihood of flipping it. I use my beater equipment when kayaking so no tears will be shed if it goes to the bottom.
On 1/10/2020 at 3:59 AM, Bird said:NOW, lol
Bird, I am impressed sir. 1. That you flipped a jonboat. 2. That you owned it!
Tizi reply :
I bring 4 rods (3 casting, 1 spinning), the 3 not in use are tethered. I bring 3-4 3600 waterproof boxes and a bag of plastics, this all goes in my crate behind my seat. I try to bring what I think will work based upon time of year and conditions. Always wear a PFD.
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 1/10/2020 at 4:52 AM, Tizi said:I bring 4 rods (3 casting, 1 spinning), the 3 not in use are tethered. I bring 3-4 3600 waterproof boxes and a bag of plastics, this all goes in my crate behind my seat. I try to bring what I think will work based upon time of year and conditions. Always wear a PFD.
Do you secure the crate with bungees?
Tizi reply :
On 1/10/2020 at 4:54 AM, TriStateBassin106 said:Do you secure the crate with bungees?
Yes, the crate is secured with bungees in the back well section. I bought a crate and added rod holders. My profile pic is my current set up (paddle yak).
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 1/10/2020 at 3:42 AM, TriStateBassin106 said:I look forward to the responses!
Check out the guy mentioned in my PM to you if possible. He can give you good "hands-on" advice.
Smalls reply :
What/how much gear you bring is strictly personal preference. Some guys bring 1-2 rods and a couple packs of soft plastics in their pocket. Some guys bring enough gear to fill a small bass boat.
The kayak accessory rabbit hole is deep. You can spend $120 on a super cool manufactured tackle crate, or you can make whatever crate/cooler/bucket you have at home suffice. Some things are worth DIY’ing, other things you should just bite the bullet and buy. But a lot of that is you deciding for yourself what an accessory is worth.
Here’s my opinion, but that’s all it is. Just starting off, 1) I’d go to Home Depot and buy 2 $5 milk crates. Cut the bottom off of one and fasten it as a lid for the other one. Bungee crate to tank well.
2) Buy some rod tubes for the crate, and drill a small hole at the top of each and attach a coiled lanyard to them. This will prevent losing rods overboard.
3) Tether anything else you would miss if it went overboard, but don’t have 100 lanyards going across your boat. They can be dangerous if you do happen to take a swim.
4) Wear your PFD, and practice common safety sense out on the water. Learn and respect your limitations.
Kayak fishing is whatever you want it to be, that’s the beauty of it.
Fishingmickey reply :
Hi Tristate,
A Wilderness Ride 115 = 11.5' long and has a 33" beam. Not sure how large of a human you are. From the reviews on the web, supposed to be pretty stable pretty stable. But then ask what size was the reviewer? 150# 5'8" maybe who knows. If your a big guy like much over 200 and 6'1 or 2" plus your center of gravity will be higher then the 150 5'8" guy. How good is your sense of balance? Your new to kayaking/kayak bass fishing I'm assuming since ya said it's your very first kayak. Go out with someone that has experience. Make sure you bring a change of clothes and a towel in a dry bag possibly even something to start a fire with. Have a game plan for if/when you flip. Bring a couple of rods and a hand full of tackle. Buy some rod floats. Carry the tackle in a lunch bag or box that'll float. Wallet, cell phone, car keys and must have's in one of the smaller pelican type boxes.
Your location has you pretty far north. Water is going to be hard for awhile yet? i know come spring time that ole fishing itch is gonna need scratching bad! Take baby steps while you gain experience (shorter trips/closer to shore). Until the water warms up enough that hypothermia isn't quite the issue it would be if the H2O temp is 40-50.
Above all wear your life jacket!!! Your going to flip the boat. What happens is you'll get your center of gravity outside of the center line of the kayak just enough. Your reaching to unsnag that lure or land that fish just beyond net reach. You'll know very quickly when you get your center of gravity too far out. The kayak will squirt out from underneath you lighting quick and you'll be in the water.
Good luck and happy kayak bass fishing!
Fishingmickey
P.S. Lot's of great advice above in the previous posts.
CountryboyinDC reply :
I use this crate, which a kayak angler who had a popular blog about ten years ago, a guy named Palmetto, designed. You can still find some of his stuff on Pinterest. In this, I have between 2 (shad fishing) and 5 3600 Plano boxes. I also keep a couple 3600 boxes in pouches under the seats. I have a binder for plastics and safety pin baits. I may carry 8 rods, or 3. With this crate and the flush mounts, I have no shortage of holders for that number. I have tethers that are attached with small S-biners on one end and Cable Cuffs on the other. Also, the Plano boxes are held in by the crate's bungee, and the crate is held by the kayak's tankwell bungees.
Carry how ever much or however little you want. There's a guy on the river that brings a single rod and only what he can fit in one pocket, and he out fishes me. Other folks bring twice what I do and they're very successful too.
I used to run a Ride 135, and I can only imagine you're going to love your 115.
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 1/10/2020 at 6:08 AM, Fishingmickey said:Hi Tristate,
A Wilderness Ride 115 = 11.5' long and has a 33" beam. Not sure how large of a human you are. From the reviews on the web, supposed to be pretty stable pretty stable. But then ask what size was the reviewer? 150# 5'8" maybe who knows. If your a big guy like much over 200 and 6'1 or 2" plus your center of gravity will be higher then the 150 5'8" guy. How good is your sense of balance? Your new to kayaking/kayak bass fishing I'm assuming since ya said it's your very first kayak. Go out with someone that has experience. Make sure you bring a change of clothes and a towel in a dry bag possibly even something to start a fire with. Have a game plan for if/when you flip. Bring a couple of rods and a hand full of tackle. Buy some rod floats. Carry the tackle in a lunch bag or box that'll float. Wallet, cell phone, car keys and must have's in one of the smaller pelican type boxes.
Your location has you pretty far north. Water is going to be hard for awhile yet? i know come spring time that ole fishing itch is gonna need scratching bad! Take baby steps while you gain experience (shorter trips/closer to shore). Until the water warms up enough that hypothermia isn't quite the issue it would be if the H2O temp is 40-50.
Above all wear your life jacket!!! Your going to flip the boat. What happens is you'll get your center of gravity outside of the center line of the kayak just enough. Your reaching to unsnag that lure or land that fish just beyond net reach. You'll know very quickly when you get your center of gravity too far out. The kayak will squirt out from underneath you lighting quick and you'll be in the water.
Good luck and happy kayak bass fishing!
Fishingmickey
P.S. Lot's of great advice above in the previous posts.
Thanks for the advice! I am 6'1 and a big guy at 280lb. I plan on buying the 115 because of the reviews of other bigger fishermen that use and the stability reviews. I plan on using most of the summer at my Relatives private lake. We have a lakehouse in a shallow cove that I will test it out in. Already bought the PFD and plan to buy some other accessories like a little fish finder.
Bass Junke reply :
Below is a good example of a cheap crate. A crate from a local dairy, 1 4' length of pvc, and some tie wraps. It will be finished today complete with rod leashes, tool holders, and such. I will post more pics. Been painting it for a week now.
Planning on doing a full kayak mod this weekend. Lights, anchor trolley, ect. Will start a new thread and post photos.
Dens228 reply :
I love my SG130. The only trouble I have with it is reaching rods on the back of the crate due to the large hatch between the seat and the tank well. I can just reach the rods with the tips of my fingers. My only complaint about that kayak. Or maybe my only complaint about my arms! LOL
HookInMouth reply :
Keep in mind, I'm a minimalist in everything, not just fishing. Clutter stresses me out.
I fish shallow rivers from a Kaku Voodoo. I keep a crate (homemade with a lid made from another crate) in front of me because I can with the open deck design. The top of the crate also doubles as a work area/table top. Inside the crate I carry 4 3700 boxes with one of those boxes having a mixture of what I "think" I'll use that day. All tools are attached/kept in my PFD (Chinook).
I take two rods with me. One MHF baitcaster and one MF spinning. Last season I secured them with a bungee to the top of my crate facing forward. This year I'm adding two Omega Pro Rod holders to secure them. Sometimes I take a cooler strapped behind my seat for longer days. That's all I take. Nothing else really. No anchors even. Though I'm considering adding a couple YakGadget QuickMount Anchors. If they don't stress me out by adding clutter haha.
the reel ess reply :
I have a milk crate with 5 rod holders in it (PVC pipes I zip tied in) and the kayak has 2 flush-mount holders. So I take 7 rods already rigged. I carry a few bags of plastics I think I might need and sometimes my crankbait and/or hard topwaters box. I keep the treble hook rods rigged with a snap so i don't have to retie them. Sometimes I fish my buddy's private pond that has a dock and I'll leave my who tackle bag at the edge of it so I can come back and get whatever I want to use. I won't take every rod in the kayak in that case. I usually could have taken 2 rods and caught the same number of fish, but which 2??? I don't know before I go.
My better kayak has rod leashes on the built-in rod holders. But I never use them. You learn to not fall out or flip it pretty quickly. I know, famous last words... Anything can happen,especially in moving water. But I actually fell out of my lower quality Pescador once and didn't lose any rods. I've wondered how many rods are just dropped from a kayak vs. lost out of holders.
Beyond that, I throw a pair of needlenose pliers with cutters and a scale in the floor in front of me and go.
jaimeastin reply :
Shoot... I take like 6 rods, like 4 stow-aways, my fish finder, anchor, net, cameras... I mean really a lot of stuff. I use a milk crate. I made rod holders our of water pipe.
I mainly use a 12 foot tarpon, but I have other 10 foot kayaks. I don't use rod thethers... I did flip once in my first year... Lost cameras, rods, and other gear.
Alex from GA reply :
I'm also a minimalist. I only fish rivers/creeks in my kayak and carry all my tackle in my PFD along with one rod. I do carry another rod in the bottom of the kayak in case I break one. I have a cooler with lunch and beer and a chain anchor. Inside I have a small dry bag with my phone, wallet, Ipipen, lighter and TP. I also carry a rain poncho inside.
CRANKTHAT reply :
Rod holders in crates are nice. A longarm adapter and a three rod holder adapter from Scotty is nice if you are going to be in a smaller stream where overhead branches will become a issue.
You could make something with thought and pcv that would be cheap, lite, and just what you need.
You can cut, drill, and with some heat even shape pcv.
I have a crate with rod holders up front on my current yak and lay my rods on my Scotty setup and across my milkcrate to clear those lower overhead obstacles and at time for a better sweep of my cast.
The space behind my seat I prefer to keep my beverages and battery at.
You may think about a cut length of pool noodle with a bungie through it to keep your lures handy, able to float.
Just stick your hooks in the foam.
You can tape, tie in lengths where needed.
Will help with noise you may make otherwise grabbing and opening then closing and putting away any box type storage.
I know how those PA trout and smallmouth like that quiet.
I travel heavy myself but keep a small assortment of frequently used gear at easy access with that method.
Currently in NC. have lived in Franklin county PA. originally halling from CT. with a few other states inbetween.
Fished all as types of water.
As you can see from my post and many of the above most of us travel heavy.
Different situations.
Hope this helped!
Boomstick reply :
I would carry as much gear as you feel you need. I currently don't own my own kayak yet, but this year I plan to purchase myself and my kids one (and it's going to be awesome) but I have rented boats frequently last summer and what I did when fishing with my oldest son on a canoe we rented was to buy a single waterproof 3650 container. When we got to the lake, we loaded it up with some extra weights, hooks, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs and then pocket some senkos and netbait paca chunks, which was enough for a day of fishing with my son.
I have the Bass Mafia tackle bag, and it's loaded with 3700 tackle boxes but once I get to a lake, I usually have an idea what I'm going to be throwing. Even if you don't know the lake, you're going to make an educated guess based on what you see. So once you figure that out, you can really narrow down your tackle selection significantly.
As far as storage, if you get a YakAttack BlackPak, or buy a milk crate and rig up three rod holders, that should be able to hold all the tackle you need plus two rods and a net. You can also add rod holders on your tracks for additional rods, or add 3 more to your milk crate or BlackPak if you prefer.
kayaking_kev reply :
It will vary depending on where you're fishing, what you're fishing for, and how long you're fishing for, but you'll get it down in no time and find what's right for you depending on the situation.
Sometimes, I feel like loading as much stuff up as possible and others I'll take one or two rods a bag of plastics with some weights and hooks thrown in it. I'm a little different though, being that I have a sit-in kayak and don't use a crate.
I keep a 30L dry bag in the cockpit with up to 3, 3700 boxes and multiple bags of plastics, bug spray and hand sanitizer. I use a NRS Chinook life jacket that holds a lot of stuff like my pliers, grips, scales, gopro batteries, phone. I have two built in rod holders that I put in myself, along with a detachable Scotty 3 rod holder, and a paddle keeper bungee on both sides that will each hold a rod if I need them to. In total, I can hold up to 7 rods on a regular non fishing Old Town Vapor 10. And, in the opening in back I'll throw a cooler with drinks and food. I also added bungees on the front where I keep my net and measuring board. The cooler and dry bag attach themselves and I tie everything else off using bungee leashes. I take it to places, not many will, and abuse the heck out of it and its held up great for 3 years now.
flyfisher reply :
Lake fishing I take whatever I feel like which is usually 6-7 rods and a bunch of tackle in probably 8 plano boxes in a standard milk crate. I can't stand having rod holders on my crate as it takes up space and they are more awkward to get to in my experience. My ATAK 140 has space for flush mounts so that is what I use, 6 to be exact with three on each side. If i am on the river I just change out the gear I am taking but usually I am fly fishing primarily on moving water so the gear is less. I also have my fish finder and stakeout pole and anchor set up on there. Not fan of nets, haven't really needed one as of yet so the extra hassle isn't worth it to me. It is very important to learn the capability of your skill combined with your boat though as that will help determine a lot of how much you do as far as fastening things down. Don't get stuck on the leashing everything ell either...last thing you want should you flip your kayak is to be tangled up in some leashes.
My best advice is don't do anything to it permanently until you fish it for a while and by a while I mean at least 5-6 trips. I have been kayak fishing well north of a decade and every boat I have bought I paddle and fish it a few times prior to rigging anything. Kind of the measure twice cut once mentality.
CHIP-MAINE reply :
bought a pelican from dicks this year. light and easy to carry. bring 2 rods which i put under straps on front when not fishing, net which i dont usually use that i put in rod holders behind me and i have a couple zip up bags that will fit 2 clear boxes and odds and end stuff i put between my legs. i will change up boxes a little depending on season ,what i am fishing for. wear my lightweight safety vest. just bought a portable /handheld fishifinder on amazon.i can actually make 1 trip to and from water.plenty of room when fishing eventhough i am 6-3. i am looking at getting rod holders from amazon for it
Choporoz reply :
Looking back, I recall being a bit nervous at first.....two rods, leashed....paddle leashed -- milk crate from Dunkin....one 3600 box and a B.A.S.S. bag with some plastics.
Last weekend I had eight rods, five 3700 boxes, a dozen and a half bags of plastics, 7 in Garmin and battery, flag, measuring board, hand paddle, water bottles, tools, etc. Haven't used leashes since first couple weeks with a kayak years ago....they serve a purpose and some people like 'em....I didn't
Start out modest and you'll find out what you're increasingly comfortable with - I still pare down if hitting a river with rough stretches
Tizi reply :
schplurg reply :
My Ride 115 isn't as stable as I'd hoped. I can't stand in it without constantly wiggling back and forth, kinda like balancing on a see-saw. But it can be done, and maybe I suck at it. I'm, 5' 11", 185 lbs. And 52 years, which matters. 
I made my own custom crate and rod holders, and an anchor trolley. Get one of those. I carry as many Plano boxes as I need, maybe 5 in the crate.
It's a good yak, I got mine used for $500 with the AirPro Max seat or whatever it's called, forget at the moment. Very nice and expensive on its own.
It's a good first yak. I'd rather have a small aluminum boat with casting platform etc., but I'm glad I tried the yak first. I'll probably keep it.
James Engle reply :
On 1/10/2020 at 3:42 AM, TriStateBassin106 said:Hey Bassresource.
I am currently in the works of buying my very first fishing kayak, a wilderness systems ride 115 to be exact. I wanted to know how much fishing gear I should carry when fishing in it during the warmer months on my local backwoods lakes and ponds here in Pennsylvania.
I was told that you should bring light gear (Only your rods and some light tackle) and other people said just only bring your rods with Pre-selected lures tied onto them.
Also my second question about bringing gear onto your kayak is about the kayak flipping over, any way to secure your rods or gear so they don't sink when the kayak flips over?
I look forward to the responses!
thats awesome, welcome to the kayak fishin world.
My kit is similar to a co-anglers - a grip of rods and a backpack.
You’ll have a better idea of what mods would improve your rig after some time on the water.
I’ve met a lot of really great people around the country with KBF.
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