Northwest Reel Life November - December 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3 - Flipbook - Page 17
gear
In the 2023 March issue of
NW Reel Life, I laid out some
key items and concepts
to help anglers enter the
world of kayak fishing. And
while weather predictions,
condition assessment, and
kayak types are all important,
in this article I want to focus a
bit more on the actual setup
of your kayak and how that
can determine your level of
success out on the water.
and secure enough to do
so. Smaller accessories like
cell phones, fish finders, and
camera mounts won’t require
as beefy of a track.
Downriggers
Trolling on a kayak can be
straightforward. You drag
a lure behind you to target
rainbows, or you can utilize
a cannonball weight to get
you down to chinook salmon
territory.
Now, if you want to have
more than just an idea of
the depth your gear is at in
the water column, you need
something more surefire.
Enter the downrigger.
Because most of my kayak
fishing is in the ocean or
the Strait of Juan De Fuca,
I’ve opted to leave the
downrigger trolling to my
aluminum boat.
Track mounts
Let’s talk track mounts!
Track mount systems are
the starting point for your
rod holders, fish finders, and
other accessories. A track
mount is a slotted track that
you bolt to the side rails of
your kayak and then slide
your other accessories onto.
They all have fairly similar
styles with some small
variations amongst different
brands. The most important
thing to keep in mind is that
your track should be strong
enough to support whatever
type of load you are putting
on it. A good track mount
system should be metal,
corrosion resistant, and come
with a backing plate. If the
track holds rod holders, it
should be large enough
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NOV - DEC 2023 | 17