Northwest Reel Life November - December 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3 - Flipbook - Page 20
secures that line out of my
way. Metal clip stringers are
a top-rated option for kayaks
due to their ease of use,
though rope stringers and
chain stringers will certainly
get you by as well.
Fish finders
The process of setting up a
fish finder on your kayak is
going to differ depending
on what type of kayak you
have. Mounting the screen is
simple- it can go on a track or
be permanently installed on
the boat. The trickiest part of
the process will be mounting
your transducer. Many fishing
kayaks come equipped with
a transducer mount directly
underneath the hull. This
allows the transducer to sit
in the water while also being
protected from the sand and
gravel if the boat were to drag
along the bottom. For most
kayaks out there, transducer
mounts are not built in. If
you don't have a transducer
mount you will need to
mount it either off the side
of your boat or better yet,
inside the hull. This gets tricky
and typically involves using
some plumber putty for the
transducer to both stick to
the kayak and to also create
a sealed surface without
air bubbles. The solid putty
allows for the transducer to
transmit through the putty,
through the kayak material,
and into the water. YouTube is
a valuable tool for these types
of setups.
Bilge pump and BP storage
If the hull of your kayak fills
20 | NWFISHING.net
with water due to crashing
waves or due to a capsize,
you don't want to be bailing
water out of the boat with an
empty tackle box. A manual
bilge pump is your strongest
line of defense against a
sinking boat. Some kayakers
will stow their bilge pumps
inside a hull compartment
underneath a hatch. This
could seem like a sensible
home for your bilge pump,
but if you are in a situation
where you’ve taken on a lot
of water and you’ve lost half
your buoyancy, and on top
of that, you’re being battered
by oncoming waves, leaning
over to open a hatch might
be just the thing the kayak
needs to capsize once again.
Instead, stow the pump
somewhere within arm’s
reach and have it fastened
down with a bungee and
secured to a lanyard so that
it has no chance of going
overboard.
Cell phone mounts
Having your cell phone
mounted on your fishing
kayak might seem like an
over-the-top luxury, but if you
consider the vast number
of apps that can be utilized
to help improve your fishing
trip, you will find that having
your cellphone on the ready
and in view at all times is a
must. When I’m on the water,
I use Navionics to navigate
and to get a good sense of
underwater topography. I
also use weather and wind
apps to keep me safe and
informed on changing
conditions. Using a cellphone
mount along with a
waterproof cell phone case
gives ease of access to all of
these things. Phone mounts
can be installed directly on
the kayak or on your track
system.
Bungees and straps
Bungees, straps, webbing,
all these small investments
will protect your larger
investments in the event of
a capsize. Strap everything
down as if capsizing was
just a normal part of your
program. This is particularly
important if you plan to do
any surf launches into the
ocean.
Rod holders
Rod holders are an essential
part of your fishing kayak setup. Your kayak likely comes
equipped with flush mount
rod holders, these are almost
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