fisherman made kayak mods

[perchgypsy]

This is for kayaker who have stuff they made and don't leave in the yak without it
I said I have a pole I made about a 9' stiff branch and use for a anchor system
baitbucket another member showed his version( telescopic golf ball retreiver) and gave me the idea to start this thread...great idea to keep thing compact and lite..

[UglyStik]

I have a inflatable raft, not a kayak but...
I filled a gallon milk jug with fine gravel and bought two 50' X 1/4" ropes (at DollarTree). Poor man's anchor. I also will drop it down a couple of feet below the surface and it anchors to the water like a drift sock to slow you. Keeps the boat tracking in one direction nicely when drifting. Now I don't spin around at all when drifting. Only cost 2$. Now, if I can just remember to pull it out before I start the motor & take off I will be all set. 

[perchgypsy]

Cheap is good....and it works every time
My plan was to do a 4 day trip this spring/summer with my kayak
couple good trips in the adirondacks that loop right back to the truck...3 or 4 day trips
Anyone do thsee trips what do you have to stay lite

[UglyStik]

We used to do West Canada Creek in canoes & kayaks. It was great brown trout fishing in the spring and fall.

[perchgypsy]

I've fished it a few times...got a few browns in there
You mean weekend trips or daily....unless you have two vehicals prob be tough to do three day trip there
I'm thinking northeast of there

[greenhornet73]

I purchased a kayak last January from EMS on sale for $350 and turned it into about a $900 rig for about $100 by building all the components myself over the winter.  I made a flag pole out of a driveway stake, built my own anchor trolley system, rod holders, fish finder mount.  The only thing I bought pre-made were the Scotty rod holders in the front.  It has been in 4 footers on Lake Ontario and handled beautifully, if only I had taken Dramamine beforehand.  I don't know how to post pics on here but I have a thread on this topic at LakeOntarioUnited.com under the "South Shore" discussion board.   

[Mac Attack]

http://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/index.php?topic=769.0

[perchgypsy]

Thanks greenhornet...sounds good....4' waves I'll leave it in the garage

[Yachtzy]

I have been combing thru youtube trying to get some ideas. One thing I saw and was thinking of doing was adding led strips for early morning or night fishing. Just a couple 1' strips on the inside for tying up or what not. This one guy had a trolling motor, so he already had a power source, but someone mentioned in the comments that he had his lights wired to a 9 volt battery. He also did a test, a 15' strip he left on for 2 weeks 24/7 on purpose. They must not draw much power I guess. The led strip he mounted on the outside kept falling of from the expansion and contraction of the plastic.

[greenhornet73]

An LED strip on the side or top of the kayak would be a great idea.  I have a light mounted to the top of my flag pole but found the light pole to be very annoying when fighting a fish on one rod and having the other line get wrapped around the flag pole when my kayak gets spun around.  I now just wear a headlamp and dropped the flag pole unless I am just casting 1 rod.

[greenhornet73]

Thanks guys, I figured out to upload pics so here they are.

[perchgypsy]

That flag is a great idea greenhornet...buddy of mine was almost ran into last year just before dark...guy was pulling his kids in a tube and didn't see my buddy in his yak I'm going to pass this along might help
yak being so low to the water and the sun beaming in his eyes could have been really bad....buddy was shaking telling me the story week later

[greenhornet73]

I know a guy that fishes the Atlantic regularly and had a buddy get run over by a fast moving boat in Rhode Island.  He rolled overboard to avoid getting hit but his yak and all his gear went to the bottom and nothing recovered.  That's why I built the flag.  I lost mine last year in a heavy wind on Otisco as I was paddling back to shore and actually have to build another before i hit Ontario this weekend.

[perchgypsy]

Your hard core on the big lakes I stick to rivers and shallows seem to get just as many fish...if I'm deep I rather be in a 17' or better ...it's not the depth that gets me it's the wind I hate...especially on oneida lake or any lake that runs east and west predominantly

[greenhornet73]

No, I don't like to go too far out so I stick to shoreline trolling unless I can get to a drop-off within 3/4 mile off- shore so I can get back if bad weather is coming. On  Oneida I usually fish the creeks or the north shore where the first shelf is pretty close to shore. I don't do the ocean only because the drive is so far with a kayak on the roof.  I may rent a yak one of these years to give some of the back bays a shot where the GW's aren't