fisherman made kayak mods

[perchgypsy]

Wish you luck in the kayak gh...stay safe out there...and thanks for the pics I'm def making a flag

[boondox]

for river anchor a length of chain on a rope
for lake anchor a coffee can filled full of cement with a eye bolt, bolted threw the concrete before you pour it in the can..

if anchoring in current away anchor off the back   like in a river this prevent from swamping the yak like anchoring side way in current..


pontoon stabilizers made form crab pot floats and some emt I had laying around...

for the fish finder I got mine so it is removable I got a tite loc rod holder mounted to a ram mount ball that mount to the fish finder this clamps top the thwart I also have a ram mount canoe kayak transducer mount it is flexible .. and keep the batteries in a waist pack just encase it capsizes..i am sure the fish finder mount could be made with a junk c-clmap so you can clamp it on and remove it for transport... also get a gps and maybe a ram mount gps mount? if their separate from the fish finder

carry some thing to bail water out with like a empty water bottle.. and a signal mirror and other small signal device  keep in side a bottle that floats that can be used for bailing same with easy strike matches dipped in paraffin wax...keep all sealed and tucked away.. maybe even a candle lantern there small and candles are cheap for it... so you don't have to carry a whole lantern and propane maybe even toilet paper in a water proof container if it is a week end trip!   


also get a kayak leash if on open water a kayak capsizes it can be washed away from you so swimming is what you left to do... make sure it is the Velcro type just incase it sink you can un-lease your self so it doe not drag you under...

since I got a canoe I store my rod under the seat with a pvc tube to protect the tips.

always ware the life jacket no matter how uncomfortable they are..

also look up pintrest and search around on the web on canoeing sites lots of info out there

maybe a battery operate light for at night like a white post light on top of a flag?

           

[panfishman13]

you can make a cheap post light with a piece of conduit, an LED flashlight, and a ping-pong ball.

if you're looking for LED light strips, you can find them on amazon for VERY cheap. the ones you want should be waterproof.


i have a whitewater canoe i'm going to be working on modifying for fishing, i'll be sure to take pictures and post them up here.

[perchgypsy]

Sounds good...green hornets flag is sweet with reflective tape...all good ideas...

[Tilted]

Here's a couple ideas that I use that may help. I have a sit in yak and in the from of the cockpit I glued some disc magnets I bought at Home Depot . They're about the size of a half dollar maybe a touch bigger. I do a lot of dropshot fishing so I can put a few hooks and weights on the magnets so I don't have to go through my boxes when I get hung up. They're also strong enough to hold a set of pliers. I also put a couple rigged up tube jigs on there. As for an anchor... The feet/casters off a snowplow work perfect. I work for a large plowing company and we don't use the feet. I snagged one and ran my line where the pin goes through the top. Works great on hard or soft bottoms. I use an ice fishing transducer on my fishfinder. I have it mounted behind the seat in the back hatch. It's held in place upright with a light duct sealant and shoots through the hull w no problems... All powered by a small battery like the kind on the small kids toy cars. Rechargeable.

[perchgypsy]

Magnets are a very cool idea...this is what this thread is for ...things made by fisherman  make our lives easier...and that's a good thing ...sold on that for sure....slap a couple go to jigs on and off you go not having to dig around once your on the water 

[UglyStik]

Greenhornet that is a great lookin rig.

The flag you are using concerns me. It is the flag for Diver Down, which may not be correct for this situation. The correct one for this situation would be:



Or this:



Or even the good old jolly roger.

[greenhornet73]

Haha Nice. I only used the diver flag because that was all I had but it was very visible and should keep boats a safe distance away if they think a diver is beneath me.  I lost it in a wind storm last year and need to get another.  I have to say fishing without it has been easier the past couple weeks on lake ontario without it behind me to tangle the lines when I spin around reeling in lines.  Today was the first day I even saw another boat out there but it will get busier as soon as it warms up a little.

[UglyStik]

Glad you took it with a sense of humor. Flag is a great idea, no matter if it is correct or not. Too many careless boaters & jet skiers out there. I had a thought, what about those bicycle flags? Not sure if they still make them, but they were a reflective bright safety orange triangular flag on a fiberglass whip antennae-like rod. It could be cut down to 4 feet and mounted like yours is. I also like the DIY light post idea for night fishing.

[UglyStik]

I got one, what are you folks using for dolly's? Sometimes the spot is a good distance from the parking. Some removable wheels under it solves that. Extra points awarded for home made, cheap, and downright clever. My raft has a transom so I am thinking of making some pvc jaw clamps that quickly attach to the transom but fold down to something small, as space is at a premium. I already snagged some 10" plastic wheels from a lawn spreader. 

[perchgypsy]

Cheap is good but I bought my dolly and think it's best investment I made when traveling in to remote ponds ...last thing I'd want is a problem with something I made 3 miles back up a mountain side...rather blame someone else as I b/t(h all the way out 

[Tilted]

I made my dolly out of a commercial fertilizer spreader.... Just took the hopper off and replaced it with a flat piece of plywood. I added a couple small eye bolts to the frame so I could tie off my ratchet straps... This thing has pneumatic tires and is built to carry 75lbs of feet so pushing the yak on rough trail is no problem. I've also used it with my tandem yak and small canoe as well. I bring a chain and lock and just lock it to a tree while I fish.

[boondox]

Cheap is good but I bought my dolly and think it's best investment I made when traveling in to remote ponds ...last thing I'd want is a problem with something I made 3 miles back up a mountain side...rather blame someone else as I b/t(h all the way out 

I bought mine to when cabelas ran them on sale for 29.99 the aluminum ones for canoe/kayaks...the reg price on this model was $79.99  two big bike tires and a kick stand.. any how totally worth owning a dolly like this if you lake hop from one lake down a beaver trail to another best way to haul the canoe if you ask me then I don't have to make two trips carrying by the thwart of the canoe then go back and get the rest of the gear I brought... but I thought this was to be a  post about stuff we made j/k... any how seen a few guys over the week end kayaking was waiting for the guy to tip In the cold water reaching for his rod...