Question for all regarding Sit Inside Fishing Kayaks

Post by **jem** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:28 am

Lately I've been wondering about the ideal set up to fish from a sit inside kayak over even a small decked canoe. The question came up about using a milk crate for storing misc items.

In sit-on-top kayaks, it's popular to have a milk crate with various item strapped to the tankwell behind the paddler. I've seen only one sit-insde style kayak that tried to use that concept and that was the Stingray from Liquid Logic.

You can see they molded in some cup and rod holders. It looks like the holders might be a bit shallow to hold a rod but let's just say the area behind the seat works.

So we say it works, but is it practical for a sit inside type boat? Would having a milk crate instead of molded in storage be better? Is there any advantage to having an open area behind the seat that is not under the deck?

Biggest reason to have it, as I see it, is you might have loose items that you'd want access to while you're on the water that you'd like to be able just to toss in a crate and not strap down.

But then again, not having something secured in any paddled boat is an invitation to lose them.

So what say you all? Good idea? Bad idea? I've posted this in many message boards around the net. Good arguments for an against so far.

Let's here from everyone...members, guests, lurkers, etc.

Oldsparkey · Post by **Oldsparkey** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:52 am

Personally when paddling a kayak it is my preference to have everything inside out of the weather , safe and secure. Besides it offerers a lower center of gravity then something ( a box ) sitting up on the deck which raises your center of gravity , wind resistance and could get in the way or lost if you are not careful.

On the deck I do like to keep a spray skirt , rain outfit , extra paddles and the bow or stern lines all under bunji cords and secured the best that they can be.

One exception...... If any jet skies are in the area I would not object to a 50 cal , machine gun on the forward deck.

Chuck.

Post by **jem** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:07 pm

Well I'm wondering if there was an advantage to having the cockpit opening lengthened aft, enough room to store things behind your seat like the liquid logic boat.

Oldsparkey · Post by **Oldsparkey** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:31 pm

For me .... I would rather see the cockpit open up more then stacking things up on the deck. Or a recessed area to drop something in and have it flush or almost flush with the deck then sitting up on the top of it.

If you capsize in a kayak one way to get back in it is to get up on the back deck and scooch forward till you can get into the cockpit area. Anything in the way is going to impede your progress.

Chuck.

Kayak Jack · Post by **Kayak Jack** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:18 pm

Matt,

I'm no fisherman, but I can lose things in a kayak with great aplomb. When I looked at the molded rod holders, and read your comment about may too shallow, I had a thought.

"If I dropped something down in there that I needed, (sinker, hook, some other small fishing bauble, contact lens, etc.) I'd play hell getting it back out."

There should be no traps for small items in the scheme of containerization.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:43 am

Heya Matt,

I am a fanatic fisherman and for years have been searching for the perfect (for me) fishing kayak/canoe.

Here are my thoughts on the tankwell set up on the run of the mill fishng SOTS. THEY ARE ALLMOST BLOODY USELESS. I believe they are there because unlike a sit inside - proper kayak/canoe, there is nowhere to put stuff that the fisherman wants to quickly and easily access while on the water. They raise the centre of gravity and make the boat less stable and I believe the mass kayak manufacturers have deluded the market into thinking that a sot is the supreme fishing kayak. what utter BS. I would back my wadefish against just about any mass-pruduced sot on the market for performance and rough water capability as well as fishability but it doesn't hold a candle to the South Wind IMHO in the things that matter to me as a kayak fisherman. (much more on this in my review to come shortly)

In short, an open space behind the paddler is absolutely brilliant for storing things like a cooler, tackle box, live bait tank etc, and still keep the COG low. Rod holders can be mounted in front of the paddler with no impediment on paddling.

I think the BS tankwell thing on the piccy you showed is just another ploy by a mass kayak manufacturer to try to mak a sit inside boat appeal to those who might be considering a SOT.

About the only place a SOT might be superior to a conventional hulled SIK is in the surf. With most of the plastic jobs even that is in doubt in my mind.

A very good, true kayak is a far better option for fishing in most conditions.IMHO.

Momo · Post by **Momo** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:33 pm

Up until just recently I've done nothing but fish from kayaks.
I've owned Malibu Kayaks XFactor and Perception Bimini.
Both of them served me very well fishing the waters around W. Central Fl. either inshore or farther from the sands edge. I've fished around the "dolphin islands" the bumper islands around the Sunshine Skyway, almost 5 miles across open water in the middle of Tampa's major shipping channel.
In both of them I had a milkcrate for storage.
Unless you are a minimalist fisherperson, they are almost a necessity.
Each is a personal work of art.
Setting it up for YOU and YOUR needs is 9/10ths of the fun.
Put together incorectly, it's a nightmare. You can't get to anything and hang up everytime you reach for it.
Buuuuuuuuuut....
When it clicks, it clicks and you wonder how you did without one.
The lil space behind the seat??
I'm with Mick, just there for pretty.
Momo
I'll look to see if I have any piccies( cool word, Mick) of mine and post them.
As far as losing your stuff, kayakfisherpeople that fish ruff water have recipies for homemade "leashes".
1 part phone cord
2 parts copper grommet
2 parts velcro or snap clips
------------
Momo

gken · Post by **gken** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:44 pm

I am not pro at building or paddling, but it looks to me like the behind the seat storage would be hard to reach. I dont think I would use the space for anything I needed to be able to get to in a pinch. Maybe you experienced paddlers out there are more stable on the water then me, but turning around the dig something out of a milk crate seems unneccesarily risky. I would rather have some sort of saddle bags in front of me. If you are looking for an idea to cater to the fishing crowd, try incorperating some of those clear plastic tackle boxes into the sides of the cockpit or somewhere else easy to get to. Just my $0.02. --Garrett

Momo · Post by **Momo** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:13 pm

Your right gken, it does look ungainly.
But once your butt gets a feel for your boat, surprising things can be done afloat.
I had something like what you are speaking of.
I had one of the "Mad Fish" carriers that held 3 clamshell tackle boxes velcro strapped to my Scotty rod extension.
Worked great, as you hypothesized.

Momo

Oldsparkey · Post by **Oldsparkey** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:25 am

For the life of me I can't find it but in one of the posts ( On SP ) there is a picture of a kayak a person made and he installed cabinets (for a better word) on each inside portion of the cockpit.

This is where he keeps his fishing gear , right next to him , built into the boat.

Chuck