Accessorizing Your Kayak
So, you have your kayak. Now, you have to get all of the fun and necessary accessories to make your trips out on the water some of the best experiences you will have. We’ve already covered the basics, but there are a few other must-haves if you plan on using it strictly for fishing.
The first essential accessory to consider besides the kayak itself is a life vest. There are plenty of vests to choose from. Kayak-specific vests offer a mesh or open back and are typically low profile, but are still Coast Guard approved. A great basic life vest is the Universal Kayak Vest. If you plan on using your vest other than kayaking, Onyx offers other vests that are more universal for all sorts of application.
The next crucial item is a paddle. Just like vests, paddles come in all sizes and materials such as aluminum, fiberglass and carbon fiber shafts. The blade of the paddles are typically constructed of a basic plastic or a good quality polymer. The YakGear and Bending Branches paddles offer all different shaft materials that are designed for beginners and more advanced kayakers.
Kayak rigging, or “deck rigging”, is a great way to optimize your kayak for storage that fits your specific needs. With YakGear’s Bungee Deck Kit or the use of YakGear’s Replacement Bungee, Pad Eye Kit and the YakGear Kayak Angler Crate Kit, you have the ability to customize your kayak with the way you want to hold and store your gear. The possibilities are endless!
When utilizing your kayak for fishing applications, you’re going to need a place to set any extra rods and reels aside and out of the way. There are all sorts of rod holders offered on the market. YakAttack, YakGear, RailBlaza and Scotty all offer different variations, whether you prefer a flush mount, a tube or just a basic rod holder that can be mounted on the deck of your kayak or with a track system.
Speaking of track systems, some accessories require a track, like YakAttack’s GT90 GearTrac or GTTL90 Top-Loading GearTrac, in order to mount them onto your kayak. Track systems come in different lengths and offer the ability to set up your kayak the way you prefer and add other accessories, like YakAttack’s MultiMount Cup Holder, Retractors or the VISIPole II.
This might seem like a lot of information to process, but the key idea to take away is that kayaks can be customized and utilized to fit every single one of your needs. The biggest thing to remember when mounting accessories is to plan your kayak’s layout before you drill any holes. It’s easy to drill them, but not so easy to fill them in.