Rigging a SINK (sit-in-kayak) for fishing

alright, to start with, we are new to kayaks in general, although we have had a couple boats before. i don't know how we got interested in kayaks, maybe it was how i was telling my family about my canoe trips at summer gym. anyway, what's appealing about a kayak is that you need no trailer, and they are relatively cheap, and require no work. i didn't know you could fish out of them as well, most kayaks in the stores are the sinks (sit-in-kayak) style, for recreational use. the best kayaks for fishing though are the sot's (sit-on-top) kayaks. sot's are more stable, but less manuverable... they are super stable, most people will tell you they're impossible to tip. anyway, they are much more expensive. a good sot will be over $800, but you get tons more storage and things. anyway, the sink's that we got where cheap. we got them on sale at dicks sporting goods. i got a "kayak by quest" for $229, and my dad got a future beach- trophy 126 dlx for $299. his was already rigged for fishing.

the main purpose of this review is to share my rig, and hopefully give other's idea's on how to rig their sit in kayaks for fishing. i'm 15, 5'6- 110lbs, and my kayak suites me well. they're durable too. i wasn't looking for much other than something that floats and is some what stable. my dad though, got a better yak that tracks better and is more stable. but im still happy with mine.

i'd recomend you sit in the kayak before purchasing, test it out. we took ours out, making sure we didn't scratch them so if we needed to we could return them. my dad did that, started with an old town vapor 10, but ended up with the future beach 126 dlx.



please check out my "how to make a fishing lure with office materials in under 5 minutes"

thanks!

Step 1 The front of the kayak

i added a 5 foot rope to the front with a snap-hook and i snap it to the carry handle. this works best for tie-ing it to shore.

since im short, i adjusted my foot pedals accordingly, and i shove my tackle box up against the front. it's really easy to slide it back when i need it.

i also added some zip-ties to the elastic holes... just in case i want to tie something down i can

Comments

[keelytm]

So, I just want to make sure I understand; these instructions are to help turn a sit-in-kayak into something more suited for fishing, right? Does it increase the stability, or anything? I have a SINK that I am hoping to take on a fishing trip in a couple of months, and I want to make it a little bit more stable. I already have all my other gear bought and ready, including one of the best fish finders, but I'm a little worried about how my kayak will hold up.

[Bruce1212]

I have been fishing in the best kayaks, and I found that no matter how good the kayak is, it doesn't improve my fishing!

[eranox]

I really like your set-up! I have a Future Beach Trophy 126 DLX also, and it's by far the best kayak I've ever used. I rigged mine in a similar way to yours, but used bungee-down paddle/rod holders instead of the coat hanger things. Yours seems more convenient, and cheaper in any case.

I have to disagree about sit-ons being more stable, though. As your center of gravity is higher, they're more prone to tip. I can tilt my SINK until water pours into the cockpit without it tipping! I've stood up in it also, although that's a recipe for eventual disaster in almost any kayak.

I really like the accessory box with the pocket knife that you added--I'm going to have to install one! I'm thinking about adding a milk crate to the front of mine also, but that's bait bucket territory for now.

If you ever fish in moving water, you might consider installing an anchor trolley. It's a system that allows you to move the anchor point to the front or back of the 'yak to orient yourself upstream or downstream depending on where you want to fish. I find it helps me stay put on windy days, also. You can Google them to get the general idea. A couple of U-bolts, three metal rings, and some cheap rope will put you in business.

I'd have to say that my favorite thing on my fishing kayak is one of the most obvious, though: my stringer. I have a chain stringer (with individual snaps on it) so that I can selectively keep fish or let them go without having to unstring all the fish. The stringer snaps to my bungee, and then I use the two hooks on the end to hold my minnow net and my bait bucket respectively. At two bucks, it's still the one modification/accessory I'd keep if I could choose just one.

[zigzagchris]

for good measures you might waant a paddle leash. Iv been paddling and fishing alot this summer and i hope to combine it this week

[proxfire]

Thank you! I've been looking into doing some kayak fishing. Funny, i've got the same one at home.

[Dan2U]

This was a good start, you will find there are many ways to mount a crate on a Kayak, just get started and think outside the box.
SINK or SOT, these are simply abbreviations, SOT you sit on top SINK, you sit inside. I have an Old Town 12' dirigo 120, it is a sink, doesn't mean it will sink!!  There are air pockets built in to prevent that. SOT's are slower and more difficult to maneuver than SINK's But are a little more stable..

[bicycleflyer]

I am curious, why not mount the PVC on the outside of the milk crate? This would free up some inside space. I did this with my crate and it works good. I gave each tube a slight angle (away from each other).

[247]

that's a good idea, but it's the only reason i have my crate. i can put stuff inside the crate, but i have to beach it to get it out.

[willgalvin]

does anyone know what kind of kayak the green and yellow ones are ?

[247]

are you asking about the ones in the photo? my kayak is a "kayak by quest", doesn't have a model. my dad's is a future beach 126 trophy dlx

[rock climber]

I need to try this.

[dimtick]

great idea! I recommend adding string ties to all your loose items like the fishing poles, pocket knife, tool kits, etc so that if they get dropped overboard you can easily retrieve them.

[LuminousObject]

I've never tried fishing from a kayak, but I've seen a lot of people doing that. Do you have any idea what makes the SOT kayaks more stable?

[shantinath1000]

Sots typically are built with float chambers towards the sides like sponsons. This puts a lot of flotation on the outer edge and makes pushing that edge down difficult.

[247]

not sure, sit on tops are much better for fishing. the guy that we saw at the lake said he could swing his legs over the side and even stood up in it before... they are unsinkable, plus some models have storage inside the kayak, for tackle and what not. if you think about it, even though it's a 1 man ride, you can have a pretty nice rig and take it anywhere compared to a boat that costs alot now days.

[jackbomber]

sitting in rather than on the kayak allows your center of gravity to be lower. I have a sit on top kind that's pretty stable as well though rigged with a fish finder and a trolling motor. fishing out of a kayak is a blast. nice instructible

[LuminousObject]

Ah. That makes sense.

[mdlmusic]

I bought a Sevylor Tahiti inflatable kayak a year and a half ago at the local swap meet for $20. I've had it on the lake about 50 times since then. I haven't tried fishing from it yet, but I plan to start as soon as I buy a license. I made collapsible paddles, a strap-on skeg/keel, and a small sail from PVC tubing and other scrap materials. The kayak handles like a dream and folds up into a 2'X3' package. Best investment I ever made.

[bounty1012]

XD I dont think I wanna be out on the water in something named SINK.