YFK-RIGGING

RIGGING 101

There's nothing really hard about rigging a fishing kayak. There's no one way to do it, because it's completely your design, your kayak with your fishing gear. Sure you can buy "fishing kayaks" off the shelf, but I'm not sure that's the way to go. I want a rod holder where it's comfortable for me. I want my gear onboard where I want it, not where somebody thinks it should be.

A big part of the fun is doing it. Make rigging your boat a part of your kayak fishing experience. It's not a hard to do, all you need are some basic shop tool skills, creativity and imagination. You don't necessarily need a kayak shop right around the corner. Stuff you can use is everywhere! Walk through the hardware store, the local Walmart, and even the dollar store thinking about it, you'll see. Things like "bungee cords", nylon hooks, tie wraps, will have a whole new context! Do some research, I've looked at thousand of pictures of rigged kayaks, and still do.

To help get your feet wet...here's a quick compilation of what I've done from what I've seen and learned.

	ANCHOR LINE- The anchor line runs through a brass clip that attaches it to the anchor rigging line. The anchor line is tied off to a cleat at the designated length when the anchor is overboard in the water.
	ANCHOR TROLLEY- With a pulley system attached to both the bow and stern (stern view not shown), the rigging allows the anchor to slide fore or aft, to effectively be able to turn the kayak 180 degrees without pulling the anchor. Pulleys are attached with shock cord to allow the rigging to flex, lowering tension on the actual anchor line.
	ROD HOLDER- The main rod holder, located at the front of the deck console.
	ROD HOLDER- The auxilary rod holder, used primarily as a trolling holder. Quick release lever gives it easy access.
	PADDLE KEEPER (empty)- -Shock cord, hook assembly. Stows the paddle out of the way on the side of the boat.
	PADDLE KEEPER- -This view shows the paddle stowed. Generally used for longer term paddle storage.
	CRATES- Two small crates fastened together gives a hinge effect, allowing it to conform to the natural curve of the boats rear deck. Rod tubes attached to the corners provide storage for unused poles. A cooler with easy access panel is connected to the front of the crate.
	DECK CONSOLE- The "dashboard" of the kayak. Attaches to the outside rim of the cockpit with a shock cord, which provides for an "easy off" in case of a wet entry! Waterproof and battery operated GPS & fish/depth finder are mounted on either side of the rod holder. The two tiered construction allows for maximum surface and storage area.
	TACKLE DRAWER (stowed)- Tackle box slides between tiers of the deck for fast accessible storage.
	TACKLE DRAWER- Tackle box slides out of the deck for fast accessible storage.
	PADDLE HOLDER- -Deck mounted paddle holder makes a great temporary place to stow the paddle while anchoring or changing gear.

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