Kayak rod storage, dealing with trees

[Bluebasser86]

The typical rod storage option in a kayak is to store them vertically, usually mounted to the crate or something behind the seat. My issue, Saturday I'm fishing in a tournament and both lakes have standing timber, one is a virtual maze of trees. A rod sticking in the air is just asking for a broken rod. I have a peddle yak so laying them in the bottom of the yak isn't an option, so anyone have any other good storage ideas? I could lay maybe 2 rods on the floor tops. I'm going to try to keep rods to a minimum, but no way I can get it down to just 2, especially having not been on either lake in months. I thought about laying them next to my box in back but then they'll be sticking well past the back of the kayak and that's not any better than pointing them into the air. I'm looking at trying to keep it to 4-6 rods if that makes a difference.  This video was filmed on one of them for an idea of what I'm trying to potentially navigate.

 

[TNBankFishing]

Beyond going to all sub 6 foot rods some part of them will be sticking out of the yak. I use 4 omega yak attack holders mounted directly behind my seat on each side. I keep the longer rods closest to the seat and angle them so the tips don’t extend past the end of my yak. While the stick up further than I’m tall I know the back of my yak will hit something before they do. It works for me, but ymmv. 

[TcRoc]

May not be a option for this weekend but check out Gatling rod holders. Their is a horizontal option and a 45*. The 45 they can bend to whatever angle you want. If u r coming up to  brush or tree u can swing the holder out of the way . Not perfect but gives the option of a angle of holder and option to swing them out of the way . If u call they will answer and be happy to talk you . Just a idea for you. I spoke with them last week and am going to give it a try. 

[Bankc]

My kayak has two "rod holders", which are basically just bungee straps, on the tops of the side walls.  They allow you to secure your rods to the sides of the kayak.  There's a lip there, and you have to bend the rod a bit so they don't stick out in the front. 

 

You can also store rods in the front hatch.  They go in reverse and the rods themselves go along the inside of the side walls in the hull.  It's a bit of a pain to do, especially if you have anything else in there, so I rarely use it.  

 

They do make horizontal rod holders.  You can look them up.  Some are basically what I mentioned at the top, only a little bit more refined.  Some are entire racks capable of holding multiple rods.  

 

I just stick mine straight up from the behind my seat.  Yes, they can still get caught in trees.  But, if I'm fishing in trees, I'm usually standing up anyway, so I can grab the branches and move either myself or the branches around so they don't cause an issue.  If I need to get underneath one, I'll usually pull them all out and lay them on the deck in front of me.  I don't own a pedal kayak (I use a trolling motor), but when I'm in that close with trees, I'm using my paddle anyway, as it's better for pushing off trees and navigating tight quarters.  

[JimT]

just caught this video on youtube and thought of this thread. maybe something like this guy's rod mount, he describes it at 8:45

 

 

 

[gim]

Yikes.  That is some gnarly habitat.

 

I don't yak fish but could you just navigate through areas without low hanging trees?  The boat in the initial video has found some open water.

[J Francho]

I'd cut that rod list to two, and look at two of the RAM rod holders that tilt. 

[flyfisher]

I have a similar situation pretty much every time out except I am fly fishing so anything high behind me will get snagged by my casting.  I have ram holders and lay them near horizontal facing backwards.i have a couple feet of each rod past the stern of my kayak but it really isn't too much of an issue.  I don't think you will grab as many behind you as you think unless you back into something and any that might grab would be easy to move out of the way as needed.

[michaelb]

Yes, one extra rod in a holder inline with the kayak and angled low but not hanging off the back. Don’t drift sideways into tight cover. 

[kjfishman]

I have adjustable rod holders that can hold the rods horizontally.  Only one up front but have room for another.

[CountryboyinDC]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I'd cut that rod list to two, and look at two of the RAM rod holders that tilt. 

I don't know exactly what you have in terms of rail to work with your particular kayak, but a lot of times if I'm expecting low branches or even a low bridge, I'll throw 3 Ram tubes/Ram tube Jr. on the rails around the tankwell, and I can have the rod tips as low as my seat.  I always put them on a tether when I do, though.  The Ram tube Jr. has a slot that the stem of a spinning reel will stay in pretty good, but I don't take any chances.

[Bubba 460]

 

A peacock kind of has the same problem as a kayakers with vertical rods. So this is how a peacock handles it when not in use. Your idea of laying the rods straight back might be the best option. 

[Bluebasser86]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I wish I could cut it down to 2 rods, but although it's small, this lake goes from 50' deep and very clear on the east end, to shallow and about a foot of visibility on the west end. There's also grass on the west end and not much on the east end. I put some rods in my kayak this morning and I think I've got a plan worked out. I can keep a few in the bottom next to my pedals, 1 in the rod holder that is the rod I'm currently using, and 2 in the backwards angling flush mount holders that I'll just have to keep an eye on while I'm out there. I'm going to look into some of the suggestions for horizontal rod mounts so I'll be prepared for future trips on timbered lakes. 

[Bass Junke]

Overhanging trees are my kryptonite. I carry 6 rods and all are sticking up at various angles. I have a Vibe sea ghost, 2 flush mount rod holders and four on my crate. I have thought about external adjustable holders that can be angled lower. Unfortunately that is just 4 more things that have to be added and removed each trip. 

 

I was fishing a section of the Charles river one day and I hooked into about a 2lb fish that immediately pulled my kayak under a tree to make matters worse I got the line just off of the tip of my rod hung in the same tree on a tiny branch that I can't quite reach without my rods bending from the overhang. Pulled the 5 rods behind me down and laid them on the deck, got under the tree, and got my line free. This took a couple, when I finally landed the fish he was just sitting on the side of my boat, probably tuckered out. A guy on a bass boat saw the whole show, asked later, he got a good laugh at my expense.

 

This is how Vibe will keep me in the family. Anybody look at the Shearwater? That boat has rod storage for 8 rods right out of the box. 4 flush mounts at different angles and 4 holders along the gunnels with tip protectors. 

[the reel ess]

I'd take the two I figure I'd need the most and keep them "on deck". I usually have two that way even when I carry 6 or 7. 

2 hours ago, Bass Junke said:

Overhanging trees are my kryptonite. I carry 6 rods and all are sticking up at various angles. I have a Vibe sea ghost, 2 flush mount rod holders and four on my crate. I have thought about external adjustable holders that can be angled lower. Unfortunately that is just 4 more things that have to be added and removed each trip. 

 

I was fishing a section of the Charles river one day and I hooked into about a 2lb fish that immediately pulled my kayak under a tree to make matters worse I got the line just off of the tip of my rod hung in the same tree on a tiny branch that I can't quite reach without my rods bending from the overhang. Pulled the 5 rods behind me down and laid them on the deck, got under the tree, and got my line free. This took a couple, when I finally landed the fish he was just sitting on the side of my boat, probably tuckered out. A guy on a bass boat saw the whole show, asked later, he got a good laugh at my expense.

 

This is how Vibe will keep me in the family. Anybody look at the Shearwater? That boat has rod storage for 8 rods right out of the box. 4 flush mounts at different angles and 4 holders along the gunnels with tip protectors. 

It happens. I caught a 7 pounder on a jig I skipped way under some brush. That fish came up between two limbs and I had to go get it. I had so many spiders on my kayak, I had to paddle back to the landing, get out and remove them one by one. But it was worth it.

[J Francho]

Spiders?

 

[TheBasslayer]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I'd take the two I figure I'd need the most and keep them "on deck". I usually have two that way even when I carry 6 or 7. 

It happens. I caught a 7 pounder on a jig I skipped way under some brush. That fish came up between two limbs and I had to go get it. I had so many spiders on my kayak, I had to paddle back to the landing, get out and remove them one by one. But it was worth it.

Last time I went kayaking with my friends, they hadn’t used their kayaks in a year and they are pretty scared of spiders. We hosed those kayaks down for at least 20 minutes!

[the reel ess]

2 hours ago, TheBasslayer said:

Last time I went kayaking with my friends, they hadn’t used their kayaks in a year and they are pretty scared of spiders. We hosed those kayaks down for at least 20 minutes!

My daughter went with me once and I was fishing. She started beating her kayak with her paddle. I said "are you trying to warn every fish in the lake?" She said "I had a daddy longlegs in my kayak".

[Bluebasser86]

8 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I'd take the two I figure I'd need the most and keep them "on deck". I usually have two that way even when I carry 6 or 7. 

It happens. I caught a 7 pounder on a jig I skipped way under some brush. That fish came up between two limbs and I had to go get it. I had so many spiders on my kayak, I had to paddle back to the landing, get out and remove them one by one. But it was worth it.

I did a quick run this morning to a local reservoir with quite a few trees to get an idea of how I was going to handle it Saturday. It was a good call because I got a bit of a feel for it a game plan for how I want to go about it now. In the process, I saw the biggest freaking fishing spider I've ever seen on the base of one tree. I thought it was a small bird running around the tree to hide from me at first, then realized it a just a chipmunk sized spider ? That sucker could have easily handled a 6-7 inch bass I'd bet.

[Bass Junke]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I did a quick run this morning to a local reservoir with quite a few trees to get an idea of how I was going to handle it Saturday. It was a good call because I got a bit of a feel for it a game plan for how I want to go about it now. In the process, I saw the biggest freaking fishing spider I've ever seen on the base of one tree. I thought it was a small bird running around the tree to hide from me at first, then realized it a just a chipmunk sized spider ? That sucker could have easily handled a 6-7 inch bass I'd bet.

If spiders that size ever fell into my kayak I might have to abandon ship. Yikes!

[Bubba 460]

16 hours ago, J Francho said:

Spiders?

 

 

There are things worse than spiders. In Vietnam there are hot humid jungles that grow things to crazy  proportions. Giant centipedes as seen in the photo. I walked into a spider web one day and there was a spider on it that covered my entire face! I about knocked myself out slapping that thing off ~I still get the wholly-buggers just thinking about it.  There was a "saying" in Nam that  Vietnam has over 100 species of snake that will poison you and the one snake that's not poisonous will crush you to death. Bees big enough to throw a saddle on. Scorpions out of a horror movie. Lizards as big as a juvenile alligator that would chase you and 18 foot long salt waters crocs, to name a few.

 

[J Francho]

Someone somewhere knows how to cook that thing up.

[Bubba 460]

29 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Someone somewhere knows how to cook that thing up.

 

29 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Someone somewhere knows how to cook that thing up.

 

 

 You bet ~ fried spider,  Mmmmm... Come get ya some!

[TnRiver46]

Just use a canoe instead!

[J Francho]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Just use a canoe instead!

Most kayak tournaments exclude canoes for some reason.  If Blue was closer I'd let him take my Commander for it, since it's more like a canoe than a kayak.