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Rigging a SOT kayak for spearing

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R

R&R

New Member
Feb 16, 2011
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Just got a Ocean Kayaks Drifter for my b-day and am looking to outfit it specifically for spear fishing. Does anyone have any suggestions or pics on how to outfit my rig? I would like to have some kind of fish box or cooler that can hold 30 to 40 pounds of fish if such a thing exists. If it does could someone point me in the right direction. I love to see some pics of other peoples rigs. Any suggestions?
 
thanks, i'm gonna start out small, i'm more interested in cooled fish storage than anything else. Last year my buddies and I borrowed a kayak to use as kind of like a base that we tied to the wrecks marker bouy. It was nice to have somewhere out of the water that we could put the fish but we didnt keep them cool. We ended up putting them in the bow hatch with no ice. We removed all of the fish and even after we hosed the inside out really good it still stunk really bad. When we go out we usually shoot 25 to 30 pounds of fish between the three of us, mostly triggers. Do you know if there is some kind of insulated liner that could go inside the bow hatch? I would really like to avoid having a kayak that smells like dead fish. Any suggestions on how to make such a contraption? I really dont want the meat to spoil and get anyone sick because we are usually out there for an hour or two.
 
Do you have a problem with sharks (or seals) - if not then you could just put the fish on a stringer attached to the yak until you paddle in?

I've seen a few SOT cool bags, but not sure they would take 30lbs of fish?

I expect you could make a large cool-bag with cool blocks?
 
I'm on the east coast, and tiger sharks are known to patrol the area and i would realy like to avoid meeting one, that was the whole reason for the kayak. I would love to fit a 28 quart cooler on this rig but not sure if i could, and if i could not sure what it would do to the bouyancy and stability of the kayak.
 
Check these fish bags out. A little pricey but well worth it. And with a little 3M marine adhesive on the zipper(at base of triangle) they are water tight and will keep your fish cold all day. Plus the larger model holds about 80-120lbs of fish...depending on the type of fish maybe more.

Fishbag Large (Scupper) 5' V

Fishbag Small (Explorer) 3' V

I have had one of the larger bags for years and love it. If you like them call the Waikiki location and ask for John...dude is super helpful and could also set you up with rigging options for your kayak.

Riley
 
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Heres a picture of my setup. Ive kept it as simple as I can and it takes no time at all to setup. Vhf, food, gps and spare water are in the hatch. I tend to beach the kayak on long journys when I take a break so no problem with access.




This year I want to try a soft coolerbox that I can fit inside the hatch, take a small cutting board and a filleting knife so I can fillet the fish before storing them in the cooler.

a kayak trolley is a great buy if the launch site is no where near a slipway or car park, it takes a lot of the strain out of humping your gear up and down the beach



 
Nice Job Scott!
I see that C-Tug have brought new wheels for their trolley; the new wheels are solid, so no more corroding valves! looks good.
 
Reactions: scottwilson
Cheers Jonny.

Do you use the c-tug? are they any good? I bought this one from a local surf shop a few years ago



I cant remember the model but its done the trick so far. I left it in storage last year and a few of the bolts have rusted and need changing but otherwise good
 
I use the c-tug Scott, as I kept having problems with those trolleys as they kept buckling. The c-tug is pretty indestructible but the size of it makes it an absolute pain. The majority of the time I just carry it back to the car!
 
Bloody hell Dave that must be one hell of a load!!!! Can you not tie the c-tug on the back instead of taking it back to the car?
 
I use C Tug. The valves do rust!, so worth changing tubes every couple of years. Go to your tyre shop, fraction of price.

Trolley adjustable for both my yaks. It does break down easily. Even the large part splits into two if snapped over the knee, so stores inside a medium hatch. I usually just bungee it on deck.

I have never liked the scupper hole trolleys. My concern is if you did get jammed between rocks, it could put some force on the scupper holes.
 
I don't think it is the load, it is the terrain where I launch that causes the problems with the metal framed trolleys hah!

It does break down but it still comprises such a large volume to fit into the yak! I just fell sold-out carrying excess weight so I just walk it back to the car with it.
 
I do use the C-tug and have had lots of problems with corroded valves. But i couldnt do without the trolley.
edit: I got a price for the new trolley: £100 (ex vat, incl. shipping), the new wheels are due into Europe in April.

Next year i'm hoping to build a lighter cross between a SOT and a SUP board; 15kg target weight...
SUP is brilliant for spearo use too
Not sure if i posted these before:
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Could not agree more Pav, ive read a few stories now where the scupper holes have cracked inside from the force of those trollies.



We opening a kayak diving section soon :friday:friday Heres the sections Ive come up with so far.

1) General chat

2) Dive reports (international)

3) Rigging your kayak

4) Gear reviews

5) Kayak fishing


Any thoughts on adding/removing any sections?
 
Have you had a look on the anglersafloat forum, loads of tips and great photos for ideas
 
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