Rigging The Reload
Part of the fun of getting a new kayak is performing the custom rigging. Personalizing the kayak to suit your style of fishing is an exciting time. With a couple of year of experience with my old kayak, I looked forward to outfitting the Reload to make fishing from it a pleasurable and convenient experience. Prior to buying this kayak, I spent countless hours blueprinting my rigging ideas in my head. After a trip or two on the water, I was ready to install my rigging components.
The first items I installed were two Scotty Compact Threaded Deck mounts. These bases serve well in tight locations for the mounting of many different items. I like to use them for small items such as fish finders, lights, and camera mounts. Positioned in the fore portion of my cockpit, I intend to use these bases for my camera mounts. One on each side allows for different camera angles. When not in use, they sit flush and don't take up much space. Installation requires a 1.25" hole-saw bit, and a couple of smaller holes as well. Fairly simple to install. I used a bit of "Goop!" sealant to ensure a watertight seal.
The Tackle Pod makes for a convenient, modular system of loading and unloading. To take full advantage of this, I definitely had the plan to mount various accessories directly to the Tackle Pod. For starters, I mounted a YakAttack GearTrac. The most durable of their mounts, I mounted the 8" GT175. This metal mount is secured with eight screws. I also added a backing plate to the underside of the mount. The backing plate increases the surface area of the mounting points, making it more durable. Each screw requires a small pilot hole (drill bit is included with the GearTrac). I added Goop! sealant to the threads of each screw to ensure a watertight seal.
The plan has been to use the GearTrac to mount rod holders. The rod holders at this location will be primarily used for trolling. This position allows the rod holders to remain in my field of view, while not interfering with my paddle strokes. Attached to my GearTrac are two Scotty Gear Head Track Adapters. These adapters allow me to easily use Scotty mounts in conjunction with the Gear Trac. For the actual rod holders, I went with two Scotty Rod Master II 350 rod holders. These rod holders are not ones that "lock" the rod into place; they are basically 10" tube-style holders. I wanted these specific rod holders because they easily allow me to remove the rod from the holder when a fish strikes. I did not want to have to have to worry about unlocking the rod prior to engaging a fish.
Because the rod holders do not lock the rods in securely, I decided to tether the rods. The purpose is to keep the rod attached to the kayak in the event of a "turtle"/flip. They also will serve to keep me from accidentally dropping the rods overboard. I've had this happen before due to my own carelessness. Not fun losing gear when its preventable.
I wanted to achieve a neat and tidy solution for tethering my rods. I absolutely wanted to avoid unsightly cables and cords dangling about. I opted to try out the T-Reign retractor tethers, purchased from YakAttack. These units come with the flexibility to be mounted in a couple of different fashions. I opted to the convenient GearTrac mounting option.
The kevlar cord has a static strength rated at 53lbs. The end fittings (where I attach it to my rods) has a static force rating of 23lbs. This is more than sufficient to hold my heaviest of rods combos in the event of a flip/rollover. The cord has a length of 36". This is enough for me to reel in a fish with the cord still attached...should I choose to do so.
There have been some questions raised about the durability of this particular combination of rod holder/gear trac adapter/tether. Knowing my style of fishing, and my target species, I am confident that this combination will suit me just fine. I don't think anyone has used this particular combination of products in this manner, so I understand the skepticism. If things don't work out for whatever reason, I'll be sure to report and readjust.
Note: I've been fishing with this configuration twice. So far, so good.The rod tip and the drag of the reels work in conjunction to absorb impact quite nicely. I have also used this configuration for bottom fishing. The slip discs allow me to easily adjust the angle of the rods. For trolling, they are almost vertical.
I needed to install my side-mounted rod holders. In New Zealand, the gunwale flush mounts come standard on the kayak. For the vessels imported to the United States, they do not come pre-installed (yet the kayak has the molded impression for the installation). Typical flush mount, nothing special about them. The location allows for a convenient place to store your rod after landing a fish. My other kayak doesn't have these mounts...I am glad to have them installed on my Reload.
I am debating on installing a few more of these rod holders in the area behind my seat as well. They are useful for storage during transport at this location...thats how I have them rigged on my other kayak. But my seat is equipped with rod holders already. I may just stick with those opposed to drilling unnecessary holes in my kayak. We'll see.\
I still have to install my fish finder on my Reload. I have a Humminbird 386ciDI that I plan on using. The plan is to have a transducer mounted permanently to the Tackle Pod, retaining the ability to readily swap the head unit between my two kayaks. Soon enough...