Securing rods for surf exits

I've been thinking about surf exits with gear onboard. I want to take less gear (ditch the milk crate to lower my center of gravity for paddle work) & cypher a way to secure my rods along the side of my kayak in case of huli. I've got an idea, but would welcome other ideas before I start poking holes.

I worked on a solution for a while, to get the rods out of the way, and parallel with the kayak, in case I rolled in the surf.  What I did, was purchase two light weight tie down straps, 1/2 inch wide by 2ft long.  I ran each through a nylon pad eye, one at my side, and the other about 18 inches behind it, but still within reach.  I made a loop of the tie down and tied a knot at the ends so they couldn't pull out, and this way I could synch down the tie down with one hand, while the other hand holds the rods.

How it works:  First strap the rods together with rod straps. Next, run the tips through the rear tie down. next, put the rod butts through the front tie down.  Synch them both down.  The reels are out of the way from paddling, the rod tips are facing back behind and parallel to the kayak and completely out of the way.   I also tie down the rods on the right side because on the Hobie's the rudder swings up from the left and would hit the rods.

The attached pic isn't great, but you can see the rods tied down coming out of PC, I think I have 3 or 4 rods tied together.

IT seems to work for me and the rods are secure.  Lastly, always remove any hooks before wrapping up the rods.  All of my rods are swivels only going in and out of the surf.

I worked on a solution for a while, to get the rods out of the way, and parallel with the kayak, in case I rolled in the surf.  What I did, was purchase two light weight tie down straps, 1/2 inch wide by 2ft long.  I ran each through a nylon pad eye, one at my side, and the other about 18 inches behind it, but still within reach.  I made a loop of the tie down and tied a knot at the ends so they couldn't pull out, and this way I could synch down the tie down with one hand, while the other hand holds the rods.

How it works:  First strap the rods together with rod straps. Next, run the tips through the rear tie down. next, put the rod butts through the front tie down.  Synch them both down.  The reels are out of the way from paddling, the rod tips are facing back behind and parallel to the kayak and completely out of the way.   I also tie down the rods on the right side because on the Hobie's the rudder swings up from the left and would hit the rods.

The attached pic isn't great, but you can see the rods tied down coming out of PC, I think I have 3 or 4 rods tied together.

IT seems to work for me and the rods are secure.  Lastly, always remove any hooks before wrapping up the rods.  All of my rods are swivels only going in and out of the surf.

Thanks, I like it. When you've got the time for another pic, I'd like to get a better look at the nylon eyes & how they're fastened to your yak.

The nylon pad eyes are great, and come in a 5-6 pak.  If I can reach the area from the inside, I use stainless steel screws and rubber washers and lock nuts.  If I can't reach underneath, I use long aluminum rivets and silicone.  I've mounted a handful of pad eyes around the sides of my kayak for tying down anything from crab pots on the bow, to hooking on rod or tool leashes, scent bottles, or anything that I want to keep for that matter.

The nylon pad eyes are great, and come in a 5-6 pak.  If I can reach the area from the inside, I use stainless steel screws and rubber washers and lock nuts.  If I can't reach underneath, I use long aluminum rivets and silicone.  I've mounted a handful of pad eyes around the sides of my kayak for tying down anything from crab pots on the bow, to hooking on rod or tool leashes, scent bottles, or anything that I want to keep for that matter.

Where did you get the pad eyes?

Pull the rudder grab your paddle and leash the rods in the paddle keeper.  I have always put them in the hull before but Jim at santa cruz kayaks put them in the paddle keeper and put on a tip protector on a recent build that is pretty sweet.  You could use pad eyes, leashes and a small piece of tubing or rubber type material to protect the eyes on your rod to do the same thing on about any boat.

Check this video starting at 4:30.  I think it should auto play from that point.

https://youtu.be/iMirEWrCGL8?t=4m32s

Pull the rudder grab your paddle and leash the rods in the paddle keeper.  I have always put them in the hull before but Jim at santa cruz kayaks put them in the paddle keeper and put on a tip protector on a recent build that is pretty sweet.  You could use pad eyes, leashes and a small piece of tubing or rubber type material to protect the eyes on your rod to do the same thing on about any boat.

Check this video starting at 4:30.  I think it should auto play from that point.

https://youtu.be/iMirEWrCGL8?t=4m32s

That's along the lines I was thinking of. I also like the way Cosmo has the rod tips facing backwards. I'll have to figure which direction will work best on my old Cobra F&D. Good info, thanks (hope I win that Raptor G2)!

Hobie makes a horizontal rod holder.  $27.  A triangular rubber pocket piece mounts to the front with 3 screws.  You can install the rear piece to hold the back end of the rod or just use your paddle keeper. 



I remove reels and stow them before landing.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I wonder if that back clamp would hold more than 1 rod? It looks like it might. I usually have at least 2 rods with me. I wonder if that back clamp would hold more than 1 rod? It looks like it might. I have rod clamps on my conventional reels, so I'd probably leave the reels on.

Pull the rudder grab your paddle and leash the rods in the paddle keeper.  I have always put them in the hull before but Jim at santa cruz kayaks put them in the paddle keeper and put on a tip protector on a recent build that is pretty sweet.  You could use pad eyes, leashes and a small piece of tubing or rubber type material to protect the eyes on your rod to do the same thing on about any boat.

This is how I strap down my fly rods - using the paddle holder bungee.  I just added a PVC union near the bow so I can slide rod tips into it - one pad eye and a bungee cord holds that in place.  Works fine for fly rods between 8'6" and 10'.  Easy to do and you can get the rods secured in a hurry.

I copied the PVC for the rod tips from surfs12foot, although his is more elaborate than mine.

Lots of folks have had problems with Hobie's rod holder kit - the rubber strap seems to break easily.  It's been mentioned here and a lot more often in the Hobiecat forums.

Because of the shape of the Trident's hull, I added two pad eyes and ran a bungee with a ball on it between them to hold the rod butts, plus the PVC union for the rod tips.

When thinking about in which direction you want the rods pointing when strapped in, I figured the kayak was just as likely to come in stern first if I crash landed as bow first and decided it was better to see that I had the rod tips in the PVC and mounted it up towards the bow.

I order pad eyes from Amazon or Next Adventure.  Or you could get some down at Waxer's since it's nearby.  I usually buy them with a name I know on them, like Native Watercraft or Malibu Kayaks.  No idea if they come from the same plant as "Happy Sunrise Pad Eyes" but it's what I do.  Then again, I also buy miraculous crap as seen on TV if it claims to be made in the USA...   

I used a hunk of 1/4 inch HDPE carving board from Wal-Mart as a backing plate for the pad eyes on the Trident.  Probably over-kill but the bungee puts lateral tension on the pad eyes and I over-think everything.

I really like the rod tip protector pieces for the Hobie horizontal rod holder kits.  The rubber strap, eh, not so much.  I mean, it works, but I've had them break on me before.  I just installed the rod tip protector pieces and installed my own bungee straps to hold the butts. 

When I first go the Revo, I would remove the reel and toss into dry bag and into the center hatch.
Then tuck the rod tip under the rear bungies and the thicker area near the butt into the paddle keeper.
This worked just fine. 

Now, I just put my rods and EVERYTHING else inside the kayak. Rods slide right in through the front hatch along side the Mirage drive.  I do this going through the surf both directions.  It's habit now, and probably couldn't get myself to switch back.

When I first go the Revo, I would remove the reel and toss into dry bag and into the center hatch.
Then tuck the rod tip under the rear bungies and the thicker area near the butt into the paddle keeper.
This worked just fine. 

Now, I just put my rods and EVERYTHING else inside the kayak. Rods slide right in through the front hatch along side the Mirage drive.  I do this going through the surf both directions.  It's habit now, and probably couldn't get myself to switch back.

This is probably a stupid question, but how do you get your rods in and out of the front hatch?  Are you scooting up as close as you can to the hatch and opening it on the water, or are you using the assistance of a buddy to load/unload?

When I first go the Revo, I would remove the reel and toss into dry bag and into the center hatch.
Then tuck the rod tip under the rear bungies and the thicker area near the butt into the paddle keeper.
This worked just fine. 

Now, I just put my rods and EVERYTHING else inside the kayak. Rods slide right in through the front hatch along side the Mirage drive.  I do this going through the surf both directions.  It's habit now, and probably couldn't get myself to switch back.

This is probably a stupid question, but how do you get your rods in and out of the front hatch?  Are you scooting up as close as you can to the hatch and opening it on the water, or are you using the assistance of a buddy to load/unload?

I scoot up and open the forward hatch plenty while out on the ocean while in my Revo 13.  You certainly need to be careful and mindful of what the wind chop is doing so as to avoid getting a bunch of water in the hatch, but it isn't too bad in my experience.  I typically store my catch bag in the front hatch while targeting bottomfish.  Some rods, but not all, can slide in the front hatch of a Revo.  The easiest ones are those that break down into at least two pieces.  I have broken the top few inches off a rod while trying to force it in though.  It's easiest to have someone help you, but I typically do it myself.

When I first go the Revo, I would remove the reel and toss into dry bag and into the center hatch.
Then tuck the rod tip under the rear bungies and the thicker area near the butt into the paddle keeper.
This worked just fine. 

Now, I just put my rods and EVERYTHING else inside the kayak. Rods slide right in through the front hatch along side the Mirage drive.  I do this going through the surf both directions.  It's habit now, and probably couldn't get myself to switch back.

This is probably a stupid question, but how do you get your rods in and out of the front hatch?  Are you scooting up as close as you can to the hatch and opening it on the water, or are you using the assistance of a buddy to load/unload?

Not a stupid question at all.

I scoot forward all the way up till I can rest up against the drive pedals.  Lean forward, flip the lid open and either retrieve or store my rods.  I don't fish with really long rods so that makes it a bit easier to work with than longer ones.  My longest ocean rods are 6'6" and one of those can be broken down, although I don't bother to.  I keep my soft side catch bag in the tank well secured really well to the kayak, and it is big enough to store my rod holders, bonker,  fish finder, measuring device, game clips, Barbie rod and any other topside gear I need while going out through the surf.  Coming back in, I can usually get most of that stuff to fit in the bag with a load of fish. Anything else that can't fit in the bag, just gets tossed into the hull and cleaned out once I'm back on land.

If the water is rough that day, my fishing buddy and I will take turns holding the other guys kayak still so they can get rods in or out. 

Practicing on a lake near shore would be a good idea to get a feel for stability and if your arms are long enough.

Opening the front hatch on the water in my 16 is a dicey proposition. I'm jealous of you guys that have 13s! 


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