heavy stuff or How much does your gear weigh?

I've found myself prepping to fish at some odd hours, often times my thought process is not working optimally during these late/early hours. To reduce the probability of forgetting a crucial piece of gear I thought I would put together a checklist. I started listing all the gear I carry and putting it in a pile. When I finished I was really surprised at how much crap I paddle around with.

The other day Daltontribe was discussing one of the lesser-known brands of kayaks. I looked at that manufacturers website and the specified weight capacity of the kayak was 75 pounds less than mine. Curiosity got me wondering about how much all my gear weighs? I weighed an empty action packer, and filled it up with everything but my kayak seat.

40 POUNDS!!! of gear.

With frozen bait, extra water, lunch, a crab ring, wet burlap etc.
I could be pushing close to 60 lbs. Good thing I don't have a downrigger!


my list:

2 rods & reels
2 rod holders
1 safety flag
1 paddle 2 pc
1 paddle 4 pc
1 gaff
1 utility belt
1 bait knife
1 pliers
1 bonker
1 VHF Radio
1 Burlap Bag 
1 PFD w/spare pliers, rescue knife, swivels & split rings
1 game clip
1 liter water bottle full
1 first aid kit
6 to 8 Spare Jigs & Shrimp Flys
1 crash helmet (beach launch only)
misc - leader, sunscreen, scents, drybag, licenses

I've always felt I have too much crap and have to make too many trips back and forth rigging the yak before launch.  Then again, a powerboater would just have it in the boat already.  Now my load out will vary depending on the target fishery, but here are my standards:

2 rods & reels
2 rod holders
Paddle with Leash
Phone in Pelican Case
Knife (x3)
Pliers
Bonker (only used with extra pissy fish)
Gripper/Weigher
Katch kooler if it's hot
PFD with camera in pocket
Game Clip
1 Liter Nalgene
Bag with wallet, keys, gun, fleece jacket, power bars and assorted other snacks
Fish Finder and Battery
GPS
Hawg Trough (which gets forgotten in the car all the freakin' time!!!!)
Wheeleeze and strap
*Tackle

*Tackle could be just my little red bag, or include downrigger with 4/6 lb ball, A tote full of jig heads, and a tackle box with all sorts of lake gear.

Of course I carry too much stuff.  But I've got it down to a science and can pull up and be launching in <15 minutes.

Sometimes it is an rewarding experience just to take one rod and lure and nothing else.  Try it a few times!!!  

-Allen

I know for a fact I carry too much stuff... especially considering I only use a small percentage of it when I'm on the water.  What I bring greatly depends on if I'm in the salt or fresh.  Here's what goes on the water with me regardless:

*Seat w/ attached bag full of snacks, knife and random stuff
*Fishing rod(s) [may bring one or as many as four]
*Tackle [could be a single plano box w/ jigs or an entire milk crate full]
*Depthfinder
*8a gel battery in pelican case
*Insulated Deckbag
*Hawg trough
*Net
*Safety flag/light combo
*Plano marine box w/ first aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray, maps, bungies, safety horn, cart strap(s), tide chart, last minute stuff
*Lip grippers
*.5gal Igloo water jug
*PFD w/ VHF, GPS, & knife
*Scotty watertight "cup" w/ keys, cellphone, and wallet
*Wheel-Eez cart

I may have understated my estimated weight

Had this conversation on TX kayak fishing...

For me it really depends.  Sturgeon fishing means the least amount of gear, followed closely by salmon.  heading to the lake means i'm taking the most gear - trout gear, bass gear, panfish gear...

I've not put any of it on a scale, but I've carried most all of it to the car in one box.  Plus the anchor, battery, FF, etc, and I wouldn't be surprised if it hit the 100# mark... of course, i've never carried EVERYTHING on the kayak.

I guessed 40-60#.  With everything including seat, PFD, cart, crab traps system, anchor system, fishing gear, milk crate, fish bag and ice, bait, paddle, food and drink, it could be pushing 60#.  Now I wish I had a scale.  I bet it all adds up to more than we assume.

I've found myself prepping to fish at some odd hours, often times my thought process is not working optimally during these late/early hours. To reduce the probability of forgetting a crucial piece of gear I thought I would put together a checklist. I started listing all the gear I carry and putting it in a pile. When I finished I was really surprised at how much crap I paddle around with.

The other day Daltontribe was discussing one of the lesser-known brands of kayaks. I looked at that manufacturers website and the specified weight capacity of the kayak was 75 pounds less than mine. Curiosity got me wondering about how much all my gear weighs? I weighed an empty action packer, and filled it up with everything but my kayak seat.

40 POUNDS!!! of gear.

With frozen bait, extra water, lunch, a crab ring, wet burlap etc.
I could be pushing close to 60 lbs. Good thing I don't have a downrigger!


my list:

2 rods & reels
2 rod holders
1 safety flag
1 paddle 2 pc
1 paddle 4 pc
1 gaff
1 utility belt
1 bait knife
1 pliers
1 bonker
1 VHF Radio
1 Burlap Bag 
1 PFD w/spare pliers, rescue knife, swivels & split rings
1 game clip
1 liter water bottle full
1 first aid kit
6 to 8 Spare Jigs & Shrimp Flys
1 crash helmet (beach launch only)
misc - leader, sunscreen, scents, drybag, licenses

my list:



1 hand line w/ pig tail tow w/ caribeaner attaching it to deck rigging
1 lip gripper
1 extra spool of 40# mono
2 paddle 2 pc
1 tow belt
1 pliers
1 bonker
1 VHF Radio
1 PFD, rescue knife, point & shoot camera, hand held compass
swivels & snaps
chart case, chart
5 liter water bag
1 liter water bottle
1 first aid kit w/ hypo blanket.
dry bag with gloves, hood, rain hat, storm cag
6 to 8 Spare Jigs
1 crash helmet (beach launch only)
sunscreen
flares
licenses

I'm right about 20 pounds I think with my gear. Most fishing stuff goes in my forward day hatch on my front deck, or on the front deck attached to deck rigging. water, first aid, food etc. in the day hatch behind the cockpit.

J

Sometimes it is an rewarding experience just to take one rod and lure and nothing else.  Try it a few times!!!  

-Allen

Oh yeah Pole, gotta love it.

I've gotten down to a lot of simplification over the last year or so and probably only carry about 20#'s of gear.

Z

I was in the habit of 2-3 jigs and one handline until a broke off 3 times in 15 minutes and that was the end of my fishing that day. Took me longer to load and unload boats off my car than it did to run out of gear. Now I take at least 10 jigs and extra tackle for a full day of fishing.

J

my list:
...
5 liter water bag
1 liter water bottle
...

I'm right about 20 pounds I think with my gear. Most fishing stuff goes in my forward day hatch on my front deck, or on the front deck attached to deck rigging. water, first aid, food etc. in the day hatch behind the cockpit.

The water alone weighs over 13 pounds.

I've gotten down to a lot of simplification over the last year or so and probably only carry about 20#'s of gear.

Does that include the downrigger system?

yup. but it goes quick.

I don't really count the PFD and other things on my body anyways. it's just clothes to me.

My gear varies a bit. If we were doing a day trip for a few hours, I'd only take a liter of water and a handful of jigs. If it's 90 degrees I'm not bringing the dry suit/gloves/hood/cag etc. If it's freshwater I don't have chart,VHF etc.

I would say 90% of the time I've got less than 20lbs of gear. More like 10.

If I'm guiding, I take tons of stuff for everyone. I'm probably at 50lbs of fishing kit for multiday guiding, leaving 170lbs at camp ....So if you want to talk multiday, I'm at about 200-250lbs of gear/food/water.

I've got all my stuff in color coded dry bags, grouped in large mesh bags. It's a system I've developed over the years so I can pretty much be ready for any type of trip in about 5 minutes. It's easy to pack, unload & haul, and get to on the water.

I think I must be erring on the side of caution and bringing along too much stuff!
I almost always use my anchor system in lakes and river fishing. So far I haven't wanted or needed to use my anchor system out in the salt. I can drive right up to the ramp for most of my lake and river launches , but I have to wheely my stuff across the beach for the jetty/beachfishing here.

 I'm thinking I don't need an anchor system out in the salt, so I can jettison about 8 lbs or so by leaving that on shore.

Usually just two rod/reel combos, but sometimes an 8 wt flyrod stashed below deck. I use one Scotty rod holder on an extension, mounted forward center. I transport extra rods in the rear flush-mount rocket launchers.

I probably bring along too much terminal tackle, too. At least 20 plastics and 8 or 10 jigheads, a box of heavy metal jigs, bait hooks rigged up to use a live Greenling as Ling bait. A 5-gal bucket for to keep the Greenling alive, or to play bucket-toss with any unfortunate Rockfish....yes, I could also get rid of this!
Got a plastic lip gripper and sometimes a stringer.

 I could also lose the custom milk crate that I use to organize my stuff in the rear well, but I think I like this. I keep my air horn, wood fish club (floats) and other loose stuff in there, along with a small soft cooler with water bottles and an energy drink. I usually have 3 or 4 liters of water/drinks. Maybe some energy bars or Cliff Bars.

I always bring a dry bag with first aid kit, (sometimes an extra marine radio!- had my battery die on my small Cobra once, so I have taken the Uniden along too as a backup, but I'm switching to spare batteries), flares, space blanket, wetsuit hood, wool cap....this stowed up in the front hatch. I stuff my car keys, cell phone (turned off), and wallet in a dry box and put that in the dry bag. No you can't call me on the phone when I'm on the water!

Of course I have my vest on with a couple of knives, whistle, assorted small doodads and maybe even a box of flies. Might have my camera hanging around my neck, so it will be handy. Marine binocs stashed below, via the 8" hatch just in front of my seat. Much of my tackle is stowed in this hatch, too.

Still have the Piranha portable fishfinder and stern-mounted transducer setup. My compass is dash-mounted permanently.

Haven't been taking an extra paddle. Mine is leashed, and I don't think I'll ever break it. Been thinking of making one of those small single-hand paddles, though.

Couple squeeze bottles of scent (anchovy, shrimp, etc) to sweeten the lures.

Almost forgot to mention my Harmony bilge pump. I keep that stashed in the bilge area.

Might have to get all this stuff together and weigh it, just so I can put a number on it!