Securing rods for surf exits

I have arms that are descendant of a T-Rex, so this might be a buddy proposition for me.   But I like the hatch storage for surf launch/landing.  Thanks for the suggestions and explanations.

With peddle drive (propels) I pull my paddle then bungee my rod in the paddle holder big end forward. With the big tuna my rod holders are zip tied to my crate and the rod and net are on leashes if in the upright position and yes my zip ties break in a spin cycle DAMHIK or I bungee the rod in the rod holder that is molded in with the tip in the tip protector on the bow.

Lots of good info, thanks. Pretty sure I'm not going to be opening my hatch to secure the rods. That is what I do with my catch. I'll have to look at what each of you are using next time I see you.

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

Here is a piece of gear this guy uses to protect his rods when coming back to the beach. Bungies down the butt end. I believe the greater value would be to use something like this as a spray dodger on your Revo so you can access the hatch conveniently. This design will probably work for most kayaks with a bow end access hatch.  It appears this one might snap on and off as its means of attachment....like my camo cloth I attach to my duck boat hull. A clear plastic would not be necessary. A sheet of 1/8" high density poly would be flexible yet indestructible and using snaps you could leave it off in mild seas and snapped on if it starts getting some white caps. Or just leave it on all time for a streamlined bullet nose into the wind.

I have strapped my rods to the hull and have never broken a rod tip or rod because 90% of the time the surf rolls a kayak sideways. 99% of the rods I have seen broken were sticking straight up in a rod holder. Most by newbs but some by vets who got to complacent or cocky. The other 10%, you have the  misfortune of catching a big one facing straight at the beach and you dig the bow into the sand  and pitch pole. In this scenario, you are screwed and anything strapped to the hull if vulnerable. The good news is that most of the NW beaches kayaks are launched from are are not steep shore breaks and you are much more likely to roll sideways. All that said, If you have a nice rod and reel, store the rod inside the hull and the reel in a dry bag. I've dumped in the surf more than most fishing Big Sur. It's unforgiving. Nuf said.

 Enjoyable thread.   I usually choose to ride the waves back to shore and there are times when the smaller waves seem more challenging than larger waves with the big fishing SOTs. Here is a sequence where the wave was humble and I decided not to secure my rods. Yep, a mistake.  I had really set myself up to get multiple hooks in my bowline but got lucky this time.
Also notice the green Kraken coming into view from the left. It might have been a factor in my tumble.
I think this double stacker might have been fun to watch.

Enjoyable thread.   I usually choose to ride the waves back to shore and there are times when the smaller waves seem more challenging than larger waves with the big fishing SOTs. Here is a sequence where the wave was humble and I decided not to secure my rods. Yep, a mistake.  I had really set myself up to get multiple hooks in my bowline but got lucky this time.
Also notice the green Kraken coming into view from the left. It might have been a factor in my tumble.
I think this double stacker might have been fun to watch.

yeah, I've done that. A second's inattention & BOOM, yer in the water, tethers goin every which way. 

I haven't weighed in on this until now, but now I have something to say haha.

Not all of us who leave our rods upright while coming back in through the surf zone are lazy or cocky or uninformed. (Well OK, maybe lazy.) I've been off my kayak 5... or 6? (more?) times coming back in now, and I have yet to break a rod. I choose fairly short rods most of the time (6-7ft.) so maybe that's part of the difference, but also I've found that more often than not I slide off my kayak before it actually flips. Maybe I've just gotten lucky? I do cherry-pick my days. The times I have fully tumbled so far haven't resulted in anything unexpected. I think I lost a burlap bag and a fish bonker total.

If I was heading in and conditions looked particularly bad, I would take my reels off and put them in the drybag, break down my 2-piece rods and put them in the hull through the "crotch hatch", and put any 1-piece rods in the paddle holder spot. That's a 2 minute solution using stuff I already have with me.

Hydrospider I love the photo series would love to see the video even more, now if two kayaks are coming in side by side and they both turn towards each other ( looks like the situation) that could end with 200+ pounds of kayak and fisherman hitting one of the kayakers upside  the head..... NOT an ideal situation to say the least. This is why I never land with anyone else.... one at a time is my motto, also easier to help one guy at a time after the spin cycle.

Glad that you enjoyed the sequence shots MJ.  After my world settles down some, I plan on focusing on some video work again. I've got a lot of trips documented but haven't been able to take the time to edit. Im sure that surf entry stack will be in some sort of montage.

Its pretty obvious that I was being a knucklehead in the sequence. The unsecured rods with exposed hooks could've snagged either me, my Kraken riding friend, or someone else playing in the surf.
But, coming in on the same wave? OK, it's not for everyone, but there is just too much potential calamity and hilarity for both myself and those I paddle with to deny. Im also someone who would choose a day riding waves in plastic boats over fishing almost every time, so it's a bonus when we get to do both.

I guess I WAS coming in to the beach feeling pretty confident. It was a good day.

Boy i guess it was a great day, if you make it to Seaside there's some fn awesome waves to ride, wear a helmet 

Boy i guess it was a great day, if you make it to Seaside there's some fish n waves to ride, wear a helmet 

Last year after a nasty ski incident an Mt Ashland I started wearing a helmet for surf entry and exit. They are cheap and my head is expensive.

Boy i guess it was a great day, if you make it to Seaside there's some fish n waves to ride, wear a helmet 

Last year after a nasty ski incident an Mt Ashland I started wearing a helmet for surf entry and exit. They are cheap and my head is expensive.

Was that before or after the forum name? Hey hydrospider..... the truth is it's way funnier to watch from the beach when the guys your paddling with roll in the spin cycle....just ask SamM if I thought it was funnier 

Boy i guess it was a great day, if you make it to Seaside there's some fish n waves to ride, wear a helmet 

Last year after a nasty ski incident an Mt Ashland I started wearing a helmet for surf entry and exit. They are cheap and my head is expensive.

Was that before or after the forum name? Hey hydrospider..... the truth is it's way funnier to watch from the beach when the guys your paddling with roll in the spin cycle....just ask SamM if I thought it was funnier 

I've been crash jr. since 1976.  I dropped the jr about 10 years ago.

Glad that you enjoyed the sequence shots MJ.  After my world settles down some, I plan on focusing on some video work again. I've got a lot of trips documented but haven't been able to take the time to edit. Im sure that surf entry stack will be in some sort of montage.

Its pretty obvious that I was being a knucklehead in the sequence. The unsecured rods with exposed hooks could've snagged either me, my Kraken riding friend, or someone else playing in the surf.
But, coming in on the same wave? OK, it's not for everyone, but there is just too much potential calamity and hilarity for both myself and those I paddle with to deny. Im also someone who would choose a day riding waves in plastic boats over fishing almost every time, so it's a bonus when we get to do both.

I guess I WAS coming in to the beach feeling pretty confident. It was a good day.

Wow, nice striper. Bet you had that secured when you came in.