What would you consider the "must have" mods?

Yup, just toss your feet over one side and sit sideways to the kayak.  You now can diddle with the gear in the back seat much easier.  If you are in the ocean, be sure to do this while you are facing the swells coming at you.  Keeps you in the kayak longer. 

Got most of my safety gear put together.  Still need a wetsuit before I will venture into the bay, but the local river and lakes are all fair game.

Working on leashing things to the yak.  Right now I am using a simple paracord and carabiner setup.  Not fancy, but it works and is cheap.  First aid kit, whistle, radio, mirror, flag, lighter, cigars, knife, PFD.  Did some practice sitting side saddle the other day with no problems.   In all the boat handles well and should serve me well for some time.

Biggest thing I am having a hard time with is reaching stuff behind me.  I am a short and round fellow and I tend to throw my center of balance off when trying to reach behind.  That is where the side saddle sitting will come in handy.   

Fish finder and a better storage system for behind the seat are looking to be my first projects along with a set of wheels.

I went out to the surf at Pacific City and I was just in shorts and I think you're okay if you go into the water its not that cold just don't stay in there long

There is the problem, till it happens you don't know how long you might be in the water. Tillamook bay no problem ,ocean never for me. But that's just my$0.02 but it's s matter of what's your luck and what your life's worth.

Got most of my safety gear put together.  Still need a wetsuit before I will venture into the bay, but the local river and lakes are all fair game.

Working on leashing things to the yak.  Right now I am using a simple paracord and carabiner setup.  Not fancy, but it works and is cheap.  First aid kit, whistle, radio, mirror, flag, lighter, cigars, knife, PFD.  Did some practice sitting side saddle the other day with no problems.   In all the boat handles well and should serve me well for some time.

Biggest thing I am having a hard time with is reaching stuff behind me.  I am a short and round fellow and I tend to throw my center of balance off when trying to reach behind.  That is where the side saddle sitting will come in handy.   

Fish finder and a better storage system for behind the seat are looking to be my first projects along with a set of wheels.

I went out to the surf at Pacific City and I was just in shorts and I think you're okay if you go into the water its not that cold just don't stay in there long

It's your choice, but really bad advice to give a new person looking to get out on the salt! 

Yesterday the ocean at PC was reading 49-50 degrees.  If you spend 5 minutes straight in that water with bare arms and legs failing to get back into a kayak, you're chances greatly diminish in doing so by the minute.  Your core will naturally move the warm blood from the extremities inward to protect the vital organs.  At that point your arms and legs are nothing more than wet noodles.

I lived in Alaska for 20 years so I have a very healthy respect for what the cold can do to a man.  By the time you realize you have a problem, it is often too late.

I may venture into the bay with my chest waders, but before I will ever attempt to go out to a local reef for some lings I will invest in a wet suit or at least a pair of farmer johns.  That and I will not go out alone.  Lost a couple friends over the years who went for a quick fishing/hunting trip alone and were never seen again.

I am another that hates to have to spin around to access items behind me anymore than I have to.  When I picked up an older OK Prowler,  it has an square indenture on the console area between you knees where a small container box can sit with a bungee to quickly secure it.  I find this a god send for quick access to lures and such often need small items.  My other SOT lacks this indenture but by adding a couple of these D-Ring and a bit of bungee I can accomplish the same thing.   Quick access when I need it but secured and out of the way when I don't.

This photo shows a Prowler and it's "tackle box holder".  This one uses a velcro strap.



I have a good number of these left over and would be happy to send you a few if you could use them.






 

My tank well is usually completely inhabited with my big soft sided cooler bag, so the only reason I need to turn around is to sack a fish on ice.

To reduce storing extra gear behind me, I put it below deck.

I put three pad eyes on the inside my both my Hobies in roughly equal spacing, with one being just in front of the center hatch, and one on either side of the hatch.  To these I added 1/4" bungee connecting all three pad eyes together in an open triangle.  To this bungee, I clip on 2 or 3 water tight Plano Guide Series 3500 size polycarbonate field boxes that have various lures in each.  They are there if I need them, out of the way if I don't.  Easy to reach inside the hatch and grab one, grab a lure, and toss it back under deck.

Just a thought for those that don't want to have to spin around often to get lures and other gear.