So last month I pick up this used Pungo 12′ kayak. I’ve been wanting one for years and I finally pulled the trigger. Well I had it out fishing yesterday for the first time and I noticed several improvements/tweaks that need to be made in order to turn this into a serious fishing machine.
The first order of business is to actually construct a console type attachment that will fit at the front of the cockpit. This will be made out of wood. There will be fishing rod holders, some kind of monopod for a camera, a cup holder, an open basket and a dry compartment for the cell phone and keys. I also plan on equipping the kayak with an anchor system.
I also plan on removing the existing sliding foot peg system and reinstalling it a few inches down the kayak so my rather large frame sits better inside.
I’ll be uploading pics and drawings shortly.
I hope to have this completely finished within the next 2-3 months so I can have it on the water in the fall.
UPDATE
Change of plan already…instead of constructing the console out of wood which would most certainly warp after a bit of use, I decided to use plastic. Actually a co-worker of mine suggested I use a large plastic cutting board trimmed down to the size I need.
I purchased one over the weekend for $15 at Walmart
I’m still trying to figure out the best way to secure it to the boat. I’ve been thinking about using those plastic push in connectors that they use to connect plastic trim in automobile interiors. I’m going to check them out in the store tomorrow and see if this would degrade too much over time or if this would be a viable option. The traditional way would be to have some sort of a lip on it and then bungee it around the entire cockpit.
I still need to make the template and then get my ideas on to graph paper.
UPDATE
Well…I have the fly rod holder and the camera mount on the dining room table. Still need to figure out the best way to secure this to the boat.
I’m leaning toward using about a 10′ bungee and wrapping it around the entire lip. That is the way they secure the store bought ones and it makes the most sense. I want to be able to put this on and take it off quick and easy like. It seems like I could also somehow utilize that bungee system at the front of the boat. Hmmmm…
UPDATE
This took quite a bit longer than I had planned but in the end I must say I’m satisfied with the results. I still have a few tweaks here and there but for right now it works.
First step was to purchase a cutting board from Walmart. I believe it was $18. After much debate regarding how to size it and how to ultimately attach it to the kayak I just plowed ahead and made a few executive decisions. The worst thing that could happen was me ruining said cutting board and starting over.
I set my headlamp inside the boat and pointed it up so as to get the initial outline. I borrowed a friends jig saw to cut the board although I did purchase a special PVC blade. I think that was maybe $3-5 give or take.
I cut holes and sanded and painted. I purchased paint from an auto supermarket that is designed to be spray painted on to plastic/vinyl. That was maybe $8. The clearcoat was another $6-8. The hardware to hold it all together was another $10 give or take. The bungees were $3. I tied a knot on the under side and threaded them up through the holes. I used another bungee that was maybe $5 and attached that to a piece of rope I had in the garage. That is what holds it on to the kayak. The camera holder was purchased on eBay for $6. The fly rod holder was about $30 but after having it on the water I can totally see how this was money well spent.
UPDATE
I didnt have the most productive day on the water but I did get to spend some quality time on the water which is always nice. When I first got in the water I was such a damn slowpoke that I just got the boat in the water and then caught up with the rest of the group. As I had more shit to get organized I was the last one in the water. It was all OK and I just paddled upstream to meet them. Well when I got there I decided that I was going to head in to shore and rig up my fly rod on the bank in essence because rigging a fly rod while seated in a kayak is no real treat.
As I paddled toward shore I drifted right over top of a musky that easily went 45, maybe 48 inches. The head and shoulders on this monster were the size of a football. This was a fish that people drive a 1000 miles to go and have a chance at catching. I will most certainly be back down there trying for this monster. I can only imagine the excitement of trying to land a fish that size and with those teeth while seated in a kayak.
More later about rigging up the anchor trolley system as well as the PVC rod holders that I had situated behind my seat.
UPDATE
This was taken last Friday on French Creek above Saegertown, PA.
I still need to fine tune my rig a bit. The anchor system worked great and I appreciate the ability to have three rods at my disposal but it seems like it is too much. I went out the next day with a third of the equipment as shown in this picture and did better. Fishing out of a kayak, especially a sit in style, seems to be better when you have less shit to manage.
I will post photos of the rod holder set up but I’m actually still working on it. It is a plastic garbage can that has been modified. Lots of duct tape and some some PVC pipe to hold the rods.
