…and the advice given here has proven reliable in the past, so here is my first question: would my factory cross bars (FORD) be secure enough for a small, fat, 40 lb sit-in kayak mounted on Yakima Mako Aero cradles, or are Yakima cross bars essential? Emotion Comet are the words on the kayak and it’s around 9 feet long.
a cockpit cover is on the way. assuming you were planning to fish with this on small lakes, what else would you want to buy?
the owner has lent it long-term because spouse refused to let it back into their small home, it being one of three that lived there. we plan to fish together in sheltered places because i am sissy and not very strong.
I would say yes for a 40lb yak, are you sure the yak is only 40lbs? Sit in’s are usually a few pounds lighter than SOT’s, but 40 lbs still sounds “light” for a 9’ yak imo. Suggest you veryify the weight, but the OEM crossbars should still hold more with issue.
I would fish out of the yak a few times before “rigging” it out so you can see/determine what you “need” vs what you “what”. Still need a good comfortable PFD no matter what, a good paddle, and maybe a rod leash, the usual emergency stuff, and then start surfing the yak fishing forums for tips and ideas. Enjoy.
thanks. yep, it’s really light, and only 8’3". i can just lift it across my knees, or boost it up onto the rack. got a Thule rack 'cause the Yakima wouldn’t fit the Ford crossbars.
definitely going to take your advice and fish a couple times first before installing anything! got a rod leash on order; paddle and leash were supplied by the owner, as was a swell rug to protect the back of the car when boosting the kayak onto the roof.
i feel a little like the folks who get a free puppy and then go to the vet…
40-something pounds sounds about right for a roto-molded yak. Your rack should work.
If you are new to kayaking, I would take the yak out for a spin before loading anything into it, just to get used to how it handles. That way, if you dump it, you won’t lose anything but your pride.
great idea! as someone who usually rushes off in all directions, i will take this advice to heart and rush off to the pond… just trying to find a PFD that doesn’t swallow me up. couldn’t see over the first one!
I’ll be tackling (and fishing) the upper Coosawattee, and Cartecay Rivers around the middle of the month. They have some good Class III water, and great smallmouth bass fishing. Just to show you what’s available, here I am in my Rio inflatable on Carter’s Lake, Ga.
Set up from the car trunk, to on-the-water is less than 10 minutes, is rated for Class V water, holds 450 pounds, and only weighs 28 pounds, including the carry bag.
Here is my son, his significant other, and my grandaughter in my Advanced Elements Convertible inflatable, also on Carter’s Lake.
It can easily make 6 knots with little effort, sets up in less than 10 minutes, holds 750 pounds, and only weighs 49 pounds, including the carry bag. It converts easily from a single-seat to a tandem in less than 3 minutes, has complete single and dual splash guards, and can be used with full dual or single spray skirts. It is as fast as all but sea-touring kayaks, and is rated for Class V water (but at 15’, it’s a bit long, and much too stable for river-running, except for, large slow rivers. Both boats are great fishing and diving platforms.
(We had PFDs, but had to remove them to reach the cameras and take pictures. My granddaughter never had hers off, and we put ours back on as soon as we were through with the photos. You can see one of the red PFDs sticking up in the 2nd picture. You should never hit the water without wearing an appropriate PFD).
update, in case you were wondering: found a lady-shaped PFD (yep, they make 'em!), have learned how to mount the new rack and get the kayak lashed onto it, have taken a test run out on the roads, have made a safe place under the deck for it to live…time to go fishing! Sunday is the day…
a question, Gigmaster: why do you take off the PFDs for photos? you can answer personal preference if you like. some folks think it’s weird that my hat is on in all the grip’n’grins, but my sunglasses and hat are much more good-looking than my sunburned face and blown-about hair!
well, it’s a whole lot more fun to kayak around a small lake and catch fish than it is to work from the bank! everything went just fine, including the catching as well as the fishing. thanks for all the advice, folks! this is going to be a neat summer…
