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[Bullshark]

Anybody have any ideas on 2 seater kayaks that work well in the surf as well. I'm looking at the Malibu 2, seems to be the best choice for the price. Any info would help.
Thanks
Bruce

[tyler]

That's the best two seater I have heard of for our surf.

[Big Sherm]

The Malibu II is the best for the money but the Cobra tandem is nice but their really proud of em'

[jl7]

I have an Aegean. It seats 3, 2 adults and one small child. The kayak is great for the family, but difficult to turn quickly. When the breakers are close together it can be extremely difficult. I have seen Malibus handle the surf well. Of courses if I was a better kayaker I might be more successful. It sure gives the kids some experience dumping with style.

[GulfSharkFishing]

I love my Malibu 2 and it is great in bays and surf.

Here are some articles that I put together while rigging my Malibu 2 for bays and surf. I figured I would share with everyone.

Malibu II Kayak Rigging Tips



There are a million different ways to approach rigging your kayak. A lot of folks buy a new kayak and want to immediately start fully rigging it up with rod holders, milkcrates, anchor sytems, gps, fish finders, etc. This leads to my first bit of advice, WAIT!! Take your kayak out fishing several times and get a good feel for where you want things and where you don't want things that may be in the way. Once you start drilling holes in your kayak, there is no turning back. Determine what type of fishing you want to do with your kayak. A kayak which you only use to paddle big baits out past the breakers will be rigged much differently then a kayak that you fish out of. There are also different types of rigging you would want if you fish the bays then if you fish offshore. I will try to touch on all of these in the following articles. The kayak I have rigged here is a Ocean Kayak Malibu II, which I use for all of the above mentioned types of fishing. Since at times this kayak is only used for paddling big shark baits out past the breakers, I rigged it in such a way that all the rigging is completely removeable. The last thing you want when paddling out big baits is to be snagged or hung up in your kayaks rigging if you go overboard in the surf. You may want permanently mounted fixtures/rigging on your kayak and that's up to you. Rigging a kayak is a completely personal preference type of thing. Also kayak rigging will vary from the type and brand of kayak you own, each brand has different layouts and amounts of space to work with. Here are some basics which can be used regardless of the make and model of your kayak.

ANCHORS

When fishing in the bay or flats I prefer to use a 8lb. Mushroom style anchor. These are good for the bays and flats because they hold well and rarely get hung-up when you want to pull anchor.



When fishing offshore in a kayak you need something with a little more grabing power than a mushroom style anchor. I recommend using a Bruce style anchor. On days where the swells are less than 4 foot, you can get away with using a 1 Kilo (2.2 lbs) Bruce anchor. On days when the swells are a little larger you would be better off using a 2 Kilo (4.4 lbs) Bruce anchor. The down side of bruce anchors is they require a soft or sand bottom to bite into. As where the mushroom style anchor is relying mostly on it's weight to hold you in place.



ANCHOR SYSTEMS

Alot of folks just tie their anchor line to any available fixture on their kayaks. The problem with that is it doesn't give you much control over the direction your anchored kayak will face in varying wind and current conditions. A easy to rig solution to deal with that is to use a anchor pully system. This is a very easy and inexpensive setup that will allow you to pull your anchor line from the front to the back of your kayak or anywhere in between. Another great thing about this setup is that is completely removeable(except for eyelets).

Here is the supplies you will need:
2 Kayak Rigging Eyelets
Stainless steel screws and lock washers OR Pop Rivets & Rivet Gun (used to attach Eyelets)
4 foot of 1/8" Shock Chord/Bungee
3 Stainless Steel Caribiners
2 Harken Micro Blocks (http://www.Harken.com)
Approx. 30 foot of 1/8" climbing or marine rope

First step is to attach the eyelets to the side of the kayak, one up front and one at the back. Then using about a 1 and half foot of bungee fold it in half and tie a knot in the loose ends. Feed the bungee through the eyelets. You will have to repeat this for both eyelets. Next, add a caribiner and a micro block to each of the bungees. The final step is to feed your length of climbing rope through each of the micro blocks, pull it tight and tie the loose ends to a single caribiner. Once completed you just attach the anchor line to the middle caribiner and you can pull it to either end of your kayak.

Another tip is to add a bouy to your anchor line when fishing offshore, this allows you to disconnect from your anchor completely to fight big fish/shark and come back later to retrieve the anchor after you land the fish/shark.(Not pictured)







MILK CRATES



In the world of kayak fishing milk crates come in many different variations and configurations, but they all have one thing in common and that's to make a kayak more fishable. Wether you need extra storage for gear, another place for rod holders or a place to mount a light, a milkcrate is probably your easiest and most affordable solution. What makes them so great is that they are usually readily available for free or can be purchased rather inexpensively(ebay) and they are DURABLE. As mentioned above, you can configure a milk crate to suit your needs and style of fishing. When it comes to rigging a milk crate for your kayak you have the freedom to be as creative as you want.

As far as rod holders for milkcrates go, I find 1 1/2" pvc to be the best solution. They can be attached to crate using plastic tie straps or bungee chords. On this crate I have used a variety of rod holders, some straight holders in the back of crate and some elbowed pvc to make "rocket launcher" style rod holders which can be swiveled 360 degrees up front.





At one time or another, we are all destined to take a swim while kayaking. Here I have attached a wooden hinged lid to my milk crate to keep my gear safe if I happen to flip the kayak. This comes in especially handy if you paddle out in the surf with gear in your milk crate. The lid is attached to the crate using plastic tie straps and the wood is treated with water sealant. I have also used a bungee chord to keep lid closed.





You want to be sure that your milk crate is secured to your kayak, bungee chords are the easiest way to accomplish this. Depending on your kayaks configuration, you may have to add additional strap eyelets for securing your milk crate to the kayak. Don't be turned away by this, eyelets are cheap to buy and very easy to install.




ROD HOLDERS



Depending on the make and model of kayak you own, you should have several options for rod holders. In general, all you need to mount a rod holder on your kayak is a flat surface. If you don't have a flat surface for a mount, you can always use the tried and true method of a milk crate with pvc rod holders attached to it. My personal preference when mounting rod holders to the kayak is to make them removeable. There are times I want them on my kayak and times that I don't. One manufacturer of rod holders that has a good selection of holders and mounts is Scotty. They offer a wide selection and most of them are removeable except for the base which you can get in flush mount.

As with attaching any fixture/rigging to your kayak that requires drilling holes, be sure to use marine grade sealant. This will make sure your kayak remains water tight. Here is a Scotty round flush mount, which can be used universally with "all" Scotty products. As you can see, the flush mount is nice because it doesn't get in the way while the rod holders are not attached to it.




Depending on your needs you can attach as many or as few rod holders as you like to your kayak. One goal you may want to consider when attaching them is to make them accessable. A rod holder that you can not reach doesn't do you much good.







If you find that you absolutely have no space on your kayak for a rod holder, you can always use milk crate rod holders.



PADDLES



Without a doubt the most usefull thing you can have on your kayak is a paddle. You have as many paddle choices as you have kayak choices. My best advice here is to talk to a knowledgable person at a kayak specialty shop to narrow down your choices.

The one thing that you want to be sure and have is a paddle leash. Not only does a paddle leash come in handy, it can save your life. It is easy to be enjoying yourself on a drift or while fighting a fish and forget all about your paddle. During this time your paddle can just float away without a leash securing it to your kayak. I find the best place to secure it is to a strap eyelet.




KAYAK SEATS



If you spend a lot of time paddling in your kayak, it becomes very clear the need to have a comfortable seat. The type of seat you choose comes down to personal preferance. I find the high-back seats to be the most comfortable for me. Seats also come with other options such as water bottle holders, rod holders and pockets on the back. You will pay extra for a seat with these options. Once again, go to a kayak specialty shop and sit in a few seats of different styles to see what is comfortable for you.

One tid-bit of advice is that when you are paddling out big baits for shark fishing, do not use your seat, leave it on the beach. My mode of thinking on this is that if you do flip the kayak in the surf, not having a seat in the kayak eliminates one more thing that the hook can get tangled up in. When your upside-down in the surf and the waves are hitting you, your hands are full just trying to get back on the kayak and if the bait, weight, and hook are free from the kayak it is that much easier to do. I suggest a bare-bones kayak approach when paddling out baits.




KAYAK LIGHTS



It is a law here in Texas and most states that when paddling at night you need to have a light on your kayak which is visible from 360 degrees. You have many options for mounting your light. I find that mounting it in one of the pvc rod holders works best for me. It is removeable during the day and easy to reinstall for a night paddle.



Another good idea for night fishing is to purchase a head lamp to use as a working light onboard. These are very handy and can be purchased relatively cheap at most department stores like Wal-Mart.



COOLERS AND ICE CHESTS



When fishing out of a kayak an onboard cooler or ice chest serves several purposes. After being out in the sun for several hours it is nice to grab a cold beverage and a cooler makes that possible. Coolers also come in handy for a place to store bait along with keeping your daily catch of fish fresh until you get home. Kayaks have a limited amount of storage space, so I find that soft coolers work best on most kayaks. Be sure to bungee it down.



Another great alternative to a cooler for kayak fisherman is a new product called a kayak fish bag. There are only a few companies that make these and I have yet to try one out but I hear they work great. One such company that makes and sells them is Creative Feathers Studio.


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GulfSharkFishing.Com

[Bullshark]

I just got my malibu 2, and I needed the rigging advice. Thanks, this info will really help.
Later
Bruce Simons

[Big John]

Wow, that is the most comprehensive piece on riggin up a kayak I have seen!

Tyler - this may make a great stick or resource page.
_________________
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke and hungry the rest of his life!

John Sullivan
Native Corpus Christian
Currently Displaced in San Antonio

[Guest]

We have one of these...thanks for the photos as we will use all of your suggestions. We also have a Ocean Kayak Prowler, a one seater, and a Zuma II, a long 2 seater.

[OSOYAKMAN]

EXCELLENT POST, I ALSO HAVE A MALIBU II AND WILL USE SOME OF YOUR ADVICE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TO POST AND HELP OTHERS.
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[noskunk]

I'm yet another fisherman new to kayaking that would like to thank you for your time and effort in writing a extremely helpful how-to on kayak rigging. I am sure that there are many more like me out there that will be pleased with this post.

[GulfSharkFishing]

Your all very welcome, I am glad to hear that your finding some of the info helpfull. I know when I first bought my Malibu 2 I had a heck of a time finding any info on rigging it. A lot of folks don't consider the Malibu 2 to be a fishing kayak, but I have found it to be one of the most versitile and well rounded fishing kayaks out there. Glad I could help.
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GulfSharkFishing.Com

[tyler]

[bad monkey]

i like the crate top idea but mine is going one step further instead of a wood top i am going to use one of those plastic like cutting boards serves dual purpose keeps stuffinside and can filet your fish on top