By Paul Lebowitz

Today it’s the rare bass chaser’s fishing kayak that isn’t rigged to the hilt. These things are bass boats in miniature, stocked with every significant angling tool in the arsenal.  

You want rods? Bring a full quiver. Between flush-mounts and rocket-launchers, Scotty and RAM, it’s no challenge to mount eight rod holders or more on any of the major-label fishing kayaks.

There’s plenty of room for tackle too. You don’t want to lug that 50-pound boat bag, but there’s no need to skimp on the necessities. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and plastics, tote them all along. Kayak tackle storage options range from easy to reach below-decks stowage via large hatches literally under your legs, to on-deck spaces molded right into the boat to snugly fit third-party tackle systems such as the waterproof utility boxes and flats from Plano.

Got electronics? You bet! With fishfinders, livewells / bait tanks, GPS receivers, and VHF radios as common as calicos in a kelp bed, about the only gizmo the average ‘yak lacks is radar.

That’s quite a gear list, but let’s not kid ourselves. Kayaks are the essence of compact fishing craft. There’s no excess space. Everything has to earn its place, but what and where it goes is a matter of personal taste. The bottom line is the same: more fish.

Yes, more fish. A carefully thought out setup translates to angling success. Efficient rigging means less time fussing with gear and more time with the right bait in the right place.

Recently I asked Drew Clark to share his thoughts on kayak rigging for bass fishing. Clark is well qualified to tackle the subject. He is a co-founder of Plastic Navy, an internet-based collection of like-minded bass-catchers.

Plastic Navy has run fun yet hotly contested saltwater bass tournaments for years. They are extremely popular, often drawing upwards of 150 kayaks. That’s a lot of rigs, and Clark has seen them all and paid attention to the winning formulas. It’s no coincidence Plastic Navy tournament champs usually paddle highly customized rigs.  

Clark knows a thing or two about kayak outfitting himself. A confirmed saltwater bass fanatic, the affable angler is a natural pro staffer for Hobie Kayaks, maker of the unique hands-free Mirage Drive line of kayaks. Hobie’s Outback, Revolution, Adventure, and Sport models are elegantly engineered bass fishing machines right out of the factory. Of course, with a motto of ‘Be Your Own Captain,’ Clark’s boats regularly spend time in the workshop.

Clark took me on a tour of his typical fishing kayak set-up, starting with the bow, an area he termed the dashboard. You’ll always find a fishfinder here, usually a portable model perched on the bow hatch.

The transducer cable is routed beneath the hatch and into the hull, where the transducer rests in a plastic container glued to a flat spot. Clark splashes in a couple ounces of water and he’s ready to go.

“A fishfinder is important in any fishing, especially for bass, because they are so related to structure. If you don’t know whether you’re fishing over sand or weeds or rocks, you won’t understand what you need to do,” Clark said.

Clark has a GPS up there too. “In tournament fishing, a small piece of structure can make all the difference,” Clark pointed out.

There’s one more instrument up front, a compass, primarily for safety. “I’d never go without one again,” Clark said as he recounted a disorienting day out in pea soup.

A rod holder is next, mounted on the gunwale of his Revolution roughly even with his feet. On a traditional paddle ‘yak, it would be located a bit closer to the bow out of the paddling arc. A forward rod holder allows a kayak angler to watch the rod tip when trolling or drifting but also serves a second important use. “It’s a convenient place to store a rod when you bring in a fish,” which Clark said prevents reel dunkings and frees up both hands for unhooking a catch.

Anything Clark wants close at hand is stashed in the cockpit. Examples include his VHF radio, pliers, a water bottle, and scent products, all of which fit in his Hobie’s handy mesh storage pockets. Not tackle though – it’s stored using a two tier system. Lures he intends to use that day go into a tackle bucket that hangs from the rim of his cockpit hatch. The lower priority extras, stored in Plano flats, wait in the hull.  

With a pedal-powered Mirage Drive at his beck and call, Clark can practically forget about his paddle, so it’s parked on his Hobie’s built-in keeper. Back in the day when he still slung a pair of blades, he used a pair of paddle clips. The circular rests mounted alongside the kayak let him quickly and securely stow the paddle.

On to the stern. For bass fishing any competent kayak will have a tank well, a large above-decks storage recess spanning the back of the boat. Because it is self-draining and has a low center of gravity, it’s the ideal spot for a powered live well or bait tank.

Many kayakers build their own based on mid-sized ice chests or 5-gallon utility buckets. The plumbing is basic, usually a submersible bilge pump connected to the tank with flexible plastic tubing. Drains are more simple still, sometimes nothing more than small holes drilled in the tank. The most common power source is a 7-amp sealed gel-cell battery which can be mounted on the tank or kept in the hull.  

Other kayak anglers opt for one of a handful of commercially available tanks. Hobie’s slick new version should be coming onto the market right around press time. The prototype model used by Clark features an innovative adjustable drain pipe and draws its water directly from a scupper. 

Clark expounded on the multi-dimensional utility of the live well: “It’s all about finding the perfect marriage of bait tank / live well / dry storage unit. A single unit serving all three functions is ultimate goal.”

If Clark is out for a casual day of fishing artificial lures, he can use his tank to keep his jacket or lunch high and dry. Dump in some ice instead; it’s a cooler for his drinks. If he heads out to the kelp to fish yellowtail, it converts instantly to a bait tank for mackerel. And most importantly of all, during competition it’ll keep a five bass tournament limit lively until weigh-in time.

Most kayak anglers use their live wells to mount additional rod holders, and Clark is no exception. His carries three vertical tubes. A pair of additional flush-mounts are molded into his Hobie, one on either side of the tank well. That’s five in the rear and one up front, the bare minimum for kayak bassing.

Clark explained: “Almost no one goes out with fewer than three rods. For a bass tournament I take five and still need a place for my net.” Why so many rods? To minimize the time spent rigging.  

That brings us full circle. The point of custom rigging isn’t to make the kayak turn heads, although slick rigging always does. No, it’s so it fishes up a storm. Particularly in crucible of competition where mistakes are magnified, efficient kayak rigging will earn an angler more casts. Extra casts equal more fish, and at the end of the day, that’s what ultimately captivates attention.

PERCHED ON HIS distance-eating rocket, Okuma Kayak Team captain John Pawlak keeps an eye out for set waves while fishing the boiler rocks near Dana Point, prime territory for big calico bass.

BIG CALICOS are the measure of success for avid kayak bassers. This one was caught by Wilderness Systems staffer Mark Pierpont during a San Clemente mothership trip aboard the Islander.

PLASTIC NAVY co-founder and Hobie Kayaks pro staffer Drew Clark shows off the clean look of his Revolution. With a fishfinder up front, rod holders bow and stern, a GPS to mark spots, plentiful tackle storage, and a live well for keeping his catch, Clark's kayak is a bass boat in miniature. Clark, also pictured below, knows a thing or two about kayak rigging. As the tournament director for Plastic Navy, he's seen hundreds of rigged kayaks and knows what it takes to excel.