Originally Posted by octico (Post 230150)

What's up Fish let me know when you want to go out again.

Originally Posted by taggermike (Post 230153)

I try to keep things as simple as possible. Some may say bare bones. There are things i must have on on every trip. Safety stuff; PFD, whistle, hand pump, cell phone/radio. Things I have to take to legally fish; license, net, measuring devise. Fishing stuff I need on every trip; pliers, line cutters, game clip gaff, seat. After that I pack just what I need for the fishing I have planned for that day. This means organized fishing gear, knowlede of the fishery, and many plano boxes. I can almost always Get by with 1 plano box and 1 bag of leader spools. I never take an anchor to LA Jolla. When I fish south bay I take the anchor but not a bait tank. I have nothing on my kayak that needs electricity, FF or bait pump, so that simplifies things. For summer LJ fishing i bring 5 surface irons, 3 small heavy irons, 2 plugs. 2 sibikis, 3 sinkers 1-3 oz, 2 fluoro leader spools, and maybe 12 hooks. Obviously im not calico or bottom fishing. Sure, I some times wish I had a different iron or larger plastic but not too often. Works for me and makes packing, setting up, n taking down faster n simpler. Make a few lists of what you take then whittle them to what you need. Mike

Originally Posted by YakDout (Post 230147)

To simplify what you take, bring only what you need for target species. If you don't use something 3 trips in a row (excluding safety gear) don't bring it anymore. Just more things to lose if you flip and make you slower on the water.

Originally Posted by Hunters Pa (Post 230123)

What kind of kayak do you have? Check out the innovations thread in this forum.

Part of the fun is tinkering and customizing. I seem to always bring too much stuff. Been trying to pare it down, but I also want to be ready for whatever comes my way since my time on the water is really limited.

Originally Posted by taggermike (Post 230153)

I try to keep things as simple as possible. Some may say bare bones. There are things i must have on on every trip. Safety stuff; PFD, whistle, hand pump, cell phone/radio. Things I have to take to legally fish; license, net, measuring devise. Fishing stuff I need on every trip; pliers, line cutters, game clip gaff, seat. After that I pack just what I need for the fishing I have planned for that day. This means organized fishing gear, knowlede of the fishery, and many plano boxes. I can almost always Get by with 1 plano box and 1 bag of leader spools. I never take an anchor to LA Jolla. When I fish south bay I take the anchor but not a bait tank. I have nothing on my kayak that needs electricity, FF or bait pump, so that simplifies things. For summer LJ fishing i bring 5 surface irons, 3 small heavy irons, 2 plugs. 2 sibikis, 3 sinkers 1-3 oz, 2 fluoro leader spools, and maybe 12 hooks. Obviously im not calico or bottom fishing. Sure, I some times wish I had a different iron or larger plastic but not too often. Works for me and makes packing, setting up, n taking down faster n simpler. Make a few lists of what you take then whittle them to what you need. Mike

Originally Posted by Fishin' Magician (Post 230126)

I keep trying to pare things down as well, but it always seems as though whenever one thing gets taken off my list of things to bring, another one finds its way onto to it. I fish mostly the bays, so half the stuff I have hardly ever gets used. I have an anchor that has never touched the water (yet), a brand new folding net to replace the large net that was really only needed 2 or 3 times in the 3 years since I bought it, a gaff that I've only needed once on a YT on the Islander trip last month (but I'm always hoping to need it for a legal sized halibut), and a whole bunch of lures, weights, and other 'stuff' that I feel that I just need to take with me 'just in case'.

So I understand your problem. We need to organize a support group. "Hello, my name is Andy and I'm a kayak fishing junkie...."

Originally Posted by YakDout (Post 230147)

If you don't use something 3 trips in a row (excluding safety gear) don't bring it anymore. QUOTE]

Okay...I trust you. I'll leave my game clips at home...Jim

Originally Posted by Deamon (Post 230299)

If you come up empty 3 trips in a row maybe you should think about a different sport. Woman's volleyball??

Totally kidding, been to la jolla 5 times in a row without the right kind.

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy (Post 230271)

Good questions and suggestions.

I'm always thinking about simplifying and organizing as well. It's good to have exactly what we need -- no more, no less.

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This is how I manage that:

I store my kayak and a few plastic storage boxes of anything I might need (active possibilities, not dead storage) in the back of my van. I am ready for rapid deployment at a moments notice, any direction for any kind of fishing or other restless and impulsive escape.

In my van, I have tools for repairs, first aid, all kinds of tackle that is current and useful (no junk, nothing redundant), poles, sun screen, hat, towels, extra set of batteries for my fish finder, hand sanitizer, mustache wax, knives, 2 gallons of water for washing, cleaning fish, or anything else. I have an extra jacket, rubber boots and dry clothes. Gear for shore fishing. Gear for the half day boats. The largest plastic storage box doubles as my fish transportation container to keep fish goo out of my carpets.

Also in my van is a general purpose ready bag with everything I need if I don't want to go home for three days, including a pillow and blanket.

When I roll my kayak out the back door of the van, I take ONLY what I'm going to use for that fishing session. The kayak is pre-packed with the minimal essentials only. I add to my kayak what I need when it's on it's wheels behind my van. Less clutter, less weight, less things to lose or clean and restock when I get home.

If I need to fix something or respool my line, etc., or anything else unexpected, I can go back to my mothership for restocking or repair. It's so much easier than going home or to a store, especially at night or mornings before the stores open.

I can respond immediately for any unexpected urge to go fishing. I can probably bug out in less than 5 minutes if necessary, then organize the rest of my plan as I'm driving to the destination. If I have 15 minutes to deploy, then I will probably make a fresh thermos of hot coffee for the drive, and for my return to the van after fishing. Styrofoam cups are already in the van.

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PS - I just decided to add another plastic storage container with a table top propane grill, bottle of wine, lantern, cooking ingredients, plates, cups, paper towels, utensils, and tin foil for emergency picnics. Service for 4 people. Not much space, but it adds a whole new dimension to my hedonism and impulsiveness.

Thanks for prompting me to think about this.

Life is sweet :)