Outriggers friend or foe?

[Longliner]

Was just wondering how many used them when trying to get out passed the breakers. Do you think they help from flipping in the surf or just cause a bigger problem? I like the idea of being able to stand without worrying of flipping while sight fishing it's one of the reasons for considering them.

[prolog22]

Always use them. My two fish buddies on solo trips. On my last fishing platform, they can be in or out in 10 sec:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-qGukzc2Jk

You might not want to stand in kayak when BTB anyway, on flats it is a great option. They will give you extra stability when moving in kayak, fighting big fish and reentering the surf (not 100% guaranteed) . When entering the surf I keep them retracted for speed.

[Longliner]

Ok, that sounds really good thx

[bajabugs]

I am old and have a few issues with stability. Can stand and lean to sight fish. BTB launch is good so far. On re-entry I get swamped or take a breaking wave on top, but yak stays stable and straight with little effort as long as I take my time and stay perpendicular to waves. It is no speed demon for sure, but I can stay in it all day long without any discomfort. Moving around helps me keep from getting sore. Keepings line and bait bucket out of rigging is manageable while anchored with trolley. Drifting is no problem at all. Have been in 3-4' swells and only danger was fear of nodding off due to lack of bites.

[Longliner]

Very nice thx for the replies

[Vlad_989]

Always use them. My two fish buddies on solo trips. On my last fishing platform, they can be in or out in 10 sec:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-qGukzc2Jk

You might not want to stand in kayak when BTB anyway, on flats it is a great option. They will give you extra stability when moving in kayak, fighting big fish and reentering the surf (not 100% guaranteed) . When entering the surf I keep them in for speed.

Do you have any pictures of the outrigger setup on your viking?

[prolog22]

On viking reload the railing is in very good spot. You make a straight cross bar and outriggers are behind the paddling zone but still can be reached by hand.

[Longliner]

On viking reload the railing is in very good spot. You make a straight cross bar and outriggers are behind the paddling zone but still can be reached by hand.

That is similar to how I'm going to do mine but the rail is in front. I'd rather have them in back but I'm guessing it will be ok up front as well. The pic is of a $7 handlebar stem for a bicycle and can be used for the outrigger connection this way any type of tubing can be used up to an 1". These can be bought on Amazon. It's easy to see how they would work.

41XVi4iWq6L._SX200_.jpg (6.42 KiB) Viewed 3219 times

[prolog22]

Outriggers in front might get on the way of fish or if you move them way upfront then it will be hard to manipulate with them when BTB. Keep in mind, treble hooks will eventually snag on anything soft sticking out. It might take some trials till you figure out the best options..

[TKF Tommy]

Was just wondering how many used them when trying to get out passed the breakers. Do you think they help from flipping in the surf or just cause a bigger problem? I like the idea of being able to stand without worrying of flipping while sight fishing it's one of the reasons for considering them.

I have the Hobie AMA outriggers on my Hobie Odyssey. At first I was very
confident in the yak's stability. I am able to move around the yak without fear of flipping. About a month ago I was BTB off Quintana Beach and on reentry I turtled and it ended up costing me a lot of money in ruined gear. The waves were about 1-3 feet. I got caught perpendicular to a 3' wave and it rolled me. Lesson learned! That day it seemed like the swells were coming in from different angles to the beach.

[Longliner]

Was just wondering how many used them when trying to get out passed the breakers. Do you think they help from flipping in the surf or just cause a bigger problem? I like the idea of being able to stand without worrying of flipping while sight fishing it's one of the reasons for considering them.

I have the Hobie AMA outriggers on my Hobie Odyssey. At first I was very
confident in the yak's stability. I am able to move around the yak without fear of flipping. About a month ago I was BTB off Quintana Beach and on reentry I turtled and it ended up costing me a lot of money in ruined gear. The waves were about 1-3 feet. I got caught perpendicular to a 3' wave and it rolled me. Lesson learned! That day it seemed like the swells were coming in from different angles to the beach.

Yep, one of the other guys mentioned on here when heading back to shore, the outriggers should be pulled out of the water to gain more speed so not get caught by surprise by another wave , lesson learned, that's for sure. I guess in your case you got sideways so it didn't matter.

[prolog22]

Code: Select all

About a month ago I was BTB off Quintana Beach and on reentry I turtled and it ended up costing me a lot of money in ruined gear. The waves were about 1-3 feet. I got caught perpendicular to a 3' wave and it rolled me

This is very bad accident and few things might need to be considered when use outriggers:
a - outriggers don't help getting through the surf both ways (in and out) but, can be a problem at high surf (above 2.5 ft). 3 ft surf is no go for me and I think, there is a similar agreement between many other across this board.
b- when getting through the surf outriggers need to be retracted and if it can not be done, a mounting system should have a braking point that will crack before the boat get damage if everything get swapped in the surf zone. My setup have plastic brackets if overloaded they will crack. When back home I can always glue pieces together with acetone
c- outriggers better be retracted on the way to the rig because of winds
d-outriggers worked pretty good for me when reentering the surf at up to 2 ft swells ( I typically surf the wave in the second bar and even if you turn on a side by the end of the ride you will have a side support.
Overall outriggers are good when fishing past the surf and it is difficult to imaging what can get a kayak upside down.