Kayak Fishing Crates (are they necessary)

[Ramsdl52]

Fellow Kayak Anglers

I have been kayak fishing for a little over a year now and I recently bought a new little vibe skipjack for the wife and she absolutely loves it. we took it out to shamrock recently and slayed the trout and reds. only problem is (i guess its a problem but maybe a blessing) i've created a monster who enjoys DIY projects and wants to trick out her yak with tons of stuff that she just doesn't have room for on her little yak so i will end up being the pack mule. (i have a malibu X-Factor which is pretty much a barge)

my question is what purpose does a milk crate serve that my tackle box doesn't already take care of? i bought a deal from academy that is two 12x8 tackle boxes with two nylon straps connecting the two boxes so you can wear it over your shoulders when wade fishing. this along with a couple of small pocket plano boxes we keep in our PFD and i have all of the tackle i want/need to bring with me. my yak and hers came with four flush mount rod holders each which is plenty so no need for extra there. and we both have internal hatches to store anchors and dry boxes so no extra storage space needed.

it seems the kayak fishing crate is a must have in the community but i'm just not seeing any added value. can someone shine some light on something i might be missing. thanks a bunch.

[pony_killer]

More storage I'm guessing in case you "need" it.

[Ron Mc]

look at milk crates as a place to stack up tackle boxes, charts, drift sock, sun screen, fanny pack, and another place to mount rocket-launcher rod holders, etc.
They move into the back of a truck and from there into the back of a boat really easy.
They make a handy place to stash almost anything you don't want loose in the boat.
Back home, they go from the truck right into storage.
No, they're not necessary, they're just useful, and most boats have bosses for them molded into the stern well.

[Kirk B.]

My wife bought me a tackle bag for Christmas, and I thought I could get by without a crate in the back of my 10 ft Pelican. I'm starting to reconsider that decision.
The crate keeps my stuff up off of the deck of my tank well, so it stays drier.
The bungees are more difficult to get the tackle bag out of than a crate is. I can just reach back and grab the bag out of the crate without turning around.
It also serves as a backstop for my small cooler behind the seat. I don't have easy access to my front (and only) hatch, so it also serves as storage for anything I want to have access to during a paddle.
All of that, and I haven't done anything to modify it, if you don't count the crack in the rim where I leaned on it a little too hard.

Kirk B.

[Tallgrass07]

I made a crate with rod holders, used it one time, and never used it again. It's easier to lay my rods down behind me, and I bring a minimal amount of gear. Don't feel like you have to have one.

[texnomad]

My experience with one in my under 10 foot yaks is that they were neither an asset or detriment. It was just if your style liked using one. I did find the one I tried and filled with stuff did catch the wind noticeably more. I found my relatively small soft cooler to be much more useful on my trips. I fish only arties, CPR and only carry a six partition clear tray. That gives me about 12-14 lures to work with. I am also too lazy to stay out more than four hours and usually only about two hours so carrying anything for later in the day is not applicable. Try it both ways and see what fits you, that is what really counts most.

[Ramsdl52]

I've gone out with an entire tackle box before and I end up not needing so it just gets in the way. A couple of pocket boxes with terminal tackle. On soft plastics box and one top water box and it seems to be more than enough. I only ever fish two rods so between the four rod holders I can usually figure it out. I think I'm going to save myself the time and money and opt out of the crate. Thanks for the input.

[Feelin Tipsy]

I personally dont use one, my fishing buddy, however, does. I think it depends upon your kayak set up and boils down to preference.

Worst case scenario, go to academy in the kayak section, they have milk crates for $6. Buy one, try it out, if you dont like it youre out $6. (pretty cheap in the world of kayaking)

[Newt556]

When, I first started out I did just about every DIY there was. Truth is most of them didnt save me any money and basically wasnt needed. But it was fun. The crate was a must have, I thought since everyone seemed to have one. I used it twice before I figured out that I didnt need to take everything and the kitchen sink with me and now it sets in the barn. Plus for me I found it very difficult to reach anything inside the crate. About the only DIY things I still use is the weed wacker rod leashes. My advice keep it lite and simple.

[Drifting Yak]

I've used a crate since the beginning and like it for the following reasons (no specific order):

(1) It makes a handy little storage container. I keep my GPS and other basic gear in the crate during storage in my garage. The day before I go fishing I place any other essentials in it and when I'm loading out the next day I simply grab it and go.

(2) It keeps everything in it's place while on the water (especially if you turtle ). Mine has a lid which allows for easy access and yet keeps my gear nice and tidy.

(3) It gives me options on placement of gear. Mine has rod holders on three sides (left, right and rear - nothing in the front to block access to the crate). This gives me a lot of flexibility on where I want to put a particular rod or for placement of other peripherals (GoPro, 360 light, Net, Gaff etc.). I do not use all of the holders at any one given time but do change placement of certain items depending on where and what I'm fishing.

(4) It keeps my gear dry. I added a 2 inch riser (which was cut from another crate) to the bottom of my crate. This keeps everything up off the floor and out of the water for the most part.

(5) It is quick (takes about 30 seconds to attach to my kayak). The crate sits behind my seat and attaches to the bungees that came standard on an Outback. It is also very easy for offloading at the end of the day.

Note that I purchased 2 crates - One serves as the crate itself - The other was cannibalized and used for the lid and for the riser mentioned in point 4. Also the lid and the riser were attached to my crate using zip ties which are fast and easy and will not rust.

Also, I added a 1/4" bungee on the inside of the crate as a divider. Early on I found it frustrating because things would have a tendency to slide down into the crate and stack up on each other (making them harder to access because you know the item you want is always on the bottom!). Then I laced a short piece of bungee diagonally across the crate and it keeps my bait containers and other items upright. You can see it in several of the pics below.



Hope this helps!

[agtex42]

I don't have enough experience using mine to lend much credibility to my pros/cons but the primary benefit I get out of my crate is ease of transportation of gear between the garage/truck/yak and then in reverse order coming home. I'm usually taking my 4 year old son with me and having the packup/setup/on the water transition as streamlined as possible helps keep him engaged and buys me a little extra fishing time. That being said, I don't usually take that much stuff with me and I could probably get by without one but it sure is easy grab the box and go once I get the kayak loaded up.

[Vlad_989]

On my Trident 13 that I used to have I used a milkcrate. I had a V made out of PVC pipe on the front of the crate that I used as my trolling rodholders. I would keep my leader binder back there (it was also on a leash), and I'd throw my pliers, fish grips, gaff, anchor, knife, etc all in the crate while loading and unloading, and then once at the launch site I'd take all that out and set it up on the kayak where I keep it while fishing.

My Kraken came with a crate that has a lid and rod holder built in on it, along with a smaller tackle box that goes in front of it. I bought the cooler insert for the crate, and I take it when I go offshore with ice to keep bait/drinks cold, and act as a fishbag for smaller fish. If I'm doing a quick inshore trip I usually don't bring the crate. The pliers/knife/etc. go in the Plano box that sits in front of the crate.

[rms2005]

i use to always use one until I got a little coleman marine cooler and added rod holders to it, it serves either as a cooler or I have an aerator for it to use as a bait well. I only carry one tackle box and a worm bag that fits under my seat. it can definitely save you a little room if your short on space already.

[mikewood]

My milk crate holds my anchor "set" which is a Bruce anchor, chain, rope spool and float. It drops into the crate with little effort for storage making a messy and potentially dangerous item easy to tuck away.


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[Flippin' Crazee]

Used a crate for a short period but the first time I hooked it while casting and got a monster backlash, I chunked it out and never looked back. Less is better is my yak.

[TexasJim]

I don't use one, and probably would only use one if I mounted a trolling motor side-saddle and would use a small crate to hold the battery. Otherwise, I think a crate would be more trouble and space-stealer than it would be worth.

TexasJim

[JRB-USMC]

I use the milk crate on every trip. I also don't pack much out on my trips but I don't use it as a storage. I use it for the convenience factor that some have talked about on here. I have a few crates and keep my fishing gear separate for each type of fishing (freshwater, saltwater bay, and BTB). Each type of fishing requires different lures, so each crate holds the gear for that style fishing. On top of that, when I get to the water, I don't like to waste a bunch of time getting ready (I would rather the extra 15 minutes of sleep) so I try to keep it simple. I show up, I strap my crate on, put my rods in the holders, position GoPro, and peddle/paddle out. I only need about 5 minutes and sometimes that includes eating my honeybun!

The best advice I saw on here was to make one (cost is minimal) and try it out. If you like it, use it; if you don't, don't. Good luck to you!

[rbdavis3591]

The best advice I saw on here was to make one (cost is minimal) and try it out. If you like it, use it; if you don't, don't. Good luck to you!

x2

[Cruisin_Cuda]

Used a crate for a short period but the first time I hooked it while casting and got a monster backlash, I chunked it out and never looked back. Less is better is my yak.

i started out with a crate too, but found that i wasn't using 90% of the stuff i'd take out either freshwater or saltwater. my yak has two flush mounts for two rods and one that i'm using in the front ona ram mount. two waterproof tackle trays that fit underneath the seat or in molded in spots beside the seat. i rarely need an anchor other than a stick and that gets secured on the side of the yak. as far as other safety gear gets stored in the hatches so there's not a lot of clutter.

[Ron Mc]

my dad hooked a neighbor kid once on his back-cast.
he didn't have to worry about leaving him home next time out

[Kirk B.]

my dad hooked a neighbor kid once on his back-cast.
he didn't have to worry about leaving him home next time out

My dad kept it in the family. He hooked ME on his backcast. lol. I was about 12. Luckily, it grabbed my hat and not skin. I fished sitting on the motor cover after that.

Kirk B.