What do you guys really use your tankwell for?

[RedfishRon]

I'm considering buying my first kayak and really like the Perception Illusion but am somewhat apprehensive about it not having a tankwell, although, I'm not exactly sure what I would use it for. I'm primarily a catch and release kind of guy so fish storage isn't an issue. A question I have about the Illusion or similar kayaks is how easy is it to access the hatches if I stored most equipment below deck. Do you have to get out of the kayak? I'm primarily thinking a tankwell could be useful to store tackle, net, anchor, etc. Not having fished from a kayak, I'm just not sure if it would be better to keep everything below deck if it is only a little more inconvenient to access. Thoughts?

[Moonpie]

I have a Tarpon120. Very much like the tankwell. I use a plain old milk crate strapped in there to hold my tackle box and misc. gear.
I like it because I can turn around/reach behind and get something out of it fairly easily. I have found that I store almost nothing in the covered hatch area because it neccessitates getting off the yak top open the hatch. This isn't always practical or even possible.
I'd think that a crate mounted up on top of the yak would be awkward.
Too high to reach into easily as well as throw off the center of gravity and cause tippyness. Just my .02cents.

[Flavio]

Most use the tank well to place a milk crate where they can put all their stuff. I have a tank well and don't use a milk crate. I actually wish it wasn't there and I had a larger back hatch. My kayak is a perception swing and a very nice kayak, but if I was to buy another kayak, it would be the perception illusion. I just rather have the larger hatches. My opinion, and only my opinion, if you're not going to use a milk crate, don't get a tank well. Take the hatch space instead. If you mainly fish deep water, then you might want to go with a tank well and milk crate for easy access.

[TKFStubb]

Having fished with and without a tankwell, I'l take the thankwell, tank you. For many years, the Aquateria Prism was the yak of choice around these parts. Its ONLY shortcoming was that if you wanted to store anything above deck, you had to find a way to strap it on top of the hatch. The OK Scupper Pro T/W was one of the first yaks used in any numbers that actually had a place made into the yak for above deck storeage. I found (and still find) the tankwell useful to put your cooler, the Igloo Playmate Elite for a hard side and the Igloo Softside 48 (can) for a softer, larger size cooler with my net and anchor beside the cooler. It is no trouble to sit side-saddle and reach anything stored there. I also prefer a seat that has storeage pouches for extra bags of soft baits, and other small tackle items...but that 's another story. Many people that got used to strapping milk crates to the topside of their Prisms, have adapted that system for use in the tankwell. These milk crates can have rod holders attached, clips to hold other equipment, a very small cooler, your anchor and your net. Strapping this crate to the topside of a non-tankwell yak increases wind resistance as well as raising your center of gravity for a tippier ride. Using the crate IN a tankwell cuts down on the storeage a little, but allows you to carry everything back to the truck at once instead of making several trips. Some find this feature worth the loss of storeage.
Your center of gravity is not affected and wind resistance is minimal. Most of the time if I'm fishing for half a day or less, I'll put my soft bait box, a couple of drinks, and my net in the tankwell. I'll keep my hard bait box or fly box between my legs and my anchor (which folds flat) under my knee. That's all I'll take with me besides my fishing vest and SOSpenders which I ALWAYS have with me anyway.
Given the choice of features on a kayay, the tankwell rates right behind a rudder in importance to me.

[Lefty Ray]

The Prism & Illusion both have the same top deck layout. Here are some pros and cons

Con:
Yes, you do have to jump out to rettreive anything from under a hatch.
Milk crates create wind drag since they stick up.

Pro:
Things stay dry under the hatches.
Less is better. You would not believe all of the stuff crammed into a milk crate. A couple of rod holders are OK, but the chilled Grey Poupon is a little bit of over kill.

Alternative:
Perception Bimini. It has a square slot for a milk crate and a rear hatch. Best of both worlds.

http://www.kayaker.com/products/boats/boat.asp?type=sit-on-top&ID=91

[Flyfisher]

Interesting concept; I'm impressed.

[tightline]

Love the tankwell on my tarpon 120 - easy access; and how much fishing stuff really needs to be dry anyway. I have both a crate and a cooler with rod holders attached. On day trips I don't even use the front hatch.

tightlines

[TaylorSea4]

I wasn't crazy about my soft-sided tackle box getting wet until I realized I had too much crap on a kayak. Less is more. I fit my soft-plastics box, a little jighead box, and a topwater box in my seatback pocket (STS Hi-back), while my anchor, net, and fishbag go in the tankwell. Muddy wading shoes seem to like the tankwell, too. Go check out the guys at Oceankayakfishing.com and look at how they rig their tankwells out.

While it seems like a snap to just pop a hatch open on a glassy calm flat, it's a whole 'nuther story out past the 3rd bar. Not sayin it cannot be done, it's just easier with a well. Gonna try mounting a small hand gaff inside my tankwell for when I go trolling for tarpon with Mike Rager...

[CNReds]

I like the tankwell in my ScupperPro. I use a 25qt Igloo cooler instead of a milk crate. When I go floundering, it's easy to stick the flounder in the cooler, close the lid down and then pull the gig out.

I've finally got my system down to minimize the loading time when I launch. When I launch, I stow a drybag (with first aid, cell phone, safety equipment, etc.) under the front hatch. Then I buckle in my cooler and I'm ready to go.

[vincent]

Hey CNR how wide is that cooler...my SPTW is only 11" wide at the base of the well (older model)..is that about the width of your tank.

[Mercy]

I have a T120 and I can get into the front covered hatch without getting out. You just squat at the front of the cockpit...where your feet go.....lean over, pop the hatch and reach in there! I probably couldn't get say, a paddle out of there, but I can get my life vest or my tackle pack pretty easily. Granted...it's easier if your rod isn't in the rod holder while this is going on....

[bigdav160]

Ron, the Illusion is a great boat. Nice stability, roomy, pretty fast, and handles well. Cons; needs a back rest and no scupper holes in the seat area.

Getting to items under the large hatches without dismounting isn't easy but certainly possible by straddling the boat (legs hanging outside) and shimmying up to the hatch.

As you read, most are using their tankwells to hold a milk crate. The Illusion comes with extra straps on the hatches so you can tie a milk crate to the hatch if you are inclined.

Good Luck!

[chavez]

I dig the Tarpon 120. The tankwell has a curved wall to allow for a bait bucket. I don't carry live bait so I keep my anchor there along with waterproof tackle box with essentials. I keep a rolled up drag chute and a stringer in the tankwell. The front hatch may have only emergency essentials in a bag such as a first-aid kit, extra spool, etc. I try to travel light.

[Fuerte]

You might want to consider the Perception "Bimini" also. I have a buddy who has one. VERY impressive! It has it all:

http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/product ... -top&ID=91

COMFORT FIT OUTFITTING
SOFTECH CUSTOMIZABLE SEAT PAD
SELF-BAILING SCUPPER HOLES
BOW AND STERN HATCHES
ACCESSORY DECK LOOPS
DRAIN PLUG
CUP HOLDER
KEEPERS FOOTBRACES
STERN STORAGE WELL FOR BAIT CONTAINER
MOLDED-IN CENTER COMPARTMENT FOR TACKLE
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE ROD HOLDERS, COMPASS, PADDLE CLIPS, AND AN ANCHOR
ROOMIER SEAT FOR FULL-SIZED FISHERMAN

If you go with a yak with a rear hatch, you might want to think about replacing the straps with bungee cord like this:

http://www.paddle-fishing.com/rigging/bungeesystem.htm

I did this to my old Ocean Kayak Scupper Classic, and I love it! I can get in and out with one hand. Better parts are available now than those in the above link. If you want more info or some picks of how I rigged my rear hatch, shoot me an email.

gstjohn2@email.com


Good Luck!

Fuerte

[CNReds]

Vincent:

To be honest, I don't remember the width of my tankwell. When I was rigging up, I measured and then bought the biggest cooler that would fit. My mom has an older ScupperPro and her tankwell is narrower. I found this out after I had already rigged a cooler for her (silly me, I thought they'd all be the same). I had to search around till I found a smaller cooler that would fit. I encountered the same problem on my father's Drifter. It seems like all kayak models are a little different. You'd think OK would pick a size that was somewhat standard. (Like maybe to fit a 25 qt Igloo, which has been around forever)

The 25 qt Igloo works great. On one trip, I had 3 reds, 5 flounder and a couple of trout that all went in the box with a little room to spare (but not much).

[CajunDude]

I also have a T120. In it I have a milk crate that has 2 PVC rod holders mounted on it. In the crate I have a small tackle box and sometimes a small cooler for the longer outings. If it's just a short trip I take only an insulated water bottle with me.

I normally leave the crate strapped down and the contents of the crate secured when the yak is in my garage so that all I do is pick up the boat, throw it in the back of my truck, secure it, gather my rods and off I go.

Also, because the tankwell is so big on this boat I can throw my stringer in back when it's just a short paddle back to the dock.

[woody]

I'm considering buying my first kayak and really like the Perception Illusion but am somewhat apprehensive about it not having a tankwell, although, I'm not exactly sure what I would use it for. I'm primarily a catch and release kind of guy so fish storage isn't an issue. A question I have about the Illusion or similar kayaks is how easy is it to access the hatches if I stored most equipment below deck. Do you have to get out of the kayak? I'm primarily thinking a tankwell could be useful to store tackle, net, anchor, etc. Not having fished from a kayak, I'm just not sure if it would be better to keep everything below deck if it is only a little more inconvenient to access. Thoughts?

i have a bimini for sale in the kayaks and gear area

[woody]

i have a bimini for sale. nice kayak, very stable but not enough to get at the hatches in deep water. tank well is handy at rear of boat and big enough for a small tackle box or crate. let me know if your interested.

jarhead@houston.rr.com[/list]

[McKee Boykin]

I use mine as a plumbed baitwell when livebaiting, otherwise as storage. I bought some 1" livewell plugs that fit the tankwell scuppers in my Drifter; they keep the well as dry as can be expected.