Odyssey Fishing Rigging Help...Please

Hello all. I purchased a 2014 Hobie Odyssey tandem kayak last fall. I had it out a few time just paddling, but I want to do a bit of rigging for fishing. This is my first kayak, and I have yet to catch a fish kayaking, so I really need help knowing what to do. I will be mostly in Lake St Clair in Michigan, which is basically a smaller, more shallow Great Lake with plenty of chop. I'll be going on tandem with my son and occasionally on my own in solo position. Any tips or help is greatly appreciated.

1. I really need to have some rod holders for trolling. I'm thinking scotty rod holders on some type of extension arms to keep them out of the way of the paddles. I'm also thinking to attach using the yak attack bars instead of directly attaching them so I can remove them easy for storage. Thoughts or opinions on what to use?

2. Do most of you use an anchor and an anchor trolly? I wasn't planning to get one, but perhaps I should. How do you decide what size and weight anchor?

3. I was not planning to get a fish finder, at least not yet. I probably will get an emergency ship/shore hand held radio. Is a fish finder a must have?

4. Where do you get those milk crates from?

5. I have the stock Hobie paddles, do most people use those, or buy upgrades?

6. I need a third seat (for occasional trips with both kids) so I think the best idea is an upgrade seat for me and keeping the original seat as the spare. Any tips on a decent upgrade seat for an Odyssey? Will the new advantage seat fit or something like that?

7. Are there any rudders that can be retrofit onto an Odyssey? The few times I was out this fall the wind killed me when trying to stay on track and get back to the landing.

8. I assume that any keeper fish you just hang over the side on a stringer?

Anything else I'm missing?

What are you fishing for? Identify what kind of fishing you are going to be doing before you whip out the wallet. Buy what you need unless you are looking to "pimp your yak". You can add stuff as you go. Before any advice is given, do you have PFDs(life jackets) for everyone on the kayak? That is the first thing you need to buy.

1. For trolling, rod holders are standard equipment. There are a number of ways to mount them. Consider all the options before you start drilling holes in the kayak.

2. You can use a simple anchor using spool to keep the anchor line and a caribiner to clip the line to the front handle of the kayak. If it's windy, you should think twice about anchoring. In an emergency, cut the anchor line with a knife or let it go. Kayaks are better at trolling and drifting, adjust your fishing strategy to take advantage of the kayak's strengths.

3. Fishfinders work best for finding underwater structure where fish may be. A fishfinder is a great addition to a kayak, figure out what you need before you spend a lot of money on one with features you won't use. A VHS handheld radio is a good idea, not as popular as they used to be before cell phones. The range is about five miles. If you're perchin', look for the fishing fleet just like everybody else.

4. Behind the grocery store. Hobie sells them as do WalMart and many other discount mega marts.

5. Everyone will tell you the Hobie paddles are junk, but I've been using the stock paddle since 2005. If you want to buy a $250 carbon fiber paddle, they are nicer than the Hobie, but it's up to you to decide if it's worth the money. When people say the stock paddles are too heavy, I would say "go kayaking more, get in better shape and you won't notice".

6. Can't help you with the seat but there are plenty of them to choose from.

7. Paddling in the wind is going to be a challenge, rudder or not. As you gain experience and paddling strength, it will be less of an issue.

8. Yep. Unless you're perch fishing. Might want to look into a cooler or live bag, might be easier.

Go fishing a few times before you start buying stuff, it will become pretty clear what you need. If you use minnows for bait, you might look into a live bait tank. You can buy one or make your own. Paddling around docks, breakwalls and underwater structure fishing for bass would be a good way to get going, the big bass are some of the first fish to get moving in the spring.

Have fun and be safe.

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Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Thanks for the reply, and yes we all have good quality PFDs, though my son could use a new one that is cut more for kayaking. I am working on warm gear and have yet to decide on waterproof pants and jacket, or waders and a paddling jacket. Waders I could at least use river fishing for trout.

LSC is a big time bass lake. Large and small mouth. Seeing that we are mostly just fishing to catch what bites, bass will be the most common target. Spring perch too if I can find locations I can reach with the kayak. I might tempt to see if I can find some walleye in the spring, but I believe they stay near the shipping channel and I don't intend to venture to near that. There are also pike, and silver bass runs in June, musky but I doubt we will target those.

1. one of my concerns is drilling holes as I'm sure I'll eventually upgrade to an oasis and sell the odyssey. the yak tracks seem like they would offer some flexibility to change positions a bit if experience makes me change plans on where to have holders.

2. Anchor I'd guess would be more for perch, if I find them, or to anchor if I need to do something, like fix a kids setup. But, I've not used an anchor in a kayak. Is there some anchor spool system? I've only seen the trollys. Knife is a good point and I have plans to get a safety knife to attach to my PFD.

3/4/ Thanks.

5. Perhaps I should get a lighter paddle for the kids?

6. thanks.

7. Does a rudder help?

8. Thanks, I'll definitely look into a live bag. Never heard of that. I assume it just some mesh bag you put fish in, and hang them in the water?

I'm starting to narrow down ideas on what I want to start with for gear. But, a new question. I understand Hobie kayaks retain their resell value pretty well, relatively. How much impact will there be if I drill some holes in the kayak, say to add a couple 4 or 8 inch yak attach tracks, an anchor trolley system, and a mount and wiring for the fishfinder?

Adding the items you mentioned will not decrease the resale value of the kayak.
Using the Hobie wiring kit decreases the chance of water leaking inside the hull, when installing the wiring for a fish finder.
Consider researching past postings with photos, to see where other owners have installed the tracks with pro/con comments.
Unless you plan to do a lot of anchoring, that would be the last item on my list.
Lastly, if you drill holes in the kayak, make sure you know what is directly underneath, so you do not cut/damage any of the internal rudder lines.....a careful inspection prior to working will save you grief!

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Can you mount a transducer in the scupper of an Odyssey? If not, I'll look into an over the side transducer arm I think.

You can get scupper mounts for transducers, but having it stick out the bottom of the kayak may not be the ideal placement.

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Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Would it definitely stick out? I know that the Odyssey does not advertise as having a transducer reader scupper, like some other kayaks. Is the difference that those with that feature are molded in a way to not have the transducer stick out? I definitely don't want it to stick out the bottom as I have to lug this think mostly on my own and I'm sure it would get wrecked.

Perhaps I'll stick with an over the side mount or one of those magnetic mounts.

Usually, you can get a transducer that will "shoot through" the plastic hull of a kayak. Mount it on the inside of the kayak and that's it. Only problem is that some fishfinders, especially the lower end models like the Lowrance Elite series(or whatever they are called now) come with transducers that unable to do this so you have to buy a different transducer. By the time you buy the stuff to rig a transducer to hang over the side of the kayak, the cost of a through hull transducer will probably wind up being about the same.

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Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Through hull transducers won't read water temperature though, right? Seems like that would be a helpful aspect.

Actually, a "shoot thru the hull sounder" will provide a very close surface water temperature as the hull stabilizes in less than 20 minutes......it will match the surface water temperature if the transducer has a good internal contact to the internal hull surface...and the sounder will work better too......remember, it's effectively under water by a couple of inches.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR