Making a small boat fish big
Many of us fish in a way that is best suited for small boats, yet we still want the versatility and option of fishing big waters or “big water” techniques when the bite is on. Rigging small boats with the needed rod holders, net holders, tool holders and other accessories can be a challenge. Most small boat anglers just give up, and are satisfied having their boat “fish small”. But the wise angler takes the time to plan and rig their boat with the proper equipment to get the most out of their equipment. Here are a few rigging tips that can help make your small boat fish like a big boat.
Planning: one of the biggest mistakes I see on boats of all sizes is the lack of a plan when rigging. Take a few minutes and make a list of what equipment your boat would have if money were no issue. Now, where would you mount those items to make them easy to reach, functional and out of the way? Have the final plan handy as you start rigging and beginning your rigging with the final plan in mind will make it easier to add equipment and accessories in the future.
Use a track system: A long piece of track is the base of the rigging system on any boat. My rule is to use the longest track I can on the gunnels of the boat. One long piece of track has many advantages over several small pieces of track including more secure mounting, ability to hold more accessories and pull, more flexibility in placement of items and easier addition of new items. In today’s world manufacturers like Traxstech (www.traxstech.com) have multiple track mounting options. My preferred mounting option is to use bolts, washers and nuts to “thru bolt” the track onto the gunnel. This creates maximum strength of the mounting. If gunnel mounting is not possible, Traxstech offers options to mount track on round or square rails, in Lund Sport Track, or in the mounting track of other style of boats including PolarKraft, Alumacraft and many others.
Get them up! When rigging a boat I ALWAYS stress keeping rod butts out of the boats interior. I like using “Tube” style rod holders to keep rod butts out of the boat and to raise rod tips higher above the water. This maximizes the small fishing space on a small boat and allows the angler to spread Off-Shore inline planer boards further from the boat to avoid tangles, cover more water and fish more rods than possible with rods that are closer to the water. I really like the “tree” style rod holders, especially in a smaller boat. In a very small foot print I can easily fish up to 4 rods. Traxstech uses a grooved riser that allows an angler to fish up to 4 rods, and add accessories like a net holder, lights, cup holders etc. to a single tree, giving the angler the ultimate in flexibility and usefulness on one piece of rigging that takes up about 4” in the track…..the true definition of small boat rigging efficiency!
Buy good holders: I am amazed how many high dollar rigs I see on the lake with $10 rod holders. Do not pinch pennies when buying holders. Spending a few extra dollars will give you more flexibility and efficiency since one holder can be used to pull inline planer boards, flat lines, diver lines or any other presentation you want to use. Good quality rod holders are adjustable both in angle to the water and angle to the gunnel. Cheaper, plastic holders may seem like a good idea, but do you really want to trust your rods and reels to a piece of plastic when pulling a jet diver?
Don’t forget accessories: Accessories like cup holders, net holders, tool holders, planer board holders and many others can be mounted in your track to keep EVERYTHING you need for fishing off the floor and above the gunnel. Having a place for everything on the gunnel keeps your limited fishing space clear for fishing and moving around the boat, on both big and small boats. Add a few extra rod holders in track around the front deck and you now have a place to store extra rods when they aren’t being used keeping them off the floor and guaranteeing they won’t get stepped on.
Having a small boat is not an excuse for not paying attention to proper rigging. On the contrary, more attention needs to be placed on rigging on a small boat so the limited space is used to maximum fishing potential. Take a few minutes to plan, then get that boat rigged right. Good fishing is waiting!