Kayak fishing stripping basket/box build

As I've been fly fishing off the yak for a while now I've realized there's a few things I think can be done better and the most important is a way of keeping my fly line tangle free. Not that it's a constant bother but keeping my fishing time up and less time messing around w/ stuff is better.

I'd gotten an idea from Pelican about a stripping pad that he made out of a thin foam rubber mat that had loops protruding. He put that underneath his legs while in the yak and kept things tidy. I liked that idea but while fishing on rivers and some beaches I've found spots where I also wanted to wade so wanted a stripping basket for that too. While @ the local Fred Meyer (NW version of target) I found a way to have both in one tidy package, all for $6.

I got a small Rubbermaid Roughneck storage bin, a 32" bungee cord, and a bag of 4" zip ties.



Drill pair holes in the bottom of the bin.



Then w/ the lid on drill pair holes in it also.



Drill holes in the sides of the handles so that the hooks of the bungee cords can fit through



Slip zip ties through the holes



Tighten them down



Wrap the bungee cord around your waist and put the ends in the holes in the handles



And you have a stripping basket



Use the lid in between your legs when on the kayak as a stripping mat.



Throw this in the back tankwell of your yak next time out fly fishing and you should be ready for whatever spot comes you way.

Z

Bryce - You are a #&%*ing genius! Have you tried that rig out on the yak yet? Can't wait to hear how it performs. Let us know.  BTW, are you seriously thinking about the wooden yak kit you mentioned in a previous post? Sounds like a cool & fun project - do you really think the weight would come in in the 35# area with Kevlar instead of glass? Once you get going on a personal boat like that it would be very tempting to start 'innovating' all kinds of hatch, deck and top-side changes to make it more of a fishing yak than a tourer. Could get interesting!  Tom

That's very cool Z, smart thinkin'."Necessity is the mother of invention"

Bryce - You are a #&%*ing genius!

I can't take all the credit. I've seen home made stripping baskets in the past so this is kind of a blend of the best parts I've seen plus some twists of my own.

Have you tried that rig out on the yak yet? Can't wait to hear how it performs. Let us know.

I have tried it out on the yak and works like a charm. The lid does just fine and the basket... awesome.

BTW, are you seriously thinking about the wooden yak kit you mentioned in a previous post? Sounds like a cool & fun project - do you really think the weight would come in in the 35# area with Kevlar instead of glass? Once you get going on a personal boat like that it would be very tempting to start 'innovating' all kinds of hatch, deck and top-side changes to make it more of a fishing yak than a tourer. Could get interesting!  Tom

You know I really am starting to think about the kayak build. We've had 4" of snow at the house this weekend and with crazy storms like that it gives me more time to think about it. Only problem is WAF. And innovating that kit would be sooooo fun. Kind of like how the Trident has so many angler specific features, you could really make it a custom ride. It's actually why I want to make one.

I know that using epoxy w/ carbon fiber/kevlar can result in some amazingly light watercraft. I have a friend who's got a surfski that's 17' X 21" wide and weighs in at 23 lbs. They used a process called vacuum bagging so there's no other materials involved. Obviously I'd be using plywood so it wouldn't be the feather that the surf ski is but definitely one of the lighest fishing kayaks around.

Z

Zeelander,

I guess the purpose of the zip ties is to hold the line from shifting around and catching on anything else.  When you cast, do you need to pull the line off the ties with your freehand and use a series of false casts to get all the line out or will it uncoil from the pad as you shot the line out? 

I guess the purpose of the zip ties is to hold the line from shifting around and catching on anything else. 

You pretty much got it. When the coiled flyline shifts around in the basket the loops go into each other and start to tangle.

When you cast, do you need to pull the line off the ties with your freehand and use a series of false casts to get all the line out or will it uncoil from the pad as you shot the line out? 

The line will come out of the basket w/ ease w/o pulling at all. I actually can shoot a good 20-30 feet of line out of the basket when I'm using a shooting head. Very fun.. pawhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!

Z

Thanks Z, I'll give that a try.