new fishing kayaker - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

fongman · 05-13-2010, 09:52 AM

Setting up a MK tandem for solo or for 2 is a challenge. If you and a buddy go out, you don't have many options for the baittank; you either cover the front or rear hatch. Depending upon which hatch you cover, you lose some or most of the internal storage.

If you decide to go out solo, your sitting position is the big issue. If you are a big guy, sitting in the back seat is not good due to the poor weight distribution. The nose of the kayak will always be in the air. Plus, if you put your bt in front of you, your rods will always be in your way when casting.

If you sit over the rectangular hatch, the weight distribution is good, but now it is inconvenient to use the internal storage. However, the bt can now be placed behind you on the rear seat well. You'll have to devise something to level that area. A pool noodle made into a donut works well.

You'll enjoy the stability of this kayak and there is a lot of deck space--you just have to figure out how to best utilize it. Paddling it by yourself isn't bad, but you will have a hard time keeping up with others in solo yaks. Also, it is a bear to paddle when the wind comes up, so make sure the wind is to your back coming back in.

Make sure you have enough (flushmount or RAM) rodholders so you can move your extra rods around. For holding 2 more rods, I made a removable pvc rodholder which mounted over the 2 rear wellnuts supplied by MK.

Enjoy your new ride!

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05-13-2010, 09:52 AM	#8
fongman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 116	Setting up a MK tandem for solo or for 2 is a challenge. If you and a buddy go out, you don't have many options for the baittank; you either cover the front or rear hatch. Depending upon which hatch you cover, you lose some or most of the internal storage. If you decide to go out solo, your sitting position is the big issue. If you are a big guy, sitting in the back seat is not good due to the poor weight distribution. The nose of the kayak will always be in the air. Plus, if you put your bt in front of you, your rods will always be in your way when casting. If you sit over the rectangular hatch, the weight distribution is good, but now it is inconvenient to use the internal storage. However, the bt can now be placed behind you on the rear seat well. You'll have to devise something to level that area. A pool noodle made into a donut works well. You'll enjoy the stability of this kayak and there is a lot of deck space--you just have to figure out how to best utilize it. Paddling it by yourself isn't bad, but you will have a hard time keeping up with others in solo yaks. Also, it is a bear to paddle when the wind comes up, so make sure the wind is to your back coming back in. Make sure you have enough (flushmount or RAM) rodholders so you can move your extra rods around. For holding 2 more rods, I made a removable pvc rodholder which mounted over the 2 rear wellnuts supplied by MK. Enjoy your new ride!