Losing Gear - a tough lesson

[Gluey]

So I'm after a cathartic release and I'm hoping bream master is the place to deliver. I was out on the yak with a mate today with a brand new rig. Stradic FJ on Team Daiwa x rod. All was going well with a couple fish in the bag and it was time to swap to the new rig and test out some of the new Berkley vibes I picked up. Turn around "where the **** is my rod?!" It was gone, forever. I have no idea how it fell out, no idea where it fell out. Brand spanking new, 5 casts in its lifetime. The pain won't fade as I feel so incredibly stupid

Surely I am not the only one with such an avoidable loss

[surfcoastkid]

I always leash rods down to the yak. Heard too many stories of lost set ups.

[Nix88]

I'm still scared how I lost my box of hard bodies.its the worst feeling.i feel your pain.

[Gofishing]

Mate...I am so sorry for your lost. Last April I went back to Adelaide and fish off the jetty at Rapid Bay...lost two set of gears in one night. A Nitro Distance Spin with a Sustain 2500 FG, may be 3 fishing trips in total. Second set was a Nitro Assasin 13" Surf Rod with a 2010 Certate 2500R...all gone in a blink of an eyes...I can even see the fish pull the rods and watch it submersed into the dark sea. And a week later after got back to Sydney I saw it on Gumtree, call the seller with no success and he sold it for a quarter of the price I paid must be your luck...I was so upset that I when to Complete Angler and purchased another Nitro Distance spin and Baby Viper. Well atleast the new rods did cheers me up

[Windknot]

I have never trusted using the rod holders in my various yaks that were set behind the seat. You just don't know what's going on behind you. I have managed to break rods stored there in the past when going under tree branches. Sometimes I used to forget they were there and I would smack my rod into the rods stored there, on my back cast, damaging both rods. These days I only use the rear mounted rod holders for holding gear like my net, etc.

I now only use rod holders located forward of the seat for both storage and for trolling. If my new yak doesn't have forward mounted rod holders, they're the first thing that I add.

I particularly like the Scotty Powerlock rod holders, as they actually lock your rod into the rod holder, so you can't lose it even if you manage to flip your yak. These rod holders can be fully adjustable if you buy a few accessories, so they can be used for all purposes, yet remain out of the way of your paddle when paddling.

[pipnosis]

Its all part of boating. My most recent drop was a new iPhone. No more phones in the Yak!

[gez]

I went to reach for a rod once in the yak and it werent there, I decided it went over while I was grabbing a net while trying to drag a big fish away from a snag, there was a fair bit going on and I reckon i either knocked it out with the net or my arm. Got off the water and headed into town to the tacklo and grabbed a few big metal slices with big trebles, got back out on the water and went back to where I reckoned it went over and systematically worked the area over fanning casts and dragging the trebles along the bottom from all sorts of angles for probably 5 hours and cleared away a fair bit of timber and weed. Next day I was peddling past and just chucked a hail mary over my shoulder cos I still had the slice tied on, felt some weight and thought I had a decent stick on, then the rod tip popped up. pretty happy, I got few good fish on it that day too

[sexton]

Originally Posted by Nix88

I'm still scared how I lost my box of hard bodies.its the worst feeling.i feel your pain.

It sure does suck

Originally Posted by Gluey

Surely I am not the only one with such an avoidable loss

Nope...I lost over $1000 of Hard bodies yesterday over the side of the boat...Not a good feeling at all!!

Originally Posted by gez

Next day I was peddling past and just chucked a hail mary over my shoulder cos I still had the slice tied on, felt some weight and thought I had a decent stick on, then the rod tip popped up. pretty happy, I got few good fish on it that day too

Nice!!

[Green Hornet]

I've never thought about it until now what a box of hard bodies is worth.
Let alone the hassle of trying to find some of the rarer ones.
Looking at mine I'm sure going to be more careful from now on.

[spork]

Lost my (at the time) favourite bream outfit from the 'yak earlier this year. Snagged it on a rack, and stupidly lost it out of the holder while turning to unsnag it - didn't flip the bail over.
Went back 3 days later on my next day off at low tide and searched for it. I got it back. The oyster farmers had found it earlier that day. (I'd asked them to keep an eye out for it) Cost me a carton of beer, and the reel was stuffed.
As if getting it back wasn't good enough, a very generous forumite on one of the 'yak fishing forums (he's on here too) gave me a very nice rod and reel to replace them! A Berkley Venom mexican racer and a 1000 size Sustain, in as new condition.

I now use a leash.

[Puggy]

Very luck to have lost nothing so far.
Have been out about 25 times in my yak.
I have rods and net strapped with springy cords that reach 1m.
Tackle Boxes at my feet tied down onto the sides, so I can still open and close them. And Yak Pak strapped down with everything else in it.

[hatch]

I know a non-boater that lost a whole tackle bag in a tourny a few years ago. 6 trays chock full of hardbodies flipped overboard when the boater put the metal to the floor in a big nitro!

[sexton]

Originally Posted by hatch

I know a non-boater that lost a whole tackle bag in a tourny a few years ago. 6 trays chock full of hardbodies flipped overboard when the boater put the metal to the floor in a big nitro!

That there will bring a grown man to his knees crying

I have about half a dozen pre made lanyards made up for the kayak, one for each item, scissors, knife, rods and paddle.

I even lanyard my two rods when I go live baiting, people look at me weird however I think that if something takes this for a run and the line overruns I'd rather have that extra time to get the rod and sort it out than loose it...

Kaya's are notorious rod loosing machines, jetties also.

A simple bit of 3mm rigging line and a noose tied to the working end (reel end) and a stainless steel snap at the other to clip onto a kayak edging rope or even the seat - best $5 you'll ever spend!

[Lachie Spence]

I was testing a mates new kayak and I had my Veritas in the rear rod holders as I went under a 6ft bridge.
I looked up as the rod was about to hit it so I quickly flipped the yak over and spent the next half hour
diving off the bridge feeling for the rod
Got it back though