Not sure why I think I can carry 5 rods in the kayak. I think I’d be more successful if I just carried 2, maybe 3.

With the water cooling down, my next trip out will consist of a my flipping rod with a football jig on it, Casting rod with a squarebill, and maybe a rod with a chatterbait or spinner bait on it.

I know when I’m launching the boat that I have to much [censored], I just don’t seem to be able to stop myself.

Three rods in a kayak is a good number for me. Four has proven to be too many. Tangled up gear, rods in the way, loss of time and the extra hassle outweighs whatever I might have gained having one more rig. Two rods are okay too, but sometimes I wish I had the third rig. One, not enough. Don’t ever remember pushing it to five rigs on a kayak.

If your yak looks like this you might be a redneck or need therapy
I always carry my standard arsenal - fly, caster, spinner done

Lately, I've been going with two rods in kayak but three is normal for me. When kayaking, I try to keep it simple.

I took it out for a short trip tonight. I think we call it a “swim”, sorry, I’m still trying to get the lingo down. Paired it down to 3 rods and 1/4 of the tackle. I didn’t even bring my fish finder. It was a much more enjoy, and much more productive trip. Lots more room for beer this way.

When I lived on Lake Athens, I often just carried out a single favorite rod. If I broke it, I never did, I knew I'd be back fishing the next day so no worries there. If I were going to a lake away from home, I'd carry a second and maybe a third rod.

One big negative to carrying out too much is anglers often then don't give anything a chance to work, skip around with different rods, different lures.

Now living in Galveston, I am back down to one rod . . . on the prowl for flounder. If I were targeting trout or reds, I'd carry a second rod.

Minimalist means more fun, get on and off the water faster, less fuss.

Brad

this exactly
i like 3 rods
2 in the holders
1 in action

oh yeah
more room for Beer

I have been kayaking for almost 10 years if count my first inflatable yak... never heard a kayak trip called a swim.

A "swim' is something carp guys say. Its the area where they have chummed their bait and they are fishing. That is their "swim". And they might say something like "The range cubes are really bringing them in. Lots of fish in the swim".

Agreed. I like to keep it relatively simple too.

If bass fishing, I take three rods... two bass rods (one for plastic and one for cranking) and one ultralight (rigged with a roadrunner) in case the sand bass start bubbling near the boat

If crappy fishing, I take two rods.... one ultralight and one bass rod (rigged with plastic) in case I pass a bassy lay-down that can't be ignored.

Also, a nicely equipped cooler is always part of the equation. If we ever cross paths, paddle on over because I always have an extra to share

I have realized this also. Usually on the pull back up the ramp after a day on the water. 5 rods, 6 plano boxes in a crate, waters, and whatever other stuff I threw in that morning. I usually only ever use the baits I tied on the night before... But when I try to leave stuff behind, I panic and throw more carp in. It's a problem.

I think that is a session. We need a hippie to make a ruling here. You might be right.

During the summer, I take a single rod and a cup of worms to go perch jerking. It is the most fun I have in my kayak. I need to figure out how to avoid the panic attack of not taking enough bass gear.

I use three or four baits.. 90% of the time. If I don't get bit with one of them, I'm going to have a rough day. Started out throwing big crankbaits, big spinner baits, underspin with 5 inch swimbaits, and a 5 inch flutter spoon. Would carry an extra of each in case I broke one off. Now I have to have them all in smaller sizes, mid sizes, super jumbo, and in different colors, with and without rattles.. it never ends. My crate holds 4 rods and when they are filled I can't even get to those boxes without removing some of the rods. I'll usually have three rods laying on deck of kayak until I figure out what they want. I'm going to try going back to less is more myself.