Kayak fishing has produced a pile of great accessories and innovation was on display at this year’s ICAST tradeshow in Orlando. The biggest names in the kayak fishing gear game had their newest must-have gear on display at the Orange County Convention Center.
1. CommandStand from YakAttack
YakAttack has been a long-time supporter of kayak anglers, but this was their first year with a booth at the big show. They brought their A-game with a pile of our favorite gadgets but one of the newest add-ons caught our attention. With more anglers interested in stand-up fishing, YakAttack has introduced the CommandStand stand-up bar. This bar can be fit to any kayak with width adjustment. It is easy to remove with a couple of pins and lays flat for improved paddling when not in use. The CommandStand comes with PaddlePark and new MightyMount clamps. The aluminum legs can be mounted to gear tracks or directly to the kayak deck without adding much weight to the boat. Our favorite feature is threaded ends on the handle that accept any accessories, we picture a pair of ball-mounts for cup holders and rod holders. YakAttack’s Nick Kellog explained that the CommandStand is designed to accept all YakAttack and other manufactures components for complete customization.
2. Gear Accessory Tracks from Scotty
Since the early days of kayak fishing, Scotty has provided kayak anglers with great accessories and they continue to come up with great ideas. this year one of the most impressive units is an improvement on the gear track. The new low-proifile track comes in four- or eight-inch versions. The track can be mounted to the boat with stainless self-tapping screws of bolts. We like the beveled edges that prevent snags and stay low to the deck. The tracks accept any adapters for a full line of Scotty accessories.
3. The Juice Box From YakGear
One of the biggest challenges to adding electronics to a kayak is finding the power to run the bells and whistles. Yak Gear has introduced the new Juice Box with enough juice to keep electronics, lights and cameras charged all day. The lithium 12-volt, 11-ah battery is housed in a IP66 waterproof case. The unit has a DC input and output and will accept USB cables to charge phones and cameras. The Juice Box has a digital display that shows battery charge and power indicator. After a three to four-hour charge the battery will run fishfinder for over nine hours. The power to power your gadgets will only cost $139.
4. Kayak Cable Lock from Propel Paddle Gear
One of the newest players in the kayak fishing gear market, Propel brings innovative and creative products to the creative kayak angler. We wanted to take home a couple of the Keyed Locking Cables. With expensive rods, boats and coolers in the back of my truck, I’m always worried about hard-earned dollars walking away. Propel Paddle Gear has come out with a cable lock specifically designed to secure through rods, reels, coolers and kayak scuppers. The keyed lock is chrome coated brass and the steel cable is coated in vinly to resist rust. This lock is specifically designed to provide maximum strength in a small diameter cable for paddle-sports accessories.
5. Flushmount Adapta Post from RAM Mounts
We’re always excited to see what RAM Mounts will bring to the ICAST show and this year they introduced Flushmount Adapta Post. This adapter turns a flushmount rodholder into a gear head mount. Add a raised rod holder to keep rod and reel out of the water. Also, a raised rod holder allows you to angle the rod in any direction. Or switch out for any of RAM’s accessories to keep gear high-and-dry.
