[KayakDIY]

If you’re kayak fishing without a crate behind your seat, you’re working too hard. Here’s the exact setup I’ve run for years. Total cost under $40 if you shop smart.

What you need:
– A standard milk crate (the real ones, not the flimsy craft-store kind)
– 3 rod holder tubes (1.5 inch PVC, about 10 inches long, works fine)
– Heavy-duty zip ties
– A pool noodle
– A small dry box for phone and keys

The build:
1. Split the pool noodle lengthwise and press it over the top edge of the crate. It’s quieter, and it won’t chew up your kayak.
2. Zip-tie two rod holders to the back corners of the crate, angled slightly outward, and one on the side for the landing net.
3. The dry box lives in the middle. Tackle trays stack on either side.
4. Run a 3-foot tether from the crate to a pad eye. If you flip, the crate stays with the boat.

What I’d do differently: I wish I’d added the side rod holder sooner. Reaching behind me for the net while fighting a fish used to be a circus act.

What’s in your crate? Always looking for better ideas.

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[jim.fisk1959]

Building this exact crate this weekend. The pool noodle edge trick is genius. Mine sounds like a drum solo every time I set it down.

[ReelLadyAdventures]

We ran similar setups a few years back. We put the rod holders on the outside of the crate with heavy duty zip ties and cut down a cutting board for the lid. This allowed me to mount my camera to the top of the lid. I like the clean look of your setup with the PVC.

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