EDITOR’S ANGLE
Don’t forget the camera. PHOTO: SCOTT MACGREGOR
Last Minute Gear Packing Guide C
heck watch. 10:30 pm. Seven hours until I meet the guys and head north. I flick
on the lights in my downstairs gear room. I take out two milk crates, Rubbermaid
ActionPacker storage box and a large mesh duffle. For me, packing for a weekend kayak fishing trip is something like a going out of business sale—everything on the shelves must go. I crack open a Coors. In the fishy smelling mesh duffle I stuff
my long synthetic underwear, Gore-Tex waders, Patagonia Skanorak kayak jacket, Surf-to-Summit seat and paddle leash…. Where’s the part of the leash that Velcros to the paddle? I look inside the pockets of my PFD. Go outside and climb on the roof of my truck, check the hatches of kayak. Must be here somewhere. Nope. I dump the con- tents of my wall organizer storage bins onto my workbench. Give up. Trow the paddle leash into the pile—no sense taking the leash if I can’t connect it to the paddle. Pack the rain jacket. Rain hat. Sun hat.
Bug jacket. Where’s my bug dope? Better pack sunscreen. Note to self: buy bug repel- lant sunscreen so you don’t have to remem- ber so many things. Go to the bedroom closet for a pair of
shorts and fishing shirt. Turn on closet light. “What are you doing? Turn off the light.” “Sorry.” I tiptoe back downstairs. Get out milk crates. Untangle anchor
rope wrapped in the battery charger wires. Pull battery off the shelf. CRASH. F*%k! “What are you doing down there? You’ll
wake the kids.” Go to the mini-bar fridge, open second
beer. Pack anchor, rod holders, and fishfinder/
GPS. Search for the OtterBox battery box. Notice the red connector is loose. Wiggle, wiggle. Yup, fell right off in my hand. Too lazy to fix it now. Toss battery box in the crate along with my case of electrical connectors and crimping tool. Fix it when I get there. Which rods should I take? It’s a walleye
trip…but the guys mentioned trolling for speckles…we’re on a tournament large- mouth lake…and maybe going out in the aſternoons for pike. Decide on old faith- ful spinning rig and will try the new Team Diawa Special Edition 50th Anniversary TD Zillion baitcaster. Uh oh, the baitcaster is still at that office. Um…only two light beers, I’m okay. Drive to office to get new rod and reel. Arrive home at 12:05. Five hours until I
meet the guys. Open third beer. Realize ol’ faithful reel has chalky three-
year-old Fireline. Tought I’d changed that. Strip old line. Find new spool. Can’t remem- ber if the spool label goes up or down. Toss it in the milk crate. I’ll do it when I get there. Look at my shelf of Plano storage boxes. Wonder why the snaps on the lids are not
closed. Clever me, I leſt them open in case of moisture. Nope, my kids have sorted all my lures—by color. When did they do this? And how did they do this without treble-hooking themselves. And how’d I have explained to the ER doctors that my two- and three-year- old got gaffed with Rapala Skitter Pops and Heddon Zara Sparkle Spooks. Vow to keep my tackle on a higher shelf. Trow Plano trays in crates. Sort them when I get there. Toss in floating plyers, lip gripper, multi-
tool, fillet knife, sharpener, headlamp and net. Load truck. Stare into truck bed…for a long time.
What am I forgetting? PFD and paddle! Go back inside. Grab paddle off the rack. Find missing
paddle leash end still attached. Now where did I put that leash? Phone rings. “Finished packing yet, Kay-
aker?” My neighbor calls to tell me he fin- ished packing three hours ago. Everything’s still in his bass boat from last fall. Bastard. “Yah, almost,” I tell him thinking of my
truckload of clothing, paddling equipment, outfitting and rigging, rods and tackle. “But I bought everything I packed for less than you’re paying in boat financing charges.” Hang up phone and open last beer, smugly. I love kayak fishing.
SCOTT MACGREGOR is the founder and publisher of Kayak Angler, Ad- venture Kayak, Rapid and Canoeroots magazines.
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