I’ve talked about this before, but it’s an important consideration worth touching on again.  How do you plan to transport your kayak?

I’ve talked with many who are excited about getting a kayak, however they haven’t thought about getting it from home to the water.  The challenge is not as big with lighter sit-in touring and recreational kayaks, which are easy to load on a roof-top rack.

Sit-on-top fishing kayaks, which are usually wider and heavier, are a different animal. Add in the even heavier and wider self-propelled fishing kayaks and the challenge is magnified. Two people can handle most of the fishing kayaks for roof-top transport with one of the many great roof-rack systems on the market.  Easier, especially if you are alone, is some sort of kayak trailer or a utility trailer that can easily be modified for kayaks. For the past 12 years I’ve been using a Malone MicroSport kayak trailer, which makes transporting my Jackson fishing kayaks much easier and my outings more fun.  At most launches I can simply back right up to the water with an easy time loading and unloading. Also, for storage, I leave the kayak on the trailer.

Do your research and ask the outfitter you buy from for their suggestions for transport, whether a trailer or roof-rack system. And, if you can’t get right up to the water, you might want to consider a small kayak cart, which is what I use to make that last stretch from car to water much easier.

I’ve been out on the waters of Door County several times in my kayaks over the past several weeks and continue to appreciate using the various boat and kayak launches with my trailer.  Also, many of our Door County roads dead-end at the water to launch but be sure to park off the road. 

Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be challenging compared to a few years ago. To help protect our fishery, please practice catch, photograph and release, along with getting the bass back in the water quickly.  As always, if you have any kayak/kayak fishing questions or questions related to transporting your kayak, please email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com.  And, my 2024 Canoecopia talk, Kayaking & Kayak Fishing Door County, Wisconsin, covers most of the great launches in the county. Let me know if you’d like the PDF of this talk.