Road trips...

[IUEC_CAM]

I have made 2 road trips to NC to visit fishing buddies. One meet me in NC and he came from ATL. If anyone wants to know more spots or closer ones the MD DNR app has a cartop launch map that can be sorted by distance from your location. I'm in my 30s with kids so most of my trips I try to keep kinda short. Love road tripping. Hope to get out Sat night to the local spot.

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I'm in Pasadena too. I wouldn't mind meeting up one weekend and hit some spots when my yak is delivered.

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[Turtle]

I have made 2 road trips to NC to visit fishing buddies. One meet me in NC and he came from ATL. If anyone wants to know more spots or closer ones the MD DNR app has a cartop launch map that can be sorted by distance from your location. I'm in my 30s with kids so most of my trips I try to keep kinda short. Love road tripping. Hope to get out Sat night to the local spot.

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Great recommendation on the app. I can't figure out how to limit it to car top, but I just checked it out and it it has all the public boat ramps I know of in the area and more.

[ronaultmtd]

One thing I forgot to mention is a checkoff list to make sure the necessities are loaded and not forgotten...mirage drive, paddle, PFD, whistle, scupper cart, measurement board,Knife, pliers, hand-held vhf, Self rescue ladder, cooler bag, water bottle, fishing outfits- rigged...I learned the hard way to load up the day before in broad daylight, go over the list twice...drink a cup of coffee, go back and review once more...road trips means adventure and an adventure with all your gear is a pleasant one...don’t arrive at your destination only to find you forgot an essential component of your trip. The old carpenter’s adage is “measure twice-cut once”

[Mark]

I have two checklists. One is for my Hobie Revo and one for my Native Ultimates. There are a few differences in what I carry for each given that the Hobie is pedal driven and the Natives are paddle boats.

The checklists are in a prominent spot at the top of my kayak rack in my garage. They're hard to miss. However, just because I have checklists, that doesn't mean I always use them. Sometimes I get lazy. I recall an outing last year where I forgot my Mirage Drive on a Revo trip. Dumb! That was likely because I hadn't used the Revo for a while and I was so tuned into paddling.

I learned on that trip that the Revo does not paddle well without the drive in place. Of course I did not bring the plastic plug that fits into the drive port either. The result is that water gushes up through the drive port like toilet overflowing when you paddle. The faster you go, the more the water enters the port. An open port slows you down too. So my sleek, normally speedy Revo became wet ride slug.

That outing left an impression on me. I won't say never again, but I haven't forgotten my Mirage Drive since. All I have to do remember to look at the checklists. They are a good idea, especially if you use them.

[Big Mike]

I arrived one morning at 6AM to fish with Ron at Piney Point, about 25 minutes from my house. Got there jumped out of my vehicle and when I walked around back went, Huh, where’s my kayak. Yep, I’d left it in the garage on the trailer, never rolled it out to hook up. I started an hour late that day. No checklist was preventing that morning fog mistake.

[Mark]

Mike,

That's a good one.

I've forgotten fish grips, a paddle once, lures often, bug spray and as I mentioned above, my Mirage Drive. I've yet to forget the entire boat! But there's a first time for everything.

[bassguy84]

My paddle I have forgotten a lot. Can't believe that one. Now I leave my back up one in my car. Also for everything else tackle the night before then in my car. All the other stuff goes in my car night before I'm my crate. I always have a case of water in my car and kayak thank goodness haven't forgot yet. Checklist are good if you use them unfortunately I'm not very good at having everything on my checklist and now I just keep a back up of most stuff in my Jeep.

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