Product Review: Precision Pak CRatePak

I have been rather well known for my lack of organization as well as my general pack rat nature while on the water.  My new years resolution for kayaking involved changing this reputation.  After careful review of several products, I decided to give the CRatePak by Precision Pak a try.

First things first, the simplicity of the pack is really nice.  It goes over a standard 12"x12" crate and secures by 8 velcro straps.  There are no zippers to corrode.  The assembly was very easy.  Next challenge was to figure out what goes where.  On the two sides, there are two well sized pockets with velcro straps to secure your gear.  On one I put my top water bait tackle box.  On the other side I placed a few odds and ends that I need easy access to.  On the one side there is a place to store your knife.  This is really useful as it is within an easy arms reach for when I need it.  On the front is a slim pocket that I am using to keep my license handy and beside it is a pocket perfectly sized for my spool of flouro leader.  

There is a top flap that is secured by really strong velcro.  This will keep your gear safe in the unfortunate case of a turtle.  While I have yet to truly turtle, it could happen at an instant and I want my gear safe.  The center of the top flap is another pocket that I have several soft plastic baits as well as a couple frequently used tools stored.  This will make for easy access to many of my commonly used items.  Finally on the back there is a three rod holder secured by a backing board.  This will allow for three rods to easily be transported on my yak without using my trolling scotty mounts or other mounts which may get in the way of me reaching for my gear.  

There are four rings at the top corners of the pack which are used to either bungee your crate to the kayak, or to hang your tools off of.  I will be using them to bungee my crate to the pack.  Over all I am very pleased with the ease of assembly and the options for organization that the Precision Pak CRatePak offers me and would recommend it to anyone looking for a better organized experience on the water.  

Product Review - YakAttack VISICarbon Pro

The first tournament of the POL Tournament Series is over and I placed first with Bill Martin placing second.  Coming in first or second earned you a sweet YakAttack safety tee shirt as well as a beautiful trophy designed by www.fishdv8.com.

Coming in first though won you two more prizes.  First you get to determine where the proceeds for the money raised from tournament entry gets donated.  Second, I won a YakAttack VISICarbon Pro safety light.  

I thought I would take a moment to give a review of this awesome light after putting it through it's paces.  I had played with a VISIPole before, but never the VISICarbon Pro.  The first thing I noted was how compact it was when all folded up.  The beauty of this is that the entire light/pole/float folds up neatly and is able to be stored inside the flag.  Opening up the pole itself is a snap.  The lightweight fiberglass pole unfolds and slides together in three sections to form one solid pole.  After you put the pole together you need to put the flag on for extra visibility in the daytime.  The flag is also the bag that the pole folds into.  This is ingenious because it serves as the bag as well as a stocking to put over the light at night in an effort to remain visible but not spook the fish.  

I got the version of the VISICarbon Pro that can be placed into a rod holder with an opening of at least 1.75" or into a Scotty Mount.  I chose to place mine in one of the two Scotty mounts that I have behind my seat on my Ride135.  The first thing I noticed is how awesome this looks in comparison to the home made light pole that I had earlier.  The VISICarbon  Pro looks like it is made for anglers as it blends nicely with our rod's.  I took mine out for a spin on a windy day on the James River and did not notice any drag created by the Pole or the Flag.  The design of the product is very aerodynamic to reduce wind friction.  There is a wide band of SOLAS (Survival Of Life At Sea) tape between two bands of orange tape just below the light.  SOLAS Tape is highly reflective and will provide 360 degrees of reflective surface at a height that will make you visible even in uneasy seas.  Finally there is the light at the top of the VISICarbon Pro.  I have not been out at night with mine yet, but it is the same light that the VISIPole and VISIPole II have and this is a high intensity light created by TekTite that has a burn time of over 100 hours, is ultra light weight and waterproof up to 1000 feet.  

Overall I am very happy with this product and would recommend it to any kayaker.  The retail price on this is $85.  If you are budget conscious, you may want to consider the VISIPole II which is a similar design with the exception that the pole does not break down into a size that would allow for storage in the flag.  It's pricing starts at $40.  This is without a doubt the best flag/light pole I have seen for a kayak on the market.  Go over to www.yakattack.us to purchase yours today.