# Solo floats?



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

This is probably a stupid and obvious question but how do people manage a solo float down a river? I mostly fish solo and am thinking about getting a kayak but wondered how I will leave it, get back to my car, and retrieve it. 

Thanks


----------



## coffee (Aug 18, 2014)

Paddle up river fish on way back down.


----------



## Rocknut (Apr 17, 2015)

I paddle and fish going up river then paddle back to my car.


----------



## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Lol I fish up and back.....


----------



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

One of the rivers I was thinking about was the mad and it has quite a bit of current. Doesn't seem like that would be fun to paddle up but maybe I'm wrong. i don't have a lot of kayak river experience. I tried it in a canoe and it was not really an option.


----------



## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

Have you tried wading?


----------



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

Yes, I wade now....


----------



## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Mad is gonna be extremely tough to paddle up... In fact I'd say pretty much not gonna happen. You may need to wade only there and even that is a very tough challenge at times !


----------



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

That is kind of what I figured. Someone mentioned that the sit on tops have scupper holes in them where a person could run a chain to lock the yak up to a tree or something


----------



## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

Yes they do have scuppers; you could potentially drop a bike at your takeout and chain it up, then go put in and float down to your bike, chain up the kayak and drive back up to your vehicle.

Even then you're at the mercy of anyone with a decent pair of bolt cutters


----------



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

If you're going to be new to kayaking like you sound I would NOT suggest the Mad River as a place to start out. Give the GMR or Stillwater or even flat water a try 1st. Get familiar with ur boat and flowing water before soloing the Mad.


----------



## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

iajetpilot said:


> That is kind of what I figured. Someone mentioned that the sit on tops have scupper holes in them where a person could run a chain to lock the yak up to a tree or something


Have someone meet you at the take out...and smb is right the mad can be sketchy at best


----------



## Rybo (Jul 23, 2009)

iajetpilot said:


> That is kind of what I figured. Someone mentioned that the sit on tops have scupper holes in them where a person could run a chain to lock the yak up to a tree or something


Even better, make yourself a small strap with a buckle on it to attach around your waist. I would do this and paddle upstream as far as I could make it, then get out and wade through the skinny spots, pulling my rig behind me with that strap attached to a rope. Tie it around your waist or chest, and you can wade-fish while dragging your boat further upstream to paddle-able water. It's a great solution, and surprisingly easy with a good strap.


----------



## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

post deleted


----------



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the tips and ideas. I really appreciate it. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions before I make a yak purchase.


----------



## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

SMBHooker said:


> If you're going to be new to kayaking like you sound I would NOT suggest the Mad River as a place to start out. Give the GMR or Stillwater or even flat water a try 1st. Get familiar with ur boat and flowing water before soloing the Mad.


Lots of good advice from Streamstalker and others. But PLEASE heed the advice above. The Mad is not the place to go your first time or alone. It's "sneaky difficult", in a way that a paddler could get into some serious trouble very quickly without really seeing it coming.


----------



## iajetpilot (Jul 3, 2013)

I've fishing the mad quite a bit wading and have canoed on it a bunch of times. In the canoe I actually found the big darby creek way more difficult. Its the upper part of the mad I'm talking about, above Springfield. I've never floated or fished below there  What are you guys referring to about the mad being difficult. Its straight, shallow and have very few log jams etc....to get caught up in. I'm obviously missing something. I'd definitely start off in the yak on a nice calm lake. I have kayaked before but never in a river and never fishing.


----------



## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

iajetpilot said:


> I've fishing the mad quite a bit wading and have canoed on it a bunch of times. In the canoe I actually found the big darby creek way more difficult. Its the upper part of the mad I'm talking about, above Springfield. I've never floated or fished below there  What are you guys referring to about the mad being difficult. Its straight, shallow and have very few log jams etc....to get caught up in. I'm obviously missing something. I'd definitely start off in the yak on a nice calm lake. I have kayaked before but never in a river and never fishing.


Yup the top end is super easy....the bottom is not


----------



## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

As streamstalker mentioned, I too use a bicycle to shuttle. I like to use my personal pontoon at times when flows are too heavy to wade therefore, as I am heading to the river and when I am about 3 miles downstream from the spot I put in, I lock my bicycle to a tree at a popular pull out area for kayaks, drift boats etc. I then hop back into the car and head up stream, park my vehicle and and put my pontoon in the river and start my fishing journey. When I reach pull out spot, I unchain the bike and lock pontoon to the tree and haul my rod and fly pack with me back to my car which takes only about 7-10 minutes tops.


----------



## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

In the upper Mad you'd be hard pressed to find a section of river that is completely over your waist. I'd wade upstream with the yak in tow and then float back down. I always enjoy fishing upstream because I believe the fish spend a lot of time facing upstream waiting for their food to come downstream. Not to mention almost all of my top 10 river fish were hooked while casting upstream.


----------



## Ftw112 (Apr 6, 2013)

I also do the bike pedal/paddle or vice versa, but only on my local flow which is very urban and has a good place to "hide" my gear while unattended. Usually get out before it gets light out when there aren't many other people out. Thiefs sleep in right?


----------

