FISHING
KAYAK FISHING
s
42
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MILK CRATE
SMART ACCESSORIES FOR IMPROVING ON THE OLD STANDBY
ince the beginning of modern fishing kayak design, users
have relied on milk crates to store much of their gear. It
makes sense, as obtaining a crate is usually easy and inex-
pensive, the units are incredibly rugged and they fit multiple
popular plano stowaway tackle boxes (a standard 12-inch milk
crate holds seven plano 3600 boxes). Milk crates also fit flawless-
ly atop most sit-on-top fishing kayaks.
As a few kayak accessory companies attempt to move away
from the milk crate model, most stick close by, instead design-
ing aftermarket accessories for the crates themselves.
the biggest challenge to utilizing a simple milk crate is its
wide-open design, allowing everything contained to be fully
exposed to the elements – or possibly sinking if the kayak over-
turns. A few manufacturers have designed a truly waterproof,
covered crate system (Jackson Kayak’s JKrate is one of the
nicest), while others offer lids for standard crates, as well as
those of their own design.
simple milk crates also lack any framework or form to keep
small items from falling to the bottom of the crate. hobie
solves this problem with its h-Crate, which features recessed
mounting points similar to a pegboard, as well as a track sys-
tem that can handle everything from rod holders to small utility
tubs.
As the longtime industry leader in tackle storage, it’s not sur-
prising plano has also entered the kayak organization market,
now offering both the soft Crate, a soft-sided milk crate system
with attachments for its most popular gear boxes, and a unique
V-Crate unit. unlike any other system on the market, the V-
Crate is a hard, weatherproof box that holds a bunch of gear
below the main center box and adds quick access to two 3700
boxes on each side.
In addition to these revolutionary pieces, a number of man-
ufacturers produce simple nylon and fabric pouches and acces-
sories for use with a standard milk crate (check out the Milk
Crate buddy from Austin Kayak), allowing anglers organization
and quick access to items like pliers, maps, rain gear and lunch.
Many contain water-resistant gear pouches and D-rings for
accessories.
Adding rod tubes is the most basic milk crate modification,
which can be easily achieved for just a few bucks by attaching
pVC tubes inside or around the edge to store rods vertically.
Commercial options are also available.
And, going to the extreme, yakGear offers its Cratewell – a
kit designed to transform a standard milk crate into a function-
al livewell.
Any of these commercially available products can transform
a simple milk crate into a better tackle-storage system, or
replace it entirely with a milk crate-inspired alternative. but
there’s always the DIy route, too, as is popular among kayak
anglers who attach all manner of storage systems using cable
ties, bungee cords and other hardware. Really, it’s up to you to
personalize the system. the crate provides the foundation, and
your imagination and specific fishing needs fill in the rest.
By Joe Balog
Jackson Kayak
JKrate
Hobie H-Crate
Plano V-Crate
Austin Kayak
Milk Crate
Buddy
YakGear
Cratewell
FlWFIshInG.com I summer 2019