Winning Kayak Fishing Tourney Set-Up
4-minute read + 12-minute video
Bending Branches ProStaffer Drew Gregory is 2024’s Bassmaster Kayak Series Champion. Here’s his tournament set-up to give you ideas for your next tourney or simply for a productive fishing day on your local lake or river.
Drew is a veteran of our Pro team and of the national kayak fishing scene. He’s been instrumental in the sport as a competitor, but also as an educator who loves to share his passion with others.
In this video, he walks us through the set-up that helped him earn the championship (take notes!)
Kayak Bow Set-Up
Drew fished from his Crescent Kayak Shoalie, a fishing kayak he helped design with Crescent for maximum efficiency and performance. One of its benefits is offering specialized storage spots for extra motor batteries.
Torqeedo batteries only last for a few miles, especially when you constantly move upstream with river fishing. So Drew keeps several backup batteries in his kayak on tournament days.
He stores two of them in the bow hatch that’s sized for that purpose. An adjacent open storage area is sized to fit a third battery. Having these backups in the front of your kayak helps keep the weight evenly distributed for optimal performance, stability and speed.
Mid-Kayak Set-Up
Drew likes using Crescent Kayak’s High Chair. Though it isn’t made for the Shoalie, he likes sitting even higher than the Shoalie’s seat allows. Though it comes padded, he adds an additional seat pad for extra comfort all day long. He also brings the seat a little further forward than normal, which is another way to help with weight distribution.
He keeps a few favorite baits next to him in what he calls his “junk drawer” on the right side of his boat next to the seat. Just below and within easy reach is a zipped bag full of soft plastic baits. He also keeps a couple of Plano hydroflow tackle boxes in the space beneath the seat.
Drew uses a Loadstone magnetic organizer he attached to the inside left of the kayak next to the seat. It’s perfect for scissors, pliers and other metal objects he wants handy but out of the way.
He stashes his rods in holders along the side of his kayak so he can cruise underneath trees and other obstacles he may face during the day. He also rigged up his GoPro alongside and keeps snacks in a small drybag within easy reach.
Drew’s paddle is next to him, safely stowed with brackets when not in use. (The paddle shown in this video is our Angler Pro Fiberglass in Copperhead). Top anglers like Drew believe in the importance of having a good paddle along even when using a motor. (More on that here.)
Rear Kayak Set-Up
Because he positions his seat further forward, Drew has room for the Torqeedo battery he’s using right behind him. That space is also where he keeps an “emergency kit” filled with any possible item he may need for his motor. He stashes a bag with his GoPro gear and other miscellaneous items there as well.
Drew likes the Boonedox landing gear set-up and riser that allows his BlackPak to sit high enough for more storage space underneath, should he need it.
He mentions that he didn’t use his YakAttack BlackPak during the championship event so he could stay as light and low as possible. When he does use it for pre-fishing and other events, he likes the smaller Pak with an external seat bag attached to the front.
Drew uses the Torqeedo 1103 motor which he customized with a few Innovate Sportsman upgrades like a shorter shaft and attachable rock guard. He likes to keep his motor as shallow as possible with the blades just below the keel of his boat. This way he can still fish in just a few inches of water. He also upgraded the motor’s steering triangle to one more heavy-duty.
Strip Down for Weight and Speed
Drew emphasizes a couple of times in the video that for major tournaments like this, he strips his kayak down as much as he can of any extra weight or hydrodynamic interference. That decision and the weight distribution enabled him to increase his average speed by a few percentage points throughout the tourney.
“It just goes to show you can really dial in set-up to your style of fishing and continue to get more and more efficiency out of your boat,” Drew says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a live scoper or an electronics guy, you can continue to refine it to get better. I was fortunate to be able to do that at this event.”
Drew Gregory, kayak angler champion and Bending Branches ProStaffer
We hope you found this video and info helpful! You'll find more great kayak fishing content on Drew's YouTube channel.
(All photos courtesy of Drew Gregory)
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