Tuesday, February 26, 2013

YackAttack GearTrack GT90 Install and Review

I have been working on the rigging of my new Trident 13 for several months now. I am finished and am going to start a series of post on what I did and how I did it. I plan on finishing with a monster overview post, showing all of my customization. This is the fifth post in the series.

1st post: Installing a Fish Finder 
2nd post: Upgrading a Plano Dry Box 
3rd post: How To Install SuperNova Fishing Lights On Your Kayak 
4th post: Install Scotty Flush Mounts on a Kayak



Rail systems have been used by fishermen for decades. They allow quick, easy customization of rod holders and other accessories. It was only a matter of time until they became mainstream on kayaks.

When I was at the Appomattox River Company shopping for my newest kayak, I was torn between two models: the Ocean Kayak Trident 13 and the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120. I eventually chose the Trident 13 because I liked its hull, rod pod, sonar shield, and (embarrassingly) because Rob Choi, Kayak Kevin, and Richie Bekolay use the Trident 13. (Take notice Ocean Kayak! Pro-staffers work!)  

I almost chose the Tarpon 120 for one reason. The Tarpon 120 comes with SlideTrax rails. I liked everything else better about the Trident 13, but the simple addition of a rail system almost convinced me to buy the Tarpon 120. 

Then I discovered YakAttack.



Fairly recently, YakAttack came out with the GearTrack  GT1.75 followed by the GearTrack GT90. These are very, very high quality rails that you can mount on any flat surface of your kayak. They are made out of a high quality aluminum and are machined to perfection.

I decided to try them out by getting two 12" sections of GT90.


The high quality of these rails is not only apparent in their construction, it is apparent in their price. Two 12" rails cost $46. I briefly spoke with Luther Cifers, the owner of YackAttack, about this. He explained to me that all materials are from the USA and the quality of YakAttack products are second to none. While they are expensive, they are not overpriced.

After installing them on my 'yak, my only regret is not getting the 16" rails!

I decided to install both rails on my left. I prefer to fight and land fish to my right, so keeping my accessories and rod holders to my left just makes sense.

One rail went up between the sonar shield and front hatch. This is for a wide camera shot and for my GPS. The second rail went on the gunnel at my knee. This is used for a cool camera angle, my bait board, or cell phone mount.

Speaking of installation, it is easy.


Follow the directions on the back of the package. Do not mark and drill your holes. Instead, place the rail where you want it, make sure there is clearance under the rail, and drill the first hole. Then place a bolt in that one hole and drill the next. 




Continue placing a bolt in each hole you drill before you drill the next. This will keep everything lined up and you should not have to do any re-drilling.  

Do not screw the bolt onto a nut until all holes are drilled and all bolts are dry fitted. If you wish, you can add a layer of sealant, like silicon, to make sure the holes do not leak. Even without sealant, leakage should be minimal. 



 Start on one end and screw nuts onto the bolts. A deep socket is very helpful, but any wrench will do.



For an even more secure mount you can buy the FullBack, which is a bar that goes under the GT90 inside your kayak hull. I may add that later. For now the standard installation seem to be working.



After taking it out a few times I already don't know what I did without these rails. I find myself using them constantly. 


Bait Board

Using the Scotty Gear Head adapter, I can easily mount any Scotty product to my rails. If I decide to move to Ram products in the future, I will not need to make any adjustments to my kayak, I'll just buy a rail adapter.


I have plans to purchase some more and extend them down either side of my Trident 13. 

I purchased these GearTrack rails from HOOK 1. If you use coupon code UNLUCKYHUNTER , you can get them for 10% off. You will not find a better deal!

I was not compensated for this review. It is my honest opinion. I do get a small commission if you purchase something from HOOK 1 using the code above.





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