What are the first things you would add to this kayak?

 

A pfd and a good paddle, in that order.

Ah yes thank you! I was only thinking of modifications. 🥴

Having fished from kayaks since before they became popular and morphed into glorified rafts, my recommendation is to fish from it more than a few times to discover and determine what would be helpful to you.  Your style of fishing, the types of water you fish, personalized needs, etc. will pretty much guide you to useful accessories and customizations.  The biggest mistake I see people make is to rush out, buy and install a variety of available accessories only to discover you don’t use them or have installed them in an undesirable location.

The Outlaw is nice, and can be fitted out to be comfortable and fun   But what is comfortable, practical, and functional can be very different from one person to another.  
At 77lbs., you won’t go wrong if the first thing you do is buy a cart to get that sucker to the water.  

Not necessarily in this order:

1.  Electronics.  I have 7" Lowrance Elite Ti's on my kayaks.  I also added USB and 12V outlets.
2. Anchor trolleys.  A trolley on each side lets you position your kayak better when anchoring.
3. Tackle storage.  I use a milk crate with rod tubes on it and try to pack as light as possible.
4. Wheel cart.  My FeelFree's have a wheel in the keel that works great for short distances in everything but sand.  I have a balloon wheel cart for long or sandy distances. 

These help me catch bass from my canoe because I always troll when paddling from one casting spot to the next casting spot:

 

https://www.yakattack.us/omega-pro-rod-holder-with-track-mounted-locknload-mounting-system/

 

You have to buy the mounting plate too and I use two.

 

I second a set of wheels.

 

Something to consider is a carbon fiber canoe paddle. I have paddled thousands of miles in a kayak with a kayak paddle and and thousands of miles in a canoe with both a kayak paddle and canoe paddle. I have also caught thousands of bass, so I speak from experience when I suggest a canoe paddle, which is half the length of a kayak paddle and thus is much easier to stow when you're fishing. A carbon fiber is so light that it's less wear and tear on you.

3 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

These help me catch bass from my canoe because I always troll when paddling from one casting spot to the next casting spot:

 

https://www.yakattack.us/omega-pro-rod-holder-with-track-mounted-locknload-mounting-system/

 

You have to buy the mounting plate too and I use two.

 

I second a set of wheels.

 

Something to consider is a carbon fiber canoe paddle. I have paddled thousands of miles in a kayak with a kayak paddle and and thousands of miles in a canoe with both a kayak paddle and canoe paddle. I have also caught thousands of bass, so I speak from experience when I suggest a canoe paddle, which is half the length of a kayak paddle and thus is much easier to stow when you're fishing. A carbon fiber is so light that it's less wear and tear on you.

I never would have thought of the canoe paddle idea. Thank you

4 hours ago, OldManLure said:

Having fished from kayaks since before they became popular and morphed into glorified rafts, my recommendation is to fish from it more than a few times to discover and determine what would be helpful to you.  Your style of fishing, the types of water you fish, personalized needs, etc. will pretty much guide you to useful accessories and customizations.  The biggest mistake I see people make is to rush out, buy and install a variety of available accessories only to discover you don’t use them or have installed them in an undesirable location.

The Outlaw is nice, and can be fitted out to be comfortable and fun   But what is comfortable, practical, and functional can be very different from one person to another.  
At 77lbs., you won’t go wrong if the first thing you do is buy a cart to get that sucker to the water.  

I almost did exactly that. Luckily I didn't know what to buy so I haven't wasted money yet. thank you very much

4 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Not necessarily in this order:

1.  Electronics.  I have 7" Lowrance Elite Ti's on my kayaks.  I also added USB and 12V outlets.
2. Anchor trolleys.  A trolley on each side lets you position your kayak better when anchoring.
3. Tackle storage.  I use a milk crate with rod tubes on it and try to pack as light as possible.
4. Wheel cart.  My FeelFree's have a wheel in the keel that works great for short distances in everything but sand.  I have a balloon wheel cart for long or sandy distances. 

Question about  fish finders.... Is side imaging worth the money? My ultimate goal is to fish in tournaments.

4 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

so I speak from experience when I suggest a canoe paddle, which is half the length of a kayak paddle and thus is much easier to stow when you're fishing.

I highly disagree with this.  When in my kayak, I find myself doing a bunch of one handed paddling when I am fishing.  A lot of this is due to wind blowing and needing to hold or reposition the boat mid retrieve.  Rod in one hand, paddle in the other.  I grab the paddle in the center and make short strokes to hold myself in place, etc.

14 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

I highly disagree with this.  When in my kayak, I find myself doing a bunch of one handed paddling when I am fishing.  A lot of this is due to wind blowing and needing to hold or reposition the boat mid retrieve.  Rod in one hand, paddle in the other.  I grab the paddle in the center and make short strokes to hold myself in place, etc.

 

I don't understand your position, Rockhopper. Are you saying that one can't use a canoe paddle with one hand? If so, I do. I'll be fighting a fish with one hand and moving my canoe with the other.

39 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I don't understand your position, Rockhopper. Are you saying that one can't use a canoe paddle with one hand? If so, I do. I'll be fighting a fish with one hand and moving my canoe with the other.

You totally can, but what happens when you need to paddle on the rod side of the boat with a rod in your hand and a line in the water?  Much easier with a kayak paddle.

1 hour ago, LokiDawg said:

Is side imaging worth the money?

ABSOLUTELY! Especially if your kayak has a mounting spot for the transducer. Side imaging shows you structure that 2D & down-scan cannot.

1 hour ago, Rockhopper said:

You totally can, but what happens when you need to paddle on the rod side of the boat with a rod in your hand and a line in the water?  Much easier with a kayak paddle.

 

A long paddle.  It's a tall ride.  It's a good stable kayak that is easy to transport because of how light it is.  Durable too.  I've been draggling mine across rip rap and boat ramps for 5 years.  I'm only now getting to the point that I want to flip my skeg/rear keel guards around and go another 5 years before replacing them.  It's a barge to paddle and very slow but it's an awesome bass fishing platform for a kayak with that high seat and low sides.  Pitching seated is surprisingly easy.

2 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

You totally can, but what happens when you need to paddle on the rod side of the boat with a rod in your hand and a line in the water?  Much easier with a kayak paddle.

Or, when you have a fish on and wind or current is taking you where you don’t want to go.  If you fish from a kayak long enough, you will learn to paddle one-handed.

Also a depth finder.  I don't use one on mine but there is a dedicated recessed pocket to mount a transducer.  

10 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

I highly disagree with this.  When in my kayak, I find myself doing a bunch of one handed paddling when I am fishing.  A lot of this is due to wind blowing and needing to hold or reposition the boat mid retrieve.  Rod in one hand, paddle in the other.  I grab the paddle in the center and make short strokes to hold myself in place, etc.

I agree.  it is amazing how even a single handed, awkward, low power move with a kayak paddle and move a kayak "just enough".   I do this all the time.    plus standing.  I use my full length paddle to maneuver.  having it long is a game changer for my style of fishing..

7 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

Also a depth finder.  I don't use one on mine but there is a dedicated recessed pocket to mount a transducer.  

That's down the list for now. I didn't know how to operate them but I'm watching videos as I write this.

@LokiDawg the best advise you got was from @VolFan "A PFD and a good paddle. If paddling is your main mode of propulsion, I suggest a great KAYAK paddle. Canoe paddles, one-handed paddling, and stand-up paddleboarding are all valid techniques. IMO for 30 dollars this is the best option. I will often paddle to a destination, stow my main paddle, and fish, drift, "troll" all the way back to the boat ramp with the assault paddle. 

 

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/yakgear-assault-hand-kayak-paddle-22kiaasslthndpddlpsk/22kiaasslthndpddlpsk?sku=19246860&camp=CSE:DSG_92700080069002239_pla_pla-2300792636048_58700008711410661_71700000118496813&segment=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21254183888&gbraid=0AAAAADv4bTZMhLNiF2Zfzwb-40z2fUliZ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpf7CBhCfARIsANIETVqD5vfMZ9uafHlmH0VJP-K_Da9XGt3ceshBQe2SB_SKBzuxEWq1cPEaAqljEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If one decides to carry a sculling paddle, one with a telescoping handle is the best option.  Based on your size and the height above water when you’re seated, the handle can be adjusted to a length that is comfortable and stress free to use one-handed.  At it’s full length, it can be used for canoe style two-handed paddling (I have witnessed several kayakers lose their paddle.  It ruined their day).

On 6/27/2025 at 11:35 AM, LokiDawg said:

Question about  fish finders.... Is side imaging worth the money? My ultimate goal is to fish in tournaments.

I have posted about this many times before and you can search my profile for posts I made that go into more detail.

 

If you're an avid kayak angler and / or plan to fish in tournaments, buy the biggest display unit that you can afford. You're going to want to see as much detail as possible, and trying to pick apart side imaging detail on a 5" screen can be difficult.

 

Plan ahead. If you're not buying an FFS transducer now, even if there's only a slight chance that you will buy one in the future, make sure that your head unit is FFS compatible.

On 6/28/2025 at 11:12 AM, Bass Junke said:

@LokiDawg the best advise you got was from @VolFan "A PFD and a good paddle. If paddling is your main mode of propulsion, I suggest a great KAYAK paddle. Canoe paddles, one-handed paddling, and stand-up paddleboarding are all valid techniques. IMO for 30 dollars this is the best option. I will often paddle to a destination, stow my main paddle, and fish, drift, "troll" all the way back to the boat ramp with the assault paddle. 

 

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/yakgear-assault-hand-kayak-paddle-22kiaasslthndpddlpsk/22kiaasslthndpddlpsk?sku=19246860&camp=CSE:DSG_92700080069002239_pla_pla-2300792636048_58700008711410661_71700000118496813&segment=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21254183888&gbraid=0AAAAADv4bTZMhLNiF2Zfzwb-40z2fUliZ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpf7CBhCfARIsANIETVqD5vfMZ9uafHlmH0VJP-K_Da9XGt3ceshBQe2SB_SKBzuxEWq1cPEaAqljEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

X2. A good hand paddle is worth it's weight in gold. It makes corrections very easy, stows nicely and it floats. I even used it as my primary propulsion once when I managed to leave my paddle at home and wasn't going to lose fishing time to get it. Lesson learned.

An extra person to help tote it 

On 6/27/2025 at 2:35 PM, OldManLure said:

Or, when you have a fish on and wind or current is taking you where you don’t want to go.  If you fish from a kayak long enough, you will learn to paddle one-handed.

 

Yep, the "joys" of kayak fishing.

 

I've thought about bringing a ping pong paddle with me.

 

I think it would work great for little maneuvers.

4 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Yep, the "joys" of kayak fishing.

 

I've thought about bringing a ping pong paddle with me.

 

I think it would work great for little maneuvers.

Pickleball Central has a graphite Prince brand paddle on sale for $15.99!  Providing more than 120 sq in of surface area, it can move some water.

Tackle storage and rod holders. A black pak pro 13x16 fits 3600 and 3700 boxes and you can add extra rod holders if you want.

 

I would then look at an anchor trolley, the YakAttack works great. And an anchor wizard without the chute to manage your line, worth every penny. For an anchor, I’d suggest a 5lb mushroom anchor.

 

A flag with a light is good for visibility. I recommend the Railblaza flag it doesn’t bend in the wind and the light is much better than the YakAttack as well at the same price.

 

You may want a net. I place a Frabil bear claw over my front hatch. Another good setup is putting a YakAttack Zooka II pro rod holder flipped in reverse on the rail behind your seat so you can reach back and quickly grab it.

 

You may want a rod holder up front if you don’t have a good place to set down a rod. A YakAttack Omega Pro works well enough.

 

If paddling is your primary method of propulsion, I recommend a good carbon fiber paddle. I had a Werner Camano with my Bonafide SS127 and I loved it but unfortunately I lost it on Lake Champlain and since I have pedals I just got a cheaper Old Town replacement.

 

Finally I am sure a depth finder will be in order. I highly recommend spending the extra money to get side imaging. 7” is fine if you put the screen right in front of you. I have a 9” and place it right behind my pedals and the extra real estate makes it still clearly visible - but a 7” on the side rails stays out if the way much easier too.

 

and probably a small soft cooler for food and drinks.