Tips and Reviews

Make more casts with LockNLoad

When we are getting to the lake in the morning we are full of adrenaline and ready to take on the lake, eager to get a line wet would be an enormous understatement. Then, depending on how our day went, getting to the check in may be even more crazy. There are also the days where you have limited time to fish, and you want to make every second count.

These types of situations are where set up on a kayak becomes extremely important. With all the fancy do-dads on the market right now, the product that has made the largest impact on my ability to be more efficient unloading and loading back up has to be a product from YakAttack. The engineering minds over at YakAttack have been developing components for years that have made kayak rigging simple and efficient. Both in the initial installation of any of their tracks, to the components themselves. The latest of which that we are talking about today is the LockNLoad™ mounting system.

The LockNLoad system is by far the most efficient I have found for adding custom components and electronics to my kayak. In the morning of an event, I want to be up and running not only quickly, but assuredly so that I don’t have to question myself on whether or not I tightened something up properly, or did that click in? Only to find out later on the water that I indeed had not losing expensive gear in the process.

One handed simple operation allows me to add 2 rod holders and my Lowrance in seconds, it takes longer just to put the cover away for my Lowrance than it takes me to set up those three mounts. No more second guessing, it easily locks with a gentle one finger push, or somethings wrong, I can also adjust it quickly during set up or while on the water with one hand without worrying about it coming loose and going overboard.

At the end of the day, when minutes matter, I save a ton of time with the ease of pulling apart my rig for a quick haul to check in. No twisting knobs to loosen them up, or yanking at the high friction mount to get it to pop loose. Just a simple one finger flick to unlock it, and it slides up with ease. No worrying about breaking or dropping anything in the process.

I figure the time savings with these simple to use mounts has to be about 20-30 casts and retrieves at least. More time on the water, less time fussing with clunky gear equals more fish in the boat!

The ability to place the base piece of the mount in numerous locations also allows for easily transferring a rod holder or your depth finder to a new spot quickly and easily. For the most part, as compared to other types of mounts, I find it far quieter of a process as well.

I’ve been using the mount system for about 14-15 months as of this writing [June 15, 2020] and the only maintenance I’ve had to do is a quick tightness check on the bases between trips. I pull the rod holders and electronics mount on and off with every trip, and the rigid plastic has held up the abuse. Both the locking mechanism and the components have survived being dropped as well as tossed on the floor of the truck. I even flexed the electronics mount once jamming it up and watched it bend over to an extreme angle, I thought for sure it was a lost cause. However,  it appeared like the kayak was going to have to give before the mount did which was amazing. The mount held up, and is no worse for the unplanned stress test. If you’re in the market for new rigging gear, or feel it’s time to upgrade, I highly recommend that you have a look at the new YakAttack LockNLoad system. 

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Eric Nelson
Professional Kayak Bass Angler

Biography

I was born in Southeastern Massachusetts, where I began fishing for bass when I was in my early teenage years, graduating to competitive bass tournaments in my late 20’s. I moved to North Carolina in 2015 and found the passion for bass fishing from a kayak, and quickly became involved in both the local and national kayak bass tournament scenes. My fishing skills have allowed me to qualify for almost every major event since joining the clubs, be it at a club, state and even national level.

Being a professional in the online web development and design field for publications, I have always used my skills to help promote the clubs and the sport as a whole in my spare time.  I have been a part of the club directors for Cape Cod Bass, and now for Carolina Kayak Anglers, one of the larger kayak clubs in the country. I am also a part of the national KBF tournament advisory board.

The Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) format has allowed me to travel across the United States, fishing against the best fisherman in the country. Now with the KBF Pro format, and the merging with the FLW organization, I am looking forward to where this adventure takes me in the future.

Highlights

Total Career Earnings - $3,250

Competition Highlights
Inaugural FLW / KBF Cup Championship Qualified 2019 - Hot Springs, AK
KBF National Championship Qualified 2020 - Lake Guntersville, AL
KBF Challenge Championship 2018 - Toledo Bend, LA
2019 KBF National Championship - 57th overall out of 462 anglers - Shreveport, LA
KBF Regional Trail Championship Qualified 2019 - Lake Wheeler, AL
KBF National Trail Championship Qualified 2019 - La Crosse, WI
2nd Place 2018 KBF National Trail - High Rock Lake, NC
2nd Place 2019 - Plastic Pirates - Randleman Lake, NC
11th Place - 2019 KBF Southeastern Region Trail - Santee Cooper Lakes, SC
13th Place - 2019 KBF Southeastern Region Trail - Chickamauga Lake, TN
46th Place 2019 FLW / KBF Cup Qualifier - Nickajack Lake, TN
2nd Place - Plastic Pirates - Randleman Lake 2019
1st Place - Cape Cod Bass,  2002 - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
1st Place - Cape Cod Bass, 2008 - Glenn Charlie Pond, MA