Bike Setup

[falsecasts]

Hey all, for those of you who bike to your fishing spots, what’s your setup?

I want to start biking-in to some streams, and need some way to outfit my mountain bike to carry my rod tube, wading boots, waders, and sling pack. Currently was thinking of mounting some sort of carrier rack to the back and attaching a crate/basket to carry stuff in. Curious to see what everyone else does.

Cheers

 

[rancid waders]

Strap the rod tube to the bars and back pack the rest

 

[wildtrout2]

When my mountain bike is needed to access a stream, I put everything in my North Face Badlands 75 backpack. It easily holds my waders, wading boots, vest, rod tube, and lunch. Shoulder and waist straps are very well padded for a comfortable trip. It's an older model, but I love this thing!

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Here is my bike. There are twin folding carrying baskets over the rear tire to hold my waders, boots, or whatever, and an adjustable diameter carrying bag that straps onto the front handle bars. I would have preferred a carrying basket in front as well but could not attach one to my bike. I also made a rod case out of 3” PVC tubing that goes into the handle bar bag if I want to carry my rod that way. (See picture of the tube.)

The bicycle seat (pictured all the way down) can be raised hydraulically with a lever on the handle bars to the riding position. Since my legs are really short, this makes it easier for me to get on and off the bike when wearing waders, and/or with the rear carrying baskets open.

I also have a Fishpond Thunderhead waterproof backpack and chest pack that I could wear if I wanted to, and dispense with using the bike baskets altogether, as in combination they are large enough to carry everything I’d need to take, including the kitchen sink! (You can never tell when you might want to carry a sink and use it to clean your catch.) 😊 I normally wear the Fishpond chest pack when fishing anyway.

 

[dryflyguy]

My setup is similar to Mt fly fisher.

I have "paperboy" baskets on the rear.
And put my waders and boots in those.
I find it nicer to not wear them while biking in, and put them on when I get to where I want to fish

 

[Tigereye]

https://www.amazon.com/All-Rite-Pack-Rack-Plus/dp/B0084BBJ0C?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A92NW3B6BTLUQ

I mounted these on handle bar. I keep the rod (4pc) in tube and place in rack. Every thing else goes in vest or pack. Assemble rod when you reach destination.

In full disclosure, I dont really bike rough terrain. The extent of my bike forays is up and down the rails to trails path that parallels Lehigh river from White Have to Jim Thorpe. It's mostly in the warmer months as I chase down risers in low flows. That, and I'm usually wet wading so I don't have to deal with waders.

 

[wildtrout2]

Back in 2010, when I had a lot more giddy up, I used to ride my mountain bike the 3 or 4 miles from Glen Onoka, down the bike trail along the Lehigh River, to where Bear Creek comes in. When I got to the long, slow, "pool" just upstream of there, I'd paddle my yak across the river to get to Bear Creek. I would stow my gear in the yak for the trip.

I ALWAYS had that stream to myself. And a beauty it was/is. The native and wild brown fishing was off the charts back then! After a few years though, it started going downhill somewhat, so I didn't see the effort worth the prize any longer, and stopped that adventure. They were great times and I miss them. I've had that bike for almost 25 years now, and I still use it on certain occasions.

 

[Tigereye]

I ALWAYS had that stream to myself. And a beauty it was/is

You weren't alone. 😁

It is still very good fishing.

 

[dryflyguy]

Bike fishing is certainly a good way to get away from crowd

 

[wildtrout2]

You weren't alone. 😁

It is still very good fishing.

Yes, I was. Out of all the times I fished that creek, I never once saw another fisherman, ever. That led me to believe I was indeed alone. Fishing it over the course of about four years, I noted a definate decline in the fishing. I'm sure it's probably still good, but it is not what it once was. "Very good fishing" is relative to the angler's expectations.