YAKIMABigCatch Kayak Fishing Boat Saddles for Roof Racks and Trailers

I don't normally leave reviews, but this product is worth it. I run an old town Auto pilot 120. Which is a massive kayak (and I car top on a ford escape with a thule airflow 2 cross bar.). 12 ft 120 lbs stripped. No motor nothing. These cradle that kayak perfectly. Align and lay along the under belly flawlessly. The stick pads, are an under statement once the kayak contacts those. It does not move. Sometimes its frustrating because it locks in so we'll. But I'd rather have saftey and security over ease of loading. Overall. I give these a 10/10. Structure, security, quality, fitment, along with the accessories it comes with. It's all there. It's all high quality. If you got a chunky boy kayak. Buy these. Won't regret.

I love these things, bought a second set for my wife's kayak. They are easy to install, easy to remove, and easy to attach your kayak to them. The felt goes on the rear so you can load easier, you wouldn't want the felt on all 4 saddles. I had a set of cheap saddles from China but they were too fiddly and the components came apart frequently. These are 5 times the price of those, but at least they don't take any setup at all.

the Yakima Big Catch works great - love it, don't want this to sound otherwise.the issue - the seller, not so much.i bought 2 of these because based on instructions and dimensions that would work on my bars for 2 big fishing kayaks, but unfortunately after i got the first on up with a boat i realized the second wouldn't fit - no big deal from my end, i kept on and just returned the second on unopened/untouched.i did the return through Amazon, and now the seller is saying (despite the sell page specifically saying "full refund within 30 days") that i have to pay them to return it. - this is an unacceptable bait and switch. i recommend buying elsewhere, maybe REI or Rack Attack, i know they both have better customer practices.

I have a factory roof rack on my 2017 Toyota 4Runner. I use it to carry an 11' Vibe fishing kayak. I tried the cushions that wrap around the roof rack crossbars. I could never get the kayak tied down firmly. It was just too easy to slide left/right or rotate on top of the roof. Then I got the Big Catch saddles. The hull of my boat fits in the saddles. Then I use a couple of left/right tie-downs and stern/bow tie-downs. That boat is super-secure now.Easy to load too. I just lift the bow onto the side of the car, then lift the stern and push the boat on top of the truck, perpendicular to it. Then I rotate the boat onto the saddles, in line with the direction of travel of the truck. I've had the saddles on my vehicle for a couple of months now. I don't notice any whistling when on the road.The saddles stay permanently attached to the roof rack. Fortunately, my garage door clears the saddles by a few inches when opened. If you have a lift kit and/or oversize tires installed on your vehicle, you may need to check clearance with the saddles installed.

I really like these saddles, I do. They were easy to set up on my rack and my kayak sits in them and holds it in like a glove. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this. However, the felt pads it comes with are lacking... First off, this kit only came with enough pads for one set of saddles! As in 2, not all 4, and they have no replacements or extras!! The felt pads are adhesive backed and form fit with strong adhesive, but the felt itself is cheap imo. The first time I slid my kayak through the saddles, one of the felt pads on one of the saddles separated and lifted, thus ruining it. You’d like to think that for $200+ that a respectable company like Yakima would include at least a second set of felt pads to go with the kit AND include enough pads to cover all 4 saddles. Apparently no, which is the reason for the 4 star review. I’d like to think that these saddles will last for many, many years, however some components will not simply because of what they are and exposure to the elements. The actual product itself is awesome and I’m very satisfied with it. I just wish that accessories and/or replacement parts were easier to find or perhaps even included in the expensive purchase price of the kit. Even going online to the Yakima website, finding replacement parts for their rack systems/saddles is way harder than it should be. Be warned and or use caution. I may have to find felt material and fabricate my own replacement pads, which I can do, but it’s ridiculous that they aren't included with their products and should be.

Perfect for my Pelican Catch Mode fishing kayak. Attaching them to my Yakima crossbars was very easy and they hold the boat securely.

I have an Old Town Canoe Topwater 106. I was originally using a Malone Mega Wing. When using my Mega Wing my kayak would move around. I constantly had to stop and adjust it. When I first put my kayak on the Big Catch I was nervous I would have the same problem. My kayak didn't have much contact with it. Then when I tied it down I realized my kayak had much more contact. I am so happy to have this. I feel confident that my kayak is secure. My kayak doesn't move at all. It was easy to install. I have a 2014 Subaru Outback.

In the past we transported our kayaks with a j-hooks but our large sit on top fishing kayak made us nervous for long trips. This worked GREAT! We drive 13 hours mostly highway and we’re comfortable and confident they would stay put. I highly recommend them