Introducing the Jackson Kayak Underseat Utility Bag!

I first saw the new JK Underseat Utility Bag while working the Jackson Kayak booth at the Redcrest Expo in March of 2023. It was under the seat of a Knarr. It perfectly matched the seat fabric and fit beneath it so well that at first I thought “Why haven’t I ordered that yet?”

In that moment, Jameson Redding saw the look of combined confusion and recognition on my face and said “that’s a new product. It isn’t even available yet.” I couldn’t believe it – it seemed such a natural, perfect fit, like it had always been there.

Over the next three days, I did my best to persuade my Jackson teammates to let me have the display model of the Utility Bag. At one point, I even removed it from below the Knarr it was attached to it and re-attached it to a Bite FD’s seat, hoping nobody would notice (the next move would have been to my car.) When my poorly executed criminal plan didn’t work, I wrote ideas for this article during slow moments at the show.

Since then, I have spent time on the water with the product. Between personal observations and interviews about its development, I gained an excellent sense of what has quickly become one of Jackson Kayak’s best new accessories. Here is how it works…..

How to Install the JK Underseat Utility Bag

The JK Underseat Utility bag fits between the seat bars and attaches to them with four adjustable buckle straps. Those straps attach to the front, sides and back. A fifth longer strap runs down the middle beneath the bag to support the center. The additional support prevents sagging, thereby allowing for extra storage space between the bag and the deck when a Jackson EZ Hi-Lo seat is in the high position.

The JK Utility Bag also fits beneath some other seats. On the 2022 Bite FD I attached it to, the bag had a snug fit that left some space between the bag and the deck. You will want to check the Jackson website for details on which boat seats it matches with because it may not fit boats with older seats (I am told it does fit the new Big Rig FD and Cruise FD seats). There is also an excellent installation video on the site.

Storage Space

Once it is attached, the main compartment fits up to four 3700 size tackle trays. A divider separates the bag into two sections, and each has two loop straps that allow for easy removal of trays.

You can close the main storage compartment with two buckle straps. When closed, these two straps provide additional anchor points on the seat frame. The cover also doubles as storage because it has a long zipper pocket on the inside, which is ideal for small tools and other items.

Additional storage is provided by two side pockets on the Jackson Underseat Utility bag. On the left and right sides, respectively, these pockets can also fit tools, smaller items and some phones. There is also a convenient zipper pocket on the inside of the front flap.

Materials

As noted above, the JK Underseat Utility Bag matches the material and colors of the Jackson Kayak Hi-Lo Comfort seat. Its materials are made in the Carolinas, too. Like the seat, the material is black and silver in color, and like it the material is also durable.

That durability allows paddlers and anglers to use that storage for some heavier items, too. Jameson Redding noted that “the utility bag maximizes use of storage space under the seat, centering weight to create balance, too. If you have boxes filled with heavy lures like jigs, the utility bag’s centered, durable form makes a difference.”

On the Water

I don’t just use fishing products. I ride them into the ground. My rods need constant attention, my reels are scuffed, and every kayak accessory I own is damaged in some way. It’s not that I am careless; I simply expect things to function when put through heavy use. If a product has survived my use, it has earned its place in the boat. It means that I trust it to work.

The Underseat Utility Bag has the advantage of a safe location. Nonetheless, over the course of six tournaments in an eight week period, I did my best to find a flaw in the product. I left it out in the rain, used it in temperatures that boil eggs and I left sharp items like hooks, scissors and pliers loose in it. When I left the front flap open, a small bass flipped from my measuring board and tried to hide in the bag. In every situation, the bag remained true.

Here are a few things I noticed:
– I store my Ketch X measuring board and a hand paddle under my seat. The JK Utility Bag allows just enough clearance for me to continue to do so.
– The straps that hold the bag to the seat did not create any loose flaps or strap ends that turned into snags for hooks. The bag’s short straps and snug fit makes it nearly snag-proof.
– Storage exceeded expectations. Even with the maximum number of lure trays in the bag, I still managed to squeeze an extra tube of sun screen and my sunglasses case in the front of the bag.
– The side pockets are perfect for stashing pliers and scissors in an out of the way place that is easy to reach.
– In the cooler months, it is a perfect place to stash that extra outer layer, as it will provide some insulation beneath the seat.

Pro Tip

Speaking of those hot, sunny days: I tried something on the hottest of them all. I fished several tournaments with heat index values over 105 degrees. Air temperatures were in the 80’s – at sunrise. Each day was a boiler.

One morning, while anticipating another brutal day, I packed a few frozen drinks. I stashed the extra frozen fluids under my seat and noticed they kept the seat cool for a while. At my next brick-oven bass tournament, I packed the JK Utility bag with frozen drinks and hard ice packs. Yes, it weighed me down some, but it also kept me cool for a lot longer than I expected.

Would I try the same with heat packs on a cold day? I don’t know. I would not want to risk damaging the material with something too hot. I imagine that simply having the extra material beneath you will block cold winds on the worst winter days.

But on a very hot day, packing the utility bag with ice packs turned out to be a great way to help keep my core temperature down and to keep my drinks fresh and in the shade. Is it better than storing drinks in an Orion cooler? No. But if you are out for a short trip, it’s perfect.

Summary

The JK Underseat Utility Bag is durable, adaptable and innovative. Most of all, it transforms dead space directly beneath the seat into an organized storage space. After three months of continuous use, I am beyond pleased with the JK Underseat Utility Bag.

It has worked out so well that I am considering getting rid of the large storage container in my tankwell and just keeping lures and assorted gear under my seat on certain trips. The JK Underseat Utility Bag is just full of surprises, and it has become an invaluable part of my Jackson Bite FD’s storage capacity.

About the author: Henry “Hank” Veggian started kayak fishing from a Jackson Coosa in 2011 and has been a member of the Jackson Kayak Pro Staff Team since 2019. A tournament director for Carolina Kayak Anglers, he is Communications Director for Kayak Bass Fishing, an educator and ambassador of our sport, and an accomplished tournament angler. His writings on kayak fishing have appeared in numerous publications and a list of his Jackson blog posts can be found here. He currently fishes from a Jackson Bite FD and a Jackson Coosa.