Before your next trip out there pick up a small bottle of Uni-Butter.
-Apply this to your plastics before casting into the kelp channel, or along the kelp line. Place it in the sun so it gets warm.
I use an old pill bottle filled about 1/4 of the way, and dunk the plastic inside after every 3-5 casts. I have also use a flux brush to brush it on (if I want to get fancy)
-You can also use a small plastic sandwich bag, and simply re-dunk your plastic into that and smear it on every few casts.
Fish like to bite things coated with the stuff.
You may also want to pick up a couple of cans of (fishy type) cat food to chum the water before casting. Walmat has Friskies for 62 cents a can.
Those cattle boats are always chumming as they back into the kelp.
-Catch a Big One-
PS.
Good thinking on the rod/reel storage. I've been on my head enough to simply expect a crash landing most of the time.