One of the great things about kayak fishing is that you can make things as simple or as complicated as you’d like. One day it can be just you, a rod, and a paddle fishing for anything that will bite, and the next day it can be managing tackle, rod selection, logistics, and targeting one particular species at one given location.
In the course of your experience in kayak angling, it’s helpful to make note of what other anglers are doing. This doesn’t mean fishing spots, it means paying attention to details that can either save you time, effort, money and of course in the end, make you a better angler.
Accordingly, here’s a few random thoughts and tips that will appeal to any kayak angler at any level.
Fish A Tournament
You’ll never spend as much concentrated time on one species, one location, one or two fishing techniques, and a host of other kayak-oriented details as when preparing for a tournament. You become a better angler before ever wetting a line. Regardless of where you finish in the competition, you will have learned and honed kayak skills due to making yourself perform.
Keep looking
Pay attention to other boats – new boats, old boats, other manufacturers, paddle craft, pedal craft and motor craft. The goal is to determine what you would like in a boat and what you wouldn’t. Rigging of other boats is always a focal point. Some kayak anglers have come up with ingenious ways to store tackle, rods, and other gear that you might find useful.
Google it
The internet can lead you to information about kayak angling that would take years to learn on your own. Near the top of the list is satellite imagery of fishing locations. Another good source is kayak-oriented social media pages where anglers can ask questions, show videos, describe how they fish for different species in different locations and with what tackle. You can also buy, sell, and trade stuff you want or need.
Survival Skills
December is probably not the time to do this, but you need to be able to flip your kayak and get back in it from deep water. Every year, kayakers drown for two reasons, they fell out of their boat and couldn’t get back in, and weren’t wearing a life preserver. The experience of flipping your boat on purpose and trying to get it turned back over and back inside without standing on the bottom will convince you to never be without a PFD again.
Get it there
Transporting gets complicated the more “stuff” you accumulate and attach to the boat. Most beginners start out car topping or transporting their boat in the bed of a pickup truck. Car/truck racks come in handy, and if you accumulate too much gear to haul down to the water a load at a time, you’ll use a trailer.
For long hauls from the parking lot to the water, many kayak anglers will employ a cart or trolley. Check your specific manufacturer to see if they make or recommend a particular brand or type of trolley.
Get the right boat
Kayaks come in two styles – sit on tops and cockpit boats. Very few anglers are happy fishing from a cockpit style boat. Sit on tops allow more freedom of movement and have scuppers to let water that will and does get in the boat drain out.
A one-piece roto-molded boat is generally better than a two-piece seamed boat because eventually the seam will leak. It is better to buy a good used boat than a bad new boat. Holes or wear spots in a good used boat can be repaired cheaper than buying a new high-dollar boat.
Don’t buy the biggest and best new kayak on the market when starting out. If you start with a good entry level used boat and like the sport, you will want to go better, meaning pricier, in your next boat. Kayak anglers are always swapping out boats. If you don’t like the sport, a good used boat is easier to get your money back out of.
Boat Positioning
Anglers who have spent time in a power boat often rely on the use of a trolling motor to position the boat. Although electric motors have invaded the kayaking world, knowing how to position your boat using an anchor, stakeout pole, or simply the wind and current so that you can effectively fish a spot or an area is a valuable skill.
Kayak anglers frequently move into position, then silently anchor the boat to keep from drifting off track. Using an anchor trolly system may seem complex at first but is often a critical skill. To do so properly, the anchor point must be adjusted to keep the angler facing in the desired position after the anchor is set, either by positioning an anchor pole or dropping a weighted anchor. From here the current or wind will dictate how the boat settles. A rear mounted rudder is also useful to direct the position of the boat.
Footwear
Footwear in the summer varies greatly from winter footwear. Neoprene knee or hip boots are useful if you have to stand in skinny water to launch during the cold. If you are pedaling, then pick your footwear with an eye towards good traction on the pedals, along with knee and ankle range of motion, so you’re not fighting against your shoes while you pedal.
Wear your life preserver every time. With today’s inflatables, there’s no excuse not to wear it.
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