Kayak angling is a sport that requires accuracy, persistence, and undying love for the sport itself. The thing is that it’s not about just being a good kayaker and a good angler, it’s about the balance between both, and your thorough preparation. You’re not going back to get something you forgot. No, you must know what you will need exactly and have it all ready with you.
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Contents
Test Kayak
On the basis that you’re an avid fisherman; but, not an avid kayaker. You’ll have to undergo an extensive course of training, then purchase your own kayak and train on it for a significant period as well.
Unfortunately, some people tend to neglect the training period and decide to head out with the kayaks immediately. You never know how you’ll adapt to your kayak, how much training you’ll need to be completely comfortable, and how it’ll deal out on the water.
Thus, your best option is to take your kayak out on the water without fishing for some time. Once you’re used to it, the paddles, the storage, and all of its nooks and crannies, start to go out and do some light fishing.
Preparation
Any fisher has to be excellently prepared in order to get themself on a kayak and go fishing alone. That’s why there are a number of items that you have to pack diligently, and either attach them to your sit-on-top kayak or place them in storage compartments in your sit-inside kayak.
1. PFD
PFD means Personal-Flotation-Devices, and that includes your life jacket as the star of the show. This also consists of a wetsuit, which helps keep your body dry no matter how much water exposure you’ll be subject to, and it tends to keep your body warm.
Simultaneously, a wet suit is also mostly accompanied by a SpraySkirt, which resembles an umbrella so that it covers your top part and protects it from the cold water.
Nevertheless, such an accessory would be a bit difficult to deal with while trying to fish on a kayak; hence, it’s not widely used by kayak anglers.
2. Safety Gear
Never forget that you’re out in the middle of the water, anything can happen, and you might need other people to find you.
Another thing that you must keep on you is a large torch and an extra set of batteries for it. Don’t ever forget your first aid kit, which can be the difference between life and death for you or for anyone that you might meet on the waters.
Additionally, you must keep Sponsons on your kayak at all times. Sponsons are floating bags attached to the sides of the kayak, which forbid it from sinking or filling up with too much water in case of accidents.
Now, say that for some reason, your kayak suffered an accident, and you can barely keep it afloat using the Sponspons, you’ll need to let people know where you are. That’s where signals come into play.
You can start by hand signals; however, that’s not very helpful as you need things that will catch the attention of everybody. For instance; flares, which are more like fireworks that go high up in the sky, and are a universally known sign of danger and emergency.
Also, if you feel like there are some people trafficking the waters around you, then you can utilize emergency flags that show that you’re in trouble, and they will certainly lend you a helping hand.
3. Food and Water
This is a very logical item to pack enough of. As for food, you don’t want a bunch of heavy foods; instead, go with light snacks that will give you a lot of energy and power. As for water, pack as much of it as you could possibly need.
Being on the water and the effort of paddling and fishing can make you extremely dehydrated, and that can lead to an even bigger crisis, such as fainting on your kayak without anybody knowing.
4. Weather
Always check the weather before you go out on your kayak to fish. If the fog is extreme, or if it’s going to be pouring, then there’s no reason to waste a day on a kayak and catch an awful cold in the process.
You might as well delay the trip to another day in order to enjoy it. Otherwise, storms, fog, lightning, thunder, and extreme winds are all contraindications for any water trips, and they can lead to very dire consequences. So, she might want to skip.
5. Time Estimate
That is another thing that you would find out through training, which is how long you’re going to stay out on the water. That is incredibly important for you to know so that you don’t lose track of time and find yourself at nighttime without being adequately prepared for that.
Plus, you should also let at least one person know how long you plan to be out on the water, so if anything happens to you and you’re delayed from returning back home, somebody will come out and look for you and bring all the needed help for you.
Water Traffic
Water traffic is also another factor that you get used to through training. The care that goes into moving delicately contributes to the success of angle kayaking as it allows you to move quietly and stealthily? Just make sure not to pump into any of your colleagues.
Anchor
An anchor is essential when you go out fishing on a kayak because most of the time, you’ll find a spot that you’re happy with and you wish to stay in it. So, to not exhaust your feet and arms, you can simply drop your anchor.
Nevertheless, don’t forget that it is, in the end, an anchor for a kayak. So, if strong winds come about followed by strong waves, then your anchor won’t survive. Think about the tides and how they will affect your kayak.
Camera
One thing that you can do, and it’ll help you as a beginner, is to attach a camera to the bottom of your kayak. This will allow you to see all that’s going on beneath your kayak. What kind of fish is swimming down there, and everything will be transmitted through a monitor on top of your kayak, or even through your smartphone. This way, you can drop your lure quickly and easily.
GPS
A GPS is essential since it gives you a much-needed sense of safety by providing your exact location. This allows you to even draw the route that you have taken so that you can go back to where you have started it.
Drag Adjustment
Drag is an essential component of your reel. It’s paramount that you purchase a reel with a strong multidisk, water-resistant drag system that has an impressive maximum number of pounds.
Drag is the amount of resistance that your reel puts up against your fish. If it’s too much, the line can snap from the pressure, and if it’s too little, then your line will be too loose, and your catch will get away.
Hence, controlling your drag adjustment between one cast and another is the essence of a successful fishing trip, and you have to get used to the drag component as if it’s a part of you.
Final Thoughts
These are our awesome kayak fishing tips for beginners, and we hope that they have helped you immensely. The heart of everything that we have said is that practice makes perfect. Don’t be too hasty or too confident, the waters can be incredibly dangerous if you’re not accordingly prepared.