This article is for all the beginner anglers looking forward to going kayak fishing. As a part of our best fishing kayak reviews, we thought it would be important to inform you about the things that you need to know before going on your kayak fishing adventures.
To begin with, we must say that, it’s really cool to fish from a kayak but more than that it can be an awesome adventurous experience. We won’t take long in discussing the basics here. Just take look about the things that our experts have told us to notify you. We are sure that you will be able to fish from your kayak like a pro.
Kayak Fishing is Different
You may have seen some of your friends doing it or posting really cool photos of fishing on a kayak in some place pristine and clam with a wonderful background. Yes, sometimes kayak fishing can be really a beautiful experience.
We are not denying it. Even if we expel the word fishing from the term Kayak Fishing, it can still be a beautiful experience. That’s our first point. Kayak fishing is not just merely kayaking nor is it merely fishing. Well, you may know how to use a kayak on a different type of waters and just like that you may know how to fish from the shore and how to fish from a boat which is stable but the kayak is entirely different from both the experiences individually or together.
Kayak Fishing Requires a New Set of Knowledge and Skills
The first thing that you should know, kayaks are not like boats. On inexperienced hands they can be very tricky to maneuver also on angry waters things can easily get out of your control. Imagine, yourself fishing from the kayak which requires a certain level of expertise to maneuver. You would probably be using one hand to paddle the kayak and the other one to cast and hold your rod.
Almost all the professional kayak anglers find it more convenient to cast their rod with one hand and you will have to learn it too. Along with that here is a short list of things that you may need to learn• How to steer the kayak with a single hand using the paddle
• Steer your kayak with your feet (You can do it best on narrow kayaks)
• How and when to anchor your kayak
• How to kayak on shallow places and go on places without losing your track
• Know the basics of safe kayaking
• Angling with the rod in a certain angle
• Fighting with a fast flowing current of both water and air
• Standing up with stability on your kayak, however, this depends on your kayak, its design and weight. We should also note here that kayaks like those cost you twice or thrice
• There is a whole set of kayak fishing gears that you need to know the use of and have them in order up your game a level?
• How to avoid oncoming traffic or filter your kayak on water saving it from rocks or branches
• Know which bait is perfect for the situation and also have to learn how to change the baits really fast
• Have to have knowledge about the water and should adopt the quality of fishing with your eye first
• How to gently glide on the shoreline
Well, you just can’t master them all in a day and kayak fishing is not something you get to go on every day. That’s why we have enlisted these things for you as a warning sign. Here’s something you can do,
Be a member of the Kayak Fishing Community
If you live someplace where kayak fishing is also considered as a sport or recreational activity, you should contact and tag along with them. This way you will be able to know the basics practically and that will be more efficient for you.
You can just Google for the communities around you and they are surely interesting people.
Customizing the Kayak for Safe and Efficient Fishing
Your fishing kayak may not be that much optimized for fishing once you bring it home. Say, for example, it may not have a watertight box where you can store your catches. Keeping things like landing net, pliers, anchor, sonar and GPS units, knife and tackle are going to enhance your experience of kayak fishing.
Also, you should have enough food and water supplies with you and for safety, you can keep a first aid box with you. If you want to take your fishing game to the next level you can attach a motor with some of the kayaks that will enable you to go further and deep for better scoring. But, this comes with a drawback. You see, kayak fishing is all about utilizing the element of surprise, stealth is your power when you are kayak fishing and the presence of the motor on the boat will drive fishes away from you.
You should also get a lighter paddle with your kayak and you may get an aftermarket one. Don’t forget to get latch and lock for both the paddle and the fishing rod so that your hands don’t get tired holding them both. All of these require a kayak that has enough space to hold all these modifications.
Location and Strategies for Fishing
Location is really important when it comes to kayak fishing. You just can’t go fishing on someplace random without knowing its condition. This is where your community assistance will come most handy. Also, you have to keep in mind that, the spot you have chosen for fishing have road access otherwise you will be carrying the kayak with all the other things on your back. You don’t want to do that, do you?
Then, you have to fix your fishing strategies. Knowing the type of the fishes that you have the possibility of angling, you should fix your lure. The goal is to attain maximum cast and get a maximum catch. Using an easy-to-fish versatile lure can make things easy for you. This may not get you the rare ones but will certainly get you more fish. Sticking to this strategy at the beginning is always a good idea.
Carrying more than one road is always a good idea. using one to cast search bait and the other to catch. Also, don’t get disappointed and leave a place too early. Fishing is all about the experience. You may have to apply a different tactic in the same place.
Well, these points we have mentioned here should get you going. But more than anything else, the best tip that we can provide you is, always wear a life vest. We hope that this tips for beginner kayak anglers were helpful to you.
