Kayak Fishing Tips
Choosing the right rod
If you're a canoeist or kayaker shopping for traveling rods and reels, consider rods designed for backpackers. These rods come in various strengths. Most are classified as light or ultra-light rods, suitable for trout, bluegill, crappie and bass. But they're generally capable of taking anything from panfish to stripers.
The rods separate into three or four short sections that store in a travel case. Some travel rods are hollow, so one section can slide down into another, but these generally aren't as strong as the break-down models.
Of course, you can also take your favorite 6-foot or 7-foot fishing pole in your canoe or kayak; more serious anglers believe it's worth the minor inconvenience. Use whatever works for you and your watercraft.
Rods are constructed in a variety of synthetic materials. As a rule, the more expensive rods are stronger, cast further with increasing accuracy and provide better sensitivity to light bites. If you choose a higher-end rod, keep it secure so it's not lost if you capsize.
Marine electronics for your kayak
The popularity of sonar and global positioning systems among anglers has skyrocketed over the last few years as excellent products have become available at reasonable costs. Portable combo sonar/GPS units, like the Humminbird 383c, are a great choice for kayak anglers.
The 383c is equipped with DualBeam PLUS sonar so you can have the best of both worlds, with selectable narrow and wide beams that can be viewed individually or melded into one display. A precision beam provides excellent bottom detail, revealing fish hidden in the bottom clutter. A wider beam provides greater span of coverage for fish and bait fish.
You can use the 383c GPS to check position against a map marked with GPS coordinates. You can determine your exact location as well as traveling time to your destination.GPS also is useful for marking your favorite fishing spot, whether it's in the middle of expansive weed beds, along a featureless coast or even off shore with no land in sight. The days of having to triangulate an approximate position to return to a productive hotspot are over. The 383c also comes with Chartplotting capability and the capacity to store 8,000 waypoints and 50 different routes. So, when you find that perfect fishing spot, you can return to it again and again.
Kayakers and canoers also value a GPS system for the ability to coordinate meeting points. If you become separated, you simply need to communicate via radio or cell phone, provide the GPS coordinates at which everyone will meet and then start paddling towards the appointed location. A
Another built-in feature is the UniMap™ which covers the continental U.S.A. coastline and inland lakes and rivers at 30 meters per pixel resolution. On the coast, this clearly shows features as small as canals, and many coastal navigation lights. Inland, the UniMap features virtually all recreational lakes and rivers, plus hundreds of thousands of small lakes that don’t appear on other charts. In other words, wherever you’re paddling or fishing, that spot is likely to be there virtually anywhere you travel in the United States.
Bring along a VHF radio
Paddlers may find a portable marine radio useful for contacting land or other members of the group, especially when they're looking for assistance or reassurance about those clouds on the horizon.
The Humminbird®'s VHF55s handheld radio is perfect for boaters to keep in touch with the mainland and other paddlers. Features include weather channels, fast tuning capabilities, a battery pack, USA, International and Canadian marine channels and a keylock to prevent accidental setting changes. The unit scans, has a backlit display and keys for use after dark and provides the best possible communication you can have on the water.
Carry your radio close at hand, in your hatch or in an easily accessible dry bag tied down on the deck. Store extra charged batteries with it to make sure it will work when needed.
Your VHF55s is also a vital part of your first aid kit. Before getting into your kayak or canoe, set its channels for local Coast Guard and other emergency contacts.
Re-entering a sit-on-top kayak
There are a variety of ways to get back on a sit-on-top kayak. One process seems to be particularly easy for most people. It was developed by Mark Olson, a representative for Ocean Kayak™ and is called Bellybutton, Backside, Feet or BBF.
- If the boat is upside down, it will need to be turned over. To do this, reach across the bottom of the boat and grab the scupper holes.
- Bring your knees up and onto the bottom of the boat. Lean back and the boat will roll over.
- Then, position yourself so your head is near the cockpit area of the boat and you are facing the boat. Let your feet float to the surface of the water by floating on your bellybutton.
- Reach across the boat to the far edge and then swim up and onto the boat, so your bellybutton is across the centerline of the boat. (Your belly should be between the foot wells and the seat.)
- Next, roll over onto your backside which should end up in the seat. Sit up, swing your feet into the foot wells and you're ready to go.