Amateur to Kayak Fishing

[bch89]

Hey I have been fishing all my life and this Christmas I received a Jackson fishing kayak that my dad bought from CB Kayak (we grew up together). I was just wondering since I am new to the kayak fishing scene, what I should have when going kayak fishing.





The kayak has one rod holder and also a PFD already.

[medicyaker]

Well first of all Welcome!! This is one of the most informative if not THE Most informative site that you will find in the area. There are a lot of folks on here that will give you advice and help with practically any issue that arrises with your fishing kayak. I would suggest that you try to come to the Meet and Greet this Saturday the 14th at the Arundel Mills Mall in the Dave and Busters at 2pm. There will be a few of us in orange t-shirts that say Maryland Kayak and on the back will be the logo you see on the top of the page. There is a link on here for the meet and greet on the Main Page. You need to have several safety devices like a Whistle or some type of signaling device. Most of us have some type of a Flag on the stern (Back) of the Yak that lets be seen. You should invest in a Dry bag. You should always have on your PFD. Make sure you can move around well in it and it doesn't restrict you or make your back uncomfortable. You should have a rod holder in front of you just around your knees. Get yourself a milk crate. I have an extra one if you want it. You should get a couple rod tubes mounted to your crate. Next a fishfinder would really help you and you can find those practically everywhere. Bass Pro has a few decent types that will get you started. Next an anchor and an anchor trolly would be nice to have. Most of us have UHF marine radios and they can be found at any boating shop like West marine and basspro for about $100. Its not a neccesity but a nice thing to have. I'm sure that I missed a few things and if I did, I'm sure someone here will fill in the blanks I missed. Hope to see you on the water sometime and hopefully at the Meet and Greet on Saturday.
Tom

[bch89]

Thanks for the response! Is there a special place where the flag should be bought or different characteristics that should be looked for? I have a rod holder in the center of the kayak and it is around my knees. My dad has extra crates that I would be able to use and have been looking at fishfinders and have found a portable one at Bass Pro Shops. The model we are looking at is the Humminbird PiranhaMAX 160 PT Fishfinder if anyone has any experience with it.

Do you just use PVC pipe and zip ties to make the rod holders on the crate or is there a more in depth procedure to make them?

Also, are there anchor trolly kits that are more preferred for fishing or are they pretty similar? Are they an easy install?

Sorry for the questions but grew up and had a Wellcraft boat and am not too familiar with kayak fishing.

[daddyg]

Hello new yaker: I would say don't rush setting it up take it out a few times. As Medicyaker said this site is very informative...Go thru the site lots of pics on yak setups. When the fish are biting or not they will let you know where they go and what thay use...I too was a boat 17' 24' and a 34 footer now I have a hobie outback and love it..

[CB kayak 02]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-1nq7m97lo

Hey Bryan not sure if I sent this to you yet or not but here is the demo vdeo for your kayak, shows you what some options are for it.

[bch89]

Thanks man and nah you didn't send me that

[chex]

Welcome to kayak fishing! And as a newby myself I kinda know where you're coming from.

I'd advocate safety first. If you die, you can't fish. So yeah a flag is good... You can easily make your own out of a $5 home depot bag + PVC pipe, or get one of the popular flags+light that are available at any kayak outfitter. You need the light if you're gonna be out at night. Lots of DIY options on the flag end.

Then you've got your mounting options. Populars are Scotty and ram. Scottys are females. Rams are males. IMO, the scotties are more practical, and the RAMs are more solid (you can always tighten up a mount to a ram ball, but the scotty is always a little loose) Up to you to make the decision. But basically, into those mounts, you can attach a variety of things, including rod holders, fishfinder holders, camera holders, etc...

The really cool thing about this hobby is that you can make a lot of the stuff yourself. Or you can buy it. Depends what you want.

A good way to start is to do a google image search for rigged kayak. You'll find a lot of cool stuff, and then you can get to the bottom of each individual option and ask here about each one.

[DOGFISH]

Welcome to the forum and to the sport of kayak fishing.

Anchor Trolley: You can get a couple small Harken cheek blocks, some line and a carbiner, among a few other odds and ends to make an anchor trolley. There are videos on YouTube on the installation of anchor trolleys.

Flags: Safety is big out on the water. You should do it right and purchase a YakAttack flag and light combination. I think Kent Island Kayak is the dealer most close to the area that handles YakAttack stuff. They are also on the Web. Just search YakAttack. You can even have them print the forum logo on your flag. Most mount their flags at the rear of the kayak, out of the way of casting.

You should also keep a small air horn on your kayak, within easy reach.

[Memory Maker]

..... And Dogfish should know from his harrowing experience last summer

[toadfinger]

Did you get the Cuda? If so, I'll be interested to hear what you think about all the unique features they've been plugging (frame seat, standing deck, rod keepers and rod tip protection, etc.)

thanks,

Steve, Greenbelt

[CB kayak 02]

Did you get the Cuda? If so, I'll be interested to hear what you think about all the unique features they've been plugging (frame seat, standing deck, rod keepers and rod tip protection, etc.)

thanks,

Steve, Greenbelt

It is the COOSA..

[toadfinger]

Thanks Matt for clarifying. Guess I'll have to head out to a dealer to check one out.

Steve, Greenbelt

[tufnik]

Welcome to the Forum! That Coosa is cool, especially that comfortable seat. For me, though, I would get the Cuda and put an electric motor on it for the open Bay.

[ronaultmtd]

Welcome- I'm sure you will enjoy your new Coosa- it has a good reputation as a fishing kayak. Get yourself a good signaling device like a whistle, air horn, etc. Safety first- get yourself a paddle you like- I like my 240 cm Aqua Bound Sting Ray, but there are so many good paddles on the market- a good paddle makes a difference.

Don't know your level of experience fishing, so depending upon what kinds of waters you plan to fish will dictate the tackle- just know the fact you are closer to the water will affect your casting, hooking and landing fish- it takes a little getting used to but you will get the hang of it pretty quick. I find a slightly longer rod than you would normally use on a boat helps with a kayak.

[bch89]

Thank you everyone for the welcoming and I am looking forward to the start or kayaking fishing and the new hobby.

ronaultmtd - The kayak came with a paddle so that is not a concern. I plan on just sticking to the Patuxent River since it is easily accessible and have experimented fishing on a kayak in the river and also in a community pond. I plan on sticking to the river and also Deep Creek Lake (Finishing my last semester of college and it's only about a 40 minute drive) until I gain experience and will then look into going out in the Bay.