new to kayaking

[moc]

Welcome to all the new kayakers to Snaggedline. Do not forget that your fellow Snaggedliners will be manning a kayak display area at Bass Pro Shop on the first two weekends in March. You can use that as a time to come by and ask questions about kayaking and kayak fishing. You can even get information on our CBKA Kayak Tournament for Charity in Sept and the Susky Jamboree in April, along with information for the Heroes on the Water (HOW) chapter.

[J.A. Veil]

In addition to having Snaggedline members manning the kayak display for two weekends in March, I will give a seminar on getting started in kayak fishing on Sunday March 2 as part of the day-long seminar series sponsored by Bass Pro Shops in their Spring Fishing Classic. The seminars are tentatively scheduled to be held in front of the fish tank area. I don't think the schedule is available yet.

Welcome to all the new kayakers to Snaggedline. Do not forget that your fellow Snaggedliners will be manning a kayak display area at Bass Pro Shop on the first two weekends in March. You can use that as a time to come by and ask questions about kayaking and kayak fishing. You can even get information on our CBKA Kayak Tournament for Charity in Sept and the Susky Jamboree in April, along with information for the Heroes on the Water (HOW) chapter.

[Runnin]

Welcome aboard. Navy guy like you should have no troubles. Not sure I would want my first trip to be a winter one though. Welcome to the area!

Most of these guys are saltwater trollers. I'm going to try to learn some tricks from them this year. I'm a bass guy. I fish the upper and tidal Potomac, and the reservoirs and lakes just outside the DC Beltway. There lots of variety to be had.

[archeryrob]

Do we have a sticky on here with covering cold weather gear, self rescue, poly vs cotton, and the problems with cold water immersion and involuntary gasping?

The last one I do not hear about on any kayak site is involuntary gasping from cold water immersion. The shock from the cold water makes you gasp, when under water you breathe water and then start coughing involuntary to expel the water. Even with a PFD on, you panic and while you are panicking you paddle, gear and kayak are going different direction. You will not die, but you are making everything worse and if you can't get out of the water and maintain your wits, you're in trouble.

I was taught 20 or more years ago to bite down if I know I am going in. You can't involuntary gasp when you are forcing your mouth to be shut. Once you hit the surface, you can gasp, but you will not be panicking. I have been swimming twice while duck hunting. Once in December and once in January and if you have not done it, you don't know what its like. Both times have been near shore, so I can recover quickly and easily, but you're still fricking wet and its cold! You guys are likely to do the same thing I did, but in deep water and away from shore. So know what you're getting into.

Now for my stories. I can't tell you I have been swimming without details, right?

First time was hunting in January by myself in a canoe. I've been in a canoe 20 years by this point and I know it all, right, sure. <sarcasm> I found a downed tree on the river, setup my decoys, get the blind on the canoe get in. Little did I know a tree branch was under the right side of the canoe, pushing up. When I leaned left the first time the canoe rolls right over. I am soaked, no change of clothes and wet from the nipples up, completely and no change of clothes. I strip from the waste up, wring the jacket and shirt and back on. Pick up decoys load the boat. You know right now I an thinking F this boat, I am cold. Paddle back to the ramp, load the boat drive home. It was an hour before I got home. I would not wanted to experience that on open water the first time

The second time I was hunting the river in higher water conditions that i probably should have stayed home. Trash floating down but I am off, I have to go hunting. I keep my PFD on even though I am in 1' of water hunting, its a habit now. A stick floats in and snags a decoy, I jump out and run after it. The decoy moved from 18" of water to 10' faster than I realized and I ran right off a ledge and was under water like I dove in, but came right back up like a bobber. I forgot all about that decoy for 10 to 15 minutes at least. Back to the boat and I have a change of clothes (shirt) and a light jacket and finished the hunt.

This is not just to Iony, but anyone new or experienced kayaks that do not understand how much trouble cold water can be. Cold water is no joke and you're body is not going to like it and you will panic if you've never been through it. Forget what those shows tell you about 30 minutes in the water. If you get full wet even with a PFD on you're going to feel like your dying in 2 minutes. If you go in, you need to know, or have a plan on how you're getting out. Everyone here, if you have not done a cold water immersion, put on shorts and drive to the ramp, put on your breathable waders and walk down the ramp until the water is over your belly button. you'll get the idea damn fast! Then imagine that feeling and being in deep water far away from shore where your life depends on it.

[Runnin]

Do we have a sticky on here with covering cold weather gear, self rescue, poly vs cotton, and the problems with cold water immersion and involuntary gasping?

The last one I do not hear about on any kayak site is involuntary gasping from cold water immersion. The shock from the cold water makes you gasp, when under water you breathe water and then start coughing involuntary to expel the water. Even with a PFD on, you panic and while you are panicking you paddle, gear and kayak are going different direction. You will not die, but you are making everything worse and if you can't get out of the water and maintain your wits, you're in trouble.

I was taught 20 or more years ago to bite down if I know I am going in. You can't involuntary gasp when you are forcing your mouth to be shut. Once you hit the surface, you can gasp, but you will not be panicking. I have been swimming twice while duck hunting. Once in December and once in January and if you have not done it, you don't know what its like. Both times have been near shore, so I can recover quickly and easily, but you're still fricking wet and its cold! You guys are likely to do the same thing I did, but in deep water and away from shore. So know what you're getting into.

Now for my stories. I can't tell you I have been swimming without details, right?

First time was hunting in January by myself in a canoe. I've been in a canoe 20 years by this point and I know it all, right, sure. <sarcasm> I found a downed tree on the river, setup my decoys, get the blind on the canoe get in. Little did I know a tree branch was under the right side of the canoe, pushing up. When I leaned left the first time the canoe rolls right over. I am soaked, no change of clothes and wet from the nipples up, completely and no change of clothes. I strip from the waste up, wring the jacket and shirt and back on. Pick up decoys load the boat. You know right now I an thinking F this boat, I am cold. Paddle back to the ramp, load the boat drive home. It was an hour before I got home. I would not wanted to experience that on open water the first time

The second time I was hunting the river in higher water conditions that i probably should have stayed home. Trash floating down but I am off, I have to go hunting. I keep my PFD on even though I am in 1' of water hunting, its a habit now. A stick floats in and snags a decoy, I jump out and run after it. The decoy moved from 18" of water to 10' faster than I realized and I ran right off a ledge and was under water like I dove in, but came right back up like a bobber. I forgot all about that decoy for 10 to 15 minutes at least. Back to the boat and I have a change of clothes (shirt) and a light jacket and finished the hunt.

This is not just to Iony, but anyone new or experienced kayaks that do not understand how much trouble cold water can be. Cold water is no joke and you're body is not going to like it and you will panic if you've never been through it. Forget what those shows tell you about 30 minutes in the water. If you get full wet even with a PFD on you're going to feel like your dying in 2 minutes. If you go in, you need to know, or have a plan on how you're getting out. Everyone here, if you have not done a cold water immersion, put on shorts and drive to the ramp, put on your breathable waders and walk down the ramp until the water is over your belly button. you'll get the idea damn fast! Then imagine that feeling and being in deep water far away from shore where your life depends on it.

Words of wisdom. Don't go out in cold water by yourself.

[Jeston]

great words rob. im glad you were able to recover quickly after your incidents. i think a sticky about cold water safety and gear is a great idea. anything can happen to anyone and i learned this last july when i lost my brother to the almighty Conococheague. Since then if im in any water i rarely go by myself.

[archeryrob]

Sorry to here that Jeston, the Conococheague is so shallow many places you can walk across without getting your knees wet. That just proves anythingcan go wrong, anytime.

Sorry for your loss.

[Shawn L]

Welcome aboard. This was my first year kayak fishing and this site proved invaluable. I got the equipment and was eager to head to the Bay Bridge for stripers. The BEST advice I received was to slow down and try a place like Mattawoman Creek first. The scenery is nice, fishing is great and the water is calm and shallow. I have been fishing my whole life and kayaking for years BUT never did both at the same time. There are many little things to work out as you go and its best to work them out in calm protected waters. For instance, the rod holders on my fishing crate were straight up. I angled them a bit outwards for the next trip to avoid the lines getting tangled together as happened on my first trip. There is also the equipment to get positioned ie tackle, rods, cooler etc. Each trip I learned a little more. Lots to keep track of in a small space. Take it slow and enjoy the learning curve.

[iony]

Lots of people lots of stories. I'll have my yak delivered tomorrow so I'm getting more excited and now I'm going to bass pro to get some gear. Probably the first place I'll take my yak is on Potomac I found a pretty calm place where I can lunch my yak and it shouldn't be too risky for the first time. I've been kayaking before but not fishing in the same time like Shawn L said. We have to wear life vests on kayaks isn't it? I know on the ones you rent you have to wear but I'm not sure about your own yak.. I'll keep this topic going until I lunch my yak the first time. I have to make the mount for my GoPro also..

[Runnin]

If you are anywhere on the non-tidal Potomac between Nov 15 and May 15th you must wear a PFD at all times. Just FYI.

[iony]

Thank you for the info! I will get mine

[iony]

My yak just got here. It cam in just a bag :/ ..which was ripped almost all the way. The bottom is scratched in the front and back but the rest is ok. I took few pictures to show yallIMG_20140201_090249.jpgIMG_20140201_090218.jpg