How to fish from a Kayak.

This is where it's all going on. One can ask for advice or general information or simply chew the fat about fishing tackle, tips, and locations.
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slushpuppy
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Post by slushpuppy »

Bowzog and I both fish from our kayaks. We only had one kayak but just bought another one this fall. They're great to get into spots where other boats can't get to, like shallows and stumpy areas or where there are no boat launches. They're also great to sneak up on spots. You get to see more wildlife and sometimes attract animals.... you can read my story about a horse on this thread:

http://www.fish-hawk.net/phpBB-2.0.2/ph ... php?t=4970

Some people have trolling motors on their kayaks. I've also seen some stabilizers for kayaks that even allow you to stand in the kayak without tipping.

Bacon! I can fit my fat butt in my kayak because it has a big cockpit :) and every boat has a capacity rating.
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Big EZ
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Post by Big EZ »

Like Phitty, I fish from my small, whitewater kayak. Here's what I do:

-use the chest pocket of my PFD for things I'll need fast access to (pliers and knife)

-small tacklebox inside the bow of the boat, sometimes I'll keep it on the top deck of the bow -- make sure it floats.

-2 piece rod that I can lay on the top of my bow when not in use

-My PFD is low-cut and tight, so to troll I just slide the rod handle between one side of my chest and the vest and it keeps me hands free to paddle, and the rod isn't in the way -- works quite well and I can feel the rod action

-I have a wireless wrist-mount fish/depth finder (Hummingbird Smartcast). Since your hands are moving from paddling, the wrist isn't the best place for it, so I either mount it on my PFD or front security bar of my kayak. I attach the floating sonar unit to some fishing line, tie that to the back of my boat and tow it behind me.

The set up is really good for places like Petrie island -- I can get into very shallow, tiny channels that a even a larger (ie sea) kayak couldn't. Since my boat is meant for whitewater, it has some drawbacks: it wants to spin, so any wind, or even the drag on your lure, will spin you around; it's slow; you can't anchor; and it's not very comfy.
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beadhead
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Post by beadhead »

There's a pretty good article in the July/August edition of Fly Rod & Reel. It discusses kayaks designed specifically for fishing, and how to fish from a kayak; ie, gear, rigging, methods, etc.

Unfortunately, they don't post old articles on their website.

PM me if you're interested, I'm sure we can figure something out.
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