Kayak Fishing Tips On Gear

By Sean K Kelly

If you've ridden the rapids and roved the rivers a few times and want to expand your interest in kayaking and canoeing, sooner or later there's the distinct possibility that you will find yourself in an ocean or touring kayak or canoe on a broader and deeper patch of water where fishing becomes an attractive option. Kayak fishing is fast becoming a very popular sport and there's every chance that you'll be bitten by the fishing bug which usually bites in the place where it hurts most... in your pocket. However, there is absolutely no reason why you can't equip yourself for some great kayak fishing sport with good quality kayak fishing gear designed specifically for small boat applications such as kayaks and canoes

Selecting a suitable fishing rod for kayak fishing.

While there are thousands of rods designed for use in small boats, and a one or 2 piece rod certainly has its advantages over multiple section or break down rods, it's important to consider where the rod will be stored both in your craft and, or in your kit when traveling to and from your launch point. As an accepted compromise, many kayak fishing enthusiast opt for a telescopic rod which as the name suggests, telescopes into it's self to be mare than about 12 inches or 300mm in length and be easily stored in a back pack or stowed in a hatch on the deck of the kayak. With today's technology, rugged materials which are flexible enough to be used in catching good size fish from a kayak and tough enough to take the hard knocks often associated with kayaking are being used to manufacture some truly great fishing rods for kayak fishing gear.

Choosing a suitable fishing reel for Kayak Fishing Gear

This can be a little tricky particularly if you're on a limited budget as it's probably going to be the most expensive part of your fishing gear but it's worthwhile to keep in mind that it's also probably the most important part as well. While there are hundreds of options as there are no reels to my knowledge specifically designed for small boats or canoes, there are many designed for small rods and light lines. Many reels which can be ideal for fishing from a bank or pier are not suitable as kayak fish gear because of their fragility and exterior moving parts. Many kayak fishing enthusiasts will argue this point but I've found from personal experience that reels known as spinning reels or "egg beaters" with the spool on the front are too susceptible to being easily damaged when being used as specific kayak fishing gear, not only because the bail can be easily bent but also because of the distance they protrude away from the rod making it difficult to place on the deck when two hands are needed for other tasks and lending to the chance of you losing it altogether over the side. Personally I prefer bait caster models which although being generally more expensive, are also more robust although a little "land practice" is highly recommended as they can easily "over run" leaving the user with mess of unwanted tangled line until they are mastered. A good way to practice on land with a bait caster before attempting to use one from a boat, is to tie a small pea sinker to the end of the line and while holding the rod at about a forty-five degree angle up from your body, slacken the drag on the reel so that the sinker is just on the verge of falling to the ground just with its own weight with your thumb just touching line on the spool. Have a bucket of water placed about 20-30 feet away and try to cast the sinker into the bucket. It's important to not have the bucket anymore than around 35-40 feet as the further you want to cast, the harder you need to throw and this will (if you'll excuse the pun) b you undone as the spool needs to be stopped with you thumb as the exact moment the sinker hits it's target or the ground in order to avoid over run. It does require practice but after mastering this technique you'll never want to use any other style of reel for kayak fishing gear again. Competitions are held at all major fishing tournaments throughout the world for accuracy and distance in using bait caster reels and once having reeled in a big bass or pike while kayak fishing with a bait caster will have you hooked on using one as a major part of your kayak fishing gear and arsenal.

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