Essential gear for kayak fishing

[thinkingredneck]

I thought it woulf be a good idea to have a list of essential gear for kayak fishing, other than rod, real, baits (if this has been done, I can't find it).  I realize that these are not limited to a kayak.  Some are sessential (*), some nice to have, some optional.  Everything is attached in case of a turtle (flip).  I will list what I take, please add to this!

 

*personal flotation device--on at all times, I use an automatic inflatable

*whistle attached to shirt or pfd

*sunscreen

bug spray

*cellphone in waterproof container 

*spare truck key with phone

*accessible knife or emergency line cutter

*whistle or horn

stake out pole

anchor and rope

+/- depth finder set up

*light pole with flag

+/- cooler or fish bag

*flashlight or headlamp

+/- Measuring tape (mine is on my rod)

*paddle with leash

fish gripper for toothy fish and to attach to stumps for anchoring

*dehooker or long forceps

*clippers/braid cutter

+/- go pro camera set up

paracord

*Hat or cap

+/- rain coat or poncho

+/- gps

 

[Caliyak]

Milk crate, to store all the items listed above 

[MassYak85]

3 minutes ago, Caliyak said:

Milk crate, to store all the items listed above 

This and a net are about the only two others I would add. Also fishing gear but you'd have to be having a really bad day to forget that. 

[22hertz]

Im a minimalist.

Here is what I carry every trip on my kayak.

 

KAYAK

-Paddle

-PFD with attached whistle (worn at all times)

-2 bottled water + backup water jug

-Forceps

-Fish Gripper

-1 small tackle box with small bag of soft baits attached

-2 rods/reels

-Several carabiners to tie or attach various things

 

 

CARGO POCKETS

-2 Cliff Bar

-Car key + Surefire Titan + Spyderco Ladybug + 2 carabiners clipped to belt loop

-1 Zip lock bag w/ 2 zip lock bags, 6 Ibuprofen, 10 zip ties, 6 feet duct tape, 20ft paracord, toilet paper, 2 alcohol wipes, Bic lighter, bandaids, antibiotic cream

-Rain poncho

-Spyderco Paramilitay 2

-Wallet + fishing license

-Buff + hat

-Headlamp + spare batteries in battery carrier

 

BELT

-Swisstool Spirit multitool

 

I always bring footwear, usually flip flops.

I always wear a wide brim hat, buff and polarized sunglasses.

I always wear a watch and know what time last light is, and try to keep track or estimate paddle back time.

I always let someone know where Im going and a timeframe to expect me back (even if its don't expect me back until real late)

 

Sometimes I bring a hammock/straps to take a break

Sometimes I bring binoculars to scope possible fishing sites without having to paddle there (or to check out other things )

Sometimes I bring a cast net and bucket with aerator

 

IN THE CAR

Backup water bottles in cooler

Lunch/Dinner in cooler

Towel and full set of clothes

[3crows]

I have kayaked for many years. I scuba dive from my kayaks, often several miles to sea. Solo. Fishing from them is a more recent development. I do not usually wear my PFD, sorry, it is under a bungee and I tether myself to the kayak until near shore in the surf zone where I may need to get out of it and away if it rolls. I am an expert ocean and long distance swimmer. Only cold water could do me in. I do have a PLB that I will wear on my person if offshore or on big water. I sometimes use my Boston Whaler 190 Outrage to tote the kayaks to the fish/dive location. I like having binoculars, compass, GPS, backup collapsable paddle, bilge sponge, anchor. I tether everything. I like having an anchor trolley and consider it important especially if wind or current. 

[thinkingredneck]

Great replies.  I had a friend who flipped in cold water and did not have his pfd on.  Almost died.  Had to be hospitalized.  My biggest fear is idiots on jet ski bearing down on me.  I have had close calls.  As I have gotten older I have realized that you only have to be wrong once to get in trouble, or maybe I have just become an old man.

[3crows]

I forgot, a flag. I use a snow pole marker with a orange pennant that sticks up  a good six feet. When diving a second flag goes up when i am in the water, a dive flag. For fishing though just the orange pennant. 

 

As a power boater also, I have to say, us kayakers really are hard to see even in a bright kayak with bright orange gear. We are just too low in the water, especially in the ocean with swells, we are below the gaze of most boaters who may be standing in a center console type boat or bridge of a larger cruiser. That pennant may be the only thing they see. 

[JustJames]

5 hours ago, 3crows said:

I forgot, a flag. I use a snow pole marker with a orange pennant that sticks up  a good six feet. When diving a second flag goes up when i am in the water, a dive flag. For fishing though just the orange pennant. 

 

As a power boater also, I have to say, us kayakers really are hard to see even in a bright kayak with bright orange gear. We are just too low in the water, especially in the ocean with swells, we are below the gaze of most boaters who may be standing in a center console type boat or bridge of a larger cruiser. That pennant may be the only thing they see. 

This ^^^, quite important but I don't see many use them. I already have an orange flag and try to figure where is the best place to install them. 

[thinkingredneck]

yes.  I have rigged a pole with an orange flag  with lights.   Thinking of buying a commercially made one, though.  Was really in to making my own gear for a while.

[22hertz]

Good idea on the flag.

 

My kayak is camo.

Once I was on the lake during the day when a boat came from one side of the lake zooming up to where I was, full speed, stopping about 50 ft away from me. I thought why did this jerk just zoom into the general area of where Im fishing?

Him and two buddies are rigging their rods when one of them looks at me through binoculars and says "thats a kayaker, I thought that was a buoy"

I keep my head on a swivel out on the water and will move the blades of my paddle if boaters are approaching as I noticed the wet blades reflect light and boaters notice that before they notice me.

 

Im also looking into picking up a BaoFeng UV-5R dual band radio since I don't carry a cell phone.

 

[3crows]

The flag I made goes into a Scotty female receptacle. The pole itself is epoxied into a Scotty oar lock male piece. Mine is mounted on the stern area so as to be well out of the normal casting arc I would use. 

 

[Seven_Duce]

Side cutting pliers. Went out last weekend I ended up getting a treble hook embeded on the side of my thumb, all I had were long nose pliars with the cutters at the bottom. I couldn't cut it and push it through.

[Dorado]

Line cutter or braid scissors in your fishing PFD that's easily accessible. Over the summer, I was trolling from my kayak and this jack wagon in a big boat zoom right next to me. I'm talking 15 yards and had the entire lake. My line got snagged on his motor and my reel started peeling braided line. Without having that tool handy to cut my line, it could've been interesting because he was hauling the opposite direction.  

 

Kind of like how bikers feel the utter lack of respect and etiquette with automobile drivers, as a kayaker, I feel that way about a lot of motorized  boaters. 

[thinkingredneck]

I carry a braid cutter and emergency knife on my pfd.  I also have pliers.  I use a paddle with orange blades.  

 

Good idea about the side cutters.  I also usually carry a small first aid kit.

[Choporoz]

On 8/16/2017 at 2:46 PM, thinkingredneck said:

*personal flotation device--on at all times, I use an automatic inflatable

 

On 8/17/2017 at 1:09 AM, thinkingredneck said:

  My biggest fear is idiots on jet ski bearing down on me.  I have had close calls. 

I worry most about powered craft, also.  That's the reason I didn't go with auto-inflate PFD.  I figure that it's not unlikely that the next time I go in, I could get knocked in the head....and I prefer the peace of mind of a non-inflatable