Having trouble with landing a Fish while in my Kayak

[Ralph Nicholas Vito]

So is there a trick to the whole thing ? maybe i'm reeling the fish up to close ? i have no idea what im doing wrong but i obviously don't want to put my rod and reel in the water or drop it in the water to grab the fish then that ruins the reel (or so i have been told). What i have been doing is i free my spinning reel (clicking the bail in the casting position) and just grab the fish and slowly put the rod behind me in the rod holder. But i feel like im making the process more difficult

 

Any tips ? also don't know if this is the right forum i would have put it in the kayak forum but i would think that's more for talking about boats in particular ? idk im always bad with putting things in the wrong forum

[thinkingredneck]

Point your rod tip  toward the opposite side of the yak to where the line is a cross you.  Lip them by hand or with a fish gripper. 

[JustJames]

If you find it difficult to lip the fish in kayak, small net would help. I always bring small/short handle net in my kayak, also fish grip can help too. Leave plenty of line when landing fish. I don't put my rod in rod holder just lay it in my arm and between my leg, if you leave enough line you should have no problem doing so. Alway use either net or gripper when landing fish with treble hook, don't estimate bass head shake, it can kiss you in the arse. 

Check kayak fishing video and see the trick how those ppl landing fish adapt to whatever you comfortable with.

[jreach]

All great responses.  It takes some practice but its not that tough...bigger fish are more troublesome so a small net is a huge help.

[NYWayfarer]

3 hours ago, JustJames said:

If you find it difficult to lip the fish in kayak, small net would help. I always bring small/short handle net in my kayak

I am a big fan of a small net for landing kayak fish. Mine fits right under the bungees in the front of my kayak.

 

Smaller fish I boat flip right into my sit inside kayak. Anything of size I grab the net with one hand and use my rod to guide the fish right into the net.

[Darren.]

Another vote for a landing net. Makes the process much 

easier. If you can, get one with a rubber netting, better

on the fish. Mine doesn't have it, but I'll be in the market

for a new one and it'll be rubberized.

[J Francho]

Hold the rod high, and use a FishGrip, or small landing net.  You can hand land them too.  See photo and video below:

 

 

 

 

[davecon]

Personally I’m too fat, too old, and too lazy for kayaks but I do enjoy watching a you-tube channel of some old gal in Orlando. She fishes from a kayak and catches a few. She is no pro, just someone that enjoys fishing. You might watch her for some netting technique tips. Google Oldladyangler. Quite entertaining when there is no base ball on tv.

[boostr]

Small landing net works for me.

[YoTone]

i didnt use a net for my first year and lost a few nice fish because of it. I also broke a few rod tips trying to boat flip a bass in. 

 

recently i entered a kayak tournament and figured it was about time so  i picked out a ranger wading net. i use my yak attack roto grip holder on my slayers track up front  where my front hatch is to keep my net in a good stable place where its easily reachable when fighting a fish. i can also tuck the handle under my seat while the net is in the water so i can let the fish rest in my net while i prepare for a photo.  now i cant imagine landing a decent fish with out it. it also floats.

 

I just saw an icast video on nets and he says something like, you spend all this money on everything, (boat, kayak, truck, rods and reels), dont cheap out on nets. they complete the whole reason why youre on the water. it really makes sense to get one. 

 

 

 

[Brad in Texas]

It really is harder, takes a bit of adjustment, from a kayak. When you have the rod holding hand and arm back and away, it makes it easy to create slack in the line. Most fish always seem to have that one last flash of power to break loose by throwing the hook.

 

I'd only add that I really like to grab them with my fish grips. That works really well and, in time, you'll get very accurate at snapping it on a gaping mouth. This or a net is a must in many circumstances, else you are going to lose some fish. If you are over-aggressive trying to grab them to offset this, you'll end up with some hooks in your flesh.

 

The other "tip" is to learn to look for how the fish is hooked. They are often wiggling around but if you can determine how well they are hooked, you give yourself a few options to land them. If the hook is dangling from a stretched out hole in their lip tissue, you have to move faster, take a chance before than shake loose.

 

Brad

[Ralph Nicholas Vito]

15 hours ago, YoTone said:

i didnt use a net for my first year and lost a few nice fish because of it. I also broke a few rod tips trying to boat flip a bass in. 

 

recently i entered a kayak tournament and figured it was about time so  i picked out a ranger wading net. i use my yak attack roto grip holder on my slayers track up front  where my front hatch is to keep my net in a good stable place where its easily reachable when fighting a fish. i can also tuck the handle under my seat while the net is in the water so i can let the fish rest in my net while i prepare for a photo.  now i cant imagine landing a decent fish with out it. it also floats.

 

I just saw an icast video on nets and he says something like, you spend all this money on everything, (boat, kayak, truck, rods and reels), dont cheap out on nets. they complete the whole reason why youre on the water. it really makes sense to get one. 

 

 

 

I have been doing the boat flip technique but obviously i don't want to hurt the fish and ruin it's life or something because i disfigured it or something idk but im definitely gonna look into a net

[Choporoz]

I don't use a net, but I can admit there are a few times when it would have been nice....mostly on cats and snakeheads, but I also admit to having lost what surely would have been a PB when she broke off at the boat while I tried to lip her...in my feeble defense, it was pitch dark at the time

 

I do use Fishgrips for cats, snakeheads and treble hooks, however.

[kenmitch]

1 hour ago, Ralph Nicholas Vito said:

I have been doing the boat flip technique but obviously i don't want to hurt the fish and ruin it's life or something because i disfigured it or something idk but im definitely gonna look into a net

I keep the Bass Pro shops gold series folding landing net (GSF25-35)  behind my seat for those times of need. Easy to one hand flip open with practice and it's large enough to scoop up a world record size bass if needed. I use it more like a coral or safety net and don't lift the fish out of the water with it. The handle is long enough to reach into the water while resting on the side of the kayak so I just kind of lift it up from under the fish and rest my arm on it as I put my rod down. It usually goes on sale during the spring and fall for $20. Mixed reviews but I don't see anything wrong with the model I purchased in the end....Other than it likes to grab treble hooks just like most nets.

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, kenmitch said:

I keep the Bass Pro shops gold series folding landing net (GSF25-35)  behind my seat 

X2

[Deleted account]

I don't have any trouble landing fish from a kayak...

[fishwizzard]

I use fish grips for most every fish I catch on my yak.  The real challenge for me is landing a bass that I catch while standinrg.  I have yet to find a good way to sit down and 100% keep pressure on the bass. 

[J Francho]

6 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

I have yet to find a good way to sit down and 100% keep pressure on the bass.

I just bend my knees, same as I would do in a bass boat, except you're even closer to the water.

[bostonsox2904]

On 7/16/2018 at 12:39 PM, thinkingredneck said:

Point your rod tip  toward the opposite side of the yak to where the line is a cross you.  Lip them by hand or with a fish gripper. 

Dont recommend doing this. Great way to break a rod

[JustJames]

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

I use fish grips for most every fish I catch on my yak.  The real challenge for me is landing a bass that I catch while standinrg.  I have yet to find a good way to sit down and 100% keep pressure on the bass. 

Don't quote me on this, since I never fish standing on my kayak, but a California guy on youtube that I watch him all the time, always sit down right when he knows he hook a good size fish, not when the bass already close to his kayak.

[J Francho]

7 minutes ago, JustJames said:

Don't quote me on this, since I never fish standing on my kayak, but a California guy on youtube that I watch him all the time, always sit down right when he knows he hook a good size fish, not when the bass already close to his kayak.

I do exactly the opposite, and usually get up to fight the fish, if I can.  You can see me start to get to land a fish at the 4:00 mark.

 

 

[BuzzHudson19c]

So I always follow this routine.

 

I get the fish on the left side of the kayak, rod in my right hand.

 

When they get within 6 ft or so I grab the line with my left hand and set the rod down.

 

I then take my right hand and grab the lure/hook (if its a soft bait).

 

Then grab the fish with my left hand, lip or belly, whichever is the better option to avoid being hooked.

 

Honestly bass are easy. It's catfish and pike that are a pain. Sometimes I just flip them into the kayak and hold on for dear life.

[buzzbaiter83]

I may be one of the few who find it easier to lip a fish out of my kayak than my bass boat. Maybe because I have long arms, I dunno. I hold the rod in my hand opposite of the fish. Stretch out my arm and then lip the fish with the hand closest to the fish. 

 

I would definitely use a landing net if I had trouble lipping. I like the ones made of silicone instead of mesh. 

[fishwizzard]

22 hours ago, J Francho said:

I just bend my knees, same as I would do in a bass boat, except you're even closer to the water.

 That is what I do now, but the moment where I go from squatting to landing my butt in the seat is still a bit hit or miss.  

[J Francho]

3 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

 That is what I do now, but the moment where I go from squatting to landing my butt in the seat is still a bit hit or miss.  

That's the make it or break it moment when landing any fish, and when you have to pay the most attention, be it bank, shore, canoe, bass boat, kayak, or pool noodle.  Most fish are lost right at the boat.