Kayak Fishing 101: Part II The Essentials
By Capt. Justin Oser
Welcome to Part II of my series geared towards the beginning kayak fisherman. Here is a link to Part 1 Kayak 101: Rules and Regs in case you missed it. For our second iteration, I will discuss some items to make your day more enjoyable and productive.
Cold Water Clothing
My saltwater kayaking fishing trips typically start in late April. This time of year, the water temperature can be as cold as 48 degrees. The United States Coast Guard states that you can expect to be unconscious between 30-60 minutes of exposure to water this cold. This water is dangerous, but there are things you can you to mitigate the danger.
Personally, I own three different waterproof gear types that keep me safe, depending on the season. For the coldest water period, I use a Stearn’s Drysuit. Stearns is the manufacturer of a variety of cold water safety equipment. My Drysuit has gaskets for the sleeves and neck to keep water out. Combined with waterproof zippers, one can ensure you will be dry. My suit is baggy enough that I can wear multiple layers underneath to stay warm from the cooler air temps. Fortunately, this suit also excels at stopping the wind and keeping you toasty.
I also own two pairs of waterproof dry pants, the NRS Freefalls and the Kokatat Tempest Hydrus’. These pants have attached booties that slip into whatever water shoes you prefer. These are perfect when the water temps rise into the 60’s and the air temp is under 80. I also use these pants in the summer when it is raining, paired with a light rain jacket, staying dry but cool. This pairing makes it easy to regulate your body temp and keeps you from getting cold from constantly getting wet.
Marine Radio
Marine radios have many different purposes in a kayak, including:
Boat to Boat Communication
Emergency Transmissions
Weather Forecasts
If you fish in a group, you aren’t always going to be close to everyone. Your buddy may be on a great bite a mile away from you, and you could be catching nothing. Staying in contact with a marine radio mitigates the risk of losing your phone, which costs over $1000 and probably doesn’t float. Use the marine radio to communicate back and forth, particularly look for models that float like the ICom IC-M25 or Cobra MR HH500.
The most important feature of a marine radio is safety communication. Channel 16 is a channel devoted to communicating with the Coast Guard. If you listen to this channel, you hear marine safety information such as obstructions in the water, local dredging projects, and even information concerning wildlife. A radio may be the only lifeline available if something goes wrong on the water.
You will also find weather forecasts on your radio, courtesy of NOAA. These channels run in a loop where you listen for the message concerning the area you are fishing. The automated voice will tell you the forecast for the general weather, wind speed and direction, and any weather advisories. Sometimes it takes a while to get the message for your local, but this is a hands-free, passive activity that you can listen to while fishing.
I use a Cobra MR HH500 for my radio on the kayak. This unit is user-friendly and has auto-buttons for Channel 16 or the NOAA weather channels. Additionally, this model floats and is waterproof, both critical features when fishing on a kayak. A $100 is a small price to pay for an item that will save your life in a predicament.
Fish Landing Devices
I don’t care who you are; nobody likes losing that fish of a lifetime boat side trying to land it. Being on a kayak, you can’t go lunging at a big bass boat side; otherwise, you may end up upside down. Fortunately, you have plenty of options on how to bring the fish into the kayak. Obviously, you can lip a big bass if you are quick enough, but there aren’t many other fish that I fish for that I would go lipping.
There are different lipping tools for toothy fish, all of which work well. Depending on your budget, you can splurge on the cream of the crop Boga Grip or drop a Lincoln on plastic lip grippers. The Fish Grippers are extremely popular among kayakers and boaters alike due to their effectiveness and price point. Attaching a small float to the backside is a good idea if you are worried about dropping your grippers.
There are also fish that you can’t effectively use the grippers on, such as Tautog, Fluke, and Winter Flounder. I grab the net to land these species. My net has a large hoop on it and a small mesh. Netting material is important to consider. Nets with large knotted mesh can be very destructive to fish fins and slime coats. Consider buying a net with rubber-coated nylon mesh, which is less damaging to the fish and is more resistant to getting a hook through it. It is not fun backing a stuck hook out of a net when you are in the middle of a ravenous blitz.
As I write this blog, I realize how many items I have in my kayak are creature comforts. So far, I have only discussed several items that I bring with me every trip. Tomorrow, I will discuss the fishing tools and other gadgets that I bring to help my day go smoothly.