What do you wish you knew when you started?
 

I've got to write a report on kayak fishing and know nothing about it so I thought I'd come to the experts.

What do you know now that you wish you had known before you began? Is there anything you think the next 'generation' of kayak fishers should know?

Thanks in advance.

For starters always check the weather report before you go.
 

And wear or have a PFD and let someone no where you are going,

Thanks, Mitchell! Safety is always paramount.

X2

And practice self rescue in a pool or by the shore with your PFD on so you can see if hangs up on the edge of your yak when you try to re-enter.

Also having a gps of compass will be necessary if conditions become foggy.

A few off the top of my head...

Comforts of a high back seat with plenty of seat cushion.

Forward rod holders are ideal for drifting and trolling.

Braid for cutting thru kelp. Also heavy leaders over light line for bigger game fish. Yes it's a fun fight on light line but no fun feeding predators.

Fish finder with GPS and chart plotting unless you want to hone your skills on triangulation and burning data usage using Google maps.

Cut off hooks and lay rods down for big surf landings.

How addicting it became. How the experience of being on the ocean seeing whales , sharks, and other sea creatures up close while on a little piece of plastic could be so soothing, and that is before catching your dinner.

How to launch and land
 

Safely through surf. . :kayak-surfer:

Consider the weight of the kayak you are buying.

Cheaper, heavier kayaks are no bargain.

It is addictive and expenses can add up.

Buy a skiff..

Practicing is a great idea...one I bet most people never do. What do you use for GPS?

Any techniques you'd like to share? Or is it something only learned by practice?

New guy question...can you explain your response, please? :doh:

Just wondering...in your experience, do most saltwater kayak anglers also fresh water kayak fish or do most focus exclusively on one or the other type of fishing?

What's the best way to figure out whether the boat you're considering will be a good fit for the type of fishing you want to do?

Personally, there really isn't anything I wish I knew, as with other things that have happened to me in life most of what I know now was gained from my own experiences. Yes, there are some things that I learned from talking with others but the reality is that not until you live that experience will you learn from it. How many times have you heard someone say, "I TOLD YOU SO"

I'll give you some basic kayak fishing examples that I knew but didn't bother learning from them until I experienced it:

carrying a change of clothes: I knew I would get wet one day but not until the day that I took a dip did I realize how important it is to carry a dry set of clothes and a towel

water bucket: I'd always see Tony and Greg with small water buckets/jugs/cups on their kayaks and always knew how useful they were while on the water but not until I realized that I was constantly dumping the fresh water from my only bottle of water to make a bucket/jug/cup did I decide to get my own and save my drinking water for drinking.

bait dehooker: who needs one of those stupid things? ummmmmmmm, everyone. Here's another things I knew about but because I was OK with just using my pliers to get bait off of my sabiki I didn't bother getting one. I can still here Tony's voice in the back gound, "Jorge, when are you going to quit being a dumbshit and get yourself a dehooker"? Again, as with the other items that I listed I knew about the dehooker but not until the day that I lost a pair of pliers did I realize how helpful it would have been to have a floating dehooker.


Knowing is one thing but experiencing it first hand will change how you do things in the future. Hope that helps and good luck on your report.

Tru Dat! Thanks, Jorge!

That I was going to need a lot more space in the garage

A heavy pair of cutters or linesman plyers to cut that trebble out of yourself or a friend. They do not cut very easily.

As opposed to Expensive, Heavy Kayaks....

http://m2.i.pbase.com/g9/85/360685/2...2.Wmt3rgY2.jpg

Time on water
 

But, the best thing you could do is go to lj when there is a good onshore wind and a high surf like 2-3 foot minimum and practice in the surf with unladen kayak. You confidence will skyrocket. Practice bracing and punching through surf.

Wish i knew not to bring all my tackle (hooks, line, weights, pliers, knives, swivels, lures, ect). Only bring what you need and put it in a dry bag or water tight box.

I also wish I had known your supposed to rinse your rods/ reels with freshwater afterwards too...

As a child I grew up fishing the pier's for Mackerel. Then, when I realized i couldn't progress my passion any further without owning a boat I convinced my parents to chip in and get me a kayak. The cheapest way to get out on the water without spending the crazy amount of money a 15 year old doesn't have.

I went from catching mackerel off a pier to cluelessly fishing the bays for bass. Once I got comfortable with my kayak and myself I went to La Jolla. Someone told me to use mackerel as bait for yellowtail. After catching mackerel for fun for so many years I never thought about using a WHOLE LIVE ONE for bait! I remember trying to figure out hook the damn thing, having no clue what I was doing. (one of my most favorite kayak fishing memories)

When I fish started fishing in the ocean I got hooked on the feeling of being so close to nature. I really feel part of the ocean's ecosystem while on a kayak. It makes you feel vulnerable. A feeling you can't get while on a boat. BUT I didn't know anything about salt water corrosion and lost about $500 in rusted hooks, lures, pliers, ect. Not to mention all my reels locking up to the point where 3 reels costed $350 to get serviced..

PICTURE taken at San Quintin Baja Norte.

I will let the more experience kayakers here to answer the above question.

My first kayak was a used 14' Malibu. Paddle only. Very stable.

During the first trip in Baja, it was clear that the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks were the better choice. Although there are different Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks.

PA 14' being the heaviest one for single person if I am not mistaken.

After having learned all about how to choose the kayaks (for surf launching and LJ) in the post here on BWE in early 2013, about starting in the bays, how to rig it for catching Yellowtail. Since finding all this info and then getting to put it into use and build on that from all the time on the water. I found used early model Malibu X Factor at Fast Lane with all but a bait tank, so I built one. Loved the super stability and storage space, caught a lot of Yellow on it after 5 or 6 month of getting to know exactly what fishing line to use, knot to tie and hook to use. After 3 years I started using a Jackson Cuda 14 and sold it after using it and catching Yellows on it for 8 months (it never had anything close to the stability and for going over or incoming the surf at LJ as the Malibu X Factor. I June of 2016 I got a Hobie Revo 13 and I sold the older Malibu and have enjoyed the Mirage drive and landed Yellows, etc. on it but can't master how to get it to respond in the surf like my 2016 Malibu X Factor 14.4 . I November 2016 I bought slightly used 2016 Malibu X Factor because I found a super deal and had all the gear to set it up already. I enjoy using it also. What the bottom line is, is that all good kayaks that can handle the Surf and distances at LJ are both fun, wether it's Mirage Drive or Paddle. I can choose which, to take based on weather reports for size of surf , wind speeds and currents. If you visit this site and read a lot posts, then there isn't too much you couldn't have learned. Also watched Jim Sammons youtube videos on how to launch and land in the surf. I almost exclusively fish in LJ for Yellowtail. I LOVE BWE!

I currently use my a nav app on my phone and I have an old fashioned compass. Just bought a used Garmin 72 GPS that I'm going to use as a backup. It's no fun when fog rolls in and you lose all sense of direction.

Oh. A hand held marine radio is also a good idea.

How to properly work a lever drag :shot:

During the first trip in Baja, it was clear that the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks were the better choice.

comments like these always crack me the fuck up. especially since most of my buddies who live and fish down there dont even have one. the first hobbie i ever seen in MX is in Campeche, Merida.

but anyways i wish i new more knots then using swivels. it has saved me alot of money sitting on the couch learning knots.

1) If you feel like you are trying to reinvent the wheel, there are probably 15 other guys that had the same idea (it didn't work for them either).

2) There is no "all-around good" anything. Get what you need the first time or rent a storage space for everything else.

3) You get what you pay for (see #1 & 2 above).

4) Kayak fishing is an endless number of Nat Geo Moments.

Lanyard
 

anything I do not want to lose - in case I flip...was the costliest lesson I've learned so far.

Learn to tie a few easy but fool proof knots. As a newbie to fishing and kayaks I got a yt hooked up on my 1st trip to LJ and the knot failed. It took me 9 yrs to get another chance and I nailed him!