Glad to see you make it safely back to tell your tale. It was good that you had your PFD on and that you had a buddy with you.

Aside from the points you made about needing a vest knife and other stuff, I wanted to add that it really helps to have a hand bilge pump to help bail the water out of your yak afterwards.

Also, I've always been wary of yakking with waders, since I've had previous experiences myself when water got into even a full wader outfit... belt worn and all. This is why I stick to board shorts in the daytime, and a wetsuit or non-cotton pants in the night.

We often see the checklist of stuff that Yak Anglers need to bring with them, but it takes events such as yours to realize just how important they are.

Thanks for sharing your experience and lessons learned.

Jim,
Stoked to hear it all ended well.
It's a sobber reminder how quickly the things can turn ugly out there.
Thanks for sharing!!
Only one 1st hand post like this is worth all the effort of running a web forum. Everyone who read this will be better prepared if this ever happens to them. Night fishing for a big fish off the kayak is one tough game!
Way to land a hand Roby!!