Anyone here kayak fish?

I’ve been away from it for a while, but now have the itch to kayak fish the Florida keys in December.

I started fishing from kayak this summer pretty seriously. I go normally 2 nights a week at least. However this is just at my local county park ponds and not doing much casting. Just a dock hopper ugly stick and a simple bobber and jig setup chasing panfish. It is pretty fun and gets me a little exercise too. I have been slowly “tricking out” my kayak too.

On my todo list for next summer. Camper life is here to stay for awhile but it limits pulling anything, time to adjust tactics

I fish Florida gulf January and February. We had some health issues in the family last year. But the year before I fish 29 days in those 2 months. Have a Hobie Outback pedal kayak with a Helix 5, power pole. I overloaded it with accessories when I bought it. But have trimmed it back over the last few years. Have it set up very comfortably. Actually, most the water I fish is under 10′ deep, and I know it well enough, I don’t take the Helix a lot of days. The flood of people to Florida has a lot of water so crowded, especially with big boats. It’s not safe in a boat under 25′. The kayak gives the ability to fish places flats boats struggle to get into. The Keys has lots of that water if you can get to it.
Think there are a few kayak anglers on here. Have wondered if there are enough to have a “Kayak Fishing” forum. There are forums that get less than 10 hits a year. Think we could do better than that.
Sorry I’ve had my kayak for almost 5 years, and don’t have a decent picture of it.

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I own a fishing kayak. i admit it doesnt get used much but lately that goes for all of my outdoor equipment. I mainly use it early spring when the boat is still in storage or for floating small rivers. I enjoy being so close to the water and i like slow drifting a river but paddling a kayak isnt my favorite thing to do

Good morning to all-
Yep, I kayak fish quite a lot. I write a monthly Kayak Fishing column for a major gulf coast magazine- Great Days Outdoors, and I’ve done a few books on kayak fishing.
I’ve fished from a kayak in tiny little backwaters and way the hell and gone out in the open Gulf of Mexico for big red snapper.
Kayaks can be just about the best fishing boats- as long sas you keep their limitations in mind.
Up until Hurrricane Sally a couple of years ago, I had a bunch of different kayaks, but that storms put a huge sweet gum tree down on my boathouse and my neatly stacked, properly stored rack of kayaks was crushed into splinters. A bad day that was, Brothers.
My favortie fish from a kayak is redfish, and you just ain’t lived until you’ve hooked a 25 pound redfish and it tows you around for a while.

you all be safe and keep wll- Ed

Aside from the cabin 14′ cabin boat, my kayak is my only current fishing vessel. I love it when I can get the time to go, but youth sports for both my boys and house projects take up most of my time.

I have a 3 Waters Big Fish 120. Is a great kayak, however I now understand the whole pedal thing and would rather have one of those. Not only do I need free time but that has to line up on days with very little wind. You’re on the paddle a whole lot more than the rod if it’s breezy. Pedals would be a huge advantage to getting many more casts in.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

Aside from the cabin 14′ cabin boat, my kayak is my only current fishing vessel. I love it when I can get the time to go, but youth sports for both my boys and house projects take up most of my time.

I have a 3 Waters Big Fish 120. Is a great kayak, however I now understand the whole pedal thing and would rather have one of those. Not only do I need free time but that has to line up on days with very little wind. You’re on the paddle a whole lot more than the rod if it’s breezy. Pedals would be a huge advantage to getting many more casts in.

Pedals with the power pole are a game changer. You get 2 or 3 times the casts. Although wind bothers most boats to an extent. Windy days are very fishable with the right setup.

Good morning to all- I hope you fellers won’t mind a new goy posting a photo- but I want to try and see if I can get one to load to share with you all.

This redfish came from Biloxi Marsh which is in Louisiana. these fish are a whole lot of fun to catch, but especially from a kayak.

Let’s see if this works- you all be safe and keep well- Ed

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I think there might be enough interest for a kayak forum here… never know.

I currently have an Autopilot 120/Helix7 stored at AWE Marina in Naples, Fl. Last year was my first year in a yak after saying I’d never own one for two reasons: 1) Sit too low/hard on the back and 2) lack of boat control = more time positioning/adjusting and less time fishing. Got seat risers for the chair (awesome) and the Autopilot/Spot lock is a game-changer in terms of boat control.

For 2 months last winter, I fished on a 400 acre inland freshwater lake in Naples for largemouth. Now, with the kayak stored at a Marina on the Gulf – am torn between leaving it there and fishing the salt… or taking it back to the inland lake where there will be a bass tournaments each month in Jan/Feb/March.

I’d also like to somehow get the kayak back here next Summer to fish less pressured rivers and small bodies of water here.

Decisions, Decisions.. but overall a good problem to have for a guy that was adamantly against kayak fishing until 9 months ago..!

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No doubt a fishing kayak would be better than my circus act in a regular kayak.
I cant fish out of a basic kayak worth a darn.

Good morning to all-
Brother, it ain’t hard to transport a kayak- even a big old good one like you have.
I’ve car-topped and truck hauled kayaks from here in ‘Bama to Arizona and down to the Keys. It’s important to have either a good, solid cartop rack or a good solid placement in a pickup bed. Good tie downs are crucial.
Even heavier kayaks can be carefully lifted to ride in car top carries- I’ve done it, and with some work and study beforehand, it’s not too bad.
That’s a good thing about having a fishing kayak- it doesn’t have to be “here” or “”there”- it can be taken to both places.
I like your photo work, too.

good day to all- Ed

I have built a pretty good relationship with my kayak dealer in Florida. Have bought most everything from him. He has a huge, fenced lot behind his shop. This year I’m going to offer to buy a small trailer to use in January and February. If he’ll store it, he can use it the other 10 months of the year. I have a Thule rack on my F150 topper to haul it to Florida. But loading/unloading is a bear with a bad shoulder. My dealer helped me lift it down last year and throw it in the truck. I loaded it myself, but there was paint loss on the topper. Bad thing hauling it in the truck bed with the tailgate down. Most of the ramps are on long gravel roads that I get a lot of chips and scratches on the tailgate.

I’m getting more into kayak fishing. As of now I’ve been fishing a few small lakes for bass/panfish and have started to do more river floats. Mainly the St. Croix but have added the Namakagon & Cloquet to the list this year. I also have a Hobie Revo 13 for trolling. Still getting things dialed in but hope to get over to the South Shore/Chequamegon Bay this Sept. Finally added some inland lake trout/splake fishing to the mix this year. Hope to do more in the future as this is pretty well suited to the kayak (especially the smaller splake lakes). I also have ideas to add a Northstar solo canoe to the mix as any portaging/distance paddling is well served by a canoe.

Plenty of ideas but need to pull the trigger on the many opportunities. A guy just needs more time and money

Wife and I kayak fished for 6 to 7 years on the Texas intercoastal. First two years, brought kayaks down with my 5th wheel, then had a house on the canals of Padre Island. 100 yards out of my house was some of the best fishing in Texas. While we also had a bay boat there, we fished out of kayaks as much as the bay boat. Absolutly loved kayak fishing. We used Old Towns as where we fished was so shallow most of the time the Hobie didn’t work. Typically would fish in 8″ to 3′,and depending on tide would have to go through 4″-8″ of water to get to some great fishing spots. Really miss not having that Texas house at times.

So I would really like to kayak fish,I think,so l have a couple questions for those that do.
I don’t swim so would be in a life jacket always,sit in or sit on,length,can you buy a reasonably priced peddle type,length of rods,I have an hds 7 that I would probably put on,good idea??
This would be used along the shorelines of Devil’s Lake campgrounds on nicer days and in the coulees in the spring
Any info that would help an extreme rookie would help,Thanks in advance!!

Good evening to all-
Bill- I think you will enjoy your kayak fishing- I have for the past thirty years or so.
You are absolutely correct in planning to wear a PFD when kayak fishing. No matter what kayak you choose, that PFD needs to worn every time. I would like to recommend one of the many inflatable PFDs- once you have one on and fitted right, you’ll forget you have a PFD on. Regular non-inflatable PFDs have gotten much more comfortable lately, so get one that fits and is good to wear- and wear it!
I would recommend you look at a 12 foot long kayak for most fishing applications.Shorter kayaks are good for small, protected waters, but that extra length makes for a faster, better ride. There are hundreds of very good fishing kayaks in the 12 foot length- I’d try to see if I could get try-out rides in as many as possible. Many kayak shops offer on the water try outs for potential buyers.For serious fishing, I would say that sit on top kayaks are better. They offer better visibility for the angler, and the storage space is more often better arranged for fishing. Pedal powered kayaks are superb for fishing- especially in big water or strong currents, but you’ll pay quite a bit more for a pedal kayak over a paddle boat.
Perhaps the most important part of choosing a fishing kayak- the seat. Your backside is going to be in or on that kayak for hours at a time, and a bad seat makes the time a misery. Modern fishing kayaks have great, elevated, well made seats that make fishing a pleasure. Again, try a bunch of them out and see what fits you best.
The fishing gear you have on hand now will work. You really don’t need any sort of special “kayak rod and reel”.
Finally, I would recommend that you look at a used kayak for your first fishing kayak. Lots of times these used kayaks come with added-on gear and bells and whistles that you won’t have to buy. And you should be able to find a used kayak for fishing at a very reasonable price.
I hope this helps- looking at kayaks for sale at the end of summer is a good time- folks who want to buy that next year’s new model will be looking to sell their old boats at a low price.
Let me know if I can be of more help to you.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Everything Ed mentioned above is very good info. Especially the seat importance.
Would add the hull design and width can really affect stability and tracking. Especially if you are a little uneasy at first. It’s amazing they are more stable than they look. Don’t write off pedals because you fish shallow water. One spot I fish in the gulf. It’s about 6 miles of pedaling. When I get to the spot. Pull one lever and remove the pedal drive and put it in the rear well and grab my paddle. There’s even a bungee to secure it. There’s no way I can paddle that far with my bad rotator in my shoulder. Going over a small shallow area, push one pedal forward. The fins tuck tight to the hull and you can go through a few inches of water. Another advantage is I have taken some big boat wakes to the side. I push the pedals so the fins a straight down like the keel of a sailboat. The kayak goes up and down like a cork but doesn’t really roll side to side. Motorized boats suit a lot of peoples situations. Frydog has had a ball bass fishing out of his. The spot-lock is a great feature. I have the Power Pole Micro on my, it’s a game changer. Would never be without one.

I tried it a couple of times, but I’m just not a fan of sitting uncomfortably for that long of time. I think about the revolution I experienced when my parents upgraded their row boat to a boat with a floor that you could stand up and walk around in. It’s hard for me to go back to being cramped.

I also like to sit up higher for better visibility and better control and stability when landing large fish.

I’d much rather hand carry a 12 ft row boat into skinny waters with an electric trolling motor or even oars.

I am amazed at what some anglers do fishing from a kayak

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Lots of good advice. Just like everything else there are trade offs. I have a kayak that is shorter (11sh ft) and wider that works well for small water or river floats. I feel comfortable standing in it and the cockpit area has good space but it’s a sled when it comes to any type of distance paddling. Personally I would opt for a better paddler for bigger water. The pedal drive Hobie (13.5′) I bought for trolling is a lot more efficient from a paddling perspective but it is not spacious and I don’t consider standing in it. There are options like the Hobie Pro Angler series but they are spendy and heavy (over 100 lbs). One good thing to keep in mind is you will generally not exceed 4 mph. If there’s an area you’d like to fish that’s 1.5 miles away you’re looking at 20-30 minutes to get there so mobility is relative. There are a lot more put ins and take outs for the kayak but hitting the throttle to change spots isn’t an option.

Like others have said it’s worth sitting in some kayaks to get a feel for them. I’m not a big guy and have a decent history of canoe/kayak paddling so my comfort level with respect to stability may not be the same as someone else especially if they’re a lot bigger than I am.

One thing about rods is I tend to prefer ones with a shorter handle. Perhaps it’s not as prominent for trolling but it makes a difference to me while casting from a sitting position with a PDF. Even a 1-1.5″ difference seems to be noticeable in handle length.

I’ve been trying to get a few of my friends in my area into kayak fishing but they haven’t taken the plunge, yet. It would really help to do river floats, the logistics are tough if it’s just one person. I can do some limited up-stream paddling and stay relatively close to the landing, but I’d like to do some longer trips and explore more water.

I had the same problem, solo trips. I used to bring a small bumper towed motorcycle and drop it at my finish point usually at a locality owned gas station, the guys running it were always accepting. I then drove and launched my canoe, paddled down, stored the boat at same gas station, rode to truck and loaded bike, then went back and got canoe. Depending on length of rode miles you could use a bicycle or as a luxury an electric assist bicycle.