Kayak
Fishing, Getting Started - David Morris (Starvinmarvin)
Preparing
to launch at a Pike fishing meet in Wales.
Before choosing
a kayak there are several things to consider, your size and build, fitness
level, where you intend to fish, estuary, river, open sea, the type of
fishing and gear that you will have to carry, fly, lure or bait, how far
you will have to paddle to reach your marks and of course your budget.
The majority
of kayak fishermen and women choose to fish from a Sit-on-Top (SOT) kayak,
they are easy to use, easy to climb back on, with practice, should you
capsize, and many are designed with fishing in mind. The alternative is
the Sit-in-kayak (SINK) harder to get to grips with, self rescue very
difficult, not designed for fishing.
Most of the
main brands of SOT kayaks are now available in the UK, there is no shortage
of choice.
Lengths of
fishing kayaks range from 8 ft to 16 ft, 28 in to 34 in beam, for open
sea 13 feet plus will give the most enjoyable and safe ride. Cockpit sizes
and width of seat also vary greatly, a long kayak doesn't necessarily
mean a long cockpit, it's advisable to try before you buy, even if this
means sitting in the showroom pretending your fishing and moving around
reaching into the tankwell at the rear, reaching for the rod holders,
ensuring that everything is where it should be for your body shape and
size.
Alternatively
ask on one of the forums if you could have a paddle, I'm sure that someone
will be happy for you to have a short paddle on their pride and joy.
As well as
your kayak you will, depending on which model you choose, require a seat,
a high back with reasonable padding in the base, and ideally a pocket
on the rear of the backrest is a good start, there are many after market
manufacturers who have superior products to those offered free with most
kayaks, amongst these are gel seats, air seats and others with better
quality foam.
After
market seats are available to suit all shapes, sizes and tastes.
Paddles,
buy the best quality product that you can afford, a two piece makes life
a little easier when transporting, it may even fit inside the kayak, for
the correct length of shaft ask your dealer, this will depend on your
choice of kayak and your height. Along with your paddle you will require
a paddle leash, buy one don't make one, this is your life line, should
you fall overboard holding onto the paddle you will remain in contact
with your kayak.
SAFETY
EQUIPMENT
Kayak fishing
is an extreme sport, when taking to the water in any craft you need to
act responsibly and carry some very necessary safety.
PFD, Personal
Flotation Device, this should be a good fit, most have shoulder and waist
adjustment to enable you to pull tight and prevent it from riding up over
your head should you enter the water unexpectedly, children's PFD's also
include a strap or straps which go between the legs preventing the child
from slipping out th bottom of the PFD.
PFD
(Personal Floation Device).
When choosing
a design, look for a zip entry for convenience with plenty of pockets,
D-rings and reflective tape. It's worth considering the amount of bulk
at the back of the PFD and where it sits in regard to your seat back,
this can be an irritation should you get it wrong. Some PFD designs are
very bulky around the tummy, making deep water self rescues difficult
as the bulk can catch on the gunwales of the kayak. Check the buoyancy
level of the jacket against your weight before purchasing.
On your PFD
you should carry a few basic personal emergency items, a blunt tipped
single sided blade rescue knife, a set of personal flares, a compass,
whistle and VHF radio (minimum 5 watt output, 1 watt = approximately 1
mile line of sight). VHF's are an expensive item, but buy a quality one,
kayak fishing is a harsh environment and you need to know that your radio
will not give up after a few months use due to corrosion.
Other equipment
worth carrying onboard are a First Aid Kit, Orange Smoke Flare (used to
pinpoint your location once rescue services are in sight) space blanket,
waterproof torch, and a sponge or container to use as a bailer should
the kayak become flooded.
Suncream
and protective glasses, you are very close to the water in a kayak, your
skin and eyes will both need protection from the sun and reflective qualities
of the sea.
If you are
likely to be paddling in rivers or narrow tidal areas it would be a very
good idea to carry a throw line for the safety of others or yourself.
With experience
an anchor is also a useful piece of safety equipment, but not for beginners,
we will come to that later.
CLOTHING
Cag with
hood, PFD (Personal Floation Device), paddle pants and hard soled boots
comfortable, warm and designed for kayaking. Items shown are ideal for
summer and early autumn use.
There are
two lines of thought here, some prefer the use a breathable drysuit with
built in socks for all year round protection, they are not excessively
expensive and some come with fleece one piece undergarments as standard,
latex is used at the neck and wrists to prevent water entry, this can
be an irritant to some skin types, especially after prolonged use.
The alternative
is the two piece suit, cag breathable dry top and paddle pants, these
can be of the bib and brace style with built in socks or a standard sock
less trouser. Some cags come with latex neck and wrist seals others with
a neoprene neck which is much kinder to the skin. Cags are also available
with a built in hood which is a boon should the wind pick up or the rain
poor down. Some cag and paddle pants are designed to lock together with
a series of neoprene and Velcro layers which prevents leakage. The cag
and paddle pants option is very flexible as you are able to remove layers
according to weather conditions.
During the
winter months thin wickable layers are worn beneath adding one or two
thin fleeces for comfort.
Which ever
style of clothing is chosen, ensure it has a built in fly, it can be along
paddle home if not!
Boots, a
hard bottomed boot is advised, many neoprene boots are designed for surfers
and windsurfers, these have soft bottoms to allow the board to be felt
under foot, hauling a kayak over larger pebbles with soft shoes is not
a pleasant experience. Kayak, dingy and jet ski boots are all excellent
choices.
ACCESSORIES
If your launch
site requires even a short walk to the sea a trolley or kart will
make transporting your kayak from the car so much easier, there are various
types and styles, one of the more successful being the C-Tug.
Ocean
Kayak's C-Tug.
It's possible
to get carried away where accessories are concerned, it's always advisable
to go out and paddle, followed by a little fishing in your new kayak before
you should consider getting out the drill.
Rod holders
are available with varying types of bases and to accommodate different
styles of rods and reels, from the standard flush mounts which are fitted
to many of the Angler editions of kayak to the more sophisticated twist
lock holders.
Fishfinders.
An important consideration is that the display unit is waterproof, some
displays are even designed to float. Purchase the highest definition that
you can afford, if your able go along to a chandlers and look at the displays
in simulation mode this will give a good indication of the difference
between models. Some makes are a little easier to fit to a kayak than
others. Some of the Ocean Kayak models have a transducer scupper hole
in their hull which is designed to accommodate a transducer boot accessory
that is made specifically for Humminbird finders and transducers.
Some Fishfinders
now come fitted with GPS in a very compact unit, not only a useful safety
option, but also very useful when returning to a productive mark.
Safety
Leashes, anything that is not tied to the kayak can and will be lost
over the side, all rods and reels should be leashed to the kayak when
not being held, items of value should also be leashed. Smaller items can
be kept in a bag or box leashed in the tankwell.
There are
three main methods of anchoring your kayak, the easiest method
and one that should be used by beginners is using a metre of shockcord
with a carabiner fitted to each end, one is clipped to the cockpit carrying
handle and the other end to a pot buoy. This is one of the safer methods
of anchoring, should you get into difficulty simply cut the shockcord
or release the carabiner, return at a safer state of tide to pick up the
carabiner. Find out how to make one.
Second method
of anchoring is by using a sea anchor or drogue, used to slow the speed
of drift, the angle of drift can be changed by clipping the drogue to
your anchor trolley, this method can be very productive, especially when
fly fishing.
Folding grapnel
anchor, there are two weights used by kayak fishermen, the smaller 0.75kg
which requires at least a meter of chain to work efficiently. The larger
1.5kg anchor is favoured in stronger tides, the chain is less necessary
with this size anchor. Which ever size anchor is chosen, a weak link should
be used, attach the main anchor via the bottom and add a weak link to
the top of the anchor, should you become snared a hard tug to break the
weak link could save the loss of the anchor. It's wise to carry a spare
0.75kg anchor as a back up. The anchor is also used in conjunction with
an anchor trolley system.
0.75 kg
Folding Grapnel Anchor with chain. Note chain fixed to bottom of anchor
and weak link used at top to aid release should the anchor become snared.
An SMB
(Small Marker Buoy) divers reel is used to hold the anchor line and
keep it tidy, it also allows controlled deployment of the anchor, some
prefer to make their own reel which allows the Anchor to be reeled in
with easy.
PADDLE
PLAN
Before setting
out, tell somebody onshore where you intend to paddle and when you will
return, call them on your return. If your plans change, be sure to inform
your contact onshore. Alternatively call the coastguard before leaving
the beach, explain what you are doing and where you will be fishing, then
call again on your return.
AND
FINALLY
And
possibly the most important, commonsense, check the tides and weather
conditions before leaving the beach. The weather can change quickly at
sea, keep your wits about you and watch for subtle changes in conditions,
increase in swell, increase in wind strength and changes in direction.
If you have any doubts about going out, don't, it's far better to look
for an alternative sheltered location or to return home than put yours
and other lives at risk.
