Getting Started Paddle Fishing
by: Alabama Flats

Interested in paddle fishing but feeling clueless about how and where to start?

We all had to start sometime and now is a great time to get into paddle fishing.  The internet is flooded with information and excellent websites. There is a tremendous wealth of experience and friendship a keystroke away.  I have two good fishing buddies I met thru web forums and have email conversed with a dozen more.  Sites like this one at Paddlezone will get you started and can provide good orientation to unfamiliar water, and even link you up with a local guy or gal to take you to their favorite spots.

I bought the books and searched the net for definitive information about kayak fishing but was left wanting more.  The field is wide open and variable. The main thing I learned is there is no “right” way.  Much is customized based on your own needs and desire.  I primarily flyfish, but found, especially in the salt, to include a spin or casting rod in the arsenal.  It is difficult to provide clear-cut answers on the “how to” since we all approach things slightly differently, but I’ll try to briefly summarize the basic info I garnered kayak fishing this first year.

First you need a boat. What to buy, what is important?  Almost overwhelming initially.  Many use canoes but I’ll address kayaks in this article and most of my comments are directed to sit on top, SOT, yaks.   The pros and cons of SOT vs. sit-in is material for another article. I have canoe fished for years and used one my first time in Mosquito Lagoon and found the coastal wind to be very challenging in a canoe.  That in fact is what led me to kayak fishing; that and wading the soft bottom and the frustration of seeing tailing reds 200 yards distant and being unable to wade to them before they moved.

The good news is the remarkable strides the kayak manufacturers have made in adapting their boats to fishermen. Three years ago it was difficult to find good fishing kayaks, now there are four or five (more?) specifically designed for kayak fishermen that include things like good storage, room for live bait tanks, multiple rod holders, on and on. My primary kayak use (since I have two canoes, a float tube, and personal pontoon boat for the other fishing applications I engage in) was to be inshore saltwater fishing.  Speed and stability were my major concerns, comfort next and storage third in the priorities.  Knowing what I now know, I would place comfort with stability first and move speed to second.   My first major paddle trip averaged 5 to 8 miles each day and we paddled over 15 one day. Distances cover the gamut from fishing at the launch to guys who routinely paddle 10 miles plus. You decide.   Most of my salt trips seem to be 6-8 miles but remember, I’m new at this.  Read the reviews and forums and talk to friends to narrow the field to three or four boats.

Next step is paddle the boats you have selected. I can’t over emphasize this aspect.  The more experience I have gained, the more I notice differences in each boat I paddle. Some insignificant, some serious when you are going to spend 7-8 or more hours in a boat without a break.  I love my Perception Bimini (except it is heavy), and the new Tarpon 140 is getting rave reviews (Ebb Tide and others) and the Ocean Kayak Prowler is Tailstalker’s favorite.  This is one place not to get into a hurry. The other side of this coin however, is the number of used boats at bargain prices out there. You may decide to trade off a priority for a good deal. I would still caution you to ensure it is comfortable and stable regardless of how great a deal it is.  Key aspects to kayak comfort are the paddle, where and how your feet fit into the well, how high your knees are, especially in boats with molded foot braces (don’t want to interfere with the paddle stroke) and seat.  Go with as high end a paddle as you can afford.  Get a good after market seat.  Again, comfortable, supportive seats ease long hours in the kayak.  Everyone I have discussed seats with recommends a high back.  Consider what kind of shoes you will wear and the fit into the well or on rudder pegs.  This is more a concern for those paddling in waders and boots than the sandal or SCUBA bootie crowd.

Haven’t even talked about fishing equipment yet.  That is your call.  There are many styles of rod holders out there.  I like the Scotty for my fly rods and use a Scotty and a PVC tube on side of milk crate for my spin rods.  General consensus is to limit your rods when fishing off shore, especially if launching thru surf.  Most guys I have fished with use two or three rods on the flats and backcountry.  I can pretty much keep up with one fly, two spin.  The areas I fish lend themselves to taking one fly rod with fly of choice, one spin with hard body bait and the other spin or cast with a soft bait or jig. I haven’t used live bait yet, but plan to this year when I venture off shore in the Gulf.  Wading or fishing from the yak is a topic good for several pages easily. I do both. I let the bottom condition and the fish dictate (as well as water temp and depth).  I remain in the yak as general rule but when one gets into schooling reds it is often best to dismount and use the slow stealthy approach.

A couple of other useful odds and ends.  An anchor, 1.5 or 3 pound seem most popular, a stake out pole for flats (golf club shaft), a short rope for towing the yak when wading.  A drift anchor is great when drifting in a strong wind; it will keep you oriented and slow you down to give more loiter time in productive fishing water. Depth finders are popular, especially when fishing off shore and deeper water.  Take a sponge with you to dry your seat and foot well.  When you need to plug those scupper holes use foam practice golf balls, cork or rubber stoppers, let your imagination be your guide.  Tie things down.  I haven’t tied my rods but I tie everything else.  I found a nice waterproof camera case from REI that is great for protecting that new digital camera.  Mini binos are handy for spotting fish, entrances to creek mouths when you have wandered off shore, boating partners, etc., and they fit nicely in the pouch on seat back.  Don’t forget a small cooler for that sandwich and those drinks in the summer.

Transporting your favorite yak should not be expensive or hard. One friend uses a high-end (brand name) roller system to mount his yak on top of his car but I use two much less expensive systems. I have a truck bed extender (Harbor Freight on sale $29.95) I use for single yaks and when I am alone and I made a PVC rack for the truck top that carries two canoes or yaks.  I made a rectangle out of 1.5” PVC the same size as truck top; used 90-degree fittings at corners. I ran 2” PVC cross wise for boats to sit upon and I use styrofoam blocks that are used to slip over canoe gunwales to cartop attached to the base frame to keep everything off my truck roof.

Could continue on, but you get the idea.  Read more in the Forum and Reviews and other sites (though none are as good as this one J )

OK gang, we’ve selected a boat, filled it up with necessary equipment, gotten it to the water it’s now all up to you.  Enjoy your new sport and I look forward to meeting you on the water and fishing with you.

                        Tight Lines, Ed 

AKA Alabama Flats