Specializing Your Rod, Reel and Line for Kayak Fishing

Everyone knows kayak fishing can put you in many situations that are different from fishing from a larger boat. Therefore, kayak anglers don't always need to adhere to some of the rules of thumb that have been shared in various instructional articles and videos you see from tour pros and other experts.  While the baits and techniques usually apply across the board, the gear used to employ them sometimes does not.

The main reason for this discrepancy is because a kayak becomes an integral part of the drag system when catching a fish, from the bite, through the hookset, all the way to the moment when you (hopefully) land that lunker on the other end of the line. The shallow draft and smaller coefficient of friction cause a different effect in each part of the catch than a heavy and deeper-hulled bass boat.

Does this mean that a person switching from a bass boat to a kayak has to sell off all their gear and start all over?  Absolutely not - there are minor adjustments that can be made to fit the situation.  We can break it down into the three components of a conventional fishing outfit - the rod, the reel, and the line.

There are some common problems kayak anglers face when they are not using the optimal equipment for fishing from a small plastic boat.  Keep reading to explore five of these problems, and see how to get your rods, reels, and line working in harmony to catch more fish from your kayak.



1. My buzzbait is sinking!
Beginning kayak anglers may be surprised when they start using lures with a lot of water displacement such as buzzbaits, chatterbaits, deep cranks, and Colorado blade spinnerbaits. These lures can actually pull your kayak in the direction of the bait during your retrieve.  In fact, I have sometimes steered my kayak without using my paddle by covering water with a big spinnerbait.  This especially works when the wind is calm, and can be an effective way to conserve energy while maximizing fishing when paralleling a bank.  However, with a buzzbait, lure drag, current and/or wind can make it hard to keep the bait on top where it belongs.  This is when you put away that 6:1 reel and speed up to a 7:1.  Use this speed on a medium-heavy power, fast action rod, and your buzzbait will stay in the zone.

Sidenote: This is one reason the Whopper Plopper quickly became wildly popular within the kayak fishing community - perhaps even before it caught on with boat anglers.  You get similar action to a buzzbait, but you can slow it down and even stop it.  It's a neat lure, but sometimes it's just hard to beat a buzzbait. I do look forward to trying the Plopper this spring.

2. I'm getting lousy hooksets on long casts!  
That's because instead of just pulling the hook through the fish's mouth, you're also pulling your kayak toward the fish.  The lighter weight and lower coefficient of friction of a kayak reduces the leverage an angler can get on a hookset, especially at a low angle far from the boat.  One solution is to swap rods and step up the action.  For example, if you're using a moderate action rod, you could get away with a moderate-fast. Another is to change your line. Low-stretch lines like braid and fluorocarbon have more applications for kayak fishing than for conventional boat fishing. While there's always a place for monofilament in your arsenal, there are situations in kayak fishing where monofilament will allow too much stretch.  With the kayak essentially becoming part of your drag system, you'll have a little extra forgiveness if the fish decides to take a dive and start you on a sleigh ride, even with that stiff line.

3. My crankbaits aren't getting any depth!
Crankbaits, especially deep divers, are another type of bait that displaces a lot of water and can dramatically pull your kayak toward the bait during the retrieve, causing them to dive only to a fraction of their rated depth. The only rod/reel/line solution is to go with smaller lb-test fluorocarbon, but that won't completely fix the problem.  It will help you more to drop anchor and keep yourself stationary. If anchoring is not an option and you are covering water instead of fishing a specific target, you'll need to turn your kayak perpendicular to the wind, then cast into it, and let the wind assist your reel with your retrieve so your boat gets less pull from the lure.  Keep the rod tip low and you'll be more likely to get that reaction strike from bumping structure.

4. "Walking the dog" is darn near impossible!
Topwater walking baits do not cause a lot of lure drag, so there's not a big need to speed up the reel like you would with a buzzbait.  The solution here is a shorter rod. I like to use a 6' rod for walking baits.  I use that same rod for jerkbaits and poppers.  Twitching, popping and walking are simply easier with it.  I'll give up a bit of casting distance if I can impart the correct action on the bait.  You're stealthier in a kayak, so long casts are not quite as imperative.

Image source: tacticalbassin.com

5. My PFD is in the way!
Your PFD is hopefully on, and that's where it should be. If you're primarily fishing from a kayak and you're shopping for a rod (or having one made), opt for a shorter butt. It really helps when you're wearing a PFD.  Casting will be much less annoying and setting the hook will be easier.


No one is going to hook up or land every single fish, but these tips should help increase your percentage the next time you're on the 'yak and find them eating.  Tight lines, y'all...