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.

2016 Year in Review and Lessons Learned

By far, the most popular post of in the short history of the ANGLR Blog was the 2015 Year in Review post.

Before I focus on my New Years Resolutions, it's time to take a look back at the 2016 tournament season - the successes, failures and lessons learned.

I have already published a separate post on the first tournament I participated in for 2016, the River Bassin' season opener in the Florida Panhandle, as it turned into a longer adventure.

So we'll start the official year-in-review with the KBF National Championship.

Tackle Warehouse Unboxing

My first unboxing video!

How I Keep My Phone Dry and Afloat

Last summer during a Tennessee Valley Kayak Anglers tournament on Chickamauga Lake, I caught a nice smallmouth to fill my limit in the tournament.  The fish would have secured 3rd place and a cash payout.  Instead, I fumbled my phone over the side of the kayak and had to start over.  Here's a little tip that will prevent that from ever happening again!


 

On Visibility and Contrast

Last week, I went fishing on Lake Burton with Jim Ware and Greg Wood, both of Rome.  At one point in the early afternoon, Jim and Greg fished about halfway back into a creek, then headed back out toward point off a large island.  I had caught my first fish of the day while making my way into the creek, and wanted to explore the creek further back, so I continued to pick it apart dock-by-dock.  Not exactly a winter pattern, but it was the only thing that had worked so far.  When I came out of the creek about 45 minutes later, I began to look for the others.

Off in the distance, I faintly spotted two sets of yellow paddle blades churning.  Jim was wearing a bright orange PFD, and Greg's was bright blue.  But the only signs of the two kayakers I could see were the four blades.  Using my Navionics app, I figured them to be about 530 yards away.  That doesn't seem like all that much distance, but it was a windy day with a lot of chop on the water, and it was tough to discern what was taking place on the surface.

Me, Jim, Greg, and our yellow paddles on Lake Burton

The boat traffic on Lake Burton was about what one would expect for a Thursday afternoon in mid-December.  There were a handful of other fishermen running around, but rarely would we feel that all-familiar rock of a boat wake across our bows.  It was quite peaceful and the fishing was slow.

Soon enough, though, spring will be here.  The winter solstice has passed, and the days are already getting longer.  We'll get a couple of late February warm fronts, and the bass will snap out of the winter doldrums and strap on the feedbag for mating season.  And the mass exodus of fishermen will descend on lakes across the South looking for big prespawn bass.

From this point, all through the summer and well past Labor Day, kayakers will have their head on a swivel.  After the spawn, the pleasure boaters and PWC's come out to play as well.  The lakes will be full of people.  Usually, this is when I head to the rivers, but I still like to get in some practice on the lake every now and then.  Visibility becomes more important than ever during the summer.  Most serious kayak fishermen are familiar with products like the VisiCarbon Pro, and other 360º lighting products.  Some anglers have LED strips mounted on their hull.  Both of these are great for visibility in low light situations.  

But the observation I made on Lake Burton the other day, is that if you want to be seen in broad daylight, the name of the game is CONTRAST. 

There's a reason why most states' DNRs require deer hunters using rifles to wear blaze orange for safety.  If you see something moving in that color, there's no reason to shoot. Other than on a particularly brilliant maple tree in the fall, blaze orange is one of the most unnatural colors you'll find outside.  In the photo above, Jim's orange PFD contrasts well against the water, but may not always contrast well against Georgia red clay or fall foliage.  Greg's blue PFD does not contrast well on the water, but would be quite visible against a dark tree-lined bluff. And his dark clothing provides a stark silhouette in the morning light. However, those yellow paddles we have contrast well against everything, and they are moving a lot.  There's no need to go out on the water in your coat of many colors, but several different colors ranging from light to dark on your rig, paddle, and body should provide enough of a contrast to keep you visible throughout the day.

Stay safe out there, and tight lines, y'all.

NiteIze - Discover Your Solution

For years, NiteIze has been making it easier to illuminate, attach and secure things.  Kayak anglers are rigging and gadget junkies, so I was thrilled to be invited to the Nite Ize Field Staff in March of 2016.  I was asked to send a testimonial to be published to the NiteIze website, and below is the link to the page.  I have used their products for a long time.

Nite Ize User Testimonials

Here are a few photos of products I use in action. The first photo is perhaps the most important, and I think is something that helps me out in tournament situations dealing with unpredictable fish on measuring boards.  I don't have to worry about fumbling around with my identifier this way.  Additional photos after the jump.

Gear Ties being used to hold tournament ID badge, S-Biner securing dry box.

KBF Magazine Article - Fall 2016 Issue

A couple of months ago I was able to pen an article about kayak fishing in rivers for Chris Payne's publication, Kayak Bass Fishing Magazine. It's a quarterly online magazine that is free to the public. It was a fun article to write, because I love river fishing.  I am posting the original transcript of my article below, but please click the following link to see the other valuable information in the issue.

Kayak Bass Fishing Magazine - Fall 2016

Transcript after the jump - I hope this proves valuable when you hit the river. Enjoy!