What do you wish you knew when you started?
 

I've got to write a report on kayak fishing and know nothing about it so I thought I'd come to the experts.

What do you know now that you wish you had known before you began? Is there anything you think the next 'generation' of kayak fishers should know?

Thanks in advance.

For starters always check the weather report before you go.
 

And wear or have a PFD and let someone no where you are going,

Thanks, Mitchell! Safety is always paramount.

X2

And practice self rescue in a pool or by the shore with your PFD on so you can see if hangs up on the edge of your yak when you try to re-enter.

Also having a gps of compass will be necessary if conditions become foggy.

A few off the top of my head...

Comforts of a high back seat with plenty of seat cushion.

Forward rod holders are ideal for drifting and trolling.

Braid for cutting thru kelp. Also heavy leaders over light line for bigger game fish. Yes it's a fun fight on light line but no fun feeding predators.

Fish finder with GPS and chart plotting unless you want to hone your skills on triangulation and burning data usage using Google maps.

Cut off hooks and lay rods down for big surf landings.

How addicting it became. How the experience of being on the ocean seeing whales , sharks, and other sea creatures up close while on a little piece of plastic could be so soothing, and that is before catching your dinner.

How to launch and land
 

Safely through surf. . :kayak-surfer:

Consider the weight of the kayak you are buying.

Cheaper, heavier kayaks are no bargain.

It is addictive and expenses can add up.

Buy a skiff..

Practicing is a great idea...one I bet most people never do. What do you use for GPS?

Any techniques you'd like to share? Or is it something only learned by practice?

New guy question...can you explain your response, please? :doh:

Just wondering...in your experience, do most saltwater kayak anglers also fresh water kayak fish or do most focus exclusively on one or the other type of fishing?

What's the best way to figure out whether the boat you're considering will be a good fit for the type of fishing you want to do?

Personally, there really isn't anything I wish I knew, as with other things that have happened to me in life most of what I know now was gained from my own experiences. Yes, there are some things that I learned from talking with others but the reality is that not until you live that experience will you learn from it. How many times have you heard someone say, "I TOLD YOU SO"

I'll give you some basic kayak fishing examples that I knew but didn't bother learning from them until I experienced it:

carrying a change of clothes: I knew I would get wet one day but not until the day that I took a dip did I realize how important it is to carry a dry set of clothes and a towel

water bucket: I'd always see Tony and Greg with small water buckets/jugs/cups on their kayaks and always knew how useful they were while on the water but not until I realized that I was constantly dumping the fresh water from my only bottle of water to make a bucket/jug/cup did I decide to get my own and save my drinking water for drinking.

bait dehooker: who needs one of those stupid things? ummmmmmmm, everyone. Here's another things I knew about but because I was OK with just using my pliers to get bait off of my sabiki I didn't bother getting one. I can still here Tony's voice in the back gound, "Jorge, when are you going to quit being a dumbshit and get yourself a dehooker"? Again, as with the other items that I listed I knew about the dehooker but not until the day that I lost a pair of pliers did I realize how helpful it would have been to have a floating dehooker.


Knowing is one thing but experiencing it first hand will change how you do things in the future. Hope that helps and good luck on your report.

Tru Dat! Thanks, Jorge!

That I was going to need a lot more space in the garage

A heavy pair of cutters or linesman plyers to cut that trebble out of yourself or a friend. They do not cut very easily.

As opposed to Expensive, Heavy Kayaks....

http://m2.i.pbase.com/g9/85/360685/2...2.Wmt3rgY2.jpg

Time on water
 

But, the best thing you could do is go to lj when there is a good onshore wind and a high surf like 2-3 foot minimum and practice in the surf with unladen kayak. You confidence will skyrocket. Practice bracing and punching through surf.