Beginner’s Guide to Kayak Fishing

November 19, 2015 - 2 min read

Pick The Right Kayak Before purchasing a kayak, you need to determine what type of kayak fishing you’ll be doing. Are you fishing in calm bays or breaking surf beaches? Are you spending most of your time in freshwater or saltwater? Will you be hunting smaller fish or larger species? Talk to your local kayaking […]

Pick The Right Kayak

Kayak on a beach
Before purchasing a kayak, you need to determine what type of kayak fishing you’ll be doing. Are you fishing in calm bays or breaking surf beaches? Are you spending most of your time in freshwater or saltwater? Will you be hunting smaller fish or larger species? Talk to your local kayaking expert about your needs and they’ll be happy to assist. Ideally you’re looking for a lighter kayak with comfortable seating, maximum storage and stability.


Get Kitted Out

Kayaking with fishing poles
Kayak fishing is all about the accessories. You can customise your kayak with a range of equipment from rod holders, paddle leashes and paddle holders right through to anchors, added storage and more. Keep in mind that kitting out your kayak with too many accessories will make it heavier and harder to manoeuvre.

Essentials

If you’re not into all the accessories, here’s a few must-haves when kayak fishing:

  • Paddles
  • Life jacket
  • Fishing rods
  • Reels
  • Tackle
  • Bait
  • Lights
  • Some form of communication device
  • Floatable storage

4 Useful Tips For Beginner Kayak Fisherman

  • To stop your paddle from floating away, always have a leash.
  • Place a foam cushion on the deck of your kayak, so your noisy feet don’t scare the fish away
  • Avoid getting your fishing line tangled with your paddles—this is often how fish are lost!
  • Loosing your sense of direction can be easy on a kayak, so take a GPS.

Safety

Wearing a life jacket is essential if you want to stay safe while kayak fishing. Also, make sure you check the weather forecast and avoid travelling out in extreme weather conditions. Without a boat motor to get you from A to B, it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to get back to shore before any high winds and large waves hit. Before you go fishing, you should always tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back, so they can raise any alarms.


Floatable Plastic Storage

The slim-lined structure of a kayak make’s it easy to manoeuvre through water, but it also makes it vulnerable to flipping. You should always be prepared for the worst. Ensure anything in you kayak is either secured or stowed away in floatable storage.


If you want to kit your kayak with floatable storage or tackle, take a trip down to this Townsville fishing tackle store.


Akwa Marine
When it comes to boating and fishing, Akwa Marine is your one-stop shop. Their products include:

  • Boating accessories
  • Fishing equipment
  • Rod repairs

Their huge range of boating and fishing accessories includes safety gear, anchors, fishing tackle, electronics, trailer accessories and much more! For more information on their opening times and contact details visit their LocalSearch profile.