I also recommend keeping a 4ft loop of webbing in your PFD pocket. That way, if you flip you can take out the webbing, run it through a side handle of the kayak, then pull the loop through the middle of the loop to form a bite. Then throw the webbing over the top of the kayak, swim to the other side, grab the webbing, and pull it really hard to flip the kayak back over right side up. These kayaks are super stable, wide, and nearly impossible to flip back over by yourself. But if you use the webbing, it gives you a ton of leverage during a self rescue. One more thing: always have a serrated knife on you, because if you flip you might get tangled in fishing line, bungees, or leashes and need to cut yourself free. Oh and another thing, pack an extremely loud whistle in case you need to get the attention of a running boat.
I recommend taking 3 rods at least if bass fishing. One with a quick release swivel for crank baits, chatter bates etc. One with a jig on it and one with a texas/carolina worm rig. It SUCKS having to keep changing your terminal gear on a kayak. Just my experience which isn't vast. Somebody recommended that to me and has been a life saver.
Even in Texas inshore it's nice to have 3 rods. I use weighted hooks and paddletails on a ML, 1/4 - 1/2 oz jigs on a M, and I have a flexy glass blend MH for popping corks and weighted rigs. I hate changing tackle, and I really like to fish different methods.
I always take 3 rods with me when I fish, two closed one open reel, the closed ones each have a specific setup on it and the open reel for backup if one of the lines break. Now, I've always done shore/dock fishing up to this point, but do plan on getting a kayak this coming summer (the fishing where I've moved to basically is crap without being ON the water, haven't even bothered with it for the last two years and I've hated it).
Wear your PFD. There should be no reason to not be prepared for an accident. PfD's are made I'd different sizes and styles. Find one that's comfortable for you and use it. You never know when someone in a motor boat won't see you and run you down. You will not have time to put it on before you are struck. If you are struck by a motor boat you could lose consciousness and not be able to find your PFD and put it on. Be prepared please and enjoy your fishing! 😁🐟🎣🚣♀️🚣♂️🐡🦈🐠🐟🎣🐡🐟🦈🐠🐡🎣
I wear waders to go and feed my pet rock and to find out about the weather . If it is wet, it might have rained last night or just lots of dew. If it's hot, then it is sunny. And if it has cold white stuff on it, then it snowed.
I have been kayaking for 4 years, I have learned every thing thanks to RU-vid and my own experiences in the water. I wish I had this video many years ago when I was a newbie. Thanks for posting this video, so it can help new kayakers be safer in the water. Tight lines.
Just bought my first fishing kayak or even kayak for that matter, a lifetime tamarack. Seems like a great kayak for the money. I almost bought a normal kayak for fishing not realizing they made the open style fishing ones. Im really happy with it. Great video! Its great for new guys like me.
@@randallkeiser The kayak in question is fantastic. Very stable. I just sold the same version for a bigger kayak with more options. I built outriggers for my tamarack until I got comfortable with it, then removed them.
Great vid.... Waders in Kayak is for people fishing where the weather is not like TX my friend. When its snowing and sleeting and under 30 degrees (like yesterday on Lake Ozark with 14 other Yak'rs) breathable waders are nice when you cannot afford a dry suit. Also the sinking with waders on in deep water is a myth, been proven- even RU-vid vids on here showing it. They do not turn into 100 pound sinkers, I jumped in with mine each year before I do proof testing just to make sure. If I fish in the rule of 120 sure I would not need waders or drysuits... but, us in Colder states live by them some months. Keep up the vids brother !!
Sarge's Adventures see that I can understand! I see people down here in waders on a kayak in the middle of summer, with no PFD. That I don’t understand. Thanks for the insight.
@@TexasFishingForce , I agree. I think that before trying to be a "know it all" and giving general fishing tips, you should ask people why they have certain habits. You actually try to put them down as stupid. If one goes overboard with waders, one just needs to slip off the suspenders and you can actually just float out of them. I do agree with all your other tips. Thanks
SilverShadow2LWB I’m definitely not trying to put anyone down, in fact as I stated many times “I don’t know why” people do specific things. I try and learn from everyone and every experience on the water. I’m wrong often and have no problem admitting that. Thank you for watching and tight lines!
I like your idea of why not to do certain things in a kayak and found most of them very reasonable as you presented a point, not just an opinion. I've fished in the winter and wished that I had waders. I have regularly fished water 50-60' deep at Lake Braunig due to not having people to fish with. I also point my nose into the current of the San Marcos, drop anchor and cast up river to drift and hug the bottom coming back down. Recently, I flipped three times in three hours on the Guadalupe in New Braunfels going through rapids that I have been down before on other kayaks. Thankfully, I was wearing my life jacket; lost two rods, two tackle boxes and a thermos of coffee, but I did not lose my life. Good luck fishing and I look forward to watching more of your videos
Chris Hinkelmann thank you very much. Loving hearing some experiences from other kayakers, definitely helps see the other side of things that I don’t see. Thank you!
Waders should always be a 'No'... but being from the east coast of Canada, I like to get out as early as possible in the year, and the water can be wicked cold. A couple years ago I invested in dry pants. They seal at the top so if you end up in the drink, they don't fill up. They aren't cheap, but they keep you warm and dry, and alive!
I do multi species fishing up here in the PNW i use 3 rods ultralight spinning for crappie, perch, trout, etc a medium spinning for finesse and a medium casting rod for all around fishing.
Yes I 100% agree with not kayaking in deep water. Im a novice and got tempted one day after I bought my 1st kayak to kayak across the bay.(( Providence,RI))...the other side didn't look far and the water looked calm... Ok...fast forward...im in the middle of the bay and see a mattress comming straight for me ....the water was not as calm anymore ...and I just realized the rivers are emptying out into the bay because it had rained heavy..& so.I headed back. . Better safe than sorry. Thx for the video...will be watching it again & again!👊😆
Thanks for the video! Waders are really needed in colder weather, because otherwise you get cold because you will anyway wet yourself. And you don't drown with them because you will wear life jacket anyway! I agree totally with the amount of rods - I use normally 1-3 and most of the time I need 3 rods, because I use 2-3 for trolling, can't understand if some one need more that 3-4, makes no sense to me....
I'm just going to add that even in shallow water things can go wrong when you are alone. Like you mentioned, some times the weather can change suddenly and get caught off guard. If you go in the water and the silt and sand is up to your waist. It can be very difficult to get back into a kayak. My pfd saved me because it prevented me from sinking in deeper. I could not for the life of me get enough vertical movement to get up on top of my kayak. The silt and sand kept sucking me back down. I had to keep moving just to avoid sinking into it. Finally got on the bow after an hour and moving towards thicker vegetation. There was no one for miles on the water. I was maybe out a mile from where I launched. I was dreading that hike with the kayak through that muck and I know there are snapping turtles and snakes in there. I took a breather on the bow and got my breath back. Then slowly and very patiently took my time to get back into my seat. Stayed out another 3 hours and enjoyed myself. I just wish, I re-applied my sunscreen. That silt and sand will easily wash that stuff off. My legs were lobster red. I won't go kayaking there anymore though. It was my first time kayaking there. Adventures should be made with friends. I would of been back in the boat a lot quicker if I could of had a hand. This is how we learn some of our lessons in life.
Great history.. Thank you.. One trick I learn .. If you fallow in a shallow water .. If you can bend you knees and dont try to touch the botton and stay a flote then you can swim and reach your bote ..maybe No always you can do that.. Keep that in mind.
I only bring two rods no matter where I'm fishing. A medium action when I'm fishing in wind or with heavy lures. And a ultra light for small lures, which works great for getting really finicky fish.
Perfect set up IMO... I use one medium with braid for the heavier bait... And a medium super fast with fluro for throwing plastics and other small baits.
Correct about waders but the only thing is if your in the water with waders and it fills up completely, you will not sink you will sink to the point of wear the waders sit on you think about it, the water in your waders does not weigh any more then the water your in. But this other info makes a great guide for me since I’m about to buy a kayak for the first time. Make a vid about weather and how it effects your decision making on where you fish l.
I was fishing all my life long. Since this year on Kajak. And well you are right. There are things you simply don’t think of and it’s very helpful to hear other more advanced peoples stories and warnings. Thanks saved me an arm 😂✌🏼
Great advice. Only problem I have is the waders thing. I wear waders when I kayak because often times I'm using the kayak to get to more remote areas that I will then wade fish for steelhead/trout with a spey rod which cannot be used from a yak. That said, the whole myth about waders sinking is just that. A myth. Once the water enters the waders that water is neutrally buoyant; ie. The water that fills the waders is neither heavier, or lighter than the water around it and therefore your waders will never, repeat, never cause you to sink. They remain the same weight filled, or empty when submerged in water. Do a test. Half fill a water bottle and throw it in the bath tub. You'll notice the bottle floats at exactly the same point the bottle is filled with water. This happens because the water inside the bottle is equally as buoyant as the water around it, leaving the portion containing air above the water. It's simple physics.
@The END Is Near Beware i'm sorry for your loss, but the science is what the science is. Water is neutrally bouyant in water. They did not drown from their waders filling. They likey died from shock in cold water. Waders will never cause you to drown. Secondly, it's clear you have never worn waders. There is not enough air trapped in the waders to "flip" you. That's just more nonsense
Don't forget to wear your PFD at all times is a good one. If something happens to you and you can't put it on, you're in trouble. I only use 2 rods as well. 1 baitcaster and 1 spinner for finesse stuff.
This is so important. It's extremely difficult to put on a PFD and do it up in the water, especially if it's over your head. And that's assuming it doesn't get carried away by waves, wind or current.
Not trying to contradict you and no disrespect intended. I have about 17 years of kayaking experience and I started to make a long response to the "no waders in a kayak". I changed my mind about that. There are a lot of reasons to wear waders in the kayak especially in the winter time. There are a lot of videos out there that go over the "waders of death". I suggest people check them out.
Bought my first kayak in 1994; and old Ocean Kayak that didn't even come with the storage compartment tops cut out. The waders of death was a busted myth back then, but somehow still has traction as you've noted. I've had waders filled when slipping putting out duck decoys in the winter (SUCKED) but water in a waders is the same weight as water out of the waders and equalizes.
I thought it was mostly for rivers? People slip on a rock trying to cross deep water, the waders start filling, catch the current and they get carried downstream and drown.
Most of the time I carry 4-5 rods an they are all rigged up for dif things. 1 for popping cork, 1 for bottom fishing with jig head, 1 for big fish bottom rig, 1 for topwater, and 1 for jerkbaits an stuff. Way more efficient than having 2 rods and constantly rigging for dif stuff. Just my opinion and what works best for me.
Had the exact experience with a 9” hardhead cat...got me in the end of my middle finger. The pain all the way up my arm to the center of my chest was unbelievable. It could not have hurt worse if my finger had been chopped off. I didn’t got to the e.r....just stupidly stuck it out. About a month later, a 1/4” spine tip worked it’s way out of my finger which had never really healed.
Mate you talk so much sense, it is a pleasure to listen to you, I have watched so many ksyakers from the US, their Kayaks are fitted out like warships, ridiculous.
I'm from the U.S.and I definitely believe you. I haven't been in a kayak yet but I've been out on lakes in boat's, canoe and a jet ski. You can tell from watching some people at the boat ramps and other launching areas if they're gonna be a danger to themselves or others.. They can be an accident just waiting to happen..
Water balloons float in water. There is usually a small amount of air in them and the latex rubber is less dense than water making them slightly buoyant in water. You wont sink to the bottom with waders, but i imagine that pulling yourself into your yak with waders partially full of water (which they wont fill much) would be hard. The wader myth comes from moving water. Rivers or streams are a bad place to fill your waders with water, that can drive you towards the bottom.
Great helpful videos Like all things It all depends Three of my smaller favorite lakes have quite large expenses of lily pads interspersed with openings so This is how I would "rod up" so to speek Personally as I ALWAYS fish live bait usually nightcrawlers I feel 3 to 4 rods are perfect *One spinning rod rigged with a slip bobber for crawlers *2nd spinning rod for lighter
Waders can serve as rain pants and when you fish high mountain lakes in Colorado with rain also comes very cold temps, you just put on a rain jacket over the waders and your dry warm and golden
Number 4: Since you mentioned it, I will share with you something I know to be true. I have a friend who loves to fly fish for trout. The common mode of transportation is to go up the river, find some trout, they then land the kayaks, get out and wade - fly fish the river. I will go a step further and tell you how he learned this was with a licensed fishing guide in that state. I was introduced to tube fishing as a kid, one of the things I learned from my teacher, (My Dad) was to make sure you always have the top of the waders tight and even use a belt to keep it tight, so if you did flip or fall out or whatever, the waders dont fill up with water and take you down. Now back to the guide and my buddy, and two of my other friends went with Said buddy and guide, the guide had loaner waders, fly rods, kayaks etc, two of the guys waders had holes in them so the legs where filling up with water. Yes they had life jackets on as far as I know, I just seen trouble written all over this scenario. Have a blessed weekend, dale
Good stuff. I gave you a 👍🏼 on this video. I've been kayak fishing for 4 years now and am still guilty of bringing too much gear sometimes. Mostly that's too many lures.....and you're right.....they're hard to locate quickly if you have too much gear on board. I usually limit myself to 2 poles, but (depending on the season) I sometimes bring 4. Keep up the good work. 👍🏼 Kayak fishing is a very intimate experience with the fish, as your butt is quite literally right there at water level.
Water weighs the same wether inside your waders or out. Waders keep you warm and dry, the only issue is that if you get them full of water - you can't climb back up onto the kayak as easy because the weight of the water - its like wearing lead boots.
Hey Mike,I just wanted to say thanks for the tips on what not to do while fishing in a kayak. I'm new to kayak fishing and out here in California I've heard of guys hooked into a sturgeon that took them on one hell of a sleigh ride and almost flipped him into the bay plus I totally agree 100% with you about not wearing waders in a kayak, I used to scuba dive all over California and the best thing i could suggest is investing in a drysuit not only for keeping you dry but it's gonna keep you floating if you do happen to fall into the water and protect you from possible hypothermia. Anyway I just wanted to say thanks again and thank you for your service to our country, I'm an Army veteran, keep up the great work and God bless y'all.
Thing about waders: if they fill up with water you won’t sink. However, it will make it impossible to get back in the kayak. Side note: I fell in 40F water with waders and they filled up. I thought I was a goner, but the waders acted like a wet suit and I did not die. However, when I got to the bank I had to lie on my back to drain the water out of the waders.
Hey, lots of Kayakers in Texas... Thanks for the tips... Mine just arrived, waiting for Kayak Cart so I can get her on the water. I was a grown man, crying, walking in circles, called my wife and told her to come home from work...when I got a gaftopsailfin spine into my thumb joint. How ever many hours later it stopped dead as fast as it started... Agony one minute, nothing the next... weird.
I wear breathable waders while the weather is cool and water is cold here in south west Louisiana. Also when you bring fish into the kayak you don’t hav to get fish all over you just on the waders. When you get back to truck just take them off and you are clean for the ride home. I can’t afford a dry suit so they are the next best thing. I been kayak fishing for 6 years now and consider the waders a great asset during the cool and colder months.
I bring 2 rods, sometimes 3. One spinning reel, one baitcaster. Sometimes I bring my strongest rod if I'm going after big fish like flatheads or gar. What I use the most though is my baitcaster.
I’ve had it for 6 years now, going on 7. Thing is a workhorse. Caught a ton of fish, travelled literally hundreds of miles. It has wear. But the bungees still have elasticity, and there’s no sign of the boat stopping. 5/5.
In my home waters, there is no water not over my head. If I flip, my stuff is just going to have to sink. Our biggest danger then, except maybe in the summertime, becomes hypothermia. Have a plan to get to shore with or without your stuff at all times, to get dry and get warm. It may be that a floating dry bag full of survival items including a whistle and a cell phone is the most important piece of equipment. As far as waders, I am with you. I won’t even wade fish in waders. Certainly not wearing anything I can’t get out of quickly… especially in deep or swift water.
Great video. One more to add. Overboard on leashing equipment. Too many things leashed to a kayak if it turns over creates a hazardous underwater spiderweb to get tangled on. Your vid covers some good points. Thanks.
I bring a lot of lures and soft plastics and 6-7 rods just because of the many different ways to fish. Plus you can have 6 or 7 different presentations tied on and you can be more efficient in fishing.
MustangFishing why not just tie on a snap swivel on 2 rods? That way you can change lures and setups even quicker and you aren’t limited to 6-7? That way you can throw 30 different lures in one day if you wanted and it only takes a few seconds to switch them.
This is some pretty good advice. About not bringing toothy, spiky fish into the yak: It reminds me of literally my first trip out on a real river. When I bought my kayak last year, I started out on a small public pond not too far from home. Well, that got boring quickly, in part because that little body of water was so over-fished, nothing really bit. I'd seen three or four other people out there, and none of them were catching -- but they sure as sh*t were bragging about that big one they'd caught not long before! But I digress. There's a canoe drop on a river not too much farther, so I decided to try it out. I was tossing a chatter bait, without any luck. Ahead was a tree sticking out of the water, and I decided to see what might be near that and hungry. Nothing bit, but as I was reeling, I noticed a shadow behind the lure. As it got closer, I realized it was a long-nose gar. This fish was almost half as long as my boat! So here I was, slowing down the retrieve, speeding up the retrieve, debating if I should try to catch this monstrosity before I was completely acquainted with my 10-fot kayak. I decided not to, as it would also have been my first ever gar. But I'd bet it would have been a tale to tell when I got home!
I wear neoprene waders in the winter. Yak fishing, wading rivers, duck hunting etc... No need for them in the summer, unless I'm in the mountains wading 50* creeks.. then I wear gore-tex. Here are a few things about waders. 1. Always wear a wader belt with your waders. If you do fall in it keeps water out. 2. Neoprene waders float. It's the same as a wetsuit. I'd rather have on a pair of waders than some bulky winter gear. 3. Neoprene waders are warm. Think... launching, and portage when creek fishing. I do it a lot and I'm dry and warm in the winter. 4. Buy quality stocking foot waders, a belt and quality boots. 5. Wear your PFD. So if you do fall in you'll float no matter what your wearing.
Some y’all never fished in wintertime and it shows. If you wear waders properly you can wear them in a kayak. Wading belt cinched tight will keep a lot of water out of your waders. Everett Johnston of Texas saltwater magazine has an article showing with a belt, wading jacket and PFD had every little water inside them.
Hey Mike: Last week I fell in (I've been kayak bassin' for 10 years and never fallen in before). The REASON I fell in can be added to your "things not to do in a kayak". I had my vertical rod holders too closely spaced and the tips got tangled. My struggle to untangle them led me to lean too far over.
On my way to the store to return my Waders, 9 fishing rods and 4 pair of pliers. I'm also going to cancel my Solo Fishing trip out at the Mariana Trench! Thanks for the tips
I wear waders when I’m dry fly fishing in a kayak and I want to stop and target a rising fish from the right angle with out making a commotion paddling my self into position
I wear hip waders in tye winter to get in and out of my kayak. I live in Utah and the water gets real cold right before ice up and right after ice off, so hip waders make it possible to keep my feet dry and warm in the winter. When it is warn, Teva sandals!
I only use two rods one baitcaster and one spinning setup. It’s some of the pros making local fishermen think they need all that rods especially on a kayak. In a boat I will bring 4 rods but that’s it each for a different approach. I pack very light now at the end of the day you’re wore out. I agreed exactly with what you said if it’s not safe to bring it in then just cut the line. Your own personal safety first and being able to do it again another day. Tight lines!!
Hi, thanks for the info much appreciated, I got new fishing Kayak single seat about 4m, and I am located at the north of Somalia, Berbera port red sea gulf, I was doing many years fishing, but never in Kayak, I seen many tips including your tips, but not a lot on if you loose or drop the paddle, how to secure the paddle, are there different ways, last thing is to not have way back and not have a paddle, the ocean is different to lakes, the Kayak type is close to (Freedom Single Fishing Kayak), If you could touch base, on where to put baits, my one has 2 spaces front large, and rear screwing 6inch hole, and rear open space I assume for cooling box etc. This may amaze you ,I am the only or the first fisher person on a kayak in whole Somalia, Africa, so your advice dont go alone on a kayak fishing, is out of window, On the shore there are very small fishes, I feel jealous when I see people fish at the beaches in Australia and catch big or reasonable size fish, In the south Indian ocean we do have good catch from the beaches, but not so good in the gulf Aden shores, To catch little bigger need to paddle atleast 100m, and 100, is not head height, very tricky, what to do. One last question, do I need anchor, or fishing drifting is OK. Thanks in advance Al
Dude, you are hilarious! Most of the topics you covered are just common sense, but that's something that's severely lacking in today's society. Thanks for the recommendations... and for the laughs!
If you go out off-shore on the ocean, I'd recommend getting a good portable marine VHF radio (Standard Horizon makes some good hand-held models that float), and a personal emergency locator beacon (several reliable brands out there -- I think the one I've currently good is an ASIQ). Sometimes things can happen out there that will give all of you a problem, instead of something going wrong for just one kayaker that the others can help him/her with. While you might never need to use those items, there will be NO adequate substitute if you do get into an emergency and wind up needing to call for help. Also on that radio - monitor channels 9 (weather warnings) & 16 (international hailing & distress calls). Pay attention if the Coast Guard is issuing safety warnings on either of those channels...
They are all great tips mate I 100% agree on all of them especially not to wear waders on a yak you’d seriously have to have rocks in your head to do that but people still do I think it’s one of the most dangerous things possible
I take three rods. One rigged with topwater. One rigged with a popping cork. And the other rigged with light line and a Mirrodine so I can cast it a mile. I do this because I hate tying on lures when on my kayak. I fish inshore on Florida east coast. Hope this helps.
I do something similar but I never use a popping cork (not something I grew up with back in the 70's), so where you have the p-cork rig I have a snap swivel where I can change out for Texas or Carolina rig. No snap swivel on my topwater rig, I just use a heavy mono leader and use a loop knot for optimum lure action. But I don't usually switch out lures too much, it's either a Bomber or a Rapala that work best for me.
What if I have no friends to fish with :) I hear you though, I have visions of flipping my kayak and getting tangled in the anchor rope. Recently bought a HH350 VHF radio because I fish alone in bays and lakes.
Dude your so right, people think they need to take everything except the kitchen sink. Looks like a pain in the ass and time consuming putting all that junk on your boat. I like simplicity and a light boat that I'm paddling lol it doesn't have a motor. Yeah what's up with these guys with 10 polesl lol! 2 is enough for me. Spot on brother! Liked your video
I’ve been watching several of your videos, thanks for your help. In all the kayak videos I’ve been watching I haven’t seen anyone actual store the fish they catch. What do you do with them? Sounds funny maybe but with al, the gear and DIY mods I’ve seen, no one ever covered this
String them, pull it in when moving. Ice bags are awesome for off shore, don't wanna atract the wrong thing. Lakes I always use string. Get back to the truck I have an ice chest waiting for them. Catch and release when my freezer is full.
Fly fishing rivers and fishing the rapids. This is the only reason I wear waders. Of if I’m wading upstream with limited public access. I will be in and out of the kayak fishing and will use it to float back downstream to the truck. Most spin fishing and deal water fishing. You are correct and it makes no sense to wear them. It can be dangerous. Know the waters you are fishing and use your best judgement and experience level.
I generally carry three rods in my kayak. One is a dedicated frog setup, that rod it useless with anything other than topwater frogs. Then I have one rod rigged with a shallow running lure such as a jointed minnow and then one with a deeper running lure. This allows me to instantly switch from fishing the shoreline, fishing weeds, and fishing deep holes. I mainly float fish rivers and creeks so there is no time to tie on lures while you are moving with the current.
Yeah hardheads do hurt! Man if folks follow tip #3 a lot of lake fisherman would never get to go. On a lake first thing you typically do is get in to deep water. I can be in 50' of water and still be within yelling distance from the bank. I didn't follow what you said about casting. I don't stage rods or anything for that matter behind me so I can cast in any direction. I'm certainly guilty of overloading my kayak. I do think depending on the time of year it's smart to have several rods with you especially in an unpredictable pattern. When fishing in the bay I typically carry one rigged with a popping cork, one rigged with a jug head and one with a topwater. Great point on the waders! Even the best PFD won't save you when waders fill up with water. Tight lines!
I keep 6 rods in my yak because I just don't get to fish very often. I have multiple rigs all tied on so I can change on the fly instead of stopping to re-tie. Doing it this way saves me an inordinate amount of dead time.
I use 3 rods but that's because I prefer certain rods for certain lures! I have my power rod my finesse rod and in between rod I like to also spend more time fishing then tying lures on! So I'll set up each rod with preferred baits and begin. As I'm sure you know the fish change day to day as to what they will hit so I like options and less tying time so as I agree to many rods is unnecessary! I feel 3 is perfect well tight lines good notes on what not to do!! 🎣
I fish alone in deep waters. You are right, it is dangerous. I take precautions but it is not enough. Recently I incorporated a VHF radio with DSC capability.
I caught a pretty big gafftopsail Catfish on the beach in Florida and got stung by its huge barb. Lost a lot of blood and was in a huge amount of pain.
I carry 4 rods. 1 spinning for light baits. 3 different casting rods. 1 heavy for slop and 2 medium heavy. One is usually a punching rig or something like that for picking apart trees. Another one with a search bait like a crankbai, spinner bait, or topwater. That way I don't have to constantly trying things on constantly while I am trying to find fish. Once I find them, yeah maybe I will only use one. But it's hard to have one rod that is gonna be optimal for any situation. I thought people were crazy too until I started experimenting with different rods. You can't fish a frog in thick slop with a medium action spinning rod. You might get lucky sure but forget about trying to pull a 5 or 6 pound large out a thick mat with it. Most of the big females aren't anywhere but under that stuff in the summer. I also like to have reels with both floro and braid. The cause baits to behave differently.
I always carry 5 to 6 rods on a kayak. Each rod serves a different purpose. I dont want to waste time swapping gear I made need in a different spot. A frog in one spot may not work but fifty yards away frogs may do it. I always have a frog, spinner, mid crank, jig, and a soft plastic.
Very informative video man, I'm been flipping off my kayak about a 100 time due to do overloading, overexciting, and funny enough one-time flip in with a waders Jesus Christ that doubles your weight but luckily i was able to stand just with my head over the water, never wears waders on kayaks should be number 1 hazardous. Two years to learn all those advice with a few grand worths of gears. Great beginners vid and a reminder fall of us kayakers never to stop learning.
watched a couple of your vids last night, didn't realize they were a couple years old. watched about 10 more tonight, i'm catching up. good stuff bro. sub'd
dig the vid but i have an issue with # 3. If the weather and water are cold, and an angler does not own a dry suit or dry pants/top, waders are their safest bet for staying warm and dry on the water. obviously the paddler needs an adequate waterproof jacket NOT tucked into the waders so they dont fill up from rain or water from splashing.... and if the angler is wearing a properly fitter LifeJacket LIKE THEY SHOULD BE, they will not drown if they fall in the water and their waders fill up as water in water is neutrally buoyant(if that makes sense).
My brother and I rescued a man (we were in my Ranger) last spring who was wearing a life jacket but decided to swim back out to recover his kayak instead of getting help. He quickly became exhausted and nearly drowned while wearing his pfd. He was within 10 yards of the shore. Cold water is a killer.
There is one situation where i bring my waders with kayak. When i fish small rivers, i pull kayak behind me and wade most part. I use kayak just to paddle over deep places where i can't wade. And also kayak is good place to keep your gear on, in this situation.
On theorie the extra rods should be to hit diffrent spots using diffrent lures. But again i bring 2 sometimes 3 One is rigged for weeds shallow waters A sinker and a trolling one 😉 Passed 3 rods you are showing off 😅
Sometimes when river fly fishing I wear waders. Whether in a raft, drift boat, or kayak there are situations where current seams have to be fished from an angle you can't get to from a boat. I won't wear them when the water level is higher than normal from rain or snow melt, and I won't wear them the water is extremely cold. 99% of my fly fishing is done in water I can just stand up in if I take an unintentional swim. My question would be "why are you wearing waders in the middle of the lake?"
I keep my big tackle box at home. I bought a small clear Plano tackle box and just bring the tackle and lures I need that day and 3 bottles of water and sunscreen. I live in ROUND ROCK
Okay, that whole "Waders will make you sink" is a total fallacy. It's already been disproven by much more experienced people than I. PLUS, if you DO flip, the water pressure is gonna cause the waders to form to your body, first. Anytime you wear waders, you should have a good wading belt on, anyway, providing a decent cutoff point, where the water should be minimized, getting by. Not to mention, especially when fishing on river systems, it's pretty common to get out of the kayak and wade fish for a while, giving your legs and butt a break. Seriously, waders on a kayak, especially during colder months are NOT a big deal. In fact, that what most cold water kayakers used in the first place, before dry suits became so prevalent. In fact, many of us who can't afford dry suits costing several hundreds of dollars STILL wear waders.
Well I was fishing my pond in my kayak. And we have this 150+ pound alligator snapping turtle in there we named Godzilla. This dang turtle keeps biting and stealing all my bass lures,ect. I accidentally hooked into Godzilla's shell and he towed me in my kayak all over my pond. Finally got him landed and called a game Warden to come take it. The game Warden promised me they will find Godzilla a new home where he will be happy. Fyi I'm in east Texas
I’m an over preparer and over packer. Need to strip my gear down to the necessities lol. The only time I fish with other people is if I run into them on the water lol. None of my friends kayak fish. Guess I need to make some friends 😂.
Also kayakers NEVER FORGET and always know this especially if you kayak on larger deep big water lakes It is VER VERY unlikely and essentially impossible to out paddle and escape an incoming storm I was once fishing on a late spring day temps in the high 60"s on a decent sized lake by my house with my friend in his 18' aluminum deep V boat with a 9.9hp OB motor Day dawned absolutely beautiful sunny not a cloud in the sky barely enough wind to ripple the water We motored about 5 miles from the only boat launch to area of lily pads and timber About 4 hours later I noticed the temp dropping so fast it shocked me then the wind abruptly switched from out of the west to NNE and began to quickly increase I suggested we start heading back but we were killing the walleye and my friend was saying let's give it a few more minutes I was about to say we'd better not when we both saw and absolutely huge monster of a storm front rolling in from the NNE We literally as fast as we could fired up the 9.9 and at max speed headed for the boat launch the storm quickly over took us and we found ourselves in 2-3' white caps absolutely monsoon pouring rain and very very strong winds thankfully dead at our back as the boat launch was essentially dead south of us thankfully it wasn't a very big or deep lake so the waves couldn't get that big but it was scary enough as it was Found out later the winds that storm produced were gusting over 50mph and sustained winds in excess of 30mph Looking back now I seriously doubt if I were in a Kayak I would have made it safely back to the boat launch So use your common sense know the weather (we DID NOT) know your limitations as a kayaker and give serious thought to where your kayaking to VS if a bad Strom unexpectedly comes up because yes weather predictions are most definitely quite often wrong I can not stress this next fact strongly enough Fact: Water will reduce your body temperature 8X FASTER than air!!!!!! I recently watched a RU-vidr describe an excellent survival rule for kayakers WELL worth every kayaker adopting He called it the less than 100 rule When (in degrees of Fahrenheit) the air temperature and water temperature added together equals less than 100 you need to take additional precautions to insure your survival in the event you fall out of or flip your kayak and end up in the water. Those precautions include packing a complete set of clothes and I personally recommend when kayaking in cold water wearing only 100% synthetic or wool clothes if at all humanly possible My friends in Alaska to whom hunting and fishing is a religion, they have a saying "Cotton Kills" Also if it's cool/cold out and water temps are also cold I feel it's a good potentially life saving practice to not kayak if conditions are less than favorable and not venture to terribly far from safety especially for novice kayakers like myself Common sense is your best tool to keep you from suffering an untimely end
I agree with you on no waders. Some people disagree. I would like to comment on the difference between warm water and protected water fishing and open water - cold water fishing. There is a much smaller margin of error in cold water. You can get away with the mistake of wearing waders in Gulf waters. In my 50 -60 degree waters waders are deadly.
I'll be honest, agreed with everything but the waders. In deeper water, absolutely not. You didn't title your video as fishing in the south, but here in the north in early and late season, waders are great for launching and exploring creeks. Of course, safety can be an issue. Always, always pfd, and absolutely always wear the belt super tight. I fell off my first yak with waders on in cold water. It sucked, but I survived, because of the belt AND PFD for sure. Keep up the good work!
