Kayak fishing topics

My biggest concern right now is standing up while fishing. Why ? Because early on I flipped my Hobie. I did it when I installed a stand bar in front of the seat so I could lean against it while casting. I turned to see what baits my other rods had and I grabbed the bar. This created a high center of gravity and over I went. Fortunately, it was warm weather in shallow water. I have been nervous about standing since then. Anybody have ant tips ?

I agree I would love to see some kayak content here. With the rise in popularity of the sport I’d think they would also want to cater to that market.

I primarily fish kayak bass tournaments and would also like to see more kayak specific content.

Hi Everyone!

I am a fellow kayak fisherman and chase all species in my kayak. I do complete locally and nationally in kayak bass fishing events and have multiple top 10s and a couple top 5 finishes in national events as well.

The biggest limiting factors to kayak fishing are:
- Mobility
- Storage
-
I honestly feel that being a successful kayak fisherman requires a deep understanding of the species you are going to target along with the ability to apply your knowledge and experience as an angler. When fishing tournaments, you also must be able to do this under pressure and time constraints.

I joined BassU to further my understanding of the species, techniques, etc. I do not feel there needs to be any “Kayak Specific” content, because most of what you need is already here. The “boat” guys simply have more freedom to easily move from spot to spot. There is some “Kayak Specific” gear differences, but not enough to warrant an entire different segment.

If I were new to kayak bass fishing, or wanting to improve upon my skills as a competitive kayak angler, I would focus on the following things when reviewing content
- Map Study
- Seasonal Movements/Behaviors
- Techniques based on different types of cover
- Equipment

Part of being successful in a kayak is knowing how to apply all of your knowledge to put yourself in a spot where the fish will be and then knowing how to catch them. Focus on those 4 items will do this for you. You just have to understand that it will not be as easy for you to just jump and head to another spot and that you will be limited in what you can bring out with you. Once you are confident in your knowledge/abilities, your success will increase. I can promise you that!

Glad to see there are some other kayakers following BassU! Hopefully, I will get a chance to meet some of you at an event this season.

Does any one know of any good access points for a kayak on Lake Ray Roberts near Dallas ?

@arnie did a quick search of the area and Buck Creek Boat Launch looks like a promising spot. I’m not familiar with that lake though.

I have a Hobie kayak and I am considering adding a Lowrance Elite depth finder. My concern is that the transducer is mounted outside the kayak on the bottom of the hull. It seems like the transducer would be easily damaged or at least catch a lot of grass. Has anyone experienced such problems?

@Arnie I have a Hobie kayak. Does yours have the guardian transducer mounting plate? If so it’s on bungees and will pop up when it hits resistance. If you do go that route I would also suggest a product from BerleyPro. They are basically plastic covers that mount over the transducer to protect it. If you don’t have the shield there are a bunch of off the shelf or DIY options on YouTube to make mounts that attach to the outside. The yakattak one is adjustable and looks fairly easy to take on and off.

For any other kayak/canoe anglers that come across this post I wanted to post a PSA about fishing in cold waters because it's dangerous. Current maybe the most dangerous thing for kayak anglers but cold water is likely second. That cold water saps your strength almost immediately. You may also experience an involuntary gasp reflex if your head is submerged in water below 60 degrees, and yes, this means you sucking in two lungfuls of water. Water between 50 and 60 degrees is also prime for creating a physical situation called autonomic conflict which is something like having a heart attack and can happen to any age group. Here are some rules of thumb:
(1) Always wear your PFD. If it's uncomfortable then get a new one or an auto-inflatable (you have to rearm those every year or two).
(2) Get yourself a paddling suit if you're going to fish by yourself in water temps below 60 degrees.
(3) Go with someone else and stay close.
(4) Pack a change of clothes and some towels in your truck in case you get back there and need to warm up. Obviously this is more for when the air is still cold as well as the water.
Some useful links:
Autonomic conflict: A different way to die during cold water immersion: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22547634/
Cold water paddling: https://www.paddlerscove.com/when-is-water-too-cold-to-paddle-and-what-gear-do-you-need/#:~:text=The%20American%20Canoe%20Association%20recommends,to%20less%20than%20120%20degrees.

@JoeyV hit a lot of things well here. Fishing the national trails as well, the content here on BassU is a cornerstone to improving your abilities to find and locate fish and then applying the right techniques to catch them. Regardless of whether you are in a kayak or bass boat, the approach is quite similar. Although I can understand and relate to the idea of watching more kayak guys on here providing information, for the most part, from a big water competition perspective, this covers the major sections and many of the features in our national events. What BASSU could potentially add is sections on super skinny water, rapids, shoals, and similar types of fishing content that kayak anglers tend to find more on smaller waters that aren't as commonly talked about because those types of waters don't host the premier national level events and bass boats may not have as much access to.

One thing I tell people about fishing from a kayak that is different comes back to your ability to relocate if the fish aren't in an area where you expected them to be. When I fish from my bass boat, I fire the gas engine and make a bigger move; however, when I'm in my kayak and I've committed to an area I have to be more intimate at breaking down that specific area or choose to make a ramp switch. The latter is not always helpful and can be time consuming or frustrating. In either situation, this is where PMA comes in. You got to trust in your ability to find and locate fish and continue to improve on that capacity.

On a side, to the other part of this thread, I run a Hobie PA 14 360 which has the Guardian on it. From being in the bass boat world too, I've seen transducer heads take a lot of damage and still function flawlessly, and the Guardian by itself will protect your transducer 99% of the time if its flush mounted as you are more likely to hit something with your kick up fins or motor first, before hitting something at speed on the transducer, which retracts on contact due to its design (which is best out there). If covering your transducer makes you comfortable, do it. I've been up to my armpits in grass, scraped over rocks, and crashed into or stuck on stumps from Fork, to Chick, rapids, and even the upper Mississippi and my transducer is just fine.

Based on the handful of kayak guys on here already, I'm pretty sure if someone has got a kayak specific question someone can help answer, plus with Ike, Lee, and Evers all more engaged in the kayak world, there is great opportunity to see more kayak content.