Top 15 Essential Gear for Kayak Fishing by Dennis Kieselhorst | Jan 11, 2020 | Fishing, Fishing Feature, Fishing Instruction, Freshwater Fishing, Germany | 6 comments Top 15 Essential Gear for Kayak Fishing Everyone has different ideas about essential kayak fishing rigging, gear, and choosing their equipment and clothes. And that’s good. If everyone did the same, it would be boring. I will now let you know what I always have with me personally. These are my Top 15 Essential Gear for Kayak Fishing! Kayak Fishing PFD The most important thing for me on a kayak is a life jacket. It doesn’t matter whether you can swim like an Olympic participant or whether the water is very shallow. No life jacket, no kayak fishing! And for social media it is very clear to me: no wear, no share! The life jackets specially designed for kayak fishing are not only life insurance, but extremely helpful with their many pockets. My first choice is the NRS Chinook, in my opinion one of the best life jackets on the market. For children I recommend the NRS Vista Youth PFD and also my dog always wears a life jacket (Ruffwear) when he is on the kayak with me. https://www.nrs.com/product/40009.04/nrs-chinook-fishing-pfd Paddle Spend a little more money for a paddle, the lighter weight is worth it. I have been trusting the paddles of Bending Branches and Aqua-Bound for many years. My current paddle is an Angler Pro Plus with an adjustable length of 240-255 cm. It weighs 808 grams and is available in great color combinations. Even if you have a pedal kayak, you should of course always have a paddle with you. In this case, it can be a little cheaper because it is used less often. My recommendation: the Bending Branches Angler Scout or Angler Classic. www.bendingbranches.com Kayak Clothing I’ve been looking for a long time for the ideal clothes for kayak fishing. They have to be comfortable to wear and, depending on the season, protect me from the sun, rain and cold. On warm sunny days, I usually wear the NRS Men’s Lolo Pant and the NRS Varial Hoodie, which protect me perfectly from sunburn. Plus the NRS Men’s Vibe Water Shoes. On colder or rainy days, the NRS Men’s Endurance Splash Pant and NRS Champion Jacket. To keep my feet warm and dry, I put on Sealskinz Waterproof Socks. On cold days, I also wear thermal underwear. When the temperatures approach freezing, I get the NRS Men’s Crux Drysuit out of the wardrobe. My gloves: in summer the NRS Castaway Gloves and in winter the Fox Rage Gloves or normal work gloves (MaxiFlex Ultimate). What I never wear on a kayak is waders. www.nrs.com GoPro Hero 7 Black The Hero 7 is perfect for filming and photos. In addition, I always have several batteries and SD cards with me. If I fish in the dark, I use an additional lamp. For more detailed information and GoPro tips check out my blog: https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/2020/01/top-gopro-tips/ DogBone I also described my camera mount in more detail in my blog with the GoPro Tips. The YakAttack DogBone Camera Mount is perfect for reaching a reasonable height. It is attached to the GearTracks. YakAttack has many good camera mounting systems, check them out! https://www.yakattack.us/products/camera-mounting-solutions/ Fishfinder As a fishfinder I am currently using an older model from Lowrance (Elite 5). First and foremost, it should show me structures and baitfish. I also use the GPS to mark important points for me. You can of course fish without a fish finder, but it makes life so much easier. Power Supply for Fishfinder and Electric Motor My power source for my fishfinder is the Rebelcell 12V18 li-ion battery (in a water-resistant bag) or the Rebelcell 12.35 AV outdoor box. A huge advantage of the outdoor box is that you can use the Flex Drive E and a Fishfinder at the same time, all you need is the Fishfinder Quick Connect Cable (cigarette lighter plug). www.rebel-cell.com Rod Holder A rod holder must be flexible to attach and extremely stable. The YakAttack Omega Rod Holder with Track Mounted LockNLoad Mounting System is one of the best on the market! https://www.yakattack.us/omega-pro-rod-holder-with-track-mounted-locknload-mounting-system/ Anchor It is a bit more expensive than a normal anchor, but the K5 from Tighline Anchor is well worth the money. The K5 is compact, 9 inches high, collapsible and weighs in at under 3.5lbs. The aggressive grapnel design ensures the quickest and deepest anchor bite in any underwater condition. Check out the Tightline Anchor website! www.tightlineanchors.com Anchor Stick If I want to anchor in very shallow waters, I always have my selfmade anchor stick with me. I brought this idea from a friend from Florida a few years ago and it is simply brilliant! All you need is a pultruded fiberglass pole and a golf ball. Landing Net Especially when pike fishing you need a large landing net! I use the Westin W3 C&R Landing Net in size L. I sawed off the handle to use it on a kayak. The landing net is available from many dealers in Europe, but I don’t know if it can be bought in the United States. VISIPole When I fish offshore, when fishing in the dark or on water with a lot of boat traffic, I always have the YakAttack VISIPole mounted on the kayak. So you are always visible from 360 degrees. https://www.yakattack.us/visipole-ii-geartrac-ready-includes-flag-and-mighty-mount/ Knife The NRS Neko Knife is a small important helper for kayak fishing. The knife can be attached directly to the life jacket. https://www.nrs.com/product/47311.01/nrs-neko-knife Tie Downs The YakAttack Horizontal Tie Downs are ideal for attaching things such as an anchor or a rod leash to the kayak. https://www.yakattack.us/horizontal-tie-downs-pair/ Kayak Cart You cannot always park directly where you put your kayak in the water. In these cases, I use the Railblaza C-TUG. You can assemble it in under a minute, move your boat from your kayak rack to the water, then pull it apart and stow it inside your kayak while you’re out on the water. These are Top 15 Essential Gear for Kayak Fishing! What else is there on my kayak? Here we go: the Pistol Deep Throat Hookout from Savage Gear (does not rust in salt water!), a paddle leash and a radio when fishing offshore, a first aid kit for bleeding hands due to unsuccessful pike landings, a head lamp when fishing in the dark, polarizing glasses and an alarm whistle. And now have fun on the water! 6 Comments Mark on January 9, 2021 at 7:55 pm Just curious, why do you never wear waders on a kayak. Reply Paul Brockman on January 10, 2021 at 11:58 am If you capsize, they will fill with water, weighing you down. Reply Daryl Granger on January 10, 2021 at 2:49 pm If you wear a belt tight around your waist, waders will not fill up. Reply Tom on January 12, 2021 at 9:35 pm I tipped on a river, caught in the middle when my anchor snagged the bottom leaving me in fast moving current. I almost, and I mean almost drowned as even with a tight wader belt the waders began to slowly fill. The current was strong, the waders kept filling, the water was cold and my breathing became labored. Taking in just 5oz of water can begin the process of drowning. I was close as the weight, exhaustion, and cold began taking it’s effect. Once the water is in the waders you really lose control of your ability to swim. Reply Frank B Pena on November 9, 2021 at 1:40 pm If u fall over they will fill up with water resulting in drowning Reply Tom wright on January 12, 2021 at 9:38 pm What diameter of pultruded fiberglass rod do you recommend.? Also length? Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Paul Brockman on January 10, 2021 at 11:58 am If you capsize, they will fill with water, weighing you down. Reply
Daryl Granger on January 10, 2021 at 2:49 pm If you wear a belt tight around your waist, waders will not fill up. Reply
Tom on January 12, 2021 at 9:35 pm I tipped on a river, caught in the middle when my anchor snagged the bottom leaving me in fast moving current. I almost, and I mean almost drowned as even with a tight wader belt the waders began to slowly fill. The current was strong, the waders kept filling, the water was cold and my breathing became labored. Taking in just 5oz of water can begin the process of drowning. I was close as the weight, exhaustion, and cold began taking it’s effect. Once the water is in the waders you really lose control of your ability to swim. Reply
Frank B Pena on November 9, 2021 at 1:40 pm If u fall over they will fill up with water resulting in drowning Reply
Tom wright on January 12, 2021 at 9:38 pm What diameter of pultruded fiberglass rod do you recommend.? Also length? Reply
