If you’ve ever trolled with an electric motor, you’ll know how much fun that can be. But, trust me when I tell you that Kayak fishing is so much better. Kayaking has seriously increased in popularity over the last couple of years. There’s more than one reason for this rise in popularity, but the number one cause is that the hobby is far cheaper than opting for a boat. You’ll be able to maneuver a kayak into places that boats couldn’t even dream about. Not only are they cheaper and easier to navigate into difficult areas, but you’ll feel much closer to nature and it’s good for your health, requiring a little bit of exercise.
If you have already bought a kayak, how do you use it effectively? Here are a few tips to get you started:
Keep Close to Shore
If there’s a current present that you need to paddle against, then you’ll want to be as energy efficient as possible. It can be very disheartening fighting against a current only to realize you’re making very little headway. One way to overcome this is to stay close to the shoreline where the current is less, this means you’ll expend less energy in getting to your destination and you’ll get there faster. You’ll also arrive at your fishing hole without your arms and shoulders screaming at you, meaning you can jump straight into the fishing without the need for a break.
Use An Anchor
You, your kayak and all of your gear are only a fraction of the weight of a boat and outboard motor combined. So, it’s not at all surprising that when the wind begins to pick up, you’ll find you drift much faster than you would be if in a boat. It’s on these days that you’ll find an anchor is an invaluable piece of kit. Even a relatively cheap two-pound claw anchor can make a big difference and will keep you stationary on even the windiest of days.
Use Your Feet
Use your head and your feet. What I mean is, think about how you use your feet to help maneuver your Kayak. Your feet can quite easily be used as little rudders to help steer your kayak to the right location. You can also use them to anchor yourself to a single location when the water’s depth allows you to get a foothold. You can often quite easily use your foot to push the Kayak against something solid such as a boulder, tree stump, submerged shopping trolley… you get the idea.
The best part of kayak fishing is learning from others
Take a look at what other kayakers are doing and learn from them. If you can get involved with a group of kayak fishermen that regularly head out together, then you’re going to naturally soak up their knowledge without even realizing it. Plus it’s a whole lot more fun to share these experiences with other people and not to mention it’s much safer.
These are just a few small tips to get you started in the world of kayak fishing, and with a little practice, you will start to see even more success using this method of fishing compared to some others. There’s a good reason that kayaking is steadily gaining popularity every year, so get out there and enjoy it!
Now that you are ready to get out on a kayak, here are some great fishing tips.
