Kayak Fishing Questions

[sideoff]

Just bought my first kayak. It's a Perception Acadia Expedition, Not specifically designed for fishing but I think it will work and it seemed like a good deal. I bought a couple of rod holders to screw on too.

A couple of questions:

Safety: On the recommendation of the person selling the kayak I picked up a paddle float (for getting back in if swamped), flares, emergency light, PFD, paddle leash, water pump, skirt, and sponge. Are there other things you guys take out for safety reasons, like a GPS or a VHF Radio?

Warmth: I was planning to wear a full 5/4 wetsuit underneath a jacket until the water warms up. Is this what you guys use or is a shorty enough, or nothing?

Where to go: I am hoping to do some fishing around Monomoy, both in the bay and flats as well as on the ocean once the fish start showing up there. Are the currents a major issue for a kayak? Seems like the current really rips through some spots, such as the inlet, but I've always been in a motorized boat in the past. Any other spots that are particularly kayak-friendly?

Any other advice before I head out?

Thanks for your help!

Sideoff

[RJ]

Sideoff, I'm a yak fisherman with only a little yak time. Lots of boat time though. Monomoy might be a little bit ambitious for your first efforts. Foggy country out there! Pleasant Bay is a good place to wet your paddle and up grade your yak skills. Barnstable Harbor is another good spot. There's a kayak forum on the reel-time net and I think you will find a wealth of information and many answers to your questions. Go to Forums and scroll down to it. Also try www.flyfishingsaltwaters.com and access their kayak forum. Review the archives for the past 100 days. Check it out!

You will get good solid answers from most of the yakers on these boards. Especially this one.

Your yak might be a bit narrow for fishing, but I'm no expert -- yet! RJ

[Clark]

Get yourself to a pond or lake it doesn't even need to be 100 feet long. Go forward, backward, sideways, left and right. Get in and get out several times. Now roll it over and get back in. After this you will know what you need to work on.

[hal11]

It seems that you are on the right track. One of the best things to do is to go to a lake with all your equipment and tip and see what it is like. You need to be able to do a self rescue at a minimum. Perhaps join a group like the North Shore paddlers. I regularly fish Monomoy, the south shore and the Wellfleet area from my kayak. I generally troll with a lead head jig and rubber shad or a black tube. To see what I use go to http;//www.ez-troll.com. I have landed many nice stripers and angry blues.

Hal

[rockfisherman]

Try reposting in the kayak forum, you'll probably get more responses.

The saleman did allright by you But, seriously, that's all good stuff to have.

I don't carry flares or a portable VHF, tho I have them. I suppose if I were paddling out to Monomoy, I would carry them. I carry my little cell phone, which wouldn't help me if I dumped, but I can call 911 if I see someone else in trouble.

I use a farmer john light wetsuit made of "fuzzy rubber", and a survival helmet of the same material that covers the head and neck to protect from cold shock. Remember you lose most of your heat from your head and neck.

Start small until you get the hang of your craft. Shallow, protected waters, where you could practically walk to shore. Good advice from the other RT'ers on practicing self-rescue in a shallow lake. I wouldn't practice dumping in the water temps we have now. I'd wait until it's warmer. No sense in getting hypothermia from a deliberate dunking. Get that head cover.

[FLYRODER]

Even though you mentioned a GPS(carry spare batteries)you should also carry a compass. Fog can roll in real fast.

[SamRiley]

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the family
You've got some good gear for starters and the others have given you some very sound advice.

Things I would add to your gear list include waterproof charts, whistle / noise device (mandatory in MA), cell phone, paddle leash (I use rope) and a dry bag. When the water warms up and you have gotten comfortable in the yak, leave your fishing gear at home and head out looking for some rougher water. The sound side of the Cape has plenty of bars close to shore that will generate some good sized rollers. Practice maneuvering over around and through them until you are comfortable. It would be an ugly situation indeed if you started learning about rough water during the spring migration on the fast moving ocean side of Monomoy.

Happy paddling

[sideoff]

Thanks for the advice guys. I took it out yesterday down on the south shore of the cape around Falmouth. There was a nice wind chop and a side-onshore wind of 18-20 mph that started late in the afternoon, just around when I showed up. The windwaves were breaking on a bar there so I had a chance to play around a little. Good fun.

I learned the kayak performs better than expected against a strong current, is more stable than expected in sloppy chop, likes to turn sideways and bury the nose while surfing, and is really sluggish against a strong headwind. It was way to cold to purposefully self-rescue yesterday but with a 5/4 wetsuit, booties, gloves, and all the necessary equipment to self rescue I was pretty sure I could figure it out in a pinch. Plus I stayed close to shore. I'll practice the self-resuce later this week when it warms up.

The big question now: how to mount the rod-holders? It is surprisingly tough to find a position behind the cockpit that doesn't interfere with paddling but is still convenient to reach back to. Plus, the surface mount rod holders I bought don't leave much room for the butt of the rod, so the rods would almost stick out perpendicular to the kayak and parrallel to the water. I was thinking of mounting a cross bar about 12" high behind the cockpit and then putting on clamp-on rod-holders. Anyone know of another (inexpensive) solution to this problem?

Thanks again for all the advice!

Sideoff