General => Kayak Angler => Topic started by: Dweezel on May 20, 2021, 08:21:54 am
Title: Kayak gear
Post by: Dweezel on May 20, 2021, 08:21:54 am
I'm planning to try salmon fishing from my kayak this year. I've fished for pike and bass before. Is there there anything specific that i should consider if fishing from a 'Yak for salmon?
I am already setup with a fishfinder, torpedos, pedal drive. How do you guys keep your fish...just on a chain? I would just like to avoid an "ah crap i should have brought..." after a 3 hour drive.
Thanks for the feedback
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Title: Re: Kayak gear
Post by: King Joe on May 20, 2021, 09:53:33 am
Hey Dweezel,
Huge jump from pike and...ugh, bass (inside joke, JPscribbler) to big water salmon/trout hunting....so, good on you and welcome! Stringer questions would be a last question to ask...so I am assuming you've got the whole rod holders, trolling technology down already.
Myself, I've usually do the fish stringer to the side thing and for the most part, it works. I'll talk a bit more below about that below. My cuda 14 has a flat deck right behind the seat and I have also put a bungeed-down cooler there also. On cool days (fall, winter yak attacks), I have also just put the fish on the deck behind me...but that is short term things to do.
Now, stringer to the side works great but....long days in warm weather, fish do die and effectively food quality goes downhill. Also, if you are lucky and have a few on the stringer, they are now a source of drag affecting trolling speed and rudder control. For me, as a paddle yak'r, drag is near-most the biggest consideration.
Any other questions, I can help.
King Joe Outa Here!
Title: Re: Kayak gear
Post by: Dweezel on May 20, 2021, 11:39:13 am
Thanks King Joe. I usually run out of a 22 foot Kingfisher so gear and technology is not a surprise and neither is bigger fish...just not out of a yak. My wife doesn't care about spending the day on the boat so she bought herself a Coosa Fd so she can follow me around. I run a Big Rig Fd when not in the tin boat. Since she wants to spend time on the Big "O", there's no way i'll be caught out there without a rod in the water.
What do you use for a net? All the ones i have extend out to 7 feet and i know thats not what you want on a yak. What's a good suggestion of size versus length?
Thanks again for the info.
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Title: Re: Kayak gear
Post by: JpScribbler on May 20, 2021, 12:59:29 pm
Hi and welcome to the yak world. Fishing big water and big fish from a kayak is certainly a process. I fish out of a Hobie Pro Angler 12. It's 135 lbs is stable, has plenty of angling engineering in it, but I remain weight sensitive about everything. Joe is right, it's all about drag and positioning. I use a net with rubber mesh and telescopic handle. When not in use, I rest it in one of the Scotty rod holders I have on a bar behind my seat. I have 4 rod holders there. The net is basket style and 18” x 22” and the extended handle helps reach fish about two feet from the side. (You can see video of part of net and live release in previous post) When you get a larger laker or salmon, you don't want to be leaning over your kayak to reach the fish. Part of the difficulty is with rod length. My maximum trolling rod length in 8'6". Just think of what's going on: 12 foot kayak, 8'6" rod held in one hand while in the siting position, net in the other, and a large fish that needs to be brought in. As I say, it's a process. The rubber net is important to me, because I've had too many trebles caught in the string net and trying to get a caught hook out and subdue a thrashing fish is a mess. I keep my tools in side mount close at hand or on my lifejacket vest - pliers, line cutter, nail knot tool... I carry two Plano compact tray boxes with spoons, plugs and flies. I find that gives me decent selection. Most of my fishing is catch and release. I kept a 3-4lb laker a couple weeks back for the smoker and I just tied it to the side of the yak. I'll do the same once the coho are in. Joe has a similar story except the soundtrack to that fishing story goes something like Unchained Melody.
Title: Re: Kayak gear
Post by: Dweezel on May 20, 2021, 10:36:18 pm
Thanks guys! Lots of food for thought. Kinda sounds like between the two of you there might an amusing kayak fishing book or blog there. There are always special intricacies with trying a new way of fishing. I really appreciate the insight.