Is it hard to fish in a kayak?

Are you interested in kayak fishing but concerned: Is it hard to fish in a kayak?

I think the difficulty of kayak fishing depends on each person’s perception and skill. To be fair: Fishing is hard, and kayak fishing is harder.

There are fishes that you cannot catch while on the shore. Kayaks can handle it. And even if you can’t catch fish, you will still find kayak fishing interesting because you can enjoy nature.

Kayak fishing benefits

Kayak fishing has a lot of benefits that make it more and more popular. I will give you the three most significant reasons why so many people love it even though it’s hard.

Affordability

Fishing kayaks usually cost a few hundred to 3,000 dollars, much cheaper than other fishing boats.

Not only that, but fishing boats also have accompanying costs such as fuel costs, insurance, maintenance, and launch fees.

Therefore, fishing kayaks are easily accessible to more people.

However, you must know that an inexpensive kayak can cost you more money for upgrades if you want.

Portability

Fishing kayaks typically weigh around 50-100 pounds and are 9-15 feet long. These numbers are much smaller than other fishing boats.

Therefore, you can transport them in vehicles without the need for trailers.

Plus, you can easy to take them from the parking car to the shoreline.

Due to their portability, you can go to many fishing places without being worried about transporting them.

Catch more fish

The great thing about kayaking is that it can bring you closer to the fish. No other fishing method can get you this close to the water.

Plus, they make less noise, have small shadows, and flow smoothly over the water, making it easier for you to sneak up on fish.

Because of their lightweight and good buoyancy, kayaks can help you get to places fishing boats cannot reach. They can easily navigate shallow water, swamps, narrow streams, etc.

Not only that, but they can be adapted to a wide variety of water bodies, whether it’s wide open seas, flowing rivers, or even small ponds.

Difficulties you may face

Keep reading to find out: Is it hard to fish in a kayak?

I say these things not to discourage you but to help you mentally prepare for kayak fishing.

Learn to Paddle

Each type of boat has different features. The method of paddling the various boats is usually the same, but not with kayaks.

While most boats use single-blade paddles, kayaks use two-bladed paddles. So if you are new, you need to get used to it.

Another difficulty for newbies is balancing the kayak. Falling in the water a few times is a common occurrence for beginners.

However, you can also rest assured that fishing kayaks always have much better stability than other kayaks.

There are also fishing kayaks with pedals. Instead of getting used to the paddles, you will need to get used to the pedals.

Get Wet

As I said, falling into the water a few times on a kayak is normal.

In addition, padding and grabbing fish from water is easy to get you wet too.

Therefore, you should not wear cotton or jeans clothes when fishing because they absorb a lot of water, both hindering your actions and making the boat heavier.

You are better off wearing light, comfortable, quick-drying clothes.

Lose Things

Losing something when fishing on a kayak is also a common occurrence not only for newbies but also experienced people. Sometimes, you only realize you’ve lost something when you get home.

Therefore, fastening everything on the boat is also something you need to do.

For important things like wallets and phones, you should put them in a waterproof bag and keep them in your pocket or the kayak’s hatch. Either way, you don’t want to have to find it in the water.

Taking an inventory of everything before and after entering the water will help you recognize if you’ve lost anything early.

There’s No Perfect Kayak

Each kayak has different designs. They will be suitable for several specific uses.

Each will work well in one or several different bodies of water, such as in the ocean, river, lake, swamp, rough water, shallow water, etc.

No single kayak is perfect for all uses.

You have to decide what requirements you want for your kayak based on where, when, and what fish you plan to catch.

Before you decide to buy a kayak, you can rent or borrow different kayaks to find the right one for you.

Think carefully before purchasing because a fishing kayak isn’t cheap, and you will have to attach it for a long time. If you buy it by mistake, it’s a pity.