How Do I Get Started Kayak Fishing?

1. Start at the beginning. You can't be a kayak angler if you don't have a kayak. The fastest way to get on the water is a day rental from any number of kayak rental shops. Grab a rod, a box of lures and rent a kayak for a few hours. If you have friends with kayaks then beg, borrow or steal one for the day.

2. Spend time getting comfortable in the kayak, adjust the seat and figure out where you want to put your stuff while underway. Paddle slowly at first finding a rhythm and your balance. Kayaks are not as unstable as is often believed but there are limits and you should respect your instincts. You'll quickly find a center of balance and then you can start experimenting with sitting side-saddle or hanging your legs over the side.

3. Stick close to home. Don't plan your first paddle offshore or to run miles and miles across the bay/lake/river to a favorite fishing spot. Keep yourself within a mile of the launch so that if you get tired, get in trouble, pull a muscle or just get bored it's a quick paddle back.

4. Fish! Keep it simple and really bring just one rod and a small selection of your favorite lures. Do yourself a favor and try to target fish in an area you already know and have fished before. It increases your chances of hooking up and nothing feels better on your first time out on the water.

5. What gear do I need? Not a lot to get started. Besides the obvious kayak and paddle a milk crate with some 2" PVC rod holders zip tied in the corners can get you by for a long time. The list of things you can take along is almost endless, the things you need are simple. A PFD, rod and tackle storage (like the milk crate), an emergency whistle (DFG regs), a landing net (more DFG regs), a rod and reel, some lures and a bottle of water. Keep it simple and focus on the fishing. Always try and take a friend, especially when starting out.

6. Get to know other kayak anglers. Get online and read the fishing reports. Post your own reports and find some new friends who enjoy fishing the same way you do. A great place to start is the message boards of Plastic Navy - click here for the message boards.

Do this once or twice and you'll know if you've been bitten by the bug or not. If you have the chance you should test out several different styles of kayaks and find the models that suit you best. Avoid the temptation to purchase a kayak because a friend said it was the best or a website calls it the 'ultimate fishing kayak'. that's going to be a different boat for everyone. All kayaks have tradeoffs whether it be a drier ride at the cost of speed or a faster boat that has less storage. More on this in the next article - How to Find the Right Kayak.