Getting Started Kayak Fishing

Welcome to Kayak Bass Fishing. If you are reading this article, you are at least interested in kayak fishing. KBF represents the largest kayak fishing community in the world and our goal is to serve the community to the best of our ability. That starts with providing valuable information that will help you get on the water, enjoy your time on the water and have the best possible experience.

Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity in recent years, but the momentum started over two decades ago with roto-molded kayaks and fishing from paddle craft has been around longer than any of us can truly quantify. Getting started during the peak of kayak fishing popularity can be a bit intimidating and I have often spoken to people that are overwhelmed with the amount of choices and information that are currently available. Social Media can also be a firestorm of opinions and contradictory suggestions which only further complicates the selection process and even shows rifts that have developed between certain brand ambassadors and groups.

My first piece of advice for getting started kayak fishing is to avoid all that like the plague. As kayak fishing popularity has grown, those that participate represent a cross section of society and there are just some people that find fault in everything and consider it their life’s mission to point it out whenever and wherever they can. I am only writing this to advise you to avoid these people, don’t feed the animals and you will have a much more pleasant experience in our sport and the community will be a great asset to guide you in your growth as a kayak angler. For the most part, this community is filled with great people, camaraderie and feels like the biggest family that you will ever experience.

The first thing that must be covered is price point. You do not have to have the best or most expensive kayak out there to get started. In fact, I recommend getting started with whatever you can afford and evolving your set up and kayak if that is something that you choose to do when the opportunity presents itself or when you save up enough to make it happen. I regularly run into folks on the water in an inexpensive kayak, one or two rods and a small tackle box with the happiest disposition ever and a smile plastered across their face.

One of the best ways to stretch your dollar for your first kayak purchase is to find someone selling a used kayak as they are making an upgrade. You will likely get a much better used kayak for the same price as an inferior new one and it will hold its resell value much better when you decide to upgrade yourself.

There are only three things that you really need to get started kayak fishing. The kayak, a paddle and a PFD. I strongly suggest that you purchase a premium PFD that is designed specifically for fishing so that you are more comfortable when wearing it for long hours. I also recommend spending as much as you can afford (within reason) on your paddle to get a premium, lightweight and stiff paddle that will last you for years to come. Ideally, you will have the same paddle for dozens of kayaks that you go through over the years. If you also buy an adjustable length paddle, it will accommodate almost any model of kayak that you decide to use in the future and you won’t have to buy a new paddle to accommodate your new kayak.

I am passionate about this sport and love the big extended family that this community represents. I could go on for days about the things to consider when getting started kayak fishing, but there is really no need to do that so I will suggest a few videos that you can watch from my channel that should really help you save time, reduce frustration and get more enjoyment out of the wonderful sport of kayak fishing.