On beginner kayak fishing safety

Author: josh

Category: Safety & navigation

Created on Tuesday, 05 July 2011 18:27

Written by Josh

There is a diverse range of people drawn to this sport for a myriad of reasons, however it's easy to generalise by saying that most budding kayak fishermen are attracted to it as either an experienced angler or otherwise as an experienced kayaker. In the case of the former this means that for some time at least, their fishing experience is only going to get them so far because of their limited kayaking experience. In the case of the latter this means that ones kayaking experience will only get them so far due to their limited fishing experience. In both cases, what this ultimately means is that both start out as inexperienced kayak fishermen. Clearly, the experienced kayaker has quite a learning curve ahead of them in terms of becoming a proficcient fisho, and then marrying that into what they know about kayaking, and visa versa for the experienced angler. You couldn't rightfully be qualified as an experienced yak fisho until you're proficcient at both fishing and kayaking... at the same time. 

Because of this truism, it makes a lot of sense for anglers new to kayaks to start out in waters that are less challenging to be kayaking in. It follows that an experienced paddler new to fishing should develop some basic skills in less demanding fishing conditions. So where does that leave those who immerse themselves into the world of kayak fishing without any real experience in either endeavor (fishing or kayaking) before starting out? It goes without saying that the learning curve for these guys is the steepest of all and thus is most important for people in this category to be most mindful when starting out. Most people pick it all up pretty quickly, though the truth of the matter is that it's easier to become familiar with the basics (of fishing and kayaking) in less arduous situations. I've seen many things that have reminded me of that over the years, though I don't think I've ever taken the time to articulate it publicly (if I have, reminders are always nice) and I figure now is as good a time as any. So there you have it.