As soon as my wife, Natasha, and I packed our daughter off to her first year of college, we packed our truck with kayaks, rods and tackle and went fishing. I may have lost a daughter, but I’ve gained back a fishing buddy. Of course, keeping my partner hooked required the right women’s kayak fishing gear designed for comfort, performance, fun and fashion.

[ See also: What To Wear Fishing ]

12wt

Five-Panel Hat

$29.99 | 12wt.com

12wt Five-Panel Hat | Photo: Ric Burnley

The fishing cap is probably the most important angling accessory. Not only does it protect your dome from sun, rain, wind and cold, but a lucky fishing hat will also carry an angler’s fortune. I love my 12wt trucker cap with the sun-absorbing black brim for sight fishing. Natasha isn’t a trucker girl, so I picked out the Five-Panel hat, with a breathable cotton cap and same satin black brim. I’ve even caught Natasha wearing it in the garden.

Simms

Solarflex Crewneck & Mataura Pant

$89.95, $49.95 | simmsfishing.com

Simms Solarflex Crewneck | Photo: Ric Burnley

Style meets substance with Simms’ line of sharp-looking technical apparel. The Solarflex Crewneck features extended sleeves, neck and hem to cover more skin. The material wicks moisture to control body temperature. Paired with the Mataura pant, the combo offers UPF 50 protection with stretchy, quick-dry fabric perfect for pedaling her kayak. The outfit has flat seams and low-profile pockets, so it works great as a mid-layer in the shoulder seasons. Choosing Simms crewneck and pants was easy, picking the color was not.

Kokatat

Hydrus Tempest Pant, Scout Boot

$210, $59 | kokatat.com

Kokatat Hydrus Tempest Dry Pants | Photo: Ric Burnley

A dry and comfortable angler is a happy angler. Natasha gets cold in a movie theater, so Kokatat’s Tempest pants will keep her on the water in mild weather. I’ve been wearing the Tempest pant for my entire fishing career. Kokatat cuts no corners with breathable, three-layer Hydrus material and factory-sealed seams.

The Tempest stays dry and warm for years of hard use. Designed with more material in the butt and legs, the Tempest doesn’t bunch or stretch when I sit down or stand. I paired the Tempest pants with Scout boots. The vulcanized rubber sole with heel and toe protection covers a three-millimeter neoprene booty.

[ Kayak Angler Buyer’s Guide: View all women’s apparel ]

NRS

Shenook PFD

$119.95 | nrs.com

NRS Shenook PFD | Photo: Ric Burnley

My wife wears her life jacket like a security blanket. To keep her comfortable and safe, I picked out the NRS Shenook fishing PFD. The Shenook is cut and styled to fit a female paddler with the features required by any angler. Articulated, plush foam molds to fit the wearer. I like the fold-down pockets, they’re easy to access from the top and double as a rigging shelf. Six straps dial in the fit.

Costa del Mar

Inlet Sunglasses

$259 | costadelmar.com

Costa del Mar Inlet sunglasses | Photo: Ric Burnley

Rigging up my wife for fishing started with a stop at our local outfitter, Oceans East Bait and Tackle. They have nearly every sunglass model available and Natasha picked out the Costa del Mar Inlet frames. I hope to share the excitement of sight casting, so I recommended the 580 glass lenses in copper. Glass lenses are scratch resistant and crystal clear; Costa’s 580 glass is thinner and 20-percent lighter than similar shades. Natasha liked the large Inlet frames, I liked the wrap around protection, giving her the best chance to spot a redfish scooting across the flats.

SealLine

Seal Pak Hip Pack

$39.96 | seallinegear.com

SealLine Seal Pak Hip Pack | Photo: Ric Burnley

Fanny packs are making a comeback. The utilitarian, belt gear bag is too practical to stay dorky for long. SealLine takes the fanny pack to the water. Their new Hip Pack is a roll-top drybag on a belt. Welded seams keep the contents dry and PVC-free material is environmentally friendlier. The bag can be worn on a removable belt, or a shoulder strap. Perfect size for keys, smartphone and wallet. The Seal Pak makes it easy to keep your gear near.

kayak fishing gear for women
Cool, comfortable and capable kayak fishing gear designed for women. | Feature photo: Ric Burnley

This article was first published in the Winter 2020 issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.

Cool, comfortable and capable kayak fishing gear designed for women. | Feature photo: Ric Burnley

 

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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