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Best Kayak Fishing Gear For 2026

Buyer’s Guide | Kayak Angler

By Ric Burnley

Next to the fish, the best thing about fishing is the gear. Kayak anglers not only use rods, reels, lines and lures, but also have fishing apparel, tools, accessories, storage and propulsion options. Before you get overwhelmed, putting together an arsenal of kayak fishing gear requires informed choices about the best tools and tackle for the fishing you do.

By its nature, kayak fishing requires an angler to cut the fat and take only what’s necessary for the places you fish and the way you fish. Do you really need two dozen crankbaits in your tackle box? Instead, take three colors that catch the most fish. Are you going to use five rod holders on a 12-foot plastic boat? Rig your ride with accessories strategically placed to support how you fish.

And there is no better time to rig up. The sport’s explosive popularity has blasted store shelves with high-tech gear to make paddling and casting easier and more fun. The best kayak fishing gear is now available in more places at a lower price. Anyone can outfit a fishing kayak like a pro.

Choosing and using the best kayak fishing gear will lead to more fish in the net and more fun on the water. Below, you’ll find a guide to the most advanced rods, reels, lines, lures, clothes, accessories, tools and storage. We’ve provided a one-stop shop for everything you need to paddle out and bring in the big one.

Woman standing beside fishing kayak with cooler, drybag, and other gear.

Best kayak fishing gear

Propulsion

Hang out at a popular kayak launch and it won’t be long before you’ll see someone with a motorized kayak. Adding an electric motor to a kayak is easier with DIY aftermarket power plants. Even though many anglers pedal or motor their kayaks, most people like to paddle. The simplicity, quiet and total control make paddling attractive to many kayakers.

Choosing the best motor or paddle is key to a successful day on the water. A reliable motor will get you to the fish and back, while a great paddle will make every stroke a joy. Check out these articles on picking the best kayak motor or paddle.

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Tackle

To handle the tough conditions faced by kayak anglers, you’ll want to choose the best fishing tackle for the fishing you do. On a kayak, rods, reels, line and lures are exposed to spray, salt, sand and grime. Rods get banged up, reels will be doused, line stretched to the breaking point and lures and bait tested to extremes.

When choosing tackle, kayak anglers must consider weight and space. Only take what is necessary and leave the rest in the garage. For this reason, we’ve put together top tips for choosing the best kayak fishing tackle you’ll need to catch the fish of a lifetime.

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Fishing apparel

There’s no place to hide from the weather on a kayak. Wind, spray, sun, rain, cold and heat will have their way with an angler. To beat back Mother Nature, choose the best kayak fishing apparel. High-tech fabrics and active design make fishing more comfortable in any conditions. Check out these favorites for kayak fishing fashion.

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Accessories

Back in the day, kayak anglers had to bastardize existing fishing accessories to fit their kayaks. PVC holders strapped to milk crates, drilled-into hulls, popped rivets, bungee cords, duct tape and gobs of silicone sealant were the hallmarks of kayak rigging. Today, setting up a kayak no longer requires a trip to the hardware store. While many anglers still choose to DIY their rigging, we now have access to a wide variety of the best rod holders, fish finders, anchors, mounts, bags and safety gear.

The latest generation of the best kayak fishing accessories are tough and smart. Follow the advice below to choose and install custom features that make fishing easier and more comfortable. With today’s accessories, anyone can turn a kayak into a fishing machine.

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Fishing tools

Use the right tool for the job, that’s the best advice for any angler. Removing a hook, cutting bait, cleaning a fish or landing a fish requires pliers, nets and knives that are light and indestructible. We’ve put the best kayak fishing tools to the test on the water and in the field. Check out the winners below.

Storage

A place for everything and everything in its place. There is no space on a kayak for extra gear and unnecessary tackle. Organizing lures, rods and tools keeps them in reach and on the boat. For many of us, if a boater can have it so can a kayak angler. As a result, folks using live bait have great options for powerful livewells and aerators. And keeping your catch cold in the hot sun is possible with new options for coolers and fish bags. It doesn’t take long to learn, the best kayak fishing gear is useless unless you can use it when needed.

How we chose the best kayak fishing gear

We consider several factors when choosing the best gear for kayak fishing. From ensuring we judge the gear according to its intended purpose to making sure you’re actually able to buy it, here are the things we consider when picking the best kayak fishing gear in each category:

  • Purpose. Comparing apples to apples.
  • Performance. How well does it do its job?
  • Features. Sometimes we’re all about bells and whistles, sometimes not.
  • Real-world testing. We put them to the test on the water.
  • Price. Is it affordable? Does its performance justify its cost?
  • Sales. Best-selling models are best-sellers for a reason.
  • Availability. It won’t be good if you can’t buy it.
  • Designer and brand interviews. We ask the people who made it why.
Buying AdviceGear
Ric Burnley
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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Kayak Angler is the world's leading kayak fishing magazine and the number one source for fishing kayak reviews, rigging and tactics for saltwater and freshwater species, plus industry news and fishing reports on what's biting near you.

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