Anglers are a superstition bunch, so when we find something with good fishing juju, we bring it every time we fish. Whether it’s a special hat, rock or sandwich, kayak fishing lucky charms help us bring in the fish when we can’t hook up. Here’s what Kayak Angler readers carry to keep lady luck on their side.

Readers Share Their Can’t-Miss Kayak Fishing Lucky Charms

“A little plastic cat goes to all my tournaments. Started as a joke but now I don’t leave home without it.”

– Benton Parrott, Louisiana

“Old guy next door was a retired barber (gave me my first haircut), and became my fishing buddy. When he died, his wife let me have his tackle box. Inside I found, among many other treasures, a matchbook advertising his old shop. I have had it in my tackle box for 30 years, and wouldn’t dream of heading out without it.”

– Kevin Undem

“I have a small coal carving of a German Shepherd my wife gave me.”

– Rob Odette

“My star foam cup. Sounds crazy, but I have kept one from Texas and took it to Louisiana, even Florida, and used it there for several days. Some parts of Florida and Louisiana you can’t buy a good-sized star foam cup. Love having ice water or ice cold soda while I’m out on my kayak.”

– Fil Fishman Spencer, Corpus Christi, Texas

a plastic para-trooper toy is one kayak angler's fishing lucky charm
This looks like a job for G.I. Joe. | Feature photo: Fil Martinez
“Found a GI Joe on the ground one day before launching, super glued him to my rod rack and he has been bringing me luck ever since.”

– Fil Martinez, Hopewell, Virginia

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“I have a rubber bracelet that is from HOOK1. It was the identifier for the 2012 TKAA tournament. Well, I won the Slam division that year. The next time I wore it was the 2013 YakAttack tournament (wore it for good luck mojo). I also won that Slam division as well. I wore it a couple more times and it has brought me luck. I need to wear it and go play the lottery.”

– Richie Bekolay, Navarre, Florida

“Lucky para-buddy tied on the front of my camo Trident 13.
He helps me locate the fish.”

– Chris Dolin

“I carry my cat’s harness that passed away every time I fish. Psycho was the coolest cat I have ever owned, he loved everyone and let all the kids carry him and pet him with no arguments. Plus he loved my stinky fishing shirts after a day on the water.”

– Scott Vaughn

“My Skeeter Boats baseball cap given to me by my cousin and a hand-me-down Diawa Millionaire that my dad gave to my grandpa as a gift in the 70’s. The only time I get skunked on the lake is when I’m missing one or the other.”

– Matt Stanton

“I always take along my Dad’s old Zebco Fisherman’s De-Liar. He always had it with him when he fished and now I take it along for good luck and as a nice memory of my Dad. One day I will pass this little good luck charm on to one of my grandchildren, maybe have a fishing contest?”

– Richard Crann

“My Kayak Angler hat! I will turn around and go home if I don’t have my hat with me. It’s my lucky fishing hat.”

– Theresa Southerland, Rockport, Texas

“I carry a perfectly spherical river rock I found when I was very little. That rock is always with me when I fish. Not only is it my lucky charm but it is also a reminds me of my grandfathers. My mentors in fishing.”

– Kyle Polk, Indianapolis, Indiana

This looks like a job for G.I. Joe. | Feature photo: Fil Martinez

 

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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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