The thrill of fighting a fish from a kayak, unlike any other kind of fishing, gets many anglers hooked on kayak fishing for life. That thrill means there’s a good chance of something going wrong, which usually means you could end up going for a swim. How can you avoid falling off your fishing kayak? Use these tips to stay upright instead of going for an unexpected dip.
5 Ways to Avoid Falling Off Your Fishing Kayak
1 Keep It Straight
The surest way to find yourself in the water is to try and fight the fish off the side of your kayak. When that fish runs, you’re going in the drink. Kayaks are most vulnerable to tipping when being pulled from the sides, so instead of giving the fish the upper hand, keep your rod pointed straight at your bow. This will make the fish have to turn your kayak around in order to keep running, which not only keeps you upright, but also tires out that trophy faster.
2 Center is Smarter
I’ve seen many anglers fall by looking over the side of their boat and I’ll admit, I did it once or twice when I was starting out. Looking down into the bottom for structure is a cool view, but it’s also an easy way to lose your balance. Keep your head centered in the kayak, whether you’re sitting or standing, and you won’t be able to go over the sides. The general rule is: where your head goes, your body follows, so make sure to keep your head inside the boat at all times. If you need to look down below, get a fish finder, or if your buddy owes you money tell him to look for you.
3 No Showboating
It may make for a cool photo, but turning around to throw up a thumbs up while your buddy snaps the picture is not a good idea. There’s a decent chance that the photo you get will show you floating in the water as your fish gets away and you’re left with nothing but broken pride. That’s also a good way to break your rod, an arm, or something worse, like your street cred.
Instead, make your buddy paddle in front of you to snap a few hero shots, or get your own GoPro and set it to timelapse mode. It will take photos every few seconds or minutes and you can pick the shot that shows off your best side.
4 Take a Knee
Standing up gives you the best vantage point, but that might not be an option for your boat or your skill level (yet). To raise your view without raising the risk, try sitting on your knees, either in the seat or directly in front of the seat, keeping your weight at the center of the kayak. This will raise your view enough to reduce glare on the water and extend your vision a few feet. That may be all the window you need to land a lunker.
5 Landing Lessons
The easiest and worst time to fall out of your boat is when you try to land a fish. While focusing on what’s on the end of your line you could get knocked over by a wave, hit a rock, or even just lose your balance. Stretching away from the kayak with a net or hand toward the leader will surely get you soaked. Once your head crosses the line, you’re going in. To stay dry and still land the fish, try the leg sweep technique, or get a one-handed net that you can use while staying centered in the boat.
Staying calm when the fish pulls drag is tough, but essential to staying dry. | Feature photo: Ben Duchesney
One time I decided to try to “reach the bottom” in a shallow creek to stop my kayak from going headfirst into some poison ivy on the bank as I was fighting an aggressive smallmouth that was pulling me all over the place.
It worked about as well as you expected. After my bath I realized I had soaked my camera and lost my glasses.
Expensive mistake, but my pride took the biggest hit. Ate lots of humble pie that day. 🙂