Kayak
A "sit-on-top" kayak is the weapon of choice for chasing fish on our shallow water flats. A sit-on-top is easier and faster to enter or exit versus a sit-inside kayak. Our personal choice is a Perception Prism which is a fast kayak with lots of storage. Unfortunately it has been discontinued after many years of production. Used Prisms surface from time to time but they are snapped up pretty quickly. Its replacement is the Perception Illusion. The Perception Bimini and Caster are also great choices.
Kayak top-deck designs vary only slightly. Most have a hatch on the front. The hatch may attach Tupperware style to the kayak or have straps that hold it in place. Some have "T" shaped handles that lock it in place. The rear deck varies quite a bit. The Prism has another hatch but a large number of kayaks have a ling narrow slot. Originally the slot was for scuba tanks and scuba gear but the kayak fisherman has adapted this space to his advantage. Some place a milk crate in the rear slot which may hold fishing rods and other assorted gear. The Bimini kayak has a milk crate sized square slot and a rear hatch, the best of both worlds.
Kayak Seat
We like the Surf to Summit Tall Back "Classic" seat. The seat is 17.5 inches tall which affords more than adequate back support. Beware of 3/4 high seats or shorter. These will tire you out pretty quickly. This Tall Back model has a rear oversized pouch. We prefer to place items in here rather than in the screw in cats bag. Other models to consider are ones with a pouch/two rod holder combo, seats with thick cushions to elevate you up a little, or ones with a lumbar inflatable pad.
Paddle
We really like our Werner Camano Carbon & Carbon This paddle is 230 cm long, has a small diameter shaft (optional), and comes in 2 pieces. This thing weighs only 26 ounces which is 1 1/2 cans of Coke for comparison. Very light weight. The connecting ferrule has been improved. Instead of 2 or 3 holes for feathering, the ferrule has a internal spline which is indexed every 15 degrees. This allows a large number of feathering positions for left-handers and right-handers. There is no play in the ferrule. The 2 pieces fit very well and I have had no problems taking it apart. We also opted for the "small diameter" shaft and found that it fit our hands better than the regular shaft. Also the area where you grip the paddle is oval rather than round allowing a better and more comfortable grip. The recommended blade shape is called a "touring blade" which is long and narrow. This type of blade is best for the low angle paddling style used in our shallow water areas.
Paddle Leash
The smallest piece of gear sometimes might be the most critical. A paddle leash falls into that category. This rather inexpensive piece of gear could prevent a nightmare from occurring. You can buy one for around $20 or make one out of a piece of small diameter rope or stretch cord. Although you might have a paddle clip or some method of securing your paddle, it will fall overboard when you least expect it. Never leave shore without one.
Rudder
The question always comes up "Do I need a rudder?" The answer is unequivocally "yes." While on the water you will encounter a crosswind 99% of the time. A rudder will help you keep a straighter track. No matter how well you can paddle, a rudder will make it easier to get from point A to point B. With a rudder you can paddle one stroke per side and use the rudder to control the direction. Without a paddle you will have to stroke one side more than the other side. This causes you to think about paddling instead trying to spot fish.
Most types of kayaks can have a rudder system added. Factory kits are available and as well as aftermarket kits. Most have cables connected to the foot-pedals and the cables run inside the kayak.
PFD
TPWD regulations state that for adults a Type III PFD must be within reach. Type III can include the SOS Suspender type if they are not the automatic version. The automatic version is a Type V and must be worn all of the time. Children under 13 must wear their PFD's all of the time.
A PFD manufacturer has finally listened to kayakers with high back seats. This
Lotus Mildwater PFD has a rear
flotation panel that is located at the top instead of the entire real panel (2nd
picture). The rest of the panel is a mesh material. This allows the high rear
panel to ride above the top of a high back kayak seat. Before, the normal
kayaking PFD would actually place your body an inch or so forward requiring you
to adjust the foot pedals accordingly. No more with this new PFD. The front and
rear panels also incorporate some reflective strips. Never has a PFD felt so
good especially when you paddle in the hot weather of our part of Texas. We
highly recommend wearing a PFD and we highly recommend this product.
Currently I am also using the SOSuspenders PFD. These inflate when a lanyard is yanked. Do not get the "automatic" version since these will inflate (poof!) when in contact with water. These are really ideal, lightweight, and allow ample paddling movement. They also have a built in whistle. These are sold by kayak shops and places like Bass Pro and Academy and run around $100 depending on the model. One downside is that you have to buy rearming kits in the event you had to inflate it.
Whistle
A whistle is required by TPWD. Nuff said.
Sungloves
These Solar Gloves from REI work wonders on your hands. They prevent calluses from building up and eliminate the need for sunscreen on the back of your hands. These are made from a real thin fabric and last through a couple of seasons. These are the best brand of sun-gloves I have come across.
Ropes
Ropes are needed to secure the anchor and to use as a tow rope. We like the 1/4" braided nylon because it has some heft to it and will not normally get blown off of the kayak deck. It knots real well, saltwater does not harm it, and also coils nicely. It is available at the home improvement stores. For a tow rope we prefer a 25' to 30' length with a carabineer on each end. An alternative to carabineers are the plastic Scotty clips, but the plastic clips have a tendency to slip out if too much pressure is placed on them. We also carry a short 3 foot section of rope with carabineers in the event we have to connect two or more kayaks together.
Anchor
An anchor is needed to keep your kayak in place. For shallow water we have found that a 4 or 6 pound barbell works great. This anchor will hold your kayak in place except on very windy days. Plus if you drag your kayak behind you, it will slide through the grass with minimum destruction. The claw type anchors will work but the 3 pound one is too light and the 5 pound may seem like a beast. Also if you drag your kayak behind you, it will destroy some of the sea grass. The 3 pound anchor is too lightweight if you close the claws, but the 5 pound will work with closed claws when dragging the kayak behind you.
Boga Grip
This nifty device is a godsend. This Boga Grip (15 pound model) will grip the lower lip of a fish and not let go until you pull back on the black collar. The fish can thrash all it wants but because the grip swivels under the black handle, the fish does not gain any leverage. The best part is that you do not need to touch the fish with your hands. No fish slime is removed and you can "figure 8" the fish back to recovery instead of pumping the fish back and forth. A scale is also included in the handle. This tool works great on reds and specks but not so good on flounder. Sometimes the weight of a large flounder may break the lower jaw if the flounder is lifted completely into the air. Though this tool is pricey, beware of inexpensive imitations. Their jaws tend to torque and allow the fish to escape.
Radios
We use a Standard Horizon VHF Radio, HX470S. The 470S has been replaced with the 471S. This radio is small and lightweight. This one has the VHF Marine band plus AM/FM, the FRS (Motorola's) channels and codes, weather stations, weather alert, airplane band, and something called MURS (which is no longer being used). If you get one, leave it on scan so that you can hear the radio traffic that occurs during the course of the day. We really like this radio. It has a good speaker and the rechargeable battery lasts forever. It comes with a cel-phone type of clip and a recharger base.
We also have been using the Motorola FRS radios since they were first introduced. We like the ability to connect a headphone with a boom microphone so we can talk "hands free." These are voice activated radios which allow you to chit chat with your fishing companions as far away as 5 miles. These are not waterproof nor water resistant.
GPS & Compass
The Garmin GPS Map 76S is the third GPS we have owned. Each time we have bumped up to a better model. Ours is mounted on the hump between our legs. It is easily within reach and can be viewed with polarized sunglasses. If you are in unfamiliar territory, the first thing to do is to mark (waypoint) where your are parked that way you can always get your unit to point you back to where you started from. This unit also marks a trail of your journey in the event you want to reverse the route or repeat it at some other date. This unit is waterproof and will float if knocked overboard. The battery life is fairly adequate but always carry an extra set otherwise you will have to rely on your compass. This "S" model has a sensor so that you do not have to move to reacquire the signal to reestablish your exact position. The GPS mount is held in place with heavy duty Velcro (mushroom type). I do remove the holder and the retaining nut while traveling. I leave the bottom round plate in position.
I have always had a compass on board. This inexpensive one is mounted on the hump between my legs. I used two strips of heavy duty Velcro (the mushroom head type) to attach it to the kayak. I do not remove it. It has stayed there in place for 6 years. The compass will give me a quick idea of my direction without having to cycle through the various GPS screens and it is my backup in the event the GPS batteries die on me.
Maps
An aerial-view map of the location you are fishing is very useful. The original kayak trail maps were wall size posters and hard to manage. The current ones are regular sheet size and laminated (although the lamination does not last quite a bit). I keep mine tucked under my kayak seat for quick reference. The GPS coordinates on the maps are a bit off and some of the markers are not where the map indicates they are. If you have a GPS unit that is connectible to a PC, email me and I will send you the correct coordinates. kr4@leftyray.com
Binoculars
After carrying a lightweight pair of Swarovski 8x20’s for many years, we got tired of squinting into the small aperture (with or without sunglasses on). Our shopping quest found this pair from Nikon (Action EX ATB 7x35) which has a large aperture of 7/8”. This is the largest aperture we have found in a number of binocular brands. We can easily view through these things without taking our polarized sunglasses off which is a big boon to determining if it is a mullet tail or a redfish tail we are spotting. This pair is also waterproof and fog proof. This makes cleaning easy because you can rinse them out in the sink. The optics are superb and images sharp as can be. The only drawback is their weight which is 28.2 ounces. This might be heavy for some people but because we constantly wear a large camera around our neck, we feel this weight is bearable.
Headlamp
When rigging up before the crack of dawn a little light goes a long way. In the old days we would hold a Mini-Maglite in our teeth. When affordable headlamps first arrived we liked the convenience but hated the heavy weight on our head. Before we launch into why we like this particular product, let us say that "any" headlamp will work. The key is that your hands are free to rig up and where ever you point your head you have instant light. This is our 3rd headlamp and each time the newer models have gotten lighter and the batteries have lasted longer. In this case this Zenix LED headlamp from Black Diamond weighs 4.9 ounces so we sometimes forget it is on our head. It is powered by 3 AAA batteries (which are included) and so far we have not had to replace them in an entire season. The key to the long life is the 3 LED bulbs (one bright center and two side lights). The light is also pivotal so you can point it up or down to some degree. This unit is also waterproof in the event you get caught in some rain.
Kayak Lights
TPWD regulations require a white 360 degree light while paddling in the dark. This 820 model from Scotty fits the bill. It uses 2 D cell batteries and puts out more light than its little brother the 823 model.
How to make a homemade kayak light
First Aid Kit
A first aid kit of some sort is needed. It can be a store bought kit or one put together with a few essentials. I include Neosporin, large band-aids, jelly fish pain reliever, roll of tape, etc. The key thing to remember is that if you fall and cut up your hand(s), do you have the items necessary to patch up yourself or fellow kayaker? A cut from an oyster shell does a lot of harm and being able to patch it up and paddle back to your launching spot is the goal. The large square gauze pads and band-aids work better than the normal size band-aids.
Camera Protection
Here are a couple of tried and true options for protecting your camera or electronics.
SealLine Baja Deck Bag: This vinyl half moon shaped bag that is waterproof. It can house a 35mm SLR and a digital camera. It is built to be lashed down on your kayak deck. This large bag can hold big items and does a great job of keeping everything dry.
Mountain Cork: This is the current bag that I am using to house my 2 cameras while on the water. A full size 35mm SLR and a digital fit inside plus accessories. It is water resistant but not waterproof. I lash it behind me on my kayak and have found that it handles salt spray very well. It also fits inside of my kayak hatches in the event I want to stow it inside. The flip top lid makes access very easy. The inside of the lid has 2 mesh pockets that hold several misc items. The tarpaulin outer material is like a heavy vinyl. Very washable. If you carry a lot of camera gear and find the hard Pelican cases too rigid to fit inside of a kayak hatch then this may be your answer.
GSI Outdoors Waterproof Utility Boxes, Medium: This waterproof container is large enough to house a typical sized digital or point-and-shoot film camera. This box floats if it falls overboard and can handle salt spray real well. The best part is that you can leave it on your lap as you paddle and paddle drip will not harm your camera. The clear plastic material is Lexan which means it is virtually indestructible. I added the red strap so that I could attach it to something in the event it fell off of my kayak. If you want to take your camera out on the water but are afraid of getting wet, then this product is for you.
