Saltwater Kayak Fishing Tips for Beginners

Last Updated on August 18, 2022 by Donnell Henderson

Saltwater kayak fishing is a sport that involves paddling out to sea in a kayak, trolling for fish, and then reeling them in. It is an exhilarating way to spend a few hours on the water. It’s also a great way to exercise while enjoying the ocean’s natural beauty. If you have never tried it, here are some tips to help you get started.

Saltwater kayak fishing can be done by itself or as part of a larger trip.

During your trip, it is important to remember all safety precautions and kayak safety rules. You need life jackets for everyone on board and helmets if you plan on using any motor. Don’t forget your sunscreen and bug spray! Fishing requires patience, so don’t expect to reel in anything right away.

Keep trying, and eventually, you will catch something! And when you do, it’s worth celebrating with ice-cold refreshments from your cooler—you might even want to bring some fresh seafood for dinner!

Kayak fishing is a great way to spend a day on the water. It’s convenient, cheap, and even relaxing, especially when you’re not catching anything. What can you do to improve the results of your saltwater kayak fishing?

11 Essential Tips for Saltwater Kayak Fishing

Saltwater Kayak Fishing can be as easy as taking a seat in your kayak and gliding into the water, but it is much more.

Saltwater kayak anglers are always looking for fishing kayaks with more storage, better stability, and an overall more comfortable fishing experience. In offshore fishing, getting a big fish in a kayak can be tiring, so many opt for paddle kayaks. However, sight fishing from a kayak is an incredible experience, so many choose fishing kayaks that are smaller and more maneuverable. It’s important to figure out what style of fishing you’ll be doing most often to decide on the perfect fishing kayak for you.

Many factors go into successfully and safely going kayak fishing in saltwater. Some of these factors depend on you, while others have to do with your chosen kayaking equipment.

1. Don’t Go Cheap on Your Paddle

When you are out kayak fishing, the one thing that can make or break your day is your paddle. A good paddle that is designed for kayaking will help you move through the water easily and reach the perfect position for catching fish.

A bad paddle not only hinders your ability to catch fish but can also put your life in danger when it fails at a crucial moment.

The most important factor in picking a great paddle is choosing one that is made for saltwater kayaking. You won’t want to go with any old paddle because these are for a specific environment.

Saltwater paddles are specifically crafted to be used in saltwater conditions and have seals that prevent water from getting into the seams of the paddle. This prevents corrosion from occurring from the saltwater, which can ultimately lead to the failure of your paddle and you being unable to catch any fish.

2. Bug Spray

Although it’s not a very popular sport, saltwater kayak fishing is always gaining in popularity. But with those increasing numbers, more and more people are running into an unexpected hurdle: bugs. Mosquitoes, no-see-ums, gnats, ticks.

If you’re planning on kayaking this summer, here are some tips for keeping the bugs at bay:
Apply insect repellant early and often. Repellant containing DEET is especially effective.
Wear light clothing, including a hat and long sleeves.
Wear closed shoes that cover your ankles.
Take a lightweight net with you to wave off particularly annoying insects (mosquitoes).
If you don’t have any repellant, wave your hands around and yell loudly to scare them off (no joke).
If you’re in a group, let one person be the designated bug-waver. Everyone can enjoy themselves without swatting away bugs or worrying about someone else doing so.

3. Waterproof Camera with Mount

Fishing from a kayak is an exciting way to get out on the water and is worth the investment of your time and money. But first, you must choose a waterproof camera and mount to keep your pictures safe while you’re paddling and fishing. The first step is choosing the right camera. Three types of waterproof cameras work for kayak fishing: 1) Underwater cameras, 2) Waterproof cameras, and 3) Water-resistant cameras. The difference between these three types of cameras lies in how much freshwater they can go through before getting damaged. Waterproof cameras can handle salt water but not fresh water. Water-resistant cameras can handle fresh water splashes or rain but not submersion. Underwater cameras are designed for dives up to 200 feet deep and other underwater activities like snorkeling.

4. Anchor, Push Pin, or Power Pole

Choosing between a power pole, anchor, or push pin depends on your fishing style and location. Power poles are great for fishing in open water, like a lake or bay. They are easy to use—usually requiring one hand to reel and one to hold the button down for power. You can still fish from a kayak if you have a power pole, although the pole does make it harder to paddle and steer. Plus, the pole makes a lot of noise when reeled in, so it can scare fish away.

Power poles can catch any fish that swims in saltwater, including tuna, marlin, wahoo, barracuda and snapper. However, these types of fish tend to be caught by boats with engines because of their size.

Many saltwater kayakers prefer to anchor their boat instead of using a power pole.

Anchoring is easier than paddling around with a power pole while trying to cast your line simultaneously. Anchoring also makes it easier to fish in shallower water with fewer fish. Plus, it’s much quieter than using a power pole when you want to avoid scaring off nearby fish with the noise of reeling in your line.

5. Sunscreen & Sun Protection Clothing

Protecting your skin from the sun’s harsh UV rays is important, even when you’re out on the water kayaking. While your body is shielded from the rays by being covered head to toe in a wetsuit, sunscreen is still a good idea. Several sunscreen brands are available, but some don’t play well with synthetic fabrics like neoprene.

Most types of sunscreen contain chemicals that can leave a residue on your clothes and gear. Manufacturers have addressed this issue and now offer sunscreens specifically made for water sports. The best option for kayakers is an aerosol spray that leaves no residue and can be applied directly to clothes, skin, and gear. These sprays should be reapplied every two hours to ensure complete protection from harmful UV rays.

Scattering clothing around the boat will also help protect you from harmful rays. Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants to keep arms and legs covered. A wide-brimmed hat will shield your head, face, and neck from direct sunlight, while a pair of sunglasses protect your eyes and keeps them from getting dry or irritated.

6. Proper Fish Handling Gear

While saltwater kayaking fishing is a unique way to catch fish, it does require certain gear that the inland fisherman doesn’t need to use.

To safely handle fish for measuring and release, or just for cleanliness, here are some of the items you can use:

A pair of sturdy needle-nosed pliers.
A fillet knife should be kept sharpened not to dull it while cutting through scales and fat.
A pair of gloves. While these may come in handy during kayaking, they are necessary when handling fish. If exposed, fish scales can be rough, abrasive, and bad for your hands. You don’t want to have this problem while you’re out fishing. Also, your hands will get slimy from touching the fish, and it’s not fun to try to hold onto a slippery kayak paddle with slimy hands. So make sure you’re protected by wearing gloves when you handle fish.
A measuring tape that measures in inches and centimeters. This is important because it’s hard to guess how large a fish is by how long its body is alone; length doesn’t always tell the whole story about how big a fish is!
Get your fish finder. A kayak fish finder is a GPS system that uses sonar to help you locate fish. The device sends sound waves, which bounce off the fish and return to the kayak fish finder. The device then uses this information to determine the location of the fish and show it on a map.

7. Plenty of Liquids

When you’re out on the water for a long time, one of the best ways to keep yourself going is to ensure you stay hydrated. When you’re fishing on a kayak, this is even more important because the instability of your vessel will probably mean that you’ll be taking in water at an increased rate compared to the land-dwellers around you. You’ve got to keep yourself from dehydrating and wearing your body out too quickly.

To start, it’s important to understand why you need to keep drinking when you’re out there. One reason is pretty obvious—when you’re active, your body loses fluids through sweat, and so if you don’t replace those losses, they’ll accumulate over time and eventually lead to dehydration.

The other reason is less obvious: though it’s not usually something people worry about while enjoying the outdoors, your body has a greater need for water than usual while exerting yourself in hot temperatures. In warm weather, your body requires more fluid every day than in cold weather, and that extra fluid goes into heat regulation and helps sweat evaporate more efficiently.

8. No Bananas Onboard the Kayak

There’s a reason that there’s a banana-shaped hole in most kayak anglers’ coolers. Some people don’t like the taste of it, but most have found that the potassium in bananas tends to cause the plastic in their coolers to break down much more quickly. This can lead to an off taste in the fish, or worse, it could start leaking down into your food.

But does this mean you can’t eat bananas on your next trip? Not! There are plenty of tasty alternatives out there. Bananas are packed with potassium and calcium, but so are many other fruits and vegetables. Rather than looking for any old substitute, why not try something exotic?

Kitchen staples like garlic and onions are great for increasing flavor and warding off scurvy. Have some leftover rice from last night’s dinner? Throw it in! Need a little bit more protein? Toss in a can of tuna or a pack of bacon. Fruit is also a good source of vitamin C, which is what prevents scurvy in the first place. The next time you find yourself at a grocery store looking for a convenient way to bring some nutrition along on your trip, think beyond bananas!

9. Must-Have Safety Gear

Saltwater kayak fishing is an exhilarating sport but can also be extremely dangerous. As with any water-related activity, you should always wear a life jacket while you’re out on the water—but as a kayaker, you have to be particularly cautious. Your boat is low to the water and doesn’t have much in the way of built-in flotation, so if you were to capsize, you wouldn’t stay afloat for long. In addition, salt water tends to erode whatever floatation devices you’re using—even if you don’t capsize at all, your vest or jacket could become compromised after exposure to salt over time.

They must be properly maintained to ensure that your safety gear can keep up with the harsh ocean conditions. Sea Spray is a special spray that will protect your flotation device from corrosion caused by saltwater exposure. That way, your jacket or vest won’t lose its buoyancy over time, and you’ll be able to continue doing what you love without worrying about your safety gear wearing out prematurely or becoming ineffective.

10. Rain Gear

Your boat is low to the water and doesn’t have much in the way of built-in flotation, so if you were to capsize, you wouldn’t stay afloat for long. In addition, salt water tends to erode whatever floatation devices you’re using—even if you don’t capsize at all, your vest or jacket could become compromised after exposure to salt over time.

11. A Plan

A plan is a key to any great fishing trip, whether you’re on a saltwater kayak or a guided tour in Alaska. If you don’t have a plan for where you’re going, what bait you’ll be using, and how long you’ll stay out there, it’s guaranteed that you won’t get the best results from your time.

Most people make the mistake of just going out and hoping they’ll find fish—but how many people do you know who luck out like that? The answer is almost none. Instead of wasting your time haphazardly wandering around until something happens, take control of the situation by making a plan to help your chances.

Here are some tips for creating your plan:

Make sure you’re going out with someone who knows what they’re doing. Someone who has experience fishing in saltwater kayaks will understand exactly where to go and how to get there—plus, they know how different types of fish react to different stimuli.

Inquire about what means of bait your guide prefers; if they use live bait and offer the option of something else, you should take it. It’s better to be prepared than cheap!

Things You Should Avoid

Just make sure you’re not doing any of these things while you’re out there:

Don’t freeze your hands by putting your hands in a big bucket of ice before going out on the water. It’s much more comfortable to wear gloves or mittens at the start.
Don’t skimp on getting a good pair of sunglasses to keep the glare of the water off your eyes.
Wear a hat if you have sensitive skin, don’t get sunburned on the back of your neck!
Don’t scratch any new lures before you’ve had time to test them.
Make sure you spend some time paddling before you start fishing—you’ll be much less tired and frustrated if you do, and it will help build up your endurance for those bigger fish.

Most Important Safety Measures

First, let’s look at some safety measures you can take to enjoy your experience without running into any issues.

Life Jackets

First of all, wear a life jacket. If anything were to happen, you will stay afloat with this until someone can come to rescue you.

Sunscreen

The second thing is to make sure that you wear sunscreen when kayaking. Other things such as bug spray and sunscreen work well for your skin while protecting it from the elements at the same time.

Marine Radio

Finally, make sure that your vessel is equipped with a marine radio in case anything were to occur where help would be needed.

Final Thoughts

Saltwater kayak fishing is something that everyone should try at least once. The open sky and ocean views are breathtaking, the water is cool and refreshing on a hot day, and it’s a good way to exercise without even realizing it. While you’re out there, you have time to think about life, you can let go of your stress, and it’s just fun! If you started kayak fishing and didn’t know where to start, then brand ocean kayak fishing kayaks are a good place to start your search.

Saltwater fishing from a kayak has many benefits, the main one being that it gets you away from the shore and into the open ocean where the big fish are.

So, start kayak fishing today and see how much fun it can be!