A Kayak Fishing Safety Workshop
6-minute read
Bending Branches Pro Staffer Gene Jensen (aka The Flukemaster) offered some of his best kayak fishing safety tips during a live workshop event recently. We want to share them with you, too.
Gene Jensen, “The Flukemaster” and Bending Branches ProTeam member (photo courtesy of Gene Jensen)
Kayak safety “is one of those topics you don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on…until it’s too late,” says Gene. Don’t let your enjoyment of kayak fishing be ruined by a preventable accident, or even turn tragic.
Wear Your PFD. Period.
“92% of fatalities involving kayak anglers involve somebody who did not wear a PFD.” That’s the statistic Gene likes to start with when he talks about kayaking safety.
A PFD (Personal Flotation Device, also known as a life jacket) does you no good if you stuff it under your seat or up in the front hatch. While legally, it’s enough to be in the boat with you, safety-wise, you need to wear it for it to work for you in case of an emergency.
Don’t Buy These Types of PFDs
There are two types of PFDs you want to stay away from as a kayak angler:
- The cheap, orange, bulky one that goes around the back of your neck and hangs down the front. While the cheapest, this kind is the most uncomfortable and in the way.
- A neoprene vest designed for water skiing and jet skiing. These get hot while you’re sitting in your kayak, and will also get in the way of your paddling.
Gene doesn’t recommend the self-inflating PFDs for fishing either. Even though he comes from a family of engineers, he says he wouldn’t trust his life to something mechanical.
While these models are the most comfortable, you have to pull a cord for them to inflate. If you experience some kind of medical emergency, you may not have that option.
Do Buy a Kayaking-Specific PFD
The #1 key to normalizing wearing your PFD is to buy one that’s comfortable and kayaking-specific. Go to a paddleshop and try on different models to find one that fits your body well and includes some of the extra features for fishing, like zipped pockets and D-rings.
(Photo by of Open Road Visuals)
A kayaking-specific PFD allows for plenty of freedom in your shoulders for paddling, casting and reeling. It also has a higher back that doesn’t interfere with your kayak seat like other PFDs do.
One trick Gene mentions that ensures he wears his PFD at all times in the boat is to keep his cell phone zipped into one pocket and tethered to his vest. Keep valuables in your PFD and you’ll always want it on you.
A whistle is an important safety item to keep in your PFD as well. If you capsize and have trouble re-entering your kayak, your whistle will alert others in the area that you need help.
This is especially key in cold weather (discussed below) or when you fish in waters inhabited by large predators like alligators or sharks.
Learn Open Water Self-Rescue
The most important safety skill you need to become proficient at is what’s called open water self-rescue.
Because fishing kayaks are designed to be very stable, 9 times out of 10, you’ll go in the water without your boat flipping. It could be hitting an underwater tree or boulder unexpectedly while you’re standing up, or reaching for something that fell overboard.
So, most of the time, your kayak will still be upright when you need to climb back on.
Take the time to practice, practice, practice self-rescue in safe, warm water on a calm day until it’s easy for you. You want to be able to climb back on without flipping your boat on losing all your gear.
First, clear the deck of your paddle and gear. Then the trick is to kick your legs out behind you, pull up and get your belly over the gunwale and lie down flat across your kayak as fast as you can, as you grab the opposite side of the boat. Then flip over on your back and get your rear inside, and you’ll be able to make your way to your seat.
“This skill will save your life,” says Gene. “There are two types of kayakers in the world: those who have fallen in and those who will fall in.”
If your buddy falls in, you can help him get back in by pulling your kayak alongside his. Hold his gunwale while you lean away from it, and that will stabilize his enough for him to climb back in.
Kayak Fishing in Cold Weather
The Rule of 120 says that if you add the water temperature and the air temperature together and it equals 120º or less, you’re fishing in hypothermic conditions.
Cold weather fishing means additional safety concerns
Gene always keeps a survival kit in his kayak that includes a pair of sweats, a hoodie and a fire starting kit. He puts fire-starting materials in a Ziplock bag (a lighter and tinder that will burn for several minutes) and then keeps that bag with the dry clothes in a dry bag.
He’s had to use his survival kit twice when he knew he was getting dangerously cold. It could be bad weather or a capsize. Either way, it could save your life. Head to the bank, dry off, get your dry clothes on and warm up with a fire.
To Wear and Not to Wear
If you plan to fish in cold weather conditions frequently, it’s essential to invest in a high-quality dry suit. In case you capsize, a dry suit won’t keep you warm in cold water, but it’ll keep you mostly dry until you can either get back in your kayak or swim to shore.
Don’t wear your hunting bibs or any other thermal wear that will get soaked quickly and get heavy, making it much harder to get back in your kayak. Don’t wear regular chest waders, as they’ll quickly fill up with water and get very heavy.
Always Check the Weather Forecast
Become a weather nerd and always check the weather forecast before you head out kayak fishing. Especially pay attention to the wind speed and direction throughout the day.
If the weather looks nasty, skip your fishing trip or plan to be back at the launch before anything blows in. If you’re in doubt, don’t go out.
Take Advantage of Apps
Kayak anglers in our day have technology at our fingertips like never before. Take advantage of that by downloading a few strategic apps, like those for weather forecasting and tracking your route that others can see in case they need to send out a search party.
(See 20 Apps for Canoeists, Kayakers & Kayak Anglers for some recommendations.)
(Photo courtesy of Brandon Mayes)
Pay Attention to Other Boaters
Boaters in bigger boats aren’t looking for kayak anglers. They may even be driving down the lake looking at their fish finder instead of ahead of them.
So do your best to allow other boaters to see you easily: Use high-visibility colors with your kayak, paddle, PFD, cap and shirts. Get a bright visibility flag for the back of your kayak. Keep a headlamp in your boat that you can shine at other boaters if needed, especially towards dusk.
If you need to, even stand up and wave your paddle at a boater who doesn’t seem to be paying attention to avoid a collision.
Watch the Video
You can watch Gene’s workshop below (it’s approximately 22 minutes long):
Stay safe and happy fishing!
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or bbinfo@bendingbranches.com, or choose our online chat option.
More for you...
