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The saltwater coastal dune lakes of South Walton, Florida make for a perfect day of kayak fishing. For those who want to get a little more out of their kayaking excursions, kayak fishing can be both a soothing and exciting weekend activity. However, if you’ve never been saltwater kayak fishing, or kayak angling as some call it, there are a few tips to keep in mind. This is a bit different from fishing in a boat or from the shore and should be treated differently, though some of these tips are good to keep in mind no matter what your vessel.

Carry Bug Spray

In Florida, we already know all about applying sunscreen, but that’s not the only protection you’ll need. Most beginner kayak fishers think of the fish and the calming lakes themselves when they think of kayak fishing. They don’t think about bugs. But especially when fishing in the coastal dune lakes, bug spray is essential. Here you might find a swarm of mosquitoes in the ideal fishing spot, and unless you want to leave covered in bites or abandon the spot, it’s helpful to keep a can of bug spray at your side.

Anchor Yourself

Kayaks are lighter than most canoes, something that appeals to many kayakers. However, this can be problematic when you catch your first fish and then find yourself taken for a ride. It happens all the time. Kayak fishers cast a line, hook a big fish, and then that fish pulls the kayak along — sometimes for a mile. You can stop this by bringing an anchor or power pole to keep your kayak in place.

Cast One-Handed

There’s not much space between a the kayak seat and the water, which causes a rather precarious balancing act. Casting too hard or casting two-handed could be all it needs to throw that balance and tip your kayak. Instead, most kayak fishers use lighter, finesse fishing equipment and learn to cast one-handed. This helps you maintain your balance, though it might take a bit of practice to master it.

Bring a Camera and Mount

After all, you want to commemorate your big catches, right? Get a picture of your favorite catch of the day and post it on social media to show off. Here again, balancing can be a tricky thing in a kayak, and so can attempting to take pictures so close to the water. The solution is to bring a waterproof camera with you, as well as a mount. This way not only will you not miss anything, but you’ll have high quality pictures to remember it long after your fishing trip.

One more tip? Instead of buying your own kayak, rent one from The Rental Shop 30A. We have high standards of comfort and stability with all of our kayaks, and we offer free delivery to beach towns of 30A. You can take a one day fishing excursion with our kayaks for just $65 or keep the kayak for a week for $165. Call us today at (850) 260-0001 for more information.