Have a new boat and can’t wait to get it out on the water? Great! However, please take just a moment and check out some of the links below to make sure you get to enjoy the sport of kayaking / kayak fishing for years to come.
General Safety Tips For All Paddlers
Some Good Tips Specific To Kayak Fishing
Some Good Tips Including Cold Water Concerns and Preparation
Some More Good Tips From The Kayak Fishing Blog
You, the reader, deserve to know the relationship between products we talk about on this website and the operators of this website.
The operators of this website on occasion will receive products or discounted products for our use. We will disclose when products are provided to us for our use and review. We will not alter our opinion of a product just because it was provided to us. We will not write about products we do not use. We may use affiliate links in on this website and our social media properties to earn revenue.
You should assume that any company listed on a tournament flyer has given product(s) to be given away at that tournament.
The authors of this website receives products or discounts from at least the following companies: GoPro, LifeProof, Jackson Kayak, YakAttack, Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Bending Branches, Red Fox Wireless, Orion Coolers, Yakima, ENO, Mustang Survival, Astral, and Kokatat.
Guess what? We think those are all great companies that make great products.
This 5-minute video describes the characteristics of different types of kayaks.
This two minute video from Gene Jensen, aka The Flukemaster, explains why braided line can benefit an angler fishing out of a plastic boat.
This two minute video gives you an idea on how you should hold and move your paddle while on the water.
2018 Alabama Kayak Fishing Events are here.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG.
PLEASE SEE THE 2018 PAGE!
Check each club’s Facebook pages and websites for rules, event updates, and results. Here we try to offer a comprehensive look at kayak fishing events in Alabama during 2017. Note that some events may be hosted by clubs from outside our state.
Feel free to contact us to add your events and details.
Always check the host organization’s websites for last minute event details and weather updates.
Key:
CBY – Chattanooga Bass Yakkers
CCKFT – Coosa Canoe and Kayak Fishing Tournament
CKA – Chattahoochee Kayak Anglers
CRKA – Coosa River Kayak Anglers
HOW SA – Heroes on the Water South Alabama Chapter
HOW NA – Heroes on the Water North Alabama Chapter
ICKA – Iron City Kayak Anglers
KBF – Kayak Bass Fishing Trail
KBS – Kayak Bass Series
MBKFA – Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing Association
PSKA – Peach State Kayak Anglers
RRKT – Reel Krazy Kayak Tournament Trail
SKA – Shoals Kayak Anglers
NAKA – North Alabama Kayak Anglers
TVKA – Tennessee Valley Kayak Anglers
“Pretty awesome to look at one page an see all tournaments in one spot!” – Adam Overton
Opinion: the best kayak for fishing in Alabama
Rule #1: Try before you buy!
Simply put, the $300 kayak you bought at a yard sale in Dothan eight years ago is better than the $2000 kayak sitting on the store shelf in Montgomery.
The kayak you have is the best kayak for you because it is the kayak you are going to use.
When should you upgrade your kayak? Only upgrade your kayak when you notice you are missing something on the water or when you think your kayak is discouraging you from getting on the water. If you think a new kayak is going to have you enjoying more time on the water, then maybe it really is time to upgrade. Our free time is valuable; some may say it is invaluable.
Are you missing a more comfortable seat? Many don’t miss a more comfortable seat until they sit in a newer seat. A comfortable seat is the #1 component of a kayak that determines how much time you will spend on the water. Hours in an uncomfortable seat just leads to an unpleasant fishing experience and a sore back the next day. Be careful about sitting in a new kayak. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. That is, you just don’t know how comfortable another seat can be until you sit in it; and then you’ll want one.
If you think a new kayak is going to have you enjoying more time on the water, then maybe it really is time to upgrade.
Are you missing a more stable kayak? Many anglers don’t know how stable kayaks can really be until they take a different kayak for a demo. I claim that given some time, angler can stand in any kayak for as long as they want to. They’ll adapt to the boat by developing a few extra muscles and brain-motor neuron paths. They’ll make the boat they have work. Only upgrade to a more stable boat if you need more assurance that you will not flip you kayak. Trust me, losing gear is expensive. If you truly need a more stable kayak, you can spend the money to find ones that 6-foot 6-inch 350-pound anglers can stand, jump, and reenter without much effort.
Many makers of the top end fishing kayaks allow you to jump off the kayak and re-enter without worrying about the kayak flipping.
Are you missing a name brand’s recognition? It happens. We get kayak envy. For that, I recommend some stickers and a visit to your local kayak shop for a demo. Or attend a local organization or club’s outing and try our new boats.
But once you get that new kayak you’ll realize the fish actually don’t care what type of boat you were in or how expensive your rod and reel were. You will catch more fish if you go kayak fishing more and a new kayak may encourage you to do that. But, it is unlikely that a new kayak is going to put you in places that you couldn’t access in a previous kayak.
The fish actually don’t care what type of boat you were in or how expensive your rod and reel were.
My point is simple: the kayak you have is the best kayak because it’s the one you will use. If you walk into the garage or shed and see your kayak and for some reason it doesn’t encourage you to go fishing, then perhaps consider if a new kayak will really help you get out on the water more. Know that your new kayak will likely cost a lot of money and be longer and heavier than your current one. And at the end of the day, the fish won’t care the name brand of the boat you are going to use.
All that said, a kayak from Craigslist or a big box store will work just fine on most all large bodies of water in Alabama, even the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps only anglers that fish tiny creeks will want to get a kayak a little more resistant to deteriorating over time after the abuse of rock beds and trees.
That said, we encourage you explore buying local from the outfitters and deals of Alabama and buying kayaks specifically designed for kayak fishing. Many such deals and kayak companies are listed on our resources page.
