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Safety Tips For Kayak Night Fishing

7 Safety Tips For Kayak Night Fishing

Kayak fishing at night is fun and full of adventure, but it can be very hazardous if proper safety measurements are not taken. Water can be filled with predators and insects are driven to the lights, which can damage you. Also, navigating at night is very hard, so in the worst-case scenario, you could lose your route.

But you shouldn't skip the enjoyment and adventurous feeling of kayak fishing at night for these problems. You can follow these 7 safety tips for kayak night fishing. These tips will help you overcome the problems while fishing with a kayak at night.

As light attracts fish, you can catch a lot of fish. Also, you will be safe even if you lose your route.

Why should I stay extra alert at night fishing?

Staying extra alerted Is important for night fishing because:

  • Navigation becomes harder at night so if you don't concentrate perfectly you can lose your routes.
  • Temperature becomes cooler as a result you can catch hyperthermia
  • Weather change can cause the worst devastation as, in the dark, it is hard to find shores.
  • Sometimes radio or phone signals don't work, so communication becomes harder.
  • Light attracts bugs, which can cause you to get diseases.

7 Safety Tips For Kayak Night Fishing

#1 Choosing the right safety equipment

PFD: It is one of the essential pieces of equipment for kayak anglers. A perfect PFD may cost you some money, but it will provide you with the best safety possible. They have extra-large zippered pockets to store hooks, equipment, and small fishing gear.

Light: This is one of the essential items you should take for kayak fishing at night. At night, there is no sunlight, so you have to use those lights to see your routes, catch fish, or signal other boaters.

Knife: Having a knife can help you in various operations related to kayak fishing. You can cut lines or your caught fish with a well-sharpened knife. Choose a knife that can be attached to the chest piece of your PFDs.

Towline: The towlines are used to wrap around people's waists to secure themselves. If you have a couple of friends to go kayak fishing with, consider buying this tool.

Flotation bags: It is also another essential safety item for kayak fishing. If your kayak gets somehow damaged, these bags help your kayak stay floating.

Paddle leash: The paddle leashes help you secure your paddle when fishing at night. So you concentrate on your fishing more.

Drysuit: The drysuit keeps you warm enough so that diseases like hyperthermia can't catch you even if you fall in the cold water. So when you are going kayak fishing, check the climate of your fishing zone and buy an appropriate suit.

Water-resistant first-aid kit: There must be a fast aid kit in your kayak it's so important safety tips for kayak night fishing. And if the box is covered with a waterproof bag, it will become very beneficial for you when you need it. When kayak fishing at night, minor injuries are common, so a first aid kit can help you at that time.

Cell phone dry box: GPS and VHF radios are convenient tools while kayak fishing. If you can't use them, consider using a cell phone. But cell phones can become wet and unable to be used while fishing.

So you should buy a dry cell phone box. You should keep your phone, charger, and extra batteries in the bag to safeguard them.

Kayak flag and light: While kayaking at night, you must make yourself perfectly visible in the water. And a kayak light and a flag can help you. Consider buying a light and a flag whose color is visible at night. Even if you get lost in an emergency, their visibility can help you get rescued.

Emergency Whistle: You can use these whistles while fishing with your fishing buddies. You can communicate with them using these whistles.

Bring enough food and drinks: You can become exhausted when kayak fishing, and you need to refuel your energy. So at that time, you need to eat. Bring enough food so that you can eat it to stay hydrated and get enough strength while kayak fishing.

#2 Never kayak alone

It is vital to take fishing buddies with you while kayak fishing at night. Managing a kayak might be easy for you, but the most straightforward job at night becomes more burdensome. Also, it is an excellent opportunity to enjoy yourself with friends.

Fishing buddies can-

  • Provide you with enough enjoyment while kayak fishing, as fishing alone, is one of the tedious jobs.
  • Help with your fishing, as fishing sometimes needs extra hands.
  • Can assist you in emergencies and support you to stay calm.
  • Can help you financially as you can buy gadgets together that can be shared.

#3 Choose a suitable kayak location

If you are kayak fishing at night, always choose the water you are familiar with. But if you are kayaking in waters that you hardly know, you must scout it in daylight. Then you have to take the necessary steps and safety measurements to do kayak fishing at night.

Like, check the current and wave indexes before going anywhere near water. In the beginning, kayak fishing in slow water is recommended.

Always check your routes for any kinds of obstacles and navigate the kayak perfectly. Remember, a small mistake can be your worst nightmare.

#4 Check weather Forecast

Kayak fishers can encounter terrible weather conditions because they become impatient about fishing, which may lead them into deadly circumstances. Sometimes the weather can be sunny in the daylight, but it can change quickly at night.

So check the weather conditions of the area where you are kayak fishing. You can follow these simple, written steps.

  • Always check for wind momentum and direction when kayaking into the water at night.
  • If you are kayaking in the sea, check the map for wave data.
  • NOAA always provides storm warnings, so check before going out.
  • If you see any kind of crisis in the weather forecast, immediately terminate your excursion.

#5 Always keep trails

You should keep a trail while kayak fishing at night to avoid losing the route. It is very important because losing your route can cause you to feel stuck in the water in the worst way at night. In the water, use blaze orange rags to keep your path clear. Don't tie them behind the moon, or they won't be visible.

Also, when you are going kayak fishing at night, you must inform your family about your paddle location or your extortion points. Also, you can contact the local coast guard for more safety in your kayak fishing.

#6 Know your limitations and plan

You always have to choose your plan as much as you are capable of. Don't push yourself too hard, or it can backfire on you. You should know how much you can paddle or which area is suitable for you for kayak fishing.

You must learn the basics of kayak fishing at night because even simple work in daylight can be much harder at night. You can practice paddling in your local areas or ponds to gain more stamina.

#7 Make yourself visible at night

You have to make yourself visible at night so that others can see you at night. The kayak boats travel so fast that you have to concentrate absolutely to keep from crushing other boaters.

Use any paint or sticker that glows when the light falls on the tail or head of the kayak. It depends a lot on your kayak size.  So you have to make yourself visible enough.

To do it,

  • Buy a kayak that brightens in the dark and is not obscured by watercolors or foliage.
  • When you buy a PFD, consider buying a brighter one.
  • Buy red and green-colored flags and lights so that your boat can be seen in the dark.
  • You can use reflective tape to attach them to your PFD or boat to make them more observable.
  • Whistle with the emergency whistle to make a noise so that other boaters can hear your presence.

FAQ

You may still have some questions in mind. Please have a look at the section below.

What do you need to kayak fish at night?

You need some essential items to go kayak fishing at night. You will need a PFD, a knife, and white lights to do kayak fishing at night. Consider buying this item in bright colors so that you can find them in the dark.

You must have a GPS and a VHF radio for communication, but you can carry a cell phone with you if you don't want to spend much money. Also, carry a bag with fast aid kits and extra hooks and batteries.

Can you night fish on a kayak?

Kayak fishing at night is possible, but it is much tougher than fishing in a kayak in the daylight. You need precise types of equipment with enough skills to do night fishing in a kayak. Also, you shouldn't go alone.

Kayak fishing at night necessitates the use of a VHF radio, a PFD, and white lights, all of which are required.

Does a kayak need lights at night?

You must need lights for kayak fishing at night. Not only are lights necessary for your fishing or riding in the kayak, but also the night kayaking boats must have lights, which is a must-have condition by the United States Coast Guards.

According to the law, if you are fishing in a kayak at night, you must have an electric torch or white lighted lantern.

What are 3 safety tips all anglers should follow?

The three safety tips that all anglers should follow are,

  • Before going kayak fishing, make sure you have the proper safety equipment.
  • Check the weather forecast before going out.
  • Always remain concentrated while fishing in a kayak at night.

How do you light a kayak at night?

You can attach a formal white light on the aft deck to assure visibility in the fishing kayak. These lights can sparkle at 360-degrees to provide enough vision in your eye. Also, consider buying a waterproof light. In case the other light is damaged or is not working perfectly, you can use the waterproof light.

Conclusion

Nowadays, kayak fishing at night has become so popular. People started going to catch fish in a kayak with their buddies to enjoy the adventurous and courageous feeling of the night.

Although kayaking is so enjoyable, and there are a lot of benefits of kayaking for fitness. But if sufficient safety steps are not taken while kayak fishing at night, the trip can be harmful both to you and your buddies. In the worst circumstances, you can lose your route or injure yourself by falling from the kayak.

These 7 safety tips for kayak night fishing can help you solve the hardships of your trip. To catch fish safely with a kayak, you must follow the weather forecast for a couple of days to understand the nature of the area where you are going fishing.

a reliable way to know or monitor weather conditions is to use the National Marine Forecast

You shouldn't go alone while fishing, and you have to take all the essential tools.

Greenkayak
Greenkayak
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