trying to get started- a helping hand

[OnTheWater123]

My name is Aaron and i am out of Orange county.

always been interested and now planning on taking it on. (kayak fishing)

any tips? suggestions?

whats a good brand for a kayak?
where to get live bait?
what bait to use?
where and how would i add "add on's" where to purchase?
permits licences required?
all things required to go out and fish?
can fish anywhere?
how to know what fishes can be caught and which cannot?
buddy of mine told me a story once - him getting a huge ticket for catching a fish that was protected by the state i think he said. this was a long time ago. and i believe it was spear fishing...

thanks guys.

sorry for the NOOB questions. . . i learn fast.

[ful-rac]

Welcome Aaron!

You'll have fun around here! I know we do!


whats a good brand for a kayak?
A: Hobie, Malibu, Ocean, Wilderness, Jackson...

where to get live bait?
A: At the bait barge or make it yourself.

what bait to use?
A: Depends on what your trying to catch and what is available...

where and how would i add "add on's" where to purchase?
permits licences required?
A: You can purchase your licence at any tackle shop. You can buy all your "add ons" at one of your friendly OEX sunset beach or OEX mission bay locations

all things required to go out and fish?
A: Kayak, fishing licence, rod, reel, tackle

can fish anywhere?
A: No, there are MLPA zones and reserves.

how to know what fishes can be caught and which cannot?
A: Get yourself a copy of the DFG handbook and read it. Changes can occur at anytime during the season so make sure to visit the DFG or DFW website to make sure.

buddy of mine told me a story once - him getting a huge ticket for catching a fish that was protected by the state i think he said. this was a long time ago. and i believe it was spear fishing...
A: Well shame on him...

[Dave Legacy]

Oh man, that's a lot of stuff to cover. You'll answer a lot of these questions yourself by simply back reading the general board archives or searching for keywords.

I'll touch on your first question though:

There are many great kayak manufactures and it seems most all of them have at least a couple kayaks suitable for our local fishing. I would advise a sit-on-top kayak for starters and generally something at least 12' long for fishing on unprotected open water. The next decision is pedal vs. paddle; It's something that may be decided by your budget. Before you buy you should try to rent a bunch and get a feel for what you like.

There's one more thing I wish I had done before I purchased a kayak. I wish I would have rented a kayak from somewhere and transported it to another location (ex. Sport Chalet). Kayaks feel a lot bigger when you're trying to roof-top it on your car or trying to drag it down the beach. I learned a ton about kayak ownership on day one I could have learned before hand.

[Harry Hill]

Don't buy the Bass Pro sit on top kayaks, they are okay for lake fishing but they get real wet with any kind of chop. I know this because I have one. They are very stable but most waves come over the bow into the boat. You won't sink but you will get wet. I am going to try a launch at La Jolla pretty soon so that will be the real test .

[Mr. NiceGuy]

ful-rac, that was a downright friendly post. I'm impressed

-----

OnTheWater123, a fast way to learn a ton of good information is to start reading the fishing reports and general kayak fishing posts in the forums here. Keep reading back several pages. As your questions become more specific, use the search function in the upper right. There is a wealth of information here.

Go to the BWE home page and explore the information links from there. Get a feel for weather, tides, currents, wind, etc., before you go out in the ocean. In the meantime, there are lots of good places to practice in the bays as you warm up. Build your endurance so a 10 mile fishing route feels nothing more than invigorating.

Many of the kayak dealers have demo models you can take out for a spin. That will help you decide what kind of kayak you want to buy.

This hobby of kayak fishing can get addicting fast. Have fun!

[ful-rac]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

ful-rac, that was a downright friendly post. I'm impressed

Don't try to ruin my reputation! I'll PM your ass!

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by ful-rac

Don't try to ruin my reputation! I'll PM your ass!

My ass can handle your PM's with it's one eye closed, before it even wakes up to start the day.

[kjsdad619]

ful-rac pretty much summed it up. I learn something new every time I go out and always figuring out ways to get set up more efficiently. You'll love it and welcome!

[Harry Hill]

I've just started salt water fishing from my kayak, I wish I had known about all the different kayak rental places before I bought my kayak. Newport is a good place to start out. It is pretty calm in the harbor and you can go out into the open ocean without dealing with surf. When you are ready to start post it on this web site, there are a lot of helpful people on here who will let you tag along while you are learning. There is a bait barge right at the mouth of Newport where you can buy live bait, I have been having good luck with swim baits and dead anchovies so you can start out that way in the harbor catching bass on your regular bass tackle.

[OnTheWater123]

Thanks guys all really good information.

Where can we launch from anywhere or designated areas only?

I am interested in doing some salt water fishing.

Going to head out to Newport and checking out a few to test drive before I rush into things.


Thanks again.

[2-Stix]

Any of the harbors in your area are good places to start. Get comfortable in your boat, work your rods, work different baits...there will be fish in the break walls...no trophies but fish on is fish on.

[makobob]

Start at OEX Sunset Beach, visit Andy's crew, ask your questions, demo a few yaks. This group of kayakers have years of experience. They will take good care of you.

[taggermike]

That's a load of questions. Most have been answered here so try the search function.
There are some basic questions you need to ask your self. What fishing do you like or want to do? What is your budget? What's your fishing/paddling/surf experience? Yakkings not close to an extreme sport but what's your fitness level?
There ate lots of great fishing yaks out there. So like others said, try as many as you can. Every kayak has pros and cons. Long sleek boats are fast but are less stable than wider yaks. But the wide yaks take more effort to cover the same distance.
Don't worry about live bait or accessories until you get comfortable in your kayak and learn where you want things. Mike

[hamburglar]

Go out catch mackerel and put em on a hook. It's ez