No matter whether you fish the ocean, bays, lakes, or rivers, you will find helpful, friendly, and experienced kayak fishermen here to share their knowledge and adventures.
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Forum: The main discussion area includes fishing reports and pics, upcoming trips and events, fishing tips, kayak rigging information, launch sites, and more.
Articles: This section includes how-to articles and stories submitted by experienced members of our community.
NorCal's top kayak anglers will be competing for big prizes, fun, and braggin' rights as they fish all year long to catch the biggest fish of 10 different local species
Derby Sponsors
Prize categories: 1st - 10th place overall finishers, womens overall, kids under 17, and biggest individual fish of each species.
All participants will receive a Hobie captain's duffle bag of schwag courtesy of sponsors and will be automatically entered for the year end raffle for a kayak fishing vacation for two in East Cape, Baja Mexico Rules
1. All fish entered must be caught from a kayak, without the aid of a powerboat and using methods deemed legal by the California Department of Fish and Game.
2. Photographic evidence of fish size (length) must be provided. For sturgeon, in the absence of a photo of the fish against a measuring device, a photo of the fish against an object of known size along with measurement that is witnessed and verified by another person in the pool will suffice.
3. Fish caught prior to January 1, 2008 are ineligible. Fish caught prior to payment of entry fees are also ineligible.
4. All fish entered must be caught south of the California/Oregon border and north of the southern borders of the following counties Monterey, Kings, Tulare and Inyo.
5. The pool covers the following species: Sturgeon, Salmon, Halibut, Rockfish, Cabezone, Lingcod, Striped Bass, Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, and Trout.
6. No out off season, oversize or undersize (fish larger than the legal limit or smaller then the legal limit per species) may be entered. All local water rules must be followed.
7. The biggest fish from each angler for a given species will be used towards the anglers total points.
8. The anglers fish for each individual species will be entered into a per species pool.
9. Trout are defined as the following common names (brown trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, lake trout, golden trout, and dolly varden)
10. Entries must be posted within 2 weeks of being caught and photographed. No "hoarding" of entries.
Before Kayak Fishing, I was floating around in a float tube and I thought that there was no better way of “silent stalking.” The sit-on-top kayak changed all that. Realizing the birth of a better fishing platform that requires no gasoline, registration, trailer, insurance, or launch ramps, I immediately invested in a sit-on-top kayak, and I have never looked back.
Kayak fishing can take you to some great places. These places however can be remote and hostile environments. Generally speaking we are floating in the open ocean on a small plastic boat. Using the buddy system is always preferred but even with a buddy it is easy to get separated on a foggy day. These pieces of gear will help you make it back to dry land safely or call for help if you need it.
VHF Radios are a must have if you plan on venturing out to the ocean or bay. They are great for calling over your buddy to a hot bite, listening in to other boaters about where the fish are and in worse case scenarios, calling the Coast Guard. This two models below are nice small compact units that are waterproof. They can be easily placed in the pocket of a PFD.
Standard Horizon STD-HX600S Handheld Marine VHF Radio
PFDs (also known as life preservers) are another must have piece of safety equipment for any kayak fisherman. If you kayak starts taking on water or you get separated from your boat your PFD will help you float while waiting for a rescue that you are calling in with the VHF radio you just purchased. The Extra Sport Osprey is my current favorite fishing PFD. It is comfortable and has lots of storage for your radio, camera or a snack.
EPIRBs (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons) signal maritime distress. It's the satellite-aided emergency locator beacon. Once activated it sends a constant signal to emergency responders with your exact location. By sending the exact GPS location to the emergency responders help can be on the way in minutes and location is practically guaranteed. This device must be registered with the Coast Guard before it is deployed.
Attempting to navigate along foggy coastal waters is extremely dangerous without a GPS and a compass. GPS devices have the added bonus of allowing you to mark all the best fishing and launch spots. While marking fishing spots is great, this device can help you get out of a serious jam when you get surrounded by fog.
Compasses are must have backup devices to have when your GPS fails or runs out o batteries. The zipper compass is compact and easy to attach to your wetsuit or PFD. The Orca compass is perfect for strapping down to your deck or permanently mounting it.
Waterproof Cameras
Face it, your fishing reports suck without pictures and there is no better way to get great on the water shots than with a waterproof camera. The Pentax Optio and the Olympus Stylus are two great water proof cameras that get the job done.
Getting your kayak from the car to the launch can be a real challenge. Loose sand, rocks and long hauls can zap your energy before you even hit the water. What is the solution? The ultimate kayak cart, Wheeleez! Wheelez starts with a lightweight aluminum frame then adds the best wheels in the business. Big wide wheels that glide over anything in the way way of you getting to the launch.
Everyone wants to look good, stay warm and support NCKA with this great NCKA logo gear. T-shirts, long sleeve shirts and everyones favorite the NCKA Hoodie!
On Saturday morning, July 21, 2007, Dan "dan964" , One of NCKA's members, was attacked by Great White Shark while fishing off the San Mateo Coast, CA near Pigeon Point. About a dozen members were also fishing the area. Here are some witness accounts......
Lake Mendocino is a medium-sized reservoir located in Mendocino County in northern California.Lake Mendocino is near the town of Ukiah, and is in the headwaters of the Russian River watershed.The Lake Mendocino was built in 1959 by the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and recreation purposes.The lake has two launch facilities and several campgrounds.
Like everything, our hobby is constantly evolving. For my first few years, the typical power supply I used for my fish finders was a 7Ah gel cell rolled into a dry bag. While this setup does get it done, I was never in love with the overall performance. Without a rigid container, I had leads get knocked off of the battery. On prolonged road trips, charging was also not always easy. But more than anything, this setup was just plain heavy. The average 7Ah battery weighs about 7 pounds. While this isn’t a huge amount of weight, with everything else we bring, I was looking to save weight where ever possible.
With the winter rains and big minus tides around the corner, I thought give some pointers on how to rig up and find success targeting sturgeon from a kayak in the San Francisco Bay. I'll comment on techniques that I've found to work but, as with everything, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
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