Kick Boat Fishing Tips

Kick boat fishing is a new level of sporting for a weekend warrior wanting to multi-task. It’s float fishing from a personal craft and gives anglers a combined adventure of boating/rafting, sight-seeing and trying to catch some fish. Covering a lot of ground with miles of scenery, the floats help serve as a reminder of the other part of your trip. You do need a little more preparation and focus on safety and knowledge. Here are a few kick boat fishing tips that anyone venturing out into the water for this sport should know.

Know Your Fish and Your River

This also goes with safety, but before you even get near the water, you want to be as prepared as possible. Know ahead of time what sort of water you are looking for, what kind of bait and lures you should have ready and the length of your trip with some benchmarks that will show you when to turn, when to head in, where to try stopping. Once you hit the water, depending on the current, you may have to focus a lot of steering your craft, so you want to know things that will stick out in your mind if you see them. Check with local rangers and fishing shops. Even up and until you get into the water, just ask anyone around who knows what they are doing. You’ll be busy enough looking for rocks, trees, etc. so any information before you get moving in the current is helpful. 

Safety, Safety, Safety

Many anglers hate the idea of a life vest while fishing. It gets in the way of casting and reeling, and even mixing new bait or handling your catch. When it comes to kick boat fishing, however, none of those things will matter if you end up alone in rapids or stuck under a sunken tree. Wear a life vest. Keep a rope with you at all times. You or someone else in your group on the river might need it for many reasons. Always, even when in calm waters or still water fishing, have a first aid kit. You are dealing with sharp objects, knives, wild animals, big fish with sharp teeth, rocks, fallen trees. Bring a sealed bag with dry clothes. Have a multi-purpose utility knife. A flash light and a flare are essential as well. Pack for the extreme version of your weather, whether it’s hot, cold, wet or dry. 

Your Kick Boat and Fishing

If you enjoy kick boat fishing, you’ll want to invest in your own kick boat. One of the advantages to having your own is that you can personalize it for your fishing experience. You can install rod holders on the kick boat so you can do some trolling and rowing at the same time. You can build a rack to hold your belongings and a tub to hold your ice/fish so then you hit the faster waters or an obstacle, you can get down to rowing and steering without having to scramble and secure everything. You’ll want some fins installed to act as rudders to free up your arms and oars. Some new kick boats even give you the possibility of a motor for speeding up and bypassing the still water.