What You Need Before Your First Kayak Fishing Tournament
Assuming you already have a kayak, here are the top ten things you are going to need before entering your first kayak fishing tournament:
Kayak Fishing Tournament Checklist
- PFD: A quality life jacket or personal floatation device. All tournaments requiring wearing a PFD during tournament hours and frankly you should be wearing one when kayak fishing anyway.
- Sun Protection: Kayak fishing events are usually 8 hours long or more, quality sun protection is a must have to avoid the next day pain of a terrible sunburn.
- Measuring Board: All kayak bass fishing tournaments are catch, photo, release style events. To pull this off you need an approved measuring device to measure your fish and submit your catch.
- Safety Gear: Include a first aid kit, whistle, and a multi-tool for any emergencies that may arise.
- Water and Snacks: Hydration and energy are vital, so pack plenty of water and high-energy snacks.
- Backup Power: All photos must be submitted before a pre-determined time cut off, don’t let your phone die on the water and ruin a great day of fishing. Carry a backup battery along with you to ensure your phone is always charged.
- Kayak Paddle: Yes most fishing kayaks have motors or pedal drive systems, but what happens if those fail? Always carry a paddle with you to avoid being stranded on the water.
- 360 Light: A 360 light is required in many states and is just something you should have when launching in low light conditions. Bass boats run at 70 mph and have no brakes, make sure they can see you.
- Crate: You can use a backpack or even a Walmart sack, but having a quality crate to hold all of your rods and gear will make your tournament day so much more enjoyable.
- Phone Tether: Imagine fishing all day and then dropping your phone full of giant bass in the lake, snag a phone tether and lock that phone to your PFD or kayak seat.