Newbie x 2...

[mudmonkey]

I bought my first kayak earlier this week. It's a Bic Bilboa (yellow, and not set up for fishing). I bought a seat that has a couple of rod holders on the back.

I should mention at this point that i have no idea what i'm doing. No experience with kayaks and none with fishing either. Total noob on both fronts. I read many of the posts on this site and some other articles i found online.

Tonight I went out to the beach after work just to "test" it out. The water was flat...like glass. Amazing. I ended up fishing right then. A friend who was with me used a cast net to get some small sardine looking bait fish (no idea what they really were).

Caught my first fish. Just a 17" Spanish Mackerel. Took it home and found that it yielded 2 very good sized fillets. I took a picture...i'll add it to the bottom of this post.

A great experience! I'm headed out again tomorrow in the morning. For the record, i'm all about the "catch and release"...but i've never had mackerel and just had to eat the first fish i caught.

Would love to hear from other Floridians (I'm just outside Tampa, in Pinellas County - Seminole area).

[Kayakjak]

Welcome to the Yakfishing world Mudmonkey! You did great! The thrill of catching a fish from a kayak is second to none. There is a ton of information on the internet about kayak fishing. Just get plugged in to the forums and get out fishing in your new yak and you will have a great time!

[JonS]

Welcome to the darkside. That's what we affectionately call kayak fishing. Spanish mackerel are delicious when fresh but don't keep and don't freeze well. They make great ceviche too.

I wasn't familar with your kayak so I looked it up. It's very short for fishing kayak. That doesn't mean you can't use it but it will limit you a lot when and where. Small kayaks are best suited for small protected waters or calm conditions in more open places. Just recognize this and act accordingly. don't get caught out in the open in wind. You'll find it very difficult making headway in such a short kayak. I'd hold off on adding rod holders for a while since you have them in your seat. Try to hook up with others and do some fishing with them. You may find that you want more kayak if you're going to do this a lot. 12-13' at the minimum.

[mudmonkey]

JonS - thanks for the advice. I would like to get a larger Kayak...my thinking was that i would see how much I enjoyed kayak fishing (and how often I was able to go) before making a significant investment. I've gone at least 2 times a week every week since I brought the kayak home. If I keep up at this rate I'll be seriously looking for a larger yak. We have a baby due any day now...so that might get in the way of going out as often as I would like - we'll just have to see.

It really is an amazing amount of fun though!

Kayakjak - thanks for the warm welcome! I'm slowly reading through it all. Some of the posts seem really old (even on other forums). My guess is that most kayak anglers spend more time on the water than on the computer

[JonS]

Baby comes first, but when ready look used. You can save a ton by going with a used kayak.