Offshore Kayak Fishing Packing List

Photo Credit @SAHunter_Outdoors

Any time you go fishing, especially from a kayak, your gear has to be wired tight. As I just learned, this is even more the case with beyond the breakers fishing. As I prepare for my second trip out I am getting a list of everything together that I will need based on what I took out on my first trip, and what I was missing from my first trip. The list looks something like this:

PFD
A buddy
Paddle
Big game rod and reel
Bait rod and reel
Rod holders
Tackle
Bait
Gaff
Billy club
Pliers
Knife
Dry bag
Two way radio
Camera
Fish bag
Measuring board
Sun protection
Drinking water & snacks
Leashes

PFD
This is at the top of every kayak packing list that I create, and for good reason. Always have your PFD on, ESPECIALLY if you are going offshore. I use a high back fishing PFD with pockets for extra storage.

A Buddy
It is always smart to bring a buddy along when you are doing any dangerous activity. I think of offshore fishing kind of like I think about SCUBA diving. In both cases you should always have a buddy that can help you out if something goes wrong.

A Paddle
This may seem like a silly one but with so many pedal driven boats out there it is still important to remember a paddle. If you have a drive malfunction you will need it. You may also need it getting through the surf zone.



Rod and Reel
For my game fish, I started with a relatively economical but very durable combo; a Penn 209 reel on an Ugly Stik Tiger Medium Heavy 30-60 lb line class rod spooled up with about 600 yards of 30 lb braid.  On top of that I put 15-30 yards of 30 lb mono using a FG knot, with my leaders tied directly to the mono topshot. This combo should handle most of what the Texas waters will throw at it.

On occassion you may need to catch some live bait on the rigs. You can use any rod and reel for this;  I bring one of my inshore spinning combos on light flurocarbon.

Rod Holders
There are a ton of different rod holders out there. I prefer the Railblaza Rod Holder as it is adjustable and durable.You will want a rod holder that allows you to secure your rods through the surf and then deploy them for trolling baits.



Tackle
Most of my tackle consists of pre-rigged wire leaders. You can buy kingfish leaders from the store, but I have had made most of the ones I will be using on my next trip. I am not going to get into the intracacies of hand made leaders right now but there are links to some excellent videos at the bottom of this post from Glenn Madden (Professor Salt) and Tod Johnson (@SAHunter_Outdoors). I also have a couple of crankbaits in case I run out of bait and can't catch any live bait. Keep in mind you'll likely need leaders for the crankbaits too. I also have some sabiki rigs to catch baitfish on my bait rod. Typically you'll need some small weights (3/8 to 1/2 oz) to drop these down around the rig pilings.

Bait
In my limited experience, we used ribbonfish. These are bought dead and by the dozen. In my first trip out I bought a dozen and lost them when my kayak rolled in the surf. Luckily for me, my fishing partner did not roll and therefore had a few to give me. I think in the case of our trip a dozen would have been plenty. For my next trip I will find a way to secure these so that they are not lost in the event that I roll my kayak.

Gaff and Billy Club
I put these together as they are typically used at the same time. When landing a fish that you intend to keep you need to gaff it quickly when it is next to the boat, and if it is a large fish you can use the club to give it several good whacks over the head. It is actually pretty brutal, but it prevents the fish from flopping around in the kayak and sinking one of the many hooks on your rig into your body.

Pliers
If you have fished before, this one is probably pretty obvious. In the salt most of the fish have got some chompers on them and you probably dont want to stick your fingers in or around their mouth. If your pliers have cutters on them that would be helpful in the event you need to cut any wire. Alternatively you can get some seperate wire cutters to do that job as well.

Knife
A knife is good to have for a number of things. Maybe you need to cut bait, or maybe when you flip you get a line tangled around you, a knife could be helpful in cutting you free. I keep one zip tied to my life vest for quick access.

Dry Bags
In my case I will likely just take one dry bag. In it I will store things like pliers, camera, hat, glasses, repair kit, etc., basically anything that is small that I can't or won't lash down.

Two Way Radio
Preferably one that floats and is waterproof. This is good if you need to call for help but also good for communicating with your buddies that are also on the water. Remember to know what channel is the emergency channel (Coast Guard) and what channel you can use for general chatter.

Camera
Whether it is an action cam or a point and click, having something to take pictures of your fish is always good to have.

Fish Bag
If you intend to keep any fish, a fishbag with ice is needed.  Keep in mind you are fishing offshore and the fish can be very large so a larger fish bag filled with ice is preferable.



Measuring Board
Whether you are measuring fish for a competition or just seeing if your catch is legal* to keep you will need a measuring board long enough to measure at least the minimum legal length of your catch.
*It is also a good idea to know your species of fish before you can go out. Know how to identify each species and what the legal sizes and bag limits for these species are.

Sun Protection
I prefer to cover up as much skin as possible as opposed to using a ton of sun screen. As such, I use a hat, sunglasses, a buff, long sleeve shirt, and pants. I do use sunscreen on exposed areas but I try to keep those areas as limited as possible. On my first trip out I lost my hat and sunglasses when rolling in the surf. Moving forward I will remove these and put them in a dry storage bag until I am past the surf zone.

Drinking Water
It is easy to get dehydrated, especially when dealing with sun and salt and the excitement of landing monster fish. Bring a small cooler and a few bottles of water. Maybe a snack as well. Typically I will bring a lunchable to eat in a pinch.

Leashes
On my next trip I intend to lash everything down that I can. Even if it floats I will lash it down so that I don't have to chase it down in the event of a flip. There are plenty of off-the-shelf leashes that work, but leashes can be made pretty easily as well. I will be leashing down my rods, propel drive, dry bags, gaff, club, measuring board, etc, and what I don't leash will likely be stored in a bag that is leashed.



By no means is this a complete list of everything you can bring out. I am not a seasoned offshore angler but these are the things that I saw need and use for after my first trip out. Also keep in mind it may be a good idea to have backups of some of the smaller items like pliers that have a way of going overboard from time to time.


Videos on tying kingfish leaders:
Glenn Madden's kingfish leader tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t82a8-iUXg
Tod Johnson tieing NiTi Leaders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPkti2AwMxU