Fishing from a kayak offers a unique experience, allowing for a closer connection with nature and access to less pressured waters. There are no gas station stops or the loud revving of engines.
And often, kayaks are allowed on lakes and waterways that motorized boats are not, giving kayak anglers more variation in where and how they can fish. Kayak fishing is a more active, hands-on experience, as anglers paddle — or pedal — to access potential honey holes and bring a different sense of adventure to fishing.
For all the benefits of kayak fishing, there are also downfalls that can diminish the experience. Over the last couple of years of kayak fishing, I’ve found several key items that have enhanced my time on the water and kept me from feeling the need to have a fishing boat … mostly.
A kayak is a fantastic tool for anglers to access and explore smaller water and hard-to-access areas, but it typically lacks the traditional comforts and tools of a fishing boat. But with a few additions, you can make your kayak into a fishing juggernaut without breaking the bank.
Shopping for a kayak? Check out our guide on the best kayaks.
How to Upgrade Your Fishing Kayak
Let’s be clear here — there is a time and place for everything. No matter how kitted your kayak is, you’re not going to be in a good place paddling out onto the middle of an enormous body of water like Mille Lacs Lake on a super-windy day. And there are back bays and untouched ponds that you’ll never be able to reach in your $100,000 bass boat.
For those who don’t want to drop the coin on a fishing boat, don’t have the storage, or just want the simplicity a kayak has to offer, there are plenty of options to get yourself on the water and find fish. A kayak, paddle, fishing rod, and some basic tackle can get the job done.
But if you’re looking for ways to improve the experience of chasing fish on your kayak, you’re covered here. Pedal drives, graphs, electronics, tackle organization, rod storage, and other upgrades go a long way in improving your time on the water and helping you catch more fish.
Pedal to the Plastic: Get a Pedal Drive Kayak
If you have the option to purchase a pedal drive kayak or a kayak with the option to add a pedal drive, it is a game-changer.
I have fished from many different styles and price point kayaks, and there is nothing that changes the experience more than being able to pedal.
My main fishing kayak is an Old Town Sportsman PDL 106, and it is phenomenal. Incredibly stable, modular, easy to transport — the list goes on. The most vital part of the package is the pedal drive. It takes kayak fishing to a whole new level.
Gliding across big water or navigating riverways becomes exponentially easier with the pedal drive. When you’re pushing into the wind, you can combine pedaling with paddling and really cover ground quickly without becoming overly tired.
It can’t be understated how convenient it is to be hands-free while fishing, either. You can cover ground while trolling lures, pedal toward a new spot while rigging up, keep yourself on your spot in the wind while fishing, and generally expend less energy while exploring more water.
A pedal drive is one of those things that spoil you — once you experience it, you don’t know how you ever went without before.
Sonar Imaging: Humminbird Helix10 + MEGA Live
Humminbird’s Helix 10 + MEGA Live changed the way I fish from my kayak. Before using the Helix 10, I would stick to pedaling shorelines, fishing points, or hitting topwater on the edges of weed patches or lilies. I would also stick to just a few lakes that I knew well.
Occasionally, I would try to use phone apps like Navionics to find little shelves or irregularities to fish. I found that pretty frustrating and inconsistent. The Helix10 with MEGA Live changed all of that.
Finding Honey Holes
With Humminbird’s electronics, I changed how I approach fishing bodies of water. I spend time navigating new areas of each lake, looking for structures underwater that may be overlooked by other anglers. I get a live view of what is going on beneath the surface of the water and can locate little humps, fallen trees and logs, rocks, brush piles, shelves, and more.
With a massive, full-color 10-inch screen, the unit is easy to see both sitting and standing but is out of the way when I am pedaling or paddling. And I really love its split-screen options. You can preset different split screens to whatever views and information you want.
For me, this is usually rolling with one-half showing a graph of the lake and my route while the other half shows me the MEGA Live imaging. I can track where I want to be on the lake while still watching for any unexpected structures or suspended fish while I am on the move.
Exploring new lakes is no longer intimidating and has become much more successful, as I can find target areas with ease.
MEGA Live Imaging
There’s nothing quite like knowing fish are around you when you’re out in the kayak. Using Humminbird’s MEGA Live imaging, you get to see the structure and fish behavior in real-time below, out front, and all around you.
As you’re moving across the lake, you can watch for marks on the Helix 10 and see fish at any place in the water column. You can quickly get a bead for where fish are and how they are behaving. This makes it far easier to pick the right bait and fishing style to bring in more fish. You can find an area with a pod of fish sitting suspended at 8 feet and throw a crankbait built to run at a 6-8-foot depth.
Watching Lure Action
What’s more, you can see your lure moving through the water and see how fish react to it. It’s a rush to run a swimbait through a group of big marks and see one slowly pull away from the group and follow your bait until they strike. Alternatively, you can see if fish are not reacting — or worse yet — moving away from your bait.
Making informed decisions on bait choice is priceless. You spend less time guessing and more time learning and adjusting. You can explore the lake looking for fish on the Helix 10 using MEGA Live and wait to start fishing until you find marks. Then, you can choose a lure that fits the situation and very quickly figure out if the fish are reacting positively or not to what you throw.
The pairing of the Helix 10 with MEGA Live on the kayak is hard to beat. Structure is easy to locate, fish can be found and monitored in real-time, and you can approach new water with confidence. It should go without saying, though, that this kind of upgrade comes at a hefty price.
A Word of Warning
It is worth noting that I had help from a friend who is experienced with rigging boats and kayaks to get this set up. I was intimidated running power from a battery to a unit on something that goes in the water and wanted to be sure I had everything done correctly.
Your mileage may vary, but I chose to err on the side of caution and lean on my friend’s expertise for the setup.
Power: Norsk Lithium Battery
I did a fair bit of research before pulling the trigger on a battery and leaned on friends who use sonar for advice. I went with the Norsk 32AH Lithium battery. While not cheap, it will easily run the Helix 10 with MEGA Live for 6+ hours without any issues, and it comes with a charger and a 2-year warranty.
It is also very small and lightweight relative to batteries for the power that it packs. It hardly takes up any space in my kayak storage area behind the seat and is easy to bring inside to charge and store.
Organization: YakAttack BlackPak Pro Fishing Crate
Space comes at a premium on a kayak, and organization is key. The BlackPak Pro fishing crate adds useable, protected storage on your kayak while keeping its content readily available.
Rod holders attached to the exterior of the crate give anglers the option to bring more setups without laying them under their feet and getting things all twisted up. I’ve done this dance far too many times. The frustration that comes with picking up a rod with a tangled line is far too much. Even with the rods in the rod holders, you can still snap open the BlackPak Pro and get to your gear.
The BlackPak Pro is designed to fit 3600-size tackle trays. It has plenty of room for a bunch of other gear. I pack bulkier items in here — rain bibs and jacket, extra hoodie, smaller food storage, extra batteries, etc. The peace of mind knowing that I will always have the “essentials” with me on every fishing excursion is great.
I also love that I can bring it inside and pack it there before attaching it to the kayak. I like to pack ahead of time, and this allows me to think through what I need for the day, pack it, and forget about it. When I am ready to go fishing later that day or later that week, I just take the BlackPak Pro outside, attach to my kayak, and away we go.
ShortStak Upgrade
YakAttack recently added the “ShortStak” upgrade kit for the BlackPak Pro, adding even more storage and protection for gear. With a limited footprint on a kayak, utilizing what you have is critical. The ShortStak offers the same great features as the BlackPak Pro and adds another space to keep essentials safe but still easily accessible.
I keep go-to accessories inside that I want to get at with a quick reach — tools, small snacks, etc. Now, I can use the BlackPak Pro to hold items that I need less readily available, like my rain gear, bigger food items, extra layers, and bigger tackle trays.
Safety: Quality Life Vest
This might not directly improve your fishing, but your life is pretty important, and safety is smart. Wearing a life vest, or at the very least, having one available to you is paramount. I bounce between the Old Town Lure Angler II and the Rapala AM24.
If I am going to be fly fishing from my kayak or plan to sit and fish, I’ll use the Lure Angler II. It has a high back that fits well with the kayak seat, a Velcro patch for fly storage, stretchy mesh pockets that fit tippet spools, and other small fly fishing tools.
If I am going to be sport fishing and doing a lot of standing and casting, I’ll rock the Rapala AM24. It’s low-profile and stays out of the way. It also stores really well in the kayak when not in use. Regardless of what life jacket you use, don’t skimp on your safety out there.
Rod Mounts & Phone Holder
As much as I don’t like to admit it, I keep my phone close to me at all times — including on the water. The Rotogrip Phone Holder Pro keeps my phone within reach at all times. The design allows for quick one-handed operation and has two adjustable rubber wheels to make adjustments to fit almost any modern phone. There is an optional rubber harness you can use for added safety as well.
My favorite part about this phone mount is how simple it is to adjust on the fly. When I am sitting down and pedaling or paddling, it is easy to move it out of the way or tip so I can see the screen. The same goes for when I get situated and move to standing and fishing — a quick adjustment, and my phone screen can be facing up so I can see it.
YakAttack’s Omega Pro Rold Holder is simple to add to the track on the kayak and is easily adjustable depending on what other attachments you have on your kayak rail. This puts one rod up in the cockpit with me at all times and makes trolling easy when you’re on the move.
Small Items, Big Upgrades
You know what they say, it’s the little things in life. Well, that certainty rings true in the context of kayak upgrades.
You Can Never Have Enough Cup Holders
I’ve added YakAttack’s Cup Holder, which fits basically anywhere you have space on your kayak tracking. It is big enough for everything from 12-ounce cans to stainless steel tumblers and Nalgenes. I’ve used mine for holding tools at times, too.
My Old Town has a built-in cup holder, but I’ve found that having the extra space is great. I can keep a water bottle in one and an insulated vessel in the other.
Transport Tools
I use an Old Town Trailer Flag to transport my kayak, and I use a Malone Bed Extender to put it in the bed of my midsize truck with a short bed. It hangs out pretty far, so the extra visibility is a nice touch, especially when driving through the immediate metro where I live.
Netting Like a Pro
You need a good fishing net. In my experience, boat-flipping a big fish in a kayak doesn’t end well at all. And I don’t trust myself lipping one next to the kayak. So, I’ve leaned on a quality fishing net that I keep close at hand. I use the Fishpond Nomad since it doubles well for me as a fly fishing net.
The net bag itself is rubber, so hooks don’t get caught up in it as easily, and it is “mid-length,” so I have some leeway to net my fish without taking up too much space. I like that it has a leash and carabiner for attaching to the kayak as well. You know, just in case.
Keeping Life Organized
Finally, quality bait and lure organization goes a long way in a kayak. You don’t have the space to just throw lures off to the side — everything has to be relatively calculated. I use a few different RapStack Tackle Trays from Rapala to keep things organized and easily accessible.
Other Considerations
There are plenty of additions that can be put on a kayak, and this article only touches on a few. You could spend hours digging through all of the little add-ons to purchase, DIY updates, and forums on all kinds of upgrades you could make depending on your situation.
I’m keen to figure out an anchor system. Old Town makes an Anchor Kit, and there are options available on Amazon. Forums are full of DIY options, too. Locating a quality fishing hole or piece of structure and anchoring would be helpful.
A trolling motor isn’t something I have an interest in right now, but it’s very popular with anglers here in the Midwest. If you’re covering bigger water, want to troll more consistently, or have a less physically demanding experience, a trolling motor could be a good upgrade choice.
Final Thoughts
Improved storage, electronics, and gear can improve your chances of catching fish and make your time on the water more efficient and more comfortable. And there is no shortage of upgrades and options to personalize your rig. But at the end of the day, upgrades are just upgrades and aren’t necessary to enjoy a day chasing bites in your kayak.
There is a simplicity that kayaking brings to fishing that makes you feel more in sync with nature and the entirety of the experience. Get out there.
