Fishing alone

[Spectre5922]

I have the Kokotat and it is awesome! Tons of storage space and awesome! I liked at the ones at FTU and didn't really like any of them. The one I got at ACK was a good fit.

[JoeFriday]

I just got the Chinook a few weeks ago. Best PFD I have ever owned. I love that thing. I agree it's more like a utility vest, but my wife makes me take it off while driving.

I haven't tried off water use. Guess I need to put that down on the list of things to try.

[CoastieCulture]

Anyone ever want to fish let me know . I'm new to this but ill be fishing at least once a week once it warms up. Text me if you are in Houston area . 940-535-8869

[txspeck]

I fish 80% of the time alone, Keep your eye on the two W W's, weather, wind.

[cliftonio]

There are risks to everything, the most important thing is not underestimating the situation or overestimating your abilities.

Fishing alone with the right safety gear and not pushing your boundaries is less risky then your drive to the launch.....IMHO

It would unfair to wrap us all in bubble wrap and say to only fish with a buddy, because some of us are $%^holes and nobody will fish with us!

[Brazos Kayak]

[Yak'Razy]

Hopefully you are kidding... No one should have so little regard for life, or law... Yes... It is a law... You MUST at least have a PFD with you.

[SAHunter1983]

Idiot. Buddy up if possible especially in the cold, abide by the law and stay as safe as possible at all times.

[LWhitsell]

I fish alone and always with PFD. Like others my PFD has tools like forceps, sunscreen,and most importantly a dive knife. Though I have gotten away from this I used to tie on everything:rods, paddle,anchor. I also use braid which you cannot break.

I am a bit paranoid about getting tangled in a turtle so the knife is, like a good CHL handgun, not comfortable but comforting.

Another aspect to fishing with a buddy is that it definitely changes the trip, for better or worse. Fishing alone if can go where and when I want to without consideration. There is also no inherent competition. It's more relaxing alone, for me...

My boys are 10 and 11 and they will be fishing with me this year. Excited about that.

Fishin with my woman is a whole different story...

[Stoic_J]

I'm new to kayaking. I'll be fishing alone probably 80% or more of the time. I duck hunt alone, though next season in my yak I don't want to do that too much.

Last year, while at home, I had a crazy back spasm, out of the blue. I laid down on the ground and it hurt like a bitch. Tried to use my cellphone to call my wife, and I could barely talk. Breathing hurt. Barely could get out the words for her to come home. I thought with the quick, shallow breaths I was taking I might just pass out, which probably would've been nice.
Now I think what if that had happened on the water. I imagine that even if I'd have rolled it, I could have gotten back in, but if I'da had to fish around for a PFD, put it on, and THEN try to get back on? Nah, I'm going to wear that thing EVERY TIME I get in the boat.

[Corona_kayaker]

I fish alone a lot. But what I do is file a "Flight plan" with my wife. That way she knows if I don't show up at a certain time she will call to see if I'm "On fish" and forgot the time. Or if something has happened she knows where to start looking for me.

Exactly what I do..

[SAHunter1983]

Plan for the worst and pray for the best on every outing. If anyone needs a buddy holler, i will keep my distance generally to outside earshot as many can attest but always carry a pair of radios for whoever my buddybis that day just in case i get hit by a boater injured etc. They will most likely be faster than a coastie response if something were to go south.

[fwbanger]

I fish alone quite a bit. My rule is that I never leave the shore without my PFD on. I just bought an NRS Chinook and I really like it.

[Banjo Ed]

I fish freshwater alone all the time... BUT I always wear my pfd even in shallow water...

Same here!

[DIY]

Before I purchased my recent first kayak, I figured I'd be fishing alone most of the time so with that said common sense towards safety and what not kicked in. In the end to me kayaking/fishing is a privilege that most should appreciate and understand the seriousness of it. To all tight lines and be safe.

[Shadow_Fox]

I will be home in about 70 days and can't wait. When I am home it is mostly fresh water. I run solo for a host of reasons. When I do I have my PDF at the ready. I have no problem running soloin the deep lakes (175 feet) but I have canoed since I was 11. I know my limits and THE LIMITS OF MY KAYAK. You have to know both. I haven't had the chance to BTB but I am going to fix that when I get home. We are going to FL for a week. Even at 70 daysI am thinking of all the safety stuff I have to have. It does no good to have a life enhancing day if you aren't around to tell it. I use the chinook as will. Love it. My wife always knows the float plan. If I change it I call her and let her know (more like ask her permission to play a little longer)

[GutWrench]

Fished alone today in Biglake, LA... Was nice and peaceful.

[MethodMachine]

I fish alone ~90%. I always wear my PFD which is outfitted with nail clippers and a knife attached by retractable lanyards (handy, dandy tool vest!). Cell phone comes with me in a waterproof case and I always file a float plan with my wife.

Before leaving, I check the weather forecast for chance of rain and winds. Beware! Sometimes the forecast is off. Check radar and also watch the skies. I narrowly missed being caught in a squall last summer while fishing Galveston bay due to a bad weather forecast. I saw the dark clouds gathering on the horizon and was able to make it to shore just as the rain starting coming down sideways with the wind gusting up to 30 mph. It would not have been a good thing to be caught out in open water in those conditions.

[hunterlee5587]

I have the chinook as well. Man that thing is loaded down with pliers, extra hooks and weights, and STILL feels like it weighs only 2 ounces.

[flyguy66]

I'm addressing this as a former Red Cross Water Safety Instructor certified by the USCG and others in boating safety and a rated Navy Rescue Swimmer who is an avid angler and duck hunter who has fished alone all of my life. I've even gone duck hunting alone quite a few times.

There's a list of "if's" that I believe make it OK, in spite of all of my training that says "never go alone."

IF...

...you wear your PFD religiously. Mine goes on before I put the boat in the water and comes off once both feet are on dry ground and the boat is out of the water. This means you need to find a good, comfortable PFD. The orange covered foam thing from Walmart for $5 is probably not going to do the trick. I wear an inflatable. These require extra maintenance and testing and cost more than some other good PFD's, but the comfort factor is worth it to me.

...you have a good anchor, tow line, and throw buoy and line on board.
...you have good nav lights, reflective gear, and signal lighting on board.
...you have at least 24 hours of food and water on board.
...you have an excellent first aid kit on board.
...you have foul weather gear on board (preferably bright and reflective).
...you are a able to tread water/swim for at least 30 minutes fully dressed.
...you are trained in recognizing and combating and treating heat and cold injuries (RC First Aid is the very minimum).
...you are confident and competent (based on real-world experience) in deep-water re-entry/self-rescue.
...you are in familiar surroundings and/or equipped with map/compass and know how to use them (notice I did not say GPS?)
...you have the ability to build a fire on board (waterproof matches, kindling, etc.)
...you have filed a detailed trip plan with an emergency contact person (family, friend, co-worker, etc.) that includes a "start looking for me by" time.
...your equipment is sufficient for the task. There are boats that are not made for deep or open water (no internal flotation) that are quite popular among kayak fishermen. No one should ever take such a boat in water more than waist deep alone! I see a lot of folks do it, and I read about a few of them each year in news reports of their demise or near-death experiences.
...you are not venturing into water/weather conditions that challenge your skill levels or equipment. Obviously, things sometimes "change" while we're out there and we get surprised by high winds, waves, lightning, etc. That shouldn't happen very often if you're doing proper planning and using a NOAA weather alert comms device of some sort. I use a very reliable app on my waterproof smart phone.
...you are not planning to launch before daylight or return after sunset.
...you are not going to be in areas where dangerous animals are commonly encountered (large sharks, big alligators, alligator gar, poisonous snakes, etc.) Nothing wrong with fishing in such surroundings WITH OTHERS, but you should not do it alone due to the unique risks associated with such environs. I have wandered into such places while exploring solo. Not much you can do about it but play it really safe when that happens. But I did not go back to those places alone after that. Understand: I do not consider alligators to be dangerous unless they display aggressive behavior. I consider a high concentration of poisonous snakes far more dangerous! But I give alligators a wide berth when I encounter them. I've never had a problem, but I have had to back off a time or two. Big sharks are always a reality in BTB salt-water fishing. Sting rays are not going to kill you, but they can make you wish you were dead for awhile and serious inhibit your ability to get back to launch. They do require immediate medical attention. But one thing you must consider that most don't think of when you say "dangerous animals" is PEOPLE. There are places I won't fish alone and a few I won't fish in a group just because of the risk of violent altercations, accidents, and vandalism. I would never venture into such a place to fish alone.

Frankly, this covers the vast majority of our recreational fishing for most of us IF you take the proper precautions and make the required preparations. If you lack good first aid, safe boating, water safety, and wilderness survival training, you probably shouldn't do it much if at all. All of that is readily available to any American. No excuses really. And $200-300 worth of quality safety and emergency gear might seem "unnecessary" compared to that new rod and reel you're drooling over...until you need it. Then you will want the best money can buy at any price...guaranteed! If that peace of mind buys you the ability to fish alone responsibly, what's that worth to you? A person who works a day job could start from zero and acquire all of this training and gear for less than $1,000 in a matter of months. Is $1,000 worth your life? Is $1,000 worth being able to fish when/where you want to responsibly?

Now, all of the training and equipment in the world may not save your life, but nobody wants to live in a freakin' bubble. Adventure comes with risk! The point is to do what is prudent and responsible to prepare for the 99.5% of "what if's" that are foreseeable.

Here's the flip-side of this whole discussion:

There are people who make it far MORE dangerous for me to fish with them than it is for me to fish alone. I fish with quite a few people that fall into this category: small children, people with serious disabilities, etc. make up the benign categories I fish with willingly. BUT...there are the drunks who can't go near water without consuming copious quantities of alcohol; the out of shape, untrained, ill-equipped "that'll never happen to me" crowd that just bungle their way through life like bulls in a china shop hoping to get lucky; and the severely accident prone. I've fished at some time or another with all of the above! I'd rather fish alone.

[SAHunter1983]

Thats a lot of IF's

[flyguy66]

Thats a lot of IF's

Actually, like I said before, it allows for about 80% or more of the kayak fishing most people do solo anyway IF they're taking safety/emergency gear seriously. I do find most are under-equipped in terms of their safety gear. If you're fishing urban/suburban areas, some of it isn't so important. If you can paddle up to a dock or yard and wander up to someone's house from within line-of-sight wherever you're fishing, you really don't have to worry about food, water, shelter, fire, etc. You know? It's just a general guideline to be modified to fit the situation. When I'm engaged in urban fishing, I don't even take water/drinks a lot of the time. What's the point if I can be at McDonald's (etc) in less than 5 minutes? Then again, there are plenty of places I've fished...and still do...where I could see a situation where I was stranded due to illness, injury, or exhaustion and needed to spend the night on the bank somewhere. If I think that's even a remote possibility, then I prepare for it.

FYI, a good water filter takes up a LOT less space and weight than a gallon of water. Costs more to acquire, but can save your life in a pinch! I've had to rely on one twice in my many solo adventures. If you're boating in fresh water, there's an inexhaustible supply of drinking water at your fingertips IF you filter it. I consider a Life Straw to be a bare minimum "essential" when I'm out in the boonies. My wife and I both have 1 with replacement filters that adapt to our CamelBak packs. I may die of my wounds, but I won't die of thirst!

[Cuervo Jones]

I prefer to fish alone.
My wife comes with me sometimes but she doesn't fish.
To me fishing and socializing are two vry different things.
But I recognize that I'm in the minority.

[Hennesey]

I fish alone quite often since my wife is not a fan. But always tell her wher I will put in and if I'm going up or down river.

[redflats]

I prefer to fish alone too all fresh and salt. After work there is nothing better than being alone in nature. I wear my PFD all the time fish mostly inshore but do btb a few trips a year.