Casting your line from a fishing kayak is not the same as casting from a dock or a gas-guzzling fishing craft.
In a fishing kayak, you sit right on top of the water, surrounded by gear that sticks up everywhere. All the while you’re battling a pesky current pushing you away from your target
as you try to sneak up on a couple of unsuspecting bass (insert your preferred fish here).
There are many different techniques to cast from a fishing kayak. Let’s discuss a few of them.
To cast from a fishing kayak, position the kayak parallel or slightly angled from the target. Avoid obstacles between your kayak and the target. Execute an overhead, pitch, skip, or other casting technique, being sure to avoid snagging the line on gear situated in the kayak. Use pedals, an anchor or drift chute to maintain kayak position.
Table of Contents
How to execute an overhead cast with a baitcaster
If you see some activity at the surface of the water at a distance but don’t have the inclination to approach it on your kayak, then a hearty overhead cast is your best bet.
Remember that overhead casts hit the water with force. As such, they’re best used when fish are agitated and feeding in numbers.
Here’s how to do a baitcaster overhead cast.
1. Adjust the tension on your reel so that the hanging bait drops slowly to the ground. When the bait touches the ground without backlash, you have the correct tension setting.
2. Ensure that there is a clear path of water between your kayak and the target.
3. Be mindful of the gear in your boat – especially if you’re casting while sitting down.
Rods, rod holders and other gear make big sweeping casts a dangerous undertaking. It only takes one snag to break the tip off a rod.
Be perfectly sure that you have a clear water path in front of you as well as a clear gear path behind you.
4. Open the bale and hold the spool of line with your thumb.
5. Lift the rod in front of you to shoulder height.
6. Keeping your hand in front of you (the hand with the rod in it, of course), lean the tip of the rod backwards 45-60 degrees from vertical. For more power and distance, allow your hand (and even arm) to move backwards as well.
7. With your elbow locked in position, throw the tip of your rod towards the target.
8. When the rod tip is at the height of the cast, release your thumb from the spool. This will allow your lure to fly.
If you’ve done it right, that lure will indeed fly. If not, then it will probably splash into the water a few feet in front of your boat. No harm, no foul. Try again.
9. When the lure hits the water, immediately reapply pressure to the spool with your thumb. This will stop the spool from continuing to spin and creating a bird’s nest out of your fishing line (called backlash).
10. Turn the handle to remove slack from your line.
With a baitcaster, it is key to remember to manage the difference in speed between the lure and the spool. When that lure stops flying, you must make sure the spool stops turning.
If you do execute badly, or just forget, a bit of backlash isn’t the end of the world. Simply pull the fishing line away from the reel and you should clear the mess.
If not, you may need to dig around the spool a bit to loosen the line.
How to execute a sidearm cast with a baitcaster
Execute the sidearm cast in the same manner that you would the overhead cast. Before you do though, consider these thoughts:
1. Casting sidearm is a stealthier way to drop a lure near your target. While overhead casts result in a significant splash, the lower trajectory of the sidearm cast allows your lure to enter the water with less drama.
This technique allows you to cast closer to overhanging tree limbs and even boat docks.
You will usually sacrifice distance compared to the overhead cast.
2. If you have rods, holders and gear on the same side of the boat as your backswing, move them. You will absolutely catch your line on the gear and most likely break at least one rod, plus who-knows-what else.
3. When casting overhead, the lure will travel where the tip of your rod is points. This is not true when casting sidearm.
If, at the end of a sidearm cast your rod is pointing at your target, then your lure will have landed significantly to the left or right.
Consider the path of your rod during the cast. You’ll need to let go of the spool earlier in order to direct it to your target. This is very doable. It just takes practice.
4. Don’t forget to reapply pressure to the spool with your thumb once the lure makes contact with the water.
How to flip cast from fishing kayak
Flipping is a precision technique that is executed at close quarters to your target.
Flip casting is actually a backhand technique that isn’t unlike a backhand you might hit in table tennis.
Furthermore, this technique can be effectively executed either sitting or standing on your kayak. Because of its precise nature, there is less risk of a rogue lure getting tangled up in your other gear.
Here’s how to flip cast a lure:
1. Hold your fishing rod at chest height while facing your target. Use a backhand hold. If you are right handed, this means that the back of your hand is facing the target, your rod tip is facing down and to the left of your target, while the rod handle is facing up and to the right.
2. With your other hand take hold of the line where it exits the reel.
3. Pull and hold about a 4’ length of line (2’ from reel to hand and 2’ from hand back to rod.)
4. At the same time leave 2-3’ of line between the rod tip and the lure.
5. Sway the lure forward and back to get a feel for its balance and weight, while also holding the length of line in your other hand.
6. Use a backhand flipping motion that guides the tip of your rod from low to high.
7. At the height of the motion, allow the lure to shoot forward towards the target by letting go of the length of line in your other hand.
Similar to letting out the clutch of a standard car and giving it gas, there is a feel that needs to be developed in the process of letting out the extra line as you cast the lure.
This is a technique that takes practice, however it is effective at stealthily presenting bait in the immediate vicinity of fish.
How to pitch cast from a fishing kayak
A pitch cast is similar to a flip cast. They are both intended to be stealthy. The difference is that you use a pitch cast for more distance.
A flip cast is an effective technique to place a lure several feet in front of you. A pitch cast is needed to place a lure several yards in front of you.
Because this casting technique marries stealth with a little more distance, the actual mechanics are slightly different than those of the flip cast.
1. Hold your fishing rod at chest height while facing your target. Keep your thumb on the spool so that the lure doesn’t drop.
2. Leave 2-3 feet of line between your rod tip and the lure.
3. Take hold of the lure. Some anglers don’t do this step. It’s your choice, obviously.
If you go this route, you’ll need a rod with plenty of backbone and a soft tip.
4. Pitch casting is a backhand technique. As you bend your wrist, lower the tip of your lure towards the water.
5. At the same time, pull gently on the lure. This will pull the tip of your rod down/sideways. This creates pent-up energy in the rod that results in a sling-shot effect when you let go of the lure.
6. In a single motion, execute the following: i) let go of the lure, ii) remove your thumb from the spool, iii) use a backhand motion (low-to-high) to shoot your lure towards the target.
Getting the timing right on all of these moving parts usually takes practice.
7. When the lure reaches its target, re-apply your thumb to the spool to avoid backlash.
The pitch cast technique presents the bait similarly to the flip cast. You simply get more distance out of this technique.
Often a picture (video) is worth a thousand words. Watch Bass fishing legend Gary Klein teach flipping and pitching techniques in this YouTube video.
How to skip cast from a fishing kayak
Skip casting is an advanced sidearm casting technique that sends a lure skipping across the top of the water towards your target.
The most important reason to consider this casting technique is that it allows you to place a lure near targets with overhanging impediments such as tree branches or docks.
Again, this is an advanced technique that takes practice.
1. Position your kayak so that it is parallel to, or slightly angled from, your target.
Because this is a sidearm cast, your lure will end up on the opposite side of your kayak when compared to where your cast began.
In other words, if you are right-handed and cast from the right-hand side of your boat, expect the lure to ‘cross the plane’ and finish closer to the left-hand side.
2. With your rod perpendicular to the kayak, begin the casting motion by swinging the lure in a clockwise circle.
This allows you to build up momentum without having to execute an unwieldy backswing (that would get tangled in your other rods and gear.)
If you are using a baitcaster, keep your thumb on the spool.
3. When the lure reaches the bottom of the circle, snap the rod tip and release the lure.
Remove your thumb from the baitcaster’s spool.
Skipping a lure across the top of the water requires significant momentum. Snapping the rod tip helps create this momentum.
4. When the lure reaches its target, reapply pressure to the spool.
Skip casting requires intentional focus on your gear.
Sitting down in your kayak while you skip cast keeps the trajectory of your lure low, allowing you to reach difficult targets. However, if sitting down, you’ll need a shorter rod.
Longer rods can be difficult to manipulate and are prone to tangle in your gear. Using a shorter rod will improve the probability of a successful cast from a sitting position.
Think about a rod length of 6’ plus-or-minus.
Use a short leader for optimal execution. Too much leader and too much line makes it difficult to swing the line before the cast.
A long leader also makes it difficult for a really good snap to be effective.
Use lures that skip effectively. Artificial shrimp or soft plastic stick bait lures skip across the water cleanly and provide good distance, once you are proficient in the technique.
Any lure that is overly heavy or has a clunky tail will reduce the effectiveness of the skip cast operation.
How to throw a cast net from a fishing kayak
For anglers that are looking to catch shrimp or other baitfish from their kayak before dropping in a line, this is how you do it. You’ll save some money and frankly, a fishing kayak can get you to a lot of shrimp spots that a larger boat can only admire from afar.
Here’s how to cast a net:
1. While sitting in your kayak, unravel the line. You want to make sure that all knots and tangles are removed, otherwise your net isn’t going to get very far at all.
2. Tie the end with the loop around your wrist so your net doesn’t float away.
Keep a sharp knife close by that can quickly cut the line if you run into trouble.
3. Bundle up the line in clean, organized loops in your hand.
4. With your free hand, lift the net so that the weights fall to the bottom.
5. Using your other hand (the one with the line still in it), grab the net in the middle with a backhand grip (this means your thumb is on the bottom and your pinkie on the top.)
6. Let the upper portion of the net fall to one side.
Now you’re holding the net with weights on one side and net-top on the other.
7. Untangle all the lead weights. Make sure that the edge of the net with the weights is not tangled and is free to open when cast.
8. Locate the inside corner of the lead line and hold it with your free hand. (Some anglers actually put the corner in between their teeth.)
9. Cast the net towards your target, letting go of the inside corner (which is in your hand or teeth) a millisecond later such that the net drops like an open blanket on the water.
10. Pull the net back in.
If you are casting from a standing position, balance is clearly an issue and something that you’ll need to maintain to avoid falling in the drink and getting tangled up in your own net.
Be aware that pulling the net back in rocks the boat so, be prepared to Hang Ten dude!
If you are planning to fish with a net for an extended period of time, consider wearing a rain poncho or at least bring a change of clothes.
Casting a fishing net around for a couple of hours is pretty wet business. The process can be made more enjoyable by either remaining dry or at least having the means to get dry while on your boat.
How to use a kayak anchor to make casting easier
It can be extremely difficult to execute a perfect cast when currents, tides and waves are pushing your kayak everywhere but where you want to be.
Use an anchor to hold your kayak in one place, allowing you to spend as much time as you desire in whatever location you want.
While the mechanics and dynamics of anchor use seem simple, there is more than meets the eye.
Below, I’ll discuss anchoring at a fairly high level as it relates to casting from a fishing kayak.
Position the kayak safely
Identify the direction of the wind and/or the current flow. Launch the kayak anchor from either the bow or stern so that the kayak ends up facing up/down wind or up/down tide.
If the side of your kayak is exposed to the wind or current, you run a significant risk of capsizing.
How to use an anchor trolley effectively
An anchor trolley is a loop of cord that is attached to two pulleys – one at the bow of your kayak and one at the stern.
This loop is connected with a karabiner or a ring. The anchor line is passed through this ring.
When connected and operational, you can sit comfortably in your kayak seat and easily shuttle the anchor line from bow to stern.
This allows you to quickly adapt to changing wind direction while still being able to spend time with a fishing rod in your hand.
Choosing the right type of anchor
Folding Grapnel Anchor
The most common anchor used in kayak fishing is likely the Folding Grapnel Anchor.
This is a familiar-shaped anchor with four flutes that open and close and a sliding collar to lock them in position.
The Folding Grapnel Anchor grabs very well to hard, rough ground. Heavier versions of the anchor with longer line can also be effective on softer types of ground.
Bruce / Seahook / Claw Anchor
This anchor style is most effective when fishing shallows characterized by sand, mud and gravel bottoms.
The anchor style is defined by a shovel-shaped fluke that is effective at digging into whatever soft material might exist at the bottom of the floor.
It’s important to understand that the effectiveness of the anchor is not solely attributed to its weight. Rather, an effective anchor is one which is designed to grab and hold the bottom of the river/lake/sea.
Stake-Out Poles
These are long poles that are usually made from fiberglass and are designed to jam into the bottom of the body of water.
Stakeout poles are usually no more than 12’ in length and can only be used in calm, shallow water with soft bottoms.
Once the stake-out pole is inserted into the bottom of the body of water, it is then attached to the kayak via the anchor trolley.
Alternatively, a stake-out pole can also be slid through a scupper hole before attaching to the bottom.
Stake-out poles are quick and easy to use (under the right conditions) and allow you to spend more time fishing a particular target without worrying about repositioning your kayak.
Quick release versus direct anchoring
Fishing on anchor is not without its risks. You might run into times when you are solidly anchored but still need to move your kayak quickly.
This could be because of incoming boat traffic or a gnarly wave that is bearing down on you.
In these situations, a quick release kayak anchor can really save your bacon.
A quick release rigging is made up of i) an anchor, ii) an anchor reel (or other line), iii) a buoy, iv) a length of floating rope, v) an anchor trolley, karibiner and cleat (all attached to the kayak).
The anchor sits on the bottom of the water body and is attached to the line of an anchor reel. The anchor reel is secured to a buoy that floats on top of the water.
The floating rope is connected at one end to the buoy and at the other end to the karabiner on the kayak.
Most often, this rig acts like a typical anchor, keeping you and your kayak in position to cast towards the target of your choosing for as long as you want.
However, if you need to move from your position quickly, simply remove the floating rope from your karabiner and get out of there.
When the danger has passed, paddle/pedal your kayak back to the location of the buoy and re-attach the floating rope to your anchor trolley.
In contrast to the quick-release kayak anchor, the more typical and well-known anchoring method is the direct anchor.
The direct anchor rigging is made up of i) an anchor, ii) an anchor reel (or other line), iii) a karabiner.
The anchor sits on the bottom of the floor and is attached to the anchor reel (or other line). The anchor reel (or line) is connected to the anchor trolley with a karabiner.
In perfect circumstances, this anchor rigging works very well and will also keep you close to your desired casting target.
However, if trouble is incoming, you need to haul your anchor back onto your kayak before you can haul a** outta there.
This is time-consuming.
The emergency alternative is to release the kayak reel or cut the line on the other side of the reel, before making a hasty exit. Either way, you kiss your anchor goodbye.
Both the quick release and direct anchoring techniques provide you with more opportunities to consistently cast to your target. If you need to get up and go in a hurry, the quick release method will save you both time and money.
How to use a drift chute to make casting easier
An alternative to a kayak anchor is a drift chute.
Think of a kayak drift chute as a parachute that opens underwater. If wind or current is pushing your kayak in a certain direction, a deployed drift chute can dramatically slow down your rate of movement over the top of the water.
Drift chutes are particularly useful in deep water where it is unrealistic to stow enough line in a fishing kayak to effectively use an anchor.
Just like using anchors, it is best to attach a drift chute to your anchor trolley and then shuttle it to the bow or stern of your boat, depending on how you would like to deploy it.
Drift chute from the stern. If you attach a drift chute to the stern of your kayak, the stern will turn into the wind.
This will leave you, the angler, facing the bow of your boat which is pointed downwind.
While facing downwind, you’ll find it much easier to cast. If you’re casting for distance, this is your moment.
The challenge is that your kayak will also be slowing drifting downwind – directly into your lure. As such, you’ll need to reel in your line at a pace that offsets the drift of your boat.
Drift from the bow. If you attach the drift chute to the bow of your fishing kayak, then the bow will turn into the wind.
You will find yourself facing the wind and slowly drifting backwards.
Casting for distance will be less effective because the wind will blow your lure back at you.
However you’ll find vertical jigging (if that’s your strategy) quite comfortable. While drifting backwards, your fishing line will remain taut and if it runs, it will run away from you.
A drift chute is a great tool to slow down the drift of your kayak while fishing deeper water.
Other tips to make casting from a fishing kayak more effective
Consider the following assorted tips to make casting and fishing from your kayak more effective.
Embrace the need to be ambidextrous
If your fishing kayak is paddle-powered, then you will inevitably find yourself in situations where you are reeling in a fish with one hand while paddling away from hazards with another.
If your fishing kayak is kitted out with pedals, then you’ll need the skills of a helicopter pilot. With a fish on the line and a hazard downstream, you’ll need to keep reeling in that fish while pedaling the boat with your feet and steering the rudder with your ‘free’ hand.
All of this to say that there can be a lot of tasks that require simultaneous attention while kayak fishing.
Steer your kayak with your lure
That’s right, if you fish with baits that offer resistance like chatters, cranks or spinners, then you can actually use them to steer your kayak.
Simply cast in the direction that you want your kayak to go. As you reel in, notice that the resistance provided by the lure gently pulls your boat in the direction of your cast.
If you are strategic and intentional with your casts, then you can sometimes work over an entire area without ever having to touch a pedal or paddle.
Trust your fishing kayak to not tip while casting
Kayaks are designed with initial and secondary stability.
The initial stability is experienced when you enter your boat as it sits flat on the water. The secondary stability is tested when the boat leans.
When using an unfamiliar kayak, it is best to practice your casts in shallow water before taking your boat into the deep stuff. Learn where the limits of the secondary stability can be found.
If you are casting from a standing position, position your feet wide enough apart to create personal stability. Bend your knees a little bit. Keep loose below the waist, allowing for movement from your kayak while remaining balanced up top.
This will allow you to fire off perfect, balanced casts.
How to cast from a fishing kayak – Final thoughts
We covered a lot of ground in this article. We discussed several different casting techniques as well as how to use kayak anchors and drift chutes to make kayak fishing more effective and enjoyable.
See you out there.