Kayak Fishing ettiequte & standards of conduct | what are your thoughts?

Afternoon everyone,

So I’ve been out fishing over the last few weeks and I have noticeably seen the growth in the kayak fishing community — we are a growing and expanding sport and I believe this is a good thing.  Many of you know, I am a big advocate for this sport, because of the tremendous upsides: mentally, physically and even spiritually, if you believe in that, however with such a large presence I can see the impact our community is having on areas we fish and the places we partake in.

I feel a partial sense of responsibility since I’ve introduced many people to this lifestyle. LOL; or rather ruin many people lives along the way. I’m a terrible Chovy. I should be fed to salmon, but I digress!!

I have spoken with a few friends, and I think it is prudent to write an article on kayak fishing etiquette/ or rather standards of conduct that we can all try to adhere by.  If anything, it will provide us some guidelines to try and live by (Spoken or unspoken rules). I think getting ahead of this is a good thing for the sport and fishing community as a whole.

Please let me know what I should include in the article! Let me start with a few:
1) Be quiet and mindful in the early hours when loading up for the day
2) Leave the area off better when you arrived. At a minimum clean up your own trash and other trash if you can.
3) Always assist with a rescue if there is a distress signal being sent (Do what you can!)

Let me know your thoughts. I like to write something up for the blog and magazine.

Tight lines,
TLA

Yes...  ❤️

You might include a discussion of launch site etiquette, addressing issues such as not hogging and blocking a launch ramp with your vehicle for an extended period of time while you putter around loading gear on or off your kayak.  Instead, when launching, put your kayak on a cart in the parking lot, load on all your gear, and then roll it down the side of the ramp, get your kayak into the water, and get out of the way of other ramp users.  Do the reverse when leaving the water. 

I have been in situations where there was a long line of motorboats waiting to use a ramp, and they got irritated when kayakers were coming out of the parking area and launching kayaks off carts on the side of the ramp.  They seemed to feel that the kayakers were jumping the line.  Any suggestions for polite ways to deal with issues like that would be appreciated.

Same as always.

The recipe is no different than anything else in life.

1.  Bring a net positive
2.  Leave it better than you found it
3.  Never stop learning
4.  Don't suck.

You might include a discussion of launch site etiquette, addressing issues such as not hogging and blocking a launch ramp with your vehicle for an extended period of time while you putter around loading gear on or off your kayak.  Instead, when launching, put your kayak on a cart in the parking lot, load on all your gear, and then roll it down the side of the ramp, get your kayak into the water, and get out of the way of other ramp users.  Do the reverse when leaving the water. 

I have been in situations where there was a long line of motorboats waiting to use a ramp, and they got irritated when kayakers were coming out of the parking area and launching kayaks off carts on the side of the ramp.  They seemed to feel that the kayakers were jumping the line.  Any suggestions for polite ways to deal with issues like that would be appreciated.

Not pissing off PB's is part of kayak survival, same as bikes and cars.

" Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. "

Be a positive representative of the sport...

Are any of these any different than PB etiquette?  Genuinely curious in any kayak fishing specific etiquette ...

-Allen

Are any of these any different than PB etiquette?  Genuinely curious in any kayak fishing specific etiquette ...

-Allen

I think the issue is that a number  of people who jumped in a kayak to fish either do not own a boat or have never launched a boat. So the obvious stuff isn’t so obvious to some.

Are any of these any different than PB etiquette?  Genuinely curious in any kayak fishing specific etiquette ...

-Allen

I would say 90% is completely transferable from boating etiquette minus some of the locations we can access easier than a PB are sometimes in neighborhoods or otherwise inaccessible to powerboats.  But then the remaining percentage is pretty much just don't suck.


Have something that seals to put your clipped fishing line in, I use the mesh pocket inside my zipper pocket on my PFD.

Nets aren't only for fish, grab that Floating Congratulation balloon in the middle of the ocean.

I know that some disagree on this but i think people should carry some type of visible flag pole at least 3 to 4 feet high and a light when going out before sunrise to make themselves more visible. In a high boat traffic area.

set up your yak in the parking lot, keep respectable distance from others, be on top of your safety stuff

You might include a discussion of launch site etiquette, addressing issues such as not hogging and blocking a launch ramp with your vehicle for an extended period of time while you putter around loading gear on or off your kayak.  Instead, when launching, put your kayak on a cart in the parking lot, load on all your gear, and then roll it down the side of the ramp, get your kayak into the water, and get out of the way of other ramp users.  Do the reverse when leaving the water. 

I have been in situations where there was a long line of motorboats waiting to use a ramp, and they got irritated when kayakers were coming out of the parking area and launching kayaks off carts on the side of the ramp.  They seemed to feel that the kayakers were jumping the line.  Any suggestions for polite ways to deal with issues like that would be appreciated.

What is the etiquette on this? This happened to me at Oyster point early one morning, but I loaded my kayak in the parking lot and launched really quickly in between one car leaving the ramp and the next about to pull in. Probably launched in 30-45 seconds so I don't think I inconvenienced anybody.

That's a great idea.  Only hope PB'S will notice it. Not like  vehicles don't  give way to bicycles in bike lanes. 

You might include a discussion of launch site etiquette, addressing issues such as not hogging and blocking a launch ramp with your vehicle for an extended period of time while you putter around loading gear on or off your kayak.  Instead, when launching, put your kayak on a cart in the parking lot, load on all your gear, and then roll it down the side of the ramp, get your kayak into the water, and get out of the way of other ramp users.  Do the reverse when leaving the water. 

I have been in situations where there was a long line of motorboats waiting to use a ramp, and they got irritated when kayakers were coming out of the parking area and launching kayaks off carts on the side of the ramp.  They seemed to feel that the kayakers were jumping the line.  Any suggestions for polite ways to deal with issues like that would be appreciated.

What is the etiquette on this? This happened to me at Oyster point early one morning, but I loaded my kayak in the parking lot and launched really quickly in between one car leaving the ramp and the next about to pull in. Probably launched in 30-45 seconds so I don't think I inconvenienced anybody.

This sort of reminds me of bicyclists running stop signs.

-Allen