advice for newbies at tandem kayak fishing/crabbing

My husband and I went out for the first time yesterday in HMB to go crabbing with a recently bought, well-loved 17' tandem kayak w/rudder outfitted for fishing and crabbing. It also has a wooden post, where you can clamp on a propeller that hooks up to a car battery. We haven't taken the propeller (and battery) out yet, and my husband is a bit freaked out by the idea of even bringing a car battery with us on the ocean. We (I) really want to get into kayak fishing, but we need a bit of help! I have been reading up a lot on various forums, and this is what I figured out so far (please correct me if I'm wrong?).

Safety
- You need to be warm/prepared for full immersion, so you need a wetsuit/drysuit. My husband and I both have full 3-4mm wetsuits +5mm booties, but yesterday, we found out that it gets cold pretty quick in hmb, and we probably need more. Should we get a wetsuit jacket or windproof jacket? Also, our PFDs are crappy with no pockets or anything like that (they came free with the boat), so it would be nice to get a good jacket where we could clip on a radio, whistle, etc. Does anybody have recommendations for a moderately priced jacket and/or where to buy them?
- Marine radio. I can't believe we went out yesterday without a radio. I don't know if I imagined it-- we still need to get acquainted with the area, but I swear I saw waves breaking in the distance when we were outside the jetty, but still near the mouth of the harbor. I was thinking about getting the Uniden MHS75 VHF Waterproof Two-Way Marine Radio (good price and submersible) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J5MQ20/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk . Does anyone have another recommendation?
-  pool noodles to fill the boat and prevent it sinking in case it capsizes.
- Bilge pump: http://www.amazon.com/Seattle-Sports-Paddlers-Bilge-Pump/dp/B0020KAZIK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352831084&sr=8-1&keywords=Bilge+pump+kayak  Do I need a bilge sponge too? Should I get two bilge pumps?
- knife to attach to pfd, or is a pair of scissors better?
- Whistle
- tethers for paddles
- extra paddle (is this really necessary? We have two paddles that each come apart at a middle joint. I'd rather not get another one unless absolutely necessary. We barely have room for all our gear in his little saturn.
- GPS (I think this is very useful, but we might not get around to purchasing it just yet because it doesn't seem absolutely necessary when compared to the jacket, for instance); regardless- any recommendations? it would need to be submersible... And I was tempted to get the fish finder/GPS combo, but I am afraid with more features, it's more likely to break. So, should I just get a GPS separate from the fish finder? What are people's experiences with specific brands/models?
- We are not planning on going when it's dark, so no need for headlamps or anything like that, but what about emergency flares? do you need those if you have the marine radio? What happens if the flares get wet?
- We are planning to get proper kayak training from a friend/trained and certified kayak instructor; I will ask him to give us test capsizes, so we know what to expect if it happens. 

Other equipment and concerns
- I am inheriting all of my dad's fishing poles, and I think he still has his big fishing net, but what are some "musts" for other kayak fishing equipment? Pliers?
- Floating tackle box?
- Back to the car battery, I know those don't do well with continuous power drains (deal better with sudden surges of power), but could we at least use it safely for a few hours out there? Or should we not bother?
- we put a 17' kayak on foam blocks, tied down, on my husband's saturn, and it was pretty sketchy. I read about different kayak roof racks, but lots of people seem to complain that they are pricey but made cheaply, and some deform the kayaks in warmer weather. I have a thule roof rack on my scion-- but it's 12' and the kayak is 17'. So, whose car should the kayak go on and how? Or should we do as my husband begs me, and pay for a rental space near hmb?

Bathymetry maps/map of hazards/landmarks
- I really want one of these framed and up in our place. Does anybody know where to get a seafloor mapping of hmb, northern california? Also, can anyone point me to a good resource about the reefs and other hazards in the area? We didn't paddle too far from the mouth of the harbor because I knew we both had limited experience, no pool noodles or any safety equipment with us, so I thought it best not to test our luck.

Horror stories and still other concerns?
Is there a rule of thumb for the lb limit of the line you use when kayak fishing? How should we stabilize the boat when we are either pulling up our crab trap or fighting fish? Does one person fish while the other butters the bread? Where do you put the fish once you catch it? In a catch bag dragging on the side of your boat?

I think that I covered most of our questions/concerns. If there is anything else that I need to attend to, please let me know! We want to kayak fish as comfortably and safely as possible.

Thanks very much for your time and concern!

PS
My husband and I both wear leather/spandex sailing gloves ( I used to go small dinghy sailing and bought him a pair too) when going fishing. But is this something we shouldn't do, or should we wear wetsuit gloves?

My husband and I went out for the first time yesterday in HMB to go crabbing with a recently bought, well-loved 17' tandem kayak w/rudder outfitted for fishing and crabbing...


Thanks very much for your time and concern!

I'm new (as of last May) to kayak fishing, so you'll probably want to listen to the experts rather than me. On the other hand, I had a lot of the same questions so maybe I can help out with a few things:

Marine radio --- I have a Standard Horizon HX751 and like it a lot. At first, I purchased the West Marine VHF 155, and the battery compartment broke---avoid that one like the plague. Btw, West Marine was very good about the return/exchange. In any case, I'd feel naked out there without a radio.

PFD --- I have the Stohlquist fisherman. It's not cheap, but it's very comfortable and functional. From what I read, there are several other good ones too.

Pool noodles --- The more the merrier. Stuff the inside full.

Self rescue --- You definitely want to practice this _before_ you venture out. I've never yet had to do it out in the ocean, but I'm sure that day will come. Before I started fishing, I spent an afternoon practicing self-rescue on a lake and now I'm confident I could handle it under adverse conditions.

Tackle box --- I believe the usual approach is to strap it down. Search for "PLANO Deep Dry Storage Marine Box". That one seems to be popular and has worked well for me.

Roof rack --- Mine is dirt cheap. I made a rectangle out of 3/4" heavy-duty PVC pipe, with thick pool noodles attached. I set the kayak on top of it and strap the kayak down. I've never had any trouble with this setup. If you want to see a picture, let me know.

As for the battery/propeller thing... I can't see how that could possibly be worth the trouble.

Finally, I'm sure you'll get a some "use the search engine" responses. And it is true that you can find tons of info here if you spend some time searching.

Thanks JeremyHillaryBoob,PhD! Do you mind posting pictures of your home-made rack? I think we will follow suit. I was telling my husband that I thought pool noodles would work quite well, but he expressed doubt. I think seeing pictures will help him change his mind.

Most of the guys on here can better answer your questions as I am new. But I would say a GPS is a very important tool. I have a Garmin Oregon it is a waterproof that I hook to my vest. It has saved my butt many times on land and in the water. My 2 cents would be to get a separate unit I.e. GPS/ fishfinder. It seems the kayak mounted fishfinders tend to take beating and a good handheld GPS will likely last longer than the lifespan of your fishfinder.

Regarding the electric trolling motor you want a deep cycle marine battery not a car battery. A car battery will have a very short shelf life as they are not designed for this kind of use vs. a DC marine battery. You may save 50 bucks on the battery up front upswing a car battery but you will pay a lot more in the long run.

Again Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Between some good searches and responses on here you should get all the info you need.

Best,
Phil

Keeping it brief...

YES to the following -- Bilge Pump, Pool Noodles, VHF Radio, GPS, Lifejackets, Knife, 20' of rope (give or take -- for emergency throw line), Plano Dry box (good idea), water/snacks

Optional to the following -- Flares, extra paddle, net/gaff (required depending on the species you are catching).  Small first aid kit (gause wrap & a couple bandaids).

NO to the following -- Car Battery!  Save the weight and hastle.  Leave the trolling motor at home and just paddle.

   As for roof racks, check Craigslist.  I have less than $100 in my used Yakima Rack.  You could save some money & make your own or spend that time fishing!  After your first few trips, you will find out better what you do & don't need on the boat. 

Motor and battery on your yak will require registration with DMV (all motorized craft regardless of size!) too much hassle, weight, trouble. Stick to paddling.
As far as deals on racks, if you are an REI member, look for their used gear sales (each store schedules these every few months). Do your research on Thule and Yakima to know what to look for. I have spent about $200 for about $1200 worth of Yakima gear! (4 different sets of yak mounts and base racks) All in basically new condition, some people work the system of buying for a vacation, using once and the returning for refund, the stuff all ends up in their used gear sales. Some other paddling gear shows occasionally, but racks are very common.