first timer with kayak fishing.

hi guys! i bought my first fishing kayak an OK prowler 13 trident angler and i wanna launch at half moon bay as soon as possible. so far i have the following, kayak paddle, pfd, a couple of fishing poles ,and a tackle box. i don't really know how to get started on this but any tips and heads ups is greatly appreciated. thanks guys!

Right on!  I can feel your enthusiasm, thisguy32fish, and I hope I can offer some good advice along with a Warm Welcome!

I didn't see wetsuit on your list, and there are many other items to consider if you're into getting on the ocean:

- VHF
- Compass (absolutely mandatory to all paddlers, IMO)
- GPS
- spare paddle
- water
- first aid...

There's lots to consider, and surfing this site will offer all the info you need.  Good luck out there, and remember to report back on what you find!  Welcome!   

Welcome aboard! Do you have a buddy kayaker going with you?  I wouldn't go out to the ocean on my new kayak and fishing solo on my first trip!

Others will chime in with..take a class, etc (which I agree). But I recommend you stay in the harbor for your first trip and hunt for butt's. I know that may seem dull but you need to get comfortable on your boat.

Safety gear is more important than anything else on the list,

Top one there IMO is a wetsuit

Please read all of this;

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,14820.0.html

The big blue is just awesome but it can also be deadly.   

And yeah your enthusiasm comes right thru.....still better safe than sorry,

My list:
starting with Eric's

- VHF
- Compass (absolutely mandatory to all paddlers, IMO)
- GPS
- spare paddle
- water
- first aid...

audible signal, whistle and minature canned air horn,

visible signal, a light or flares in my case,

And heed all the other advice you're gonna get in answer to your post, we all have your best interest at heart, safety first then have a blast


the PFD and wetsuit should go on without a thought.

Welcome to the madness of kayak angling!!! Fishing will never be the same

I have to agree with all that a wetsuit is the #1 item you need that you currently don't have. It will keep you warm if you do fall into the COLD Nor Cal waters. VHF radio is another good idea to have, especially if you are going to go out with friends/company to keep in contact with them while otw.

Dale is correct in that every brother and sister here have your best and sincere interest.

Enjoy the waters, but please respect it! We feel your enthusiasm and look forward to meeting you brother!!

thank you so much guys! i greatly appreciate the tips and the warm welcome, i love fishing i go on charter boats all the time (queen of hearts in HMB) but lately i been seeing a lot of kayakers just chillin and fishing around pigeon point and they all looked so relax, so i decided what the heck why don't i get one hahaha, and i did! i have been looking at some wet suit and i came across this one on amazon "U.S. Divers Mercury Shorty Adult Wetsuit"  its for $79.00 seem to me like a good buy but what do u guys think. i don't have a kayak buddy atm but i have tried my kayak in a local reservoir by my self and so far i love it! but i wanna try launching it in the ocean just around the harbor is fine, just to get the feel of it. again guys thank you so much for the warm welcome and hope to see you guys in the water soon!

Welcome aboard tg32f. Keep an eye out for hookups just so you'd have some people
around you at all times. You may want to consider taking a safety class with Aaron at
the MBK and I think Scallen also gives kayak safety class as well. I am signed up for
the safety class myself this coming weekend 9-11 with Tiny and some other folks. Hope to fish with you soon.

Jedmo

you'll want a 3mil farmer john style wetsuit and make sure it has a relief (pee) zipper.

Like this one...

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2215

@ Jedmo i have a charter boat trip schedule on 9/11 at queen of hearts, how much is the safety class? thank you
@ EWB ill look in to do, the wet suit will keep me dry and warm basically? i never worn one before.

how do you pee off a kayak? do you stand or what? i just realize that. hehehe

You just piss off the side or into the footwells as it will drain out the scuppers.

One thing you need to do before hitting the ocean is to practice self rescue, getting back into the yak from the water, over & over & over again, wearing your gear/wetsuit, booties, pfd etc, in your local lake. Do this first.

Recently I saw a new kayak angler fall into the ocean and was unable to get back aboard unassisted. If people weren't around this guy might have been toast. Even if you launch with other people I guarantee you will become separated from the pack once OTW & everybody eventually falls in at some time or another. jim

how do you pee off a kayak? do you stand or what? i just realize that. hehehe

like EWB mentioned, get the 3 mil farmer john wetsuit with the relief zipper.....and then use a gatorade bottle to piss in.

Be a kayaker first and fisherman second. Like others said, take a class. Learn how to paddle correctly, learn how to self rescue....ect. Other helpful tips is read "This Happened to me". You can learn from other peoples mistakes. http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/board,29.0.html

Here's another: http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,14820.0.html

Half Moon Bay Kayak company also does kayak classes. Talk to Doug, Chris or Dave.

 

  A paddle leash is a useful  piece of equipment to have . Homemade works just as well.

 Learn wind handling in an area where you can easily get back to shore. The wind sometimes comes up unexpectedly  and it can really become a physical challenge. Be in shape to handle it.

   Do a search for "kayak paddling technique". Knowing how to paddle correctly makes for a  better overall experience.


 Added 9/8:   Every year a few kayak novices need to be rescued from only a few hundred yards in front of the harbor here in Santa Cruz because of wind so please exercise caution while gaining familiarity with adverse conditions.

bring a few beers to share!