How many miles do you cover in a day?

I just got my kayak this past weekend and am trying to gauge how far of a fishing points I can cover.
Of course, I'll be starting with baby steps... and then gently increasing distance as I go.

I exercise at least 3 times a week and regularly run full/half marathons.  So I feel pretty good about my endurance.
But being a complete noob,(I've yet to get my kayak wet) I am curious where about I should set my limits.

For you seasoned yakkers, what is your average mileage per trip?

Thanks
Matthew

I like to troll along the coast and regularly cover 10 to 15 miles per trip.

Doing those miles in one area is different than deciding to paddle 5 miles up the coast and back because wind, current, changing ocean conditions...etc. can make such a trip more dangerous.

Once you establish what distances your body is comfortable with on your kayak you can look at the possibility of doing a roundtrip of significant distance when the conditions allow, but contingency planning and flexibility are key.

Have fun. 

I just got my kayak this past weekend and am trying to gauge how far of a fishing points I can cover.
Of course, I'll be starting with baby steps... and then gently increasing distance as I go.

I exercise at least 3 times a week and regularly run full/half marathons.  So I feel pretty good about my endurance.
But being a complete noob,(I've yet to get my kayak wet) I am curious where about I should set my limits.

For you seasoned yakkers, what is your average mileage per trip?

Thanks
Matthew

Distance covered can be affected by the tide, drift, wind, currents and how fast you can paddle your kayak. If you average 2mph and go six miles one way a large part of the day will be spent paddling if you plan to sit and fish a spot. If you are trolling you can start small and expand your distance.

It really depends on what you are chasing/doing. If I'm bass fishing I might do 5 miles if I'm searching for fish, but if I launch near fish it might only be 1 mile. If I'm floating a river I'll do 10-15 miles. Ocean salmon trolling is much much further. Especially if you are fishing with Eric!!

Like everyone else said, it all depends.  A lot of our launches are close to the fishing spots.  BUT, other factors come into play much more than distance. 

My advice is to maintain some energy reserves and keep your paddling technique in mind.  If your technique is good, you'll be able to have a more efficient stroke... and thus stay out longer/farther.  Also, keeping gas in the tank is important because the winds and swells can come up much faster than expected, and you may have to fight your way back to the launch.  There's no shame in cutting a trip short or having to ditch on an alternate beach.   

So... what generally happens when you land back on an alternate beach... say miles down from where you originally launched.
Do you tie your kayak somewhere and walk back to get your car?
I haven't thought about this possibility... hmm.

So... what generally happens when you land back on an alternate beach... say miles down from where you originally launched.
Do you tie your kayak somewhere and walk back to get your car?
I haven't thought about this possibility... hmm.

yup. Or hitch a ride.
Or, if you really are dialed in, you just load your yaks on the shuttle car that you parked there on your way to the put-in

So... what generally happens when you land back on an alternate beach... say miles down from where you originally launched.
Do you tie your kayak somewhere and walk back to get your car?
I haven't thought about this possibility... hmm.

Check out the "Safety First" forum...  there are a lot of good/insightful reads in there.  Here are a few good ones for others to learn from or as reminders:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=13153.0

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=68671.0

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=27568.0

Sorry, got a little sidetracked from your original question.  Secure the kayak as best you can, above high water line or tie it off... or leave a note/your phone number with it.  Hitchhike, walk, call for a ride... back to your car.  If/when you get back to your kayak, recover it if you can.  If it ain't there, call the Coast Guard and let them know your empty kayak is adrift.  There was a really good post that someone had about ditching their kayak and coming back for it the next day, but I couldn't find it.  I just remembered the highlights and the good discussion that followed.

Whatever the answer to this question is orang really help you other than to satisfy a curiosity. Miles aren't important. Hours of effort are. You don't need an odometer, you need a Hobbs meter.

Matthew, if you are at all tri-fit (and Im not talking a Jabba-sized clydesdale triathlete either), your fitness will not be the limiting factor in your yakking range.  in kayakfishing, you hardly ever go anaerobic, and most likely nowhere near LT.  For rockfishing, you'll paddle maybe 2-5 miles, stopping along the way to pothole around, go to another spot, then turn around. 

The one exception in my experience where I thank gawd I was fit was when I had to haul a bro back to the landing, against a crazy stiff afternoon wind.  Took me a straight hour of LT effort, and I was smoked after. 

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=42515.0

I agree with most people, the answer is depends on different factors (i.e. wind, distance, pedal vs paddle, fitness, etc). 

For me, i would typically cover somewhere between 6 to 10 miles, 12 if it's a really flat day.  However, those distance are adjusted to sea conditions.

About half of those miles are spent on the round trip portion, the rest on trooching (trolling & mooching), plus moving from spots to spots. 

The round trips are mostly pedal, the trooching portions are about 75% pedal, 25% paddle. 

The round trip speeds are typically 3-5mph, the trooching portion is around 1.5 - 2.5mph.

This is typically spent over a 5-8 hour span and I am usually spent when I land.  I consider myself an intermediate level yaker with good fitness (I run 6mph for 5-8 miles).

Make sure you have extra in the gas tank for one of those just-in-case moment.

If I take a drink, I head in right away, no matter how early in the trip.  The thought is that if I am not sharp mentally, the physic won't do any good the rest of the way.

I would add, that when planning for a day with lots of miles to log. Pack a safety kit and appropriate spare parts. I broke my drive 6 miles from a launch area on Don Pedro making for a long paddle (instead of peddle) after a full day on the water. Never been so smoked after a day on the water, ( I did 30 miles or so in total that day, a spare drive part would have been welcome.)

Did the same thing with a traditional (stock) paddle on the American river, fortunately I had a spare paddle that held up as using my mirage drive was not an option in the shallow water and fast current.

Those safety first posts are full of great reminders and may spare you from learning a lesson the hard way.

Safety kit = ALWAYS...

Most of the salmon fishing I do STARTS about a mile or two from the launch, so a salmon trolling trip is at least 5-6 miles at the bare minimum. Typical days of salmon trolling are 10-15 miles, even up to 20 if the conditions allow and I've got a good lunch and plenty of water on board.

For rockfishing, you can usually find some good fishy water within a mile of any launch. So 2-6 miles total is probably a good estimate for a rockfishing trip.


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It sounds like you're already in better shape than 60% of the members here. Don't sweat it; just go easy your first few trips. The learning curve is steep, you will learn soo much after the first couple trips...and after a handful of trips, you'll feel like a salty vet. The reason I say take it easy at first is because there are other unexpected things that can't always be taken into consideration (e,g., how your body will react to seasickness).