Standing up on a kayak. How to stay balanced during hookset.

My kayak:  the Hobie Compass.

I can stand up with (some) effort.  I get that “whoa!” Feeling when I’m up.  Precarious  describes it well. The seat is pretty low and getting my feet under me isn’t possible.  Yesterday I wasn’t thinking about it at all. Why?  The bass were on beds!  I was up easily. I just push up with one arm off the backrest. Once up it was pretty easy. Knees slightly bent. I hope it gets easier and easier.  I was paddling with my paddle while standing.  Like a paddle board.  Looking for bass! 

Amazing what you can accomplish if you force your mind out of the way. I could cast and pitch a lure.  I’m not comfy setting the hook. I sit down quickly. Haha.



Practice makes perfect?  I hope so.

Every yak is different.  You're doing well to stand on a Compass.  It is generally true, like you said, that you will get better as you get more used to it, but it may never be easy on a smaller kayak.

It's easy on an X-Factor.

I’d love to do that,....but my knees are terrible and my gut too large. My balance is great once up. Problem is when i go to sit back down,....ohhhhh boy.

I'm gimped up enough to quit standing up on my kayak a long time ago.  Neither at Berryessa or the local (very clear) lakes here has standing up in the kayak to sight fish for bass been beneficial for me.  I occasionally see carp or splake that are moving through when fishing from my boat but stationary fish ala pike and bass, not so much.  Visibility here with a calm surface is pushing almost 20 feet.

ymmv

its def scary, but the more you do, the better you'll get.  Agree its def like SUP'ing.  But even when I SUP fish, critical not to rip lips via big backswing, just upsweep like ur using circle hooks. 

Impressive!  But that was like a generation ago, pops - do you actually have a kayak at this point?   

Super easy on the 19+ Outbacks.  I do this a lot on the last 50 yards when landing or in any shallow areas.  The perspective is so different.  Ive spotted huge stingrays and leopard sharks which I would not have seen if sitting.  The next goal would be to toss a cast net for bait while standing, I’ve already done it sitting.  It’s messy.