I'm not going to differentiate between sea fishing and freshwater fishing, as many techniques can be practised in both sea and freshwater.
Kayak lure fishing
We start, of course, with lure fishing. Whether soft or hard lures, the possibilities are endless. This is what many people do. The kayak will enable you to get close to areas where boats can't or can't easily fish. Crowded banks, seaweed edges, low-tide parks, shallow areas...
There's a wide range of rigs to choose from: soft lures, Texan lures, direct lures... We'll play around with lure sizes, colors and weight of lead heads, the aim being to fish as light as possible, while still fishing accurately. Recovery can be rapid on edge hunts, as often happens in summer.
It can also be scratch-built, for example, by mounting an imitation shrimp, crab or other creature and moving it among the tables of sight-fishing parks or among the clumps of seaweed.
Soft lure fishing
The soft lure can also be used in deeper areas in search of bass, pollack, Saint Pierre and others. Here too, they can be handled in a variety of ways, using the elevator method for pollock, for example. Linear or scratch fishing for bass. Swimming fish also offer a wide range of possibilities, and it's a good idea to combine the two during a fishing trip.
For example, when I'm moving from one spot to another, I always have a drag with me. Usually a bib lure, depending on the depth. As soon as I catch a fish, I switch to the soft lure and sweep the area at 360° over the entire water height. It's very rare that I don't catch more fish in the area.
Surface lure fishing
The surface lure is also a practice that gives you the best sensations, seeing the attack live, the fish rising and grabbing the lure then diving back in gets the adrenaline going. If your kayak allows it and if you're already a bit experienced in kayak fishing, stand-up fishing is also possible, very interesting when fishing on parks or edges.
For those who are more hesitant about this practice, the addition of a stabilizing float is then possible and you can even try fly-fishing.
Fishing with jig, tenya, madaï and kabura
After these techniques, which are most often used in practice, you have jig fishing, which is very effective for fast fishing on the hunt or to get under the feeder ball quickly in search of the biggest predators. These pieces of metal are also very effective for deep fishing on wrecks, for example, or for fishing pits.
In the last 10 years or so, fishing with tenya, madaï or kabura has come back into fashion. Highly effective on sparids in particular, a tenya/gambas rig is a must for king bream, big gilthead bream and pike-perch. Many other species will be interested in these techniques. These are perhaps the techniques that will give you the greatest diversity of catches, and they are accessible to all, beginners included.
For the more seasoned angler, trolling for large specimens is even a possibility, but the equipment is not the same and the presence of a safety boat is strongly recommended, but it's doable.
Kayak fishing for cephalopods
The search for cephalopods is also possible with jig fishing. Here again, the market for these lures is vast and the possible rigs numerous. I have a predilection for the tataki rig, which I often mention in my articles. You can also lure them with baits, in which case needle, cage or plank rigs are preferable.
Kayak bait fishing
Natural bait fishing too, and all the associated rigs depending on the species you're after. A green crab on a sliding boom rig will be effective on king bream or small sharks. A tied-up sardine will decide a stingray... Bibis, cockles, clams, sand eels, etc, etc, anything is possible.
Traps and submarine hunters
You can also use your kayak to set up crab or shrimp traps, but your kayak must be registered with Maritime Affairs to do so, with marker buoys bearing the number of your hull.
Submarine hunting can also be carried out from a kayak, and it's actually quite safe to use this type of craft. As we've seen in previous articles, a kayak can also be used as a base for moving around the foreshore for shore fishing.
You can even do clean-up sessions from a kayak. Many people use kayaks to pick up litter or clean up riverbanks inaccessible to other types of craft or on foot. Some also take wildlife photos from their kayaks.
As you can see, anything is possible in a kayak. Your fishing techniques will have to be taken into account when choosing your model. If you want to fish at sea, and more than 300 m from the shore, you'll need a float over 3.50 m long, approved and registered (free of charge) with the maritime affairs authorities.
Kayak fishing is becoming increasingly popular. No noise, no smell of petrol, close contact with nature, good for your health by getting you moving, accessible to as many people as possible, suitable for both fresh and salt water and, as we've seen, multi-technique - in short, in five words, kayak fishing is winning you over.
