For many years kayaks have been a way to travel on water easily. They’re small, easy to store, need little maintenance, and offer not only ease of use, but ease of access to areas too narrow or shallow for traditional boats. And as anglers know, access to water means access to fishing spots not everyone can reach. So whether you’re a kayak enthusiast who wants to outfit your vessel with fishing gear or an angler who wants to downsize from your boat to a kayak, check out Mike Toth’s guide to kayak fishing gear from the Paddlesport 2013 Consumer Kayak Show.

“No one keeps written fishing diaries anymore. Instead, we mount small video cameras on any piece of tackle large enough to hold a mount, film ourselves on the water, set the footage to music that isn’t copyrighted, and post it on YouTube.

Jackson Kayak has made such modern fishing record-keeping easier this year with the introduction of GoPro mounts on several of their kayaks, including the Cruise 12. Representative Matthew Trucks says that the Cruise, with its clear, open layout in front of the seat, is ideal for flyfishermen (no hatch hinges or accessories that will snag flyline). The GoPro mount sits forward, allowing you to film either yourself or the water you’re casting to (garage band recording not included).”

Whether you’re in the market for a new camera mount, paddle, or a whole new kayak fishing setup, this is a helpful gear review you won’t want to miss.

Photo by: Steve Hillebrand, courtesy of USFWS

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Shannon Rikard
Shannon Rikard is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for conservation and wedding and portrait photography. The Archery Trade Association and National Wild Turkey Federation have published her work. A self-professed word geek, she enjoys Wheel of Fortune, crossword puzzles, and finding a dynamite synonym to illustrate any point. After starting her career in public relations with a national conservation organization, she ventured out on her own with Copper Door Studios.