When you go Paddleboard Fishing and take your paddleboard with you on your boat using Manta Racks, you can get to remote places where the fish are not pressured. Using the boat as a base or mothership, you won’t have to bring all your lures, fishing rods, and other accessories with you on the paddleboard, just what you need to hunt for a couple of hours.
The type of paddleboard or stand up paddleboard (SUP) you bring is key. It should be stable, have enough room to bring along some important items and be designed for paddleboard fishing. The fin(s) should be for shallow water, 4” to 6” long at most. Fish, such as redfish, are in very shallow water to feed and you don’t want your board to be stuck because of the length of the fins. Some paddleboards are wide enough to carry a small cooler for refreshments, a snack, and your catch. Bring along a stringer, just in case your catch is too large to fit in your cooler. With a stringer, you will be able to tow your catch back to your boat. If you have a board that can handle a cooler, place in the middle of the board, so that it can be used as a seat.
Bringing at least 2 to 3 fishing poles allows you flexibility of having different presentations without having to tie on different lures. Whether you break a line (which you will) or to have different lures on each rod for different scenarios, you will have a backup and options.
For safety, wear some type of water shoes just in case you have to step off your board. Wear a life jacket, use a leash, and carry a communication device such as a cell phone or hand-held VHF. You will be in some remote areas and may need to contact someone.
Paddleboard Fishing
To recap, the items you must bring for paddleboard fishing are a stringer, something to measure with, net, rope or stick pole for an anchor, polarized glasses, a drink holder, extra bait/lures, and 2 or 3 fishing rods in your fishing rod holders with different presentations or baited ready to cast. Safety items include some sort of life jacket, water shoes, board leash, and a communication device. Consider a belly bag or fanny pack to carry some of these things.
Remember, plan minimal but take the essentials; your boat won’t be too far away so you can go back to it should you forget something.
Peter Hinck, AKA: Palm Beach Pete has a good paddleboard fishing safety video on YouTube.
Check out his other tips here!
And if you enjoyed this post, check out our guide to the best Florida destinations for paddleboarding!
