YAK Fishing Question

[Billfish715]

I know lots of fishermen have taken to kayak fishing in salt water. There is even a cable show about the exotic places where people fish with them. But......is there anything else but common sense to govern how yaks are used? On our way back to Manasquan Inlet yesterday in the fog, our 38 footer almost ran over a yaker very close to the inlet. He never showed on the radar even though we had it dialed in to 1/2 mile. The guy had no radar deflector or flag. Fortunately, we saw him and we were not going fast, but still, it was fortunate he was off our port side about 30 yards when we spotted him. Visibility in front of the inlet was about 100 yds. at the time. On another occasion, while fishing off Sandy Hook a few years back in my friend's center console, we towed a yaker in distress back to shore from over a mile out. He couldn't paddle into the strong NW wind. This guy wasn't even wearing a PFD. What goes with yakers?

[Chrisper4694]

It's like anything else...there are people doing stupid stuff. I see guys in big boats doing stupid crap i see guys in kayaks doing stupid crap. If you're stupid in a big boat you hurt others usually, if you're stupid in a kayak you get yourself hurt i guess.

If i go in the kayak salt water i almost never go alone unless there is no chance of strong wind and i'm not going far at all in the bay. always have the pfd on and def not in the fog...let alone without a flag/light combo or something. big boats need to be careful too, good thing you were going slow cause most guys don't care...pieces of tree or other hard debris floating in the water (smaller and less visible than a kayaker) can mess your boat up.