Kids Sports Gear: Safety. Shopping and Style Tips for Parents

Stand-Up Paddling (SUP) Fishing Tips

There are so many things about stand-up paddle boards (SUP) that make them such unique aquatic vehicles. In particular, anglers of all kinds can use an SUP to venture into fishing grounds that might be otherwise inaccessible via other watercraft.

Angling from a SUP, however, requires a few steps that that aren't required when you're fishing from a boat, kayak, or canoe. Here are just a few tips you can use to keep your rods and tackle secure on the deck of your SUP:

Make Everything Float

Few things will ruin an SUP fishing trip like capsizing your craft and watching your tackle plummet to the bottom. The key to avoiding this costly and embarrassing mishap is to make everything aboard your SUP buoyant.

  • Rods: affix a one-liter plastic bottle to the butt-end of your rods with a thick rubber band. To make sure that your bottle lids don't spring a leak, you can use a strip of packaging tape or duct tape to seal the bottle cap on the bottle.
  • Tackle: To start, you'll want to consolidate your tackle into a small container (choosing a clear container can make it easier to keep track of your tackle). Next, you will want to ensconce your tackle into a dry bag. It's important to choose a dry bag that closes as securely as it does easily. To make sure that your dry bag floats, you'll want to stuff or attach (duct tape is quite effective) a two-liter plastic bottle into or onto the bag.

Strap Everything Down

Now that your SUP fishing gear floats, it's important to make sure that it doesn't float away or go overboard when you paddle into turbulent waters.

Bungee cords are an SUP angler's best friend. Not only are they cheap, but they're also durable and easy to use.  To secure your tackle and rods, you will want to strap two bungee cords to the front and rear of your SUP.  You can use the rear bungee cords to secure the butt ends of your rods and front bungee cords to secure your tackle and rod tips. Criss-crossing the front bungee cord will allow you to secure your tackle more securely, and spacing your rear bungee cords six to eight inches apart (parallel) will allow you to secure the butt ends of your rods to your SUP's rails.

If you've never experienced the freedom and excitement of fishing from the deck of your SUP, you don't know what you've been missing. These tips can help make your SUP fishing trip more safe and secure.


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