Bare minimum to get started....

Hi all. As u probably guessed, I'm a newbie. Not to fishing so much, but to kayaking. Used to fish in the Midwest. Loved it and want to get back into it. So I have a boat (WS Tarpon 120), PFD, paddle w/ leash. Learned to surf in Maine, so feel pretty good about my water skills especially in cold water. Once surfed in 28 degrees. Had icicles on my hood's visor. Couldn't feel my feet! 

I have tons of questions, but will start off slowly-
1. Should I just go out and get a dry suit now. The reason I ask (obvious, I know!) is that the flippin' thing's gonna cost me as much as my boat! 
2. So much of the fishing done around here (at least from the posts I'm reading) is done in saltwater? The sound or the ocean, right? Oops, I think I just answered #1. Never mind.
3. If I had to buy just one rod/reel setup, for starters- what would you suggest
(size and type of reel)?
4. Any other safety equipment you think I should just plain have?
5. If anyone would like to go fishing sometime and give me some pointers, I'd be grateful. I live on Vashon Island but will travel if I have a few days notice.

As I'm sure you figured out, I'm trying not to break the bank just to find out it's not for me. Doubtful, I know!

Thanks for your info and patience!

Welcome to the forum

1. Dry suits are nice but there is other outwear that works for less money : Wet suit, wader/splash top combo for instance.

2. Plenty of NWKA members fish in freshwater

3. It really depends what you are fishing for.  Try a 6-8' rod matched up with an appropriately sized reel.

4. PFD, Whistle/horn, VHF submersible radio (especially for saltwater), safety flag, GPS

Hey, thanks for the info. VHF makes sense. And I just found a dry suit by Kokatat that sounds good for around $500.00. I thought about a safety flag already. Something similar to what you would put on a kid's bike. Have a whistle on the PFD. GPS- do mean marine GPS devices or GPS programs found on the typical cellphone these days?

One other question- does everyone use a fish finder? I mean unless you are going out with someone that's got one, are you kinda dead in the water without it?  Especially if you don't know the good spots?

Sorry to be such a pain. I feel like the kid sister you just can't get rid of! And I haven't even started talking about tackle!

Welcome Nu2r!

I fished the ocean for a long time with an old surfing wetsuit, a cheap water skiing PFD and a $50 Uglystick combo (that I still use on a regular basis).  No FF, no GPS, no VHF.  There are lots of places where you can get away with the bare minimum and still catch nice fish.  You just have to be selective about the days and areas you target.

Even pimped as I am now, I find it necessary to get back to basics once in a while and take the occasional trip with the barest of essentials.  It helps my enjoyment level to remember why I started doing this in the 1st place.

-Spot-

  Nu2kayaks,
 Welcome to the world of kayak fishing.In case you haven't seen/read this already---be warned--it's addictive as any vice you can think of.So ,heads up there.
 No need to break the bank-------be selective and you can still be frugal.You already have a boat...so get out and test the water and yourself.Go to a near-by lake (a warm one) and get the feel of your new craft.Take a snoopy rod and some nightcrawlers.Odds are good that you will catch something.Keep It Simple Silly.
 The thing most of us like about fishing saltwater,I think I can say this,is because of the variety of critters in the salt.You never know what's on the end of your line til it's up.And there are some incredible surprises at times.But you can certainly start in a lake or river as  you develop your skills.Just get out and do it.......

Outdoor Emporium / SportCo has the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C4 (6600C4) on sale for $85.  It's a very nice, right hand crank baitcast.  I use the left hand crank.  Adequate for trolling and casting.  Can't go wrong with an Ugly Stik of some sort.

If you are serious about getting a VHF handheld consider the Standard Horizon HX850S- waterproof, floating, GPS, MMSI/DSC and a one-button DSC distress call.  The distress call continuously transmits your GPS coords.  See the thread in the safety forum.

Prioritize your safety gear to keep you alive in COLD water until rescue.  A dry-suit or semi-dry-suit are good investments.  Treat it well and carefully.  The Kokatats are good. 

Welcome to the area.

Hey thanks for all the advice. I have found a Kokatat dry suit that's reasonable. I just read a great book about a coast guard rescue called- The Deadlist Sea, by Susan Casey. So, cold water is indeed nothing to mess with.

And will most likely invest in a better rod/reel than the hdwe store one a paid $19.95 for. The VHF will come sooner or later.

Thanks again and maybe see you out there! I'll be in an mango colored Tarpon 120.
dp

Nu2---was that you i saw at Point Defiance this AM???  I snapped a couple pix, will download them tonite.  I am on Maury Island, let's hook up!

That was me this morning at Pt D.

Did you score?  I got an 18# king just after I got to Gig Harbor,  but crossing the Narrows in the yak could be pretty hairy!  Where are you on Vashon?? PM me for fone etc

I struck out today, and I only seen a few hookups from the boaters around me.

Here he is, early AM----sport fishing in a place of possibility!!

Ooops---that wasn't NU2kayaks!!

Hey Nu2, I'm fairly new to Yakin' and have a decent set up as far as electronics and rigging goes but I tend to fish w/ bare essentials a good portion of my time on the water (I mostly fish freshwater lakes and rivers). Keeps it simple, easy to transport and somehow I still to hook and land my fair share of fish. I probably should step it up as far as the technology goes but my philophy has always been "study, observe, and adjust". - Yokut