Welcome to the Must Have KAYAK FISHING Accessories by FishingMad. When it comes to Kayak Fishing, I’m a firm believer that less is more to maximise organisation and cabin space however after 20 years of kayak fishing in my opinion these are the essential accessories that take your kayak fishing experience to another level. These accessories focus on safety, organisation, comfort and increasing your catch rates.
Hobie Kushion | The Best Kayak Comfort Accessory
The Hobie Vantage chair on its own is brilliant, being able to reconfigure it in so many different positions, however, after being on the water for 5+ hours it can become uncomfortable. Some time ago I was nursing a crook back and a mate gave me his Hobie Kushion to borrow, and I was amazed at how comfortable it was. I went out the very next day and bought one and have not looked back. These comfy cushion accessories can be fitted to all newly raised Hobie Vantage chairs and are compatible with some other kayaks as well. They are made from military-proof components including breathable outer core mesh and comfy foam inside that won’t absorb water. They are on the expensive side but worth every cent in my book.
BerleyPro Tackle Teether | The Best Rod Leash
I can say first-hand that I have lost several rods to large fish over the years on my kayak. It’s a frustrating and costly mistake to make. Not any more with the Berley Pro Tackle Teether. Handmade in Australia these items are simple to use and 1 meter long so you can stay organised on the water. Tethering your rod will prevent your rod combo from being pulled down to the depths of the sea floor by fish, it’s a simple and low-cost item that is very handy especially when fishing offshore.
Lowrance Elite FS7 | The Best Kayak Sounder
Read our detailed review of the best kayak sounders covering a range of brands, sizes & features.
The Lowrance Elite FS7 is brilliant for bigger kayaks like Hobie Pro Anglers. The 7-inch screen is a perfect size and allows you to effortlessly jump between features. The elite FS7 is intuitive, has a responsive glare-resistant touch screen, and a strong transducer that supports triple-shot views. Makes it an essential tool to find fish when on the water, manage waypoints, identify reefs and structures and much more. Now for smaller kayaks and something more affordable than a 5-inch sounder like Lowrance Eagle, Garmin Striker, and Garmin EchoMap UHD2 are great alternative options.
Bixpy K-1 Angler Pro Outboard Kit | The Best Kayak Motor
Trolling motors have been around for a long time but in terms of a kayak trolling motor, the Bixpy K-1 is in a class of its own. Unparalleled revisions, updates and testing to make it lighter, faster and quieter have seen tens of thousands of these sell over the last 5 years. The latest K-1 model replaces the very popular J-2 but is 20% smaller with the same output. Even the battery has had revisions with the latest PP768 V2 waterproof battery which is 18% lighter and smaller than its predecessor. There are so many available mounts and works with the vast majority of kayaks. Control it via a wireless Bluetooth controller and at 38lb of thrust it’s significantly faster than most dedicated kayak trolling motors on the market. We have seen great improvements to the battery weight, connectors and run time and adjustments to the propeller chassis to make it shorter, lighter and quieter. It’s an expensive investment but gee it’s good.
Hobie H-Crate | The Best Kayak Storage
I resisted buying the Hobie H-Crate for several years as I couldn’t justify the expensive price tag. However, when I finally bought one I quickly realised how good and convenient it was. Easily added to the back of your kayak it has 4 rod holders with tie-downs and plenty of room to store your tackle. You can even buy a cover to keep your tackle covered. I generally have 3 rods a net and tackle trays loaded up. I will often also place a soft case eski in mine which fits perfectly where I also store my catches. It also has integrated H-Rails which I use to mount railblaza mounts like Camera booms.
Berley Pro Orb 360 light | The Best Kayak Lighting
It’s the brightest kayak light on the market and works with a 12v connection so you can run lighting for hours in the dark or before first light which is a big advantage as many competitor products on the market run on 3 x triple AAA batteries. The light is easy to assemble with 3 piece collapsable mount and the 360 light is very bright and can be wired to make access easy. It’s waterproof (IP68) with a low current draw of 210mA which works best from a small FPV waterproof battery. This product is temporarily out of stock as a revised and improved version will be available soon, we are excited and eagerly awaiting that and will update the page when it becomes available.
FPV waterproof battery | The Best Kayak Battery
These small IP67 waterproof batteries are perfect for powering items like sounders, lights and trolling motors on your kayak. They are so much more lighter and convenient than traditional batteries. Whilst being 12v makes them so easy to charge in an A/C adapter just like you would a smartphone. There is a heap of mounts on the market to have them tucked away in convenient locations ( Mine is mounted within my front hatch ) and they come in different sizes 7AH, 17AH and 50AH to match the item you need to power and the length of time you need to power it.
Step Step Ladder | Best Kayak Safety Accessory
Many kayak anglers don’t practice getting back onto their kayak and will realise in those emergencies it can be very difficult and quite scary. When doing this myself I always found it difficult to lift myself back on the kayak as you have nothing to push your feet off. Unless you have super upper body stretch this can be very challenging for most, not to mention being cold and awkward with a life jacket on and wet clothing. I picked up a simple 3 and 4-step ladder of eBay that can be deployed by clipping this onto the side or back of your kayak and makes it so much easier to get back onto your yak. It can also be used as a rope or pulley system to flip your kayak back over. This very small investment may just be key to getting you back on your yak safely in an emergency.
Hobie Anchor Trolley Kit | Best Manual Kayak Anchor
This anchor trolley kit is easy to install with Hobie Pro Anglers which already has the moulded screw points otherwise it can be drilled with self-tappers into other kayaks. This kit allows you to quickly deploy an anchor which is perfect for bait fishing and to slide the anchor with the pulley system and position it behind or in front of the yak and out of the way to prevent tangles with your catches.
Railblaza Boom Mount | The Best Kayak Camera Mount
It seems like everyone has an action camera these days recording and capturing those moments and catches on the water. This has become so much better with new cameras including GoPro 13s, DJI Osmo 4 and Insta 360 x4. Mounting these cameras far enough away at 600mm from you to capture all of the action and catches are made so much better with a Railblaza Boom Mount. Much of the FishingMad content has been recorded using these very mounts for action shots and those shots holding up the fish and talking to the audience. However, they are great for personal or professional usage on the water. These work easily with starports and can be rotated around with ease.
Berkley Catch and Release Folding Net | The Best Kayak Net
I have used so many different kayak nets over the years. Many are too short and too heavy making it very awkward to land a fish while on a kayak which in some cases may not be the most stable platform. I for many years have been using the Berkley Catch and release Net, the handle is 86cm long make it easy to reach fish whilst sitting in the Vantage chair and its light weight collapsible frame is easy to handle and conveniently tucks away and easy to transport.
Berley Pro Guardian Transducer protector
A lot has changed in this space in recent years but there was a long time there when Hobie Kayaks would only support single and double-shot transducers, meaning if you installed a new sounder your transducer was prone to getting damaged and not being mounted properly. This is where the Berley Pro Guardian Transducer protector became so valuable allowing kayakers to run triple shot sounders and keeping it safe from the elements. It was just installed using the same bolts underneath the sounder plate.
Hobie Boomerang snips | The Best Quick Access cutting tool
This little tool is brilliant, its small form is convenient and with a retractable lanyard can be easily attached to a convenient spot on your kayak or even life jacket with its included carabiner. They are corrosion-resistant to prevent rust build-up and cut through braid effortlessly with nice clean cuts. The blade can be locked into place to ensure safety.
Hobie Vantage Seat Accessory Bag | The Best Kayak Seat Organiser
This bag is easily attached to your vantage chair through velcro straps and provides quick access storage. The bag was redesigned in 2024 it’s slightly larger, has stronger zips, uses extra durable material and is now fully padded. This cool accessory stops the back of the chair from being wasted storage. It’s a great spot to store keys, wallet, phone, sunscreen and tackle. Compatible with ProAngler, Compass, Lynx and Passport.
Thanks for reading the Must Have KAYAK FISHING Accessories article by FishingMad. If you have any suggestions for additions or changes then email us at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au Thanks
