3 Advanced Fishing Tips For Saltwater Kayak Anglers [VIDEO]
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips

A week ago, I posted a blog that got a ton of positive feedback called, “11 Essential Kayak Fishing Tips For Newbies” (you can read it here now).
It was loaded with kayak fishing tips, must have kayak fishing accessories, and information that can benefit all levels of anglers.
And as you can imagine, a few anglers asked for some additional advanced kayak fishing tips as well.
So we reached out to Salt Strong Ambassador Nick Lytle (saltwater kayak fishing extraordinaire) to get his take on three must know advanced kayak fishing tips.
Here is what he had to say…
Note: Nick is an experienced saltwater kayak angler out of the Florida Panhandle.
3 Advanced Saltwater Kayak Fishing Tips
By Nick Lytle
Tip #1: Use An Anchor Trolley To Position Your Kayak.
Kayak positioning could mean the difference between catching fish and going home empty handed.
Whether the goal is facing into the wind or facing down wind, anchor trolleys allow anglers to position their kayaks at the best angle. And if you want to be an “advanced kayak angler” and catch consistent fish in any type of weather, an anchor trolley is a must have.
Anchor Trolleys can be bought as kits or pieced together at your local hardware store.
And since there are multiple trolleys and ways to install depending on your kayak, I would encourage you to check out the several “How To” videos on YouTube that show the required items and the installation process for your specific kayak design.
Tip #2: Organization & Simplicity.
In the video below, I describe how I keep my tackle simple to catch more fish.
It’s a pretty simple (yet incredibly effective) plan. I simply carry three rods at all times while kayak fishing.
No more. No less.
Each rod allows me to cover a different section of the water column. Here is what my rod setup looks like on pretty much most of my kayak trips:
- The first rod will be rigged with a soft plastic. (The amount of weight depends on the water depth and current.)
- The second rod will have a lure that suspends in the water column, whether it is an Unfair Rip-N-Slash or a 17MR.
- The third rod will be rigged with a top water lure.
These three setups allow anglers to catch fish in every situation, and I can simply turn around and grab whichever rod/lure is best for any given situation without having to re-rig.
Now, lets briefly talk about organization.
Organization is very important and could make the difference in landing the fish of a lifetime.
It’s always important to know the location of your net, where your fish grips and pliers are on the boat, and how to access them with little effort.
These items will allow you to safely land and release the fish.
To see more on basic fish handling techniques for kayak anglers, check out this blog post on the 11 essential saltwater kayak fishing tips.
Tip #3: Take Notes On All Of Your Fishing Trips
I have had opportunities to fish with some excellent anglers and they all have had one thing in common.
They knew where the fish were going to be and why they were going to be there.
Many years ago, an older gentleman told me to document the conditions of every trip.
I was young and didn’t understand why it mattered, but now I realize that this man didn’t catch fish because he had the best is rod or reel.
He caught fish because he knew where the fish were going to be and why they were going to be there.
When attempting to figure an area out, be sure to document what you find.
In doing so, you will find trends.
Identifying trends is the key to finding the fish every time you are on the water.
Here’s a short story and perfect example:
In the last year, I began fishing a body of water that many said was a difficult area to fish.
I had previously fished the area several times without much success, and my opinion started to align with everyone else’s.
After reviewing my notes, I realized that all of my trips, on this particular body of water, had one thing in common — the tidal stage.
Even though these trips were spread out over the course of the year, I knew I needed to fish it under different conditions. Let me tell you, that place is one of the most productive Trout fisheries in the area!

The moral of the story is simple. You will never know what you are doing wrong if there’s nothing to look back on.
Take notes, review those notes, and be Salt Strong!!!
3 Advanced Kayak Fishing Tips [VIDEO]
Conclusion
If you thought journaling was just for poets, exchange students, and vegans, then you were wrong!
Some of the most experienced anglers (and most great fishing guides) keep journals of every one of their fishing outings.
I hope you also learned something from Nick’s other two advanced kayak fishing tips regarding the importance of an anchor pulley and keeping your tackle simple.
As we say here at Salt Strong, you are always better off becoming an expert at 1-3 lures and only using them than having dozens of different lures in your tackle box and constantly switching up baits.
Hope you got something out of this, and thanks again for the guest blog contribution Nick!
P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!
P.P.S. – If you believe that you have an original blog or video that would make for a great guest blog on Salt Strong, email fish@saltstrong.com with your idea or blog post. It must be original and it must be at least 700 words to be considered.
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Hey I can’t see the video.
Nick, great tips! I never thought to fish the column that way, but it makes great sense. The notes also a good idea. My question is when you come into an area that you are going to fish do you fish all three water columns? Thanks, and again great video.
Jeff, that’s a great question! How I fish an area depends on a variety of things, such as water depth, bait activity, and time of day/light conditions. Here’s a short breakdown:
If the water is 3-5 feet deep, I am going to start off with soft plastics. A 1/4 ounce jig head is perfect for this water depth and will allow you to work the middle and bottom of the water column. Often a short and quick twitch, twitch, pause, twitch, twitch, pause (repeat for entire cast) will quickly locate fish. If the fish are feeding slower a slower twitch and settle will keep the lure glued to the bottom and in a different strike zone.
If its a bright day and I come to an area that has bait actively moving on the surface, I will opt for a lure I can work just below the surface. A perfect example is the Unfair Rip-N-Slash, 17MR, or a lure that involves a little more user input a Rapala X-Rap. (The X-Rap is hands down my personal favorite and has been since I was a tiny child chasing Bass in local ponds)
If its overcast, within an hour of sunrise or within an hour of sunset, I am going to throw topwater until my arms are tired. If I have multiple fish follow the lure without committing I will switch to one of the suspending lures mentioned above and the fish that a re reluctant to hit topwater are usually willing to crush anything just below the surface.
I just ordered the journal and the 17MR and can’t wait to get out there. Thanks again for all the great information.
Good stuff Jeff! The journal is a game-changer after 6-months or a year of fishing. Tight Lines. Fish On!
Not a problem, Jeff. I look forward to seeing some awesome photos!