i know i need an extra paddle anchor (need advise) . what else are good essentials?

If you have a good paddle, you don't necessarily need an extra, but having one stuff inside the yak isn't a bad idea either.

Some of the stuff I have/can think of off the top of my head:
PFD!
safety whistle
claw anchor
stake out pole
brush anchor
drift sock
flashlight (at the least if you plan to fish at night, or think it may be possible you may not make it back to the launch before night fall) (I have deck lighting and am working on a 360 degree light)
tackle/bait
rods
stringer/fish bag/basket
fish gripper (boga/hobie/etc)
rod holders are nice
paddle leash/keepers
cooler for drinks/food
rod/gear leashes/floats ("leash it or lose it")

There is no "ASAP" when it comes to outfitting a kayak. I have had mine since December, have been constantly adding/revising my gear since then and I am sure that there are plenty of guys on here who have been doing this same thing for several years.

At a minimum, you need the PFD, paddle, whistle, the yak, some tackle and rods, the rest can be added as you go, such as fish finders, rudders, and other such "luxuries".

The cooler and some munchies can be a nessary to have, if you have a long paddle back to the launch and you are starting to run out of physical gas... an energy crash is not a nice thing to have in a kayak...

You absolutely HAVE to have a PFD and safety whistle of some kind or the nice Game Warden might have an expensive piece of paper for you to sign....at night, a 360 degree white light on the stern and red/green on the bow...to be used 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after sun rise, if you are an early or late paddler.

Just my $.02 worth.

I think if you look at the kayaks that are done on here you will get some great id4eas of how to set yours up.
BUT...I think you will set yours up the way you want it set up over time.

Take it out and go fishing a few times. You will be thinking(Hmm...a rod holder over here would be nice) (or it might be a Fish finder over here would be nice).

I do a lot of bass fishing out of mine. I have four rods when I go, so I just got a triple rod holder from scotty.

I stole a few ideas form people on here, and have a few ideas of my own in mine. But I'm still coming up with better ideas every time I go out.

One thing that I do advise you to get is a good comfortable life jacket that you will wear.

Before everyone loads you up with over a hundred pounds of gear, what type of fishing do you do and where?

Only requirements are PFD with sounds making device (whistle), 360 light if out before dawn or after dusk. Things that make fishing more productive from a kayak are a paddle and rod/reel/bait Everything else is a luxury. What and where will determine the rest. Current? Depth? Big fish or little?

bass fishing mostly going to do a little salt water fishing this weekend rockport. have a good pfd and an air horn. depthfinder is either gonna be lms480 an extra off my champion or gonna just buy a hand held gps. I am gonna for sure be totin an extra paddle. today was the second trip caught fish and really just got used to the yak paddled about a mile from what i figured on the map. I have the castaway 116 and i was wondering what weight anchor would be good? thanks for all the info.

PFD , Whistle. required....


No anchor needed on the coastal flats but a stake out stick comes real hsndy.

No GPS needed on most coastal flats but a compass is nice should fog roll in or you get turned around in LHL.

I'm guessing much of your bass fishing will be upper reaches of lake palestine. You may want to tie up to stumps a lot so some kind of catch line would be useful. Easy to make with about 8 bucks worth of supplies.

I would rig basic to start and use your experiences to decide what works best for you. I've been yak fishing for a few years and I'm still adding/ subtracting items to fit different waters,fishing situations, camping etc.

General rule for anchors is you need three times the rope that you have depth (10 feet water = 30 feet rope). Type of anchor depends on bottom. People love the bruce claw. I don't have one as it hasn't been necessary for me yet. The standard (easy to store) folding grapnel anchor is what I have and it can be found for $20 entire kit at Academy. I stay in flats mostly so a stakeout stick is what I need. Drift sock is cheap investment when the wind is really blowing. An anchor trolley kit is nice for all those applications (anchor, drift sock, stakeout stick).

Here is my anchor at BPS

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Grapnel-Anchor-Kit/product/10205177/-1655607

thanks for all the info. bought a thin stick on seat pad,two sets of rod/paddle bungees ,anchor, 2 3x10 pelican boxes and some plastic cleats oh yeah a stick on ruler and even made a custom decal for it. gonna get a recessed cup holder i can put in the factory location