I have been wondering if most people that fish from their Yaks use a lifejacket or not. Do most people wear them or carry them? Just wondering.

I usually wear one, but I've been known to take it off while fishing. I turned my yak over with it stored behind me and it was the first thing I thought of when I hit the water.

Wear it! After you flip is too late to grab it

Your kayak falls under the sames rules as texas boating laws. You need to have a type III floatation device as well as a whistle. If you have a automatic inflated vest you must wear it while in your kayak. This stuff is good to know because I have been checked several times on the Llano.

I always wear a PFD. Coack_L is right on the money, it's too late when your in the water.

I do, however use different PFD's for each situation. In calm water (ICW/River/lakes) I use an SOSpenders manual, when I go into the surf in the ocean (NC & TX) I use a zip on flotation vest. Treat your PFD like your seat belt (hope you wear one, I'm a believer), buckle up!.

Jeff B.

I'm new to kayak fishing and I wore it this weekend on my maiden voyage. I took it off half way through my day but put it right back on... just didn't feel right w/o it.

Thanks folks for the responses. I mainly fish the Blanco and San Marcos rivers. They are very shallow and I rarely wear the jacket. I recently bought me one of those suspender models of a PFD and will more than likely wear it while I fish. My old PFD was a full sized one and it seemed to make me feel more unstable while on the SOT.
Thanks alot for the whistle idea. I never thought to have one of those. I guess that I may need to refresh myself as to the requirements of state laws. Thanks for the info !

Hey coach... how do you guys store your fish before weigh in? Do you measure and release or carry them in a bag to be weighed?

We measure on the spot and either have another angler sign off on it as a witness or we take a picture.

A good idea is to attach the whistle to the zipper pull on your PFD

Wear it, it saves space so you can carry more fishin stuff

Coming from a costal/white water kayak background, you will not catch me on a kayak without a pfd on. Technically the law used to state that the pfd had to be readably accessible. Stowed inside the boat was always questionable to me - needing to open waterproof hatches in an emergency does not seem readably accessible.

I usually have it on when I paddle, but pull it off to fish and set right behind me under the bungee tie-downs. It's fairly accessible. I have one of the full sized ones too. I guess I should get one of the sleeker, more comfortable models.

Thanks for the info on the whistle; I had no idea.

I always wear a PFD, every time, rivers or lakes. I'm also fishing and taking pictures and the PFD has a couple of handy pockets.

It took me a couple of close calls on the water but now I wear my PFD all of the time. Sometimes it's hot and you would want to take it off, but I would rather sweat it out than drown.

Rip

I just got a yak and I have mine unsecured on the back where it will fall off with me if I flip while fishing. I did a few trial rolls and I tend to grab the pfd on the way down, almost by reflex. I fish a big lake and am normally in coves with less than 10 ft of water. If I go out further I put it on. I also carry a whistle, signal mirror, emergency water and a cell phone in plastic. Call me paranoid but I hope to make water safety a habit so that I never forget if I'm in a more risky situation.

I have never heard of or read anywhere on the TPWD site or in the 2005-2006 TPW Outdoor Annual Hunting and Fishing Regulations booklet where a whistle is required. Is this just for offshore or is this a new requirement or just strongly recommended? I think a whistle is good to have and I have one, but didn't know it was a regulation.