5 Things To Look For When Buying A Fishing Paddle Board

SAN DIEGO, California - Fishing from your stand up paddle board (SUP) is an awesome alternative to fishing from your skiff or boat. Not only can you get a nice little workout in but you can also fish in places where it might be too difficult to fish from a boat, or where boats aren’t allowed. When looking for the perfect SUP to fish from you’re going to want to look for a board that has certain qualities. These qualities include:

1. Width

With SUP fishing you’re going to need a good amount of width in your board which will directly translate to stability. The more width you have the more stable you will be on your board. A recommended minimum width would be at least 32 inches wide. Anything narrower than that might compromise the stability of your board, especially when you’re carrying a ton of gear.

"When fighting a fish and transporting your gear, stability is one of the main characteristics you should look for in a paddleboard," said Bob Brown from BOTE. Bob adds, "No one wants to dump their gear in the water and most don’t want to fall in, especially in the middle of fighting ‘The Big One’. One of the key features to finding a board with the right stability is getting a board that has sufficient capacity for your body size and gear load. If you are unsure about what size you should get, go with a larger model. You will be more comfortable in the long run and have a better experience."

BOTE's new Rover is 40 inches wide! | Photo Courtesy: BOTE

2. Handle

Because fishing-specific paddle boards tend to be heavier due to their width and size having the right carrying handle can be crucial to making the transporting of your board to and from the water something that’s relatively easy. Handles like the LiftSUP are awesome to have because they allow you to get a full grip and handle on the board rather than having an ergo handle grip that only allows for your fingers to grasp on.

Handle on the left is a LiftSUP handle on the Boardworks Tracker board. / Photo on the right shows an ergo well handle on the Pau Hana Endurance. | Photos: Supconnect

Another handle system that is really helpful to have when transporting your paddles boards is the Supconnect Award-Winning Travelink system by BOTE. This system is a strap that connects to your board and allows you to throw it over your shoulder, thus freeing up a hand to carry your paddle and/or extra gear. Differences in handle types can drastically change your experience when transporting your SUP and having the right one can make all the difference in the world.

3. Add-On’s

Add-on’s are crucial when looking for a fishing-specific paddle board and can make your experience on the water that much better. Key add-on’s that you’re going to want are bungees on either the nose or tail of the board (ideally both) and cooler tie-downs. You’ll at least want these two add-ons for your SUP but the more add-on’s you have the better. Other add-on’s to look for are ConnexSUP or SeaMounts, which allow for countless mounting options like GPS, GoPros, fishing rod holders and more, Sandspear holders, which allow for shallow water anchoring, and waterproof containers to hold your belongings like keys, wallet or phone.

Add on capabilities are endles for SUP fishing! | Photo: Supconnect

4. Hull

When you’re shopping around for a paddle board you’ll notice that the boards have either a displacement hull or a planing hull. Deciding on which one to go with will depend on how you intend to use your fishing SUP. If you’re going to paddle in choppier waters where you’ll need to slice through chop then getting a board with a displacement hull will most likely be a better option for you. But, if you’re going to be paddling on flatwater than a planing hull is also a suitable option. So, you’ll need to figure out where you’ll do the majority of your SUP fishing before you pull the trigger and buy.

An example of a displacement hull. | Photo Courtesy: BOTE

5. Rack Compatible

While not crucial to have on your fishing-specific SUP, having rack compatibly is a huge plus. With these added attachments you’ll be able to add tackle and bucket rack attachments to your board which can help you store your gear like bait and coolers as well as your fishing rods.

A BOTE tackle rac coming in handy. | Photo Courtesy: BOTE

Once you take these five factors into consideration you should be able to find a fishing paddle board that is the perfect fit for you and your needs.

Check out some of the reviews we’ve done on Fishing Paddle Boards:

• BOTE HD
• Pau Hana Big EZ Angler
• BOTE Rackham
• Boardworks Tracker

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