6 Fishing Tips from the Pros

SAN DIEGO, California - Whether you’re just getting into SUP (stand up paddle board) fishing or have been doing it for a while, it’s definitely one discipline of paddle boarding that takes a lot of time, energy and patience to master. Here, we’ve caught up with some of the SUP fishing pros from Vibe Kayaks to share some helpful tips and tricks that should give you a nice jumpstart into your new favorite hobby.

1. Be Versatile

“The best tip I can give to other fishermen is to be versatile- don’t be a one trick pony. You really need to learn multiple fishing presentations and feel comfortable going to each of them if you want to be successful.”

Regional fishing tip: “I prefer to fish in the summertime because the Midwest weather is the most stable. Although the fishing can be tougher than in the spring, during the summer you can at least count on the fact that there aren’t hour-to-hour weather condition changes.”

-Billy Reynolds, Vibe Pro, Midwest

2. Look at Maps

“The biggest tip I can give is to look at maps of the lake or river you are going to fish- especially in the summer. Waters can get really hot in the warmer months, so fish oftentimes stay deep for the better part of the bass fishing season. You can combat this by finding some smaller ponds in your fishing location that are shallower.”

Regional fishing tip: “I’m from North Texas, and the weather and fishing here are always changing. Texas offers vast river systems, from the Brazos river to the Trinity river, and a big diversity of fish- you can fish year-round for bass and striper and can even find alligator gar.”

-Brian Sisk, Vibe Pro, Texas

Harry Smith, a fisherman and content contributor to Vibe.| Photo Courtesy: Vibe Kayaks

3. Bait

“My favorite bait tips: spinnerbaits, soft plastics, chatterbaits and crank baits are my favorite baits to use during pre- and post- spawn fishing. Snakeheads love frogs and chatterbaits. Smallmouth bass love Z-Man TRDs, whopper ploppers and soft plastic flukes during the summer.”

Regional fishing tip: “In the Northern VA area and like most other regions, pre-spawn and post-spawn are the best times to go fishing. During the winter and spawn periods, fish aren’t eating as aggressively.”

-Cilla Johnson, Vibe Pro, Southeast

4. Research

“My biggest tip for other anglers: Try to expand your species list and learn as many types of fishing as possible. You can spend a lifetime learning how to fish just in one area.”

Regional fishing tip: “In Portland, we have 4 seasonal salmon/steelhead runs a year. Bass is great from April to October, Sturgeon from April to Oct, and you can find cold water river trout year-round. We never get iced over during the winter and there is always a body of water to fish.”

-Jason Black, Vibe Pro, Northwest

Co-Founder of Vibe Kayaks, Josh Thomas. | Photo Courtesy: Vibe Kayaks

5. Multiple Set-ups

“A set-up with two rods, one with a slow presentation and one with a fast presentation, is a good way to feel an area out when you are new to fishing there. When you’re fishing in saltwater, get good at timing incoming or outgoing tides- then you can usually find fish just about anywhere.”

Regional fishing tip: “The best time to fish in my region is late spring/early summer. Just like most other places, the water is warming and a lot of life starts to show up in almost every type of fishery.”

-Kevin Patrick Hughes, Vibe Pro, Florida

6. Google it

“My fishing tip is that the Internet is an incredible resource for connecting with other anglers. If you're ever wondering what the fish are doing or biting on in certain regions, there's a good chance the information you seek has been posted already.”

Regional fishing tip: “The water is cool and gin clear in a lot of Maine’s glacial waterways, so fishermen have to slow down their presentation and finesse their techniques. The bite can also be slower, but overall the healthy fish in Maine’s clean water make for great fishing.”

-Matt Charette, Vibe Pro, Northeast

For more SUP fishing tips click HERE.