Shallow, Stealthy, Simple
Nothing beats stalking the flats on a calm morning and seeing a big redfish or trout waiting for that perfect bait presentation. Sure, you can cover more ground in a boat, but you're not as stealthy. As long as you can find a spot that holds fish, there's no reason why you can't catch just as many fish on your board as you can from a boat. In fact, I've caught a lot more fish on my stand up paddleboard than I have in five years of fishing from a flats fishing boat.
"MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT SUP FISHING IN SHALLOW WATERS IS SEEING EVERYTHING PLAY OUT, FROM SEEING THE TARGET FISH, MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE BOARD ACCORDING TO WINDS AND CURRENT TO PLACING THAT ACCURATE CAST, THEN SEEING THE FISH BITE,"
SAYS HARRY MADISON, BOTE BOARD FISHING GURU.
Whether you are slinging a fake crab fly or using live shrimp, it doesn't get much more exciting than hooking a fish from your paddleboard. Seeing your bait in front of a fish and the moment they decide to go for it is exhilarating. With most types of fishing, like casting from a boat or from shore, you don't get to see the fish take the bait or even see the fish at all until you are about to pull it in the boat. When you are paddle board fishing, you're completely in touch with what's going on in the water and doing a hell of a lot less to disturb the wildlife beneath you.
Below I will go over the essential gear you need to stalk the shallow water in your area. A few key pieces of gear will help you make the most out of your time on the water and hopefully catch more fish.
THE BEST STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS FOR FISHING
If you're looking for the best stand up paddle board for fishing, look no further. You can fish off of just about anything we make, but we've outlined a few products we love specifically for paddle board fishing.
HD And HD Aero
The HD is the most versatile fishing SUP. It will perform whether you load it up with gear and hunt for trout in the bayou or out for a quick sunset paddle in the harbor. The HD Aero, the inflatable version of the Gatorshell HD, is also a great option if you need something packable and portable.
Both HD and HD Aero come equipped with the same gear attachment options, such as the Tackle Rac and Paddle Sheath. The displacement hull on these bad boys is also going to help you paddle more efficiently so you can save energy and fish longer.
Whether you are slinging a fake crab fly or using live shrimp, it doesn't get much more exciting than hooking a fish from your paddleboard. Seeing your bait in front of a fish and the moment they decide to go for it is exhilarating. With most types of fishing, like casting from a boat or from shore, you don't get to see the fish take the bait or even see the fish at all until you are about to pull it in the boat. When you are paddle board fishing, you're completely in touch with what's going on in the water and doing a hell of a lot less to disturb the wildlife beneath you.
Below I will go over the essential gear you need to stalk the shallow water in your area. A few key pieces of gear will help you make the most out of your time on the water and hopefully catch more fish.
RACKHAM AND RACKHAM Aero
If you are a serious fisherman that is going to load up with extra gear and target larger fish, the Rackham is the best fishing paddle board for you.
The Rackham Gatorshell has the same displacement nose as the HD but has more overall thickness and buoyancy which will allow you to carry more weight and remain extremely stable no matter what you pull out of the water. Both the Rackham and Rackham Aero include a paddle sheath, Rac Receivers, and Sand Spear mounts. If you're a traveling fisherman, the Rackham Aero can't be beat for bucket list fishing trips like bonefish fishing in the Florida Keys flats.
If you are more of an all-around waterman who likes to paddle surf one day and go paddle board fishing the next, then the Flood is your vessel. Equipped with a planing style hull, this board performs well in the surf and on flat water. While it isn't sandspear compatible, this board option in both solid and inflatable versions has all the other bells and whistles you need to chase fish on the flats in the morning and catch a few sunset waves.
You can also fish from both of our inflatable kayaks, and fishing is particularly fun on one of our micro skiffs. But we're talking about paddle board fishing right now, so let's stay focused.