Setting Up Your Stand Up Paddleboard For Fishing

Setting Up Your Stand Up Paddleboard For Fishing

Stand Up Paddling is an incredibly diverse platform for exploring water. At Badfish SUP we are paddlers, surfers and fishermen. I got my first inflatable SUP in 2007 and almost immediately saw the potential for inflatable stand up paddleboards as a tool for fishing. In early 2008 I took the board with me when my family traveled to Tulum, Mexico. I wanted to do some bone fishing but couldn’t afford to pay for guided fishing. I put in with the board at Boca Paila, with my then 6 year old son Miles on board, to go hunt some Bonefish. I caught several bones, cast at some permit and got warned off by a local because apparently I was paddling around in an area where salt water crocs were active with a six year old…my wife is still unimpressed with that one.

Speaking of fishing in Mexico here is a great video from our friend Trapper Rudd fishing off the Badfisher for Tarpon and Bonefish in a remote spot in Mexico.

In any case the hook was set….SUP fishing is a truly unique platform for fishing. Standing up tall stand up paddlers can spot fish from a much greater distance than fishermen seated in a kayak. A stand up paddleboard is a very stealthy craft to sneak into casting range and playing a landing fish off a SUP is just downright fun.

The Badfisher inflatable stand up paddleboard was designed specifically for fishing and makes a great option for travel. With multiple Scotty Paddlesports mounting plates and a ton of D rings the Badfisher gives you a lot of options for carrying your gear. There are plenty of options for rigging up your board but here's the way we set up our boards most of the time:

The gear we use for a typical day of fishing off the Badfisher.

Badfisher Inflatable Fishing SUP: I take the bungee cord off for most days of fishing and strap directly to the d rings. Remember the the screws for mounting your Scotty mounts are located in the orange repair kit tube when you first get your Badfisher.

Scotty Paddlesports Mounts: Scotty makes a ton of mounts. There are all sorts of options for your three mounting plates. I always go with an anchor mount up front so I can hold my position, a rod holder in the rear (in this case its a fly rod holder, they make rod holders for whatever tackle you prefer) and the Scotty Anchor Kit. There are also good anchor options from NRS if you want a lighter weight anchor for travel that you can then fill with rocks or sand when you get to the water.

Small Cooler: I like the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Quart. I use this cooler for a seat when I am re-tying a fly or rigging something on the board. It’s also handy for carrying your favorite cold beverage ;). When I am flying somewhere to fish I leave the cooler at home.

Boardfisher Safari Pack from Boardworks Surf: The Safari pack is a very cleverly designed fishing basket. It’s internal PVC frame breaks down and the whole thing fits into a carrying bag so it’s easy to take with you on a trip. The Safari pack has multiple integrated rod holders, a paddle pocket that you can stick the blade into to keep track of your paddle while casting and a big internal basket for your tackle.

The Boardfisher's internal PVC frame breaks down so you can easily carry this basket with you for fishing travel.
The internal PVC frame is sturdy and breaks down easily for travel

Small Dry Bag: The Boardfisher Safari Pack is made of heavy duty mesh so I like to bring a small dry bag for items I want to keep dry inside the basket.

Cam Straps: The variety of D-Rings on the Badfisher give you a lot of options for tying down your gear. In general you need a variety of 1', 2' & 3' long cam straps. These are available at your local paddling store. I would buy more than you think you need to have options for figuring out how you like to strap on your gear.

The Safari Pack has sturdy d-rings to strap your basket to your Badfisher.

You can strap your cooler to the Badfisher using the handle
Here's what the board looks like all rigged up and ready to fish.
The Badfisher all rigged up and ready to fish.

Remember to share your photos, videos and ideas about SUP fishing on our Facebook Page, Instagram @badfishsup and on the SUP Fishing Group Page on Facebook. Tight lines! -Mike Harvey, Salida, CO

Badfishing from Badfish on Vimeo.

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