I normally fish my Prowler 13 on reservoirs, ponds and creeks. While fishing I sometimes catch a large boat wake and it rocks me pretty good. Do any of you use thigh straps while you fish?
Nope, but then, I fish a sit-in. Don’t
worry too much about the wakes as long as the boat doesn’t come to close. The real concern is jet skis, those guys don’t care and will raze you just for the hell of it. One guy I know keeps a rod loaded with 3/4 once sinker for plunking those guys when the come to close, though if you are going to do that, carry backup.
Jetski solution …
Wrist-rocket slingshot + 1/2 oz egg sinkers. 
It’s their water too, but somtimes blatant stupidity needs to be rewarded …
In Texas, the bozo’s are supposed to
keep 50 ft away from other watercraft, but they often can’t read and/or don’t care. The exception is when they are only making headway speed (no wake).
Yes
They give you better control of the boat especially when fighting a large fish. The lake lice have not been bad here but curious boaters are a problem. They just want to see what you are doing and dont think. I sometimes think that turning on an engine disengages the brain.
Yes
I use an Ocean Kayak Malibu II and have paddled it in ocean (OK, really a sound connected to the ocean), lake, estuarial river, slow river, and even a little quicker river (up to class II+ rapids, maybe III depending on how much bragging you feel like that particular day), and have found the thigh straps to be EXTREMELY useful and comforting. I’m quite certain that I’d have spilled the boat on several occaissions if I didn’t have the additional control provided by the thigh straps. Also, though I don’t know for sure and won’t swear to it, when the tide (or is it current when the tide runs quickly between islands, I don’t know these salty terms) has been against me in saltwater paddling, I’ve felt as if I’ve been able to get more power from the paddle to the boat with the firmer connection provided by thigh straps.
One inconvenience with them is that I have lodged hooks in them when I’ve been careless. You’ll want to keep a pair of pliers either to mash down the barb for removal, or that can cut your hooks for removal if you choose to use them. You don’t want to have a hook lodged in a thigh strap and have it run against your forearm when paddling. Ouch X 10.
In short: I highly recommend thigh straps for an SOT kayak intended for fishing.
- Big D
What kind of strap do you use?
I’ve noticed several types and some with padding.
Padding for sure!
I believe mine were made by Surf to Summit and cost $45 or thereabouts.
Padding doesn’t add any level of safety of which I’m aware. It just adds, um, padding. Though I’m sure if they keep you upright in a rapid you won’t complain about nylon straps chaffing your leg, but if you can avoid that with the simple addition of padding, why not?
- Big D