What to bring to the kayak fishing school

The Sol y Luna
Kayak Fishing School

What to Bring

Matlacha ( pronounced Mat-la-shay) is the most funky and casual of little islands you will ever visit in the continental U.S. With a myriad of art galleries, great seafood restaurants, and some colorful watering holes, the town itself makes for a great getaway whether for kayaking, dining, romance, or little of each. We heartily encourage you to plan for some extra days to enjoy the area both on and off the water. We offer the following suggestions not only to our students, but anyone wanting to visit the area.

Clothing	Quick dry shorts, pants and long sleeve shirts along with sandals and deck shoes will take you from a day on the water to dinner and back. Sunglasses should be polarized and amber in color to provide the greatest contrast. A lightweight wind/waterproof jacket and wide brimmed or baseball style hat will complete the Sol y Luna kayak angler's weekend wardrobe.

Fishing Licenses	Resident or not, you do need a fishing license if you are fishing out of a kayak. To find out more about fishing regulations and to get a license online, visit www.myfwc.com. Students of the Sol y Luna Kayak Fishing School are responsible for obtaining and providing their own fishing license

Tackle	Spin casting anglers should pack a 7' med/light action rods and matching reels (size 1000-3000) spooled with 10lb. to 20lb. test braided line. Fly fishing anglers should pack a 9', 8-weight or 9-weight rod and matching reel spooled with weight forward, floating line.

Kayaks	With both winding mangrove creeks and expansive grass flats, it is good to be in a both that is offers a compromise between speed and manueverability. Kayaks in the 13 to 14 foot range equipped with a rudder are ideal, but even smaller kayaks can get you into fish as some of the best fishing areas are very close to launch points and out of the wind.

Gear	Gear is up to you. A good pair of braid cutting pliers are always a good idea, not to mention a Boga grip, but for the most part we would rather you travel fairly light when we are on the water - too much gear can be a terrible distraction from both learning and from catching fish!

Attitude	A good one!!! We want this to be fun, educational, and, well, fun!