I keep a cheapo pair of pliers, Cuda scissors, and a cheapo Walmart net when I kayak fish or fish out of my boat. All three work and won't break my heart if they do get lost.

For those of you who are leashing your paddle, what leash do you use?

For stuff i didn't want tethered, I superglued rare earth magnets a couple places near my seat on the inside of my yaks. Anything with steel stays where I put it.

I highly recommend a Robohawk phone tether.

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

For those of you who are leashing your paddle, what leash do you use?

NeverLost Gear

They offer a many different types of leashes in a broad range of colors and they are all top quality.

More on leashes.... snips, Finochietto needle holders, GMRS radio, flash lights, strobe, hook sharpener, whistle, knife, etc. etc......

It might appear that it's a spider web and that I'd get caught up in it's web but that is not the case. Careful planning and placement made sure of that.

3 minutes ago, Crow Horse said:

Careful planning and placement made sure of that.

Looks a lot like the vest I wore when fly-fishing via wading. lots of gear to take with, and no handy boat/canoe/kayak to help out.

On 3/13/2026 at 7:21 PM, Swamp Girl said:

For those of you who are leashing your paddle, what leash do you use?

I use a NRS leash and attach it to the thwart of the canoe and the paddle. For Tethers I use Rouge for my phone and pliers/cutters

I would add somewhere a pair of wire cutters In case you drive a hook deep into your skin. Even worse is when you and the fish are both hooked together. Wire cutters will get rid of the fish quickly and leave just you and the lure. I have done this more times then you can imagine! Always have one in the boat!

9 hours ago, geo g said:

I would add somewhere a pair of wire cutters In case you drive a hook deep into your skin. Even worse is when you and the fish are both hooked together. Wire cutters will get rid of the fish quickly and leave just you and the lure. I have done this more times then you can imagine! Always have one in the boat!

This x2. A good wire cutter, pick your poison from cheaper to expensive is worth it's weight in gold when it's needed. Couple this with a GOOD first aid kit. Put one together or buy one. You'll thank me later.

More often than not, I'll use my wire cutters to cut a hook from a fish that was hooked badly and normal removal might really damage the fish more. It's a small price to pay in order to get the fish back on it's way.

Most of my tools are attached to my seat. I have a pair of needle nose on a retractable. Small scissors and stats in a pouch. I have a boomerang to cut braid. A net which I have never used on the back of my seat. fish grip on a leash.

I have a large set of pliers, heavy cutters and a long pair of stats in a pouch on my crate.

There is a first aid kit and a long coil of rope in my center hatch.

A whistle and a blunt tipped rescue knife are attached to my PFD.

A backwater assault paddle tucked under my seat. I use my main paddle to get where I want to go and then the assault paddle does most of the work. Re-positioning, maintaining position, and moving from spot to spot.

I can’t comment on storage but I can tell you over my 50 years of fishing, I have refined my tool requirements. I can say I have used every one of them numerous times.

1. Long needle nose

2. Short needle nose with split ring

3. Side cutters

4. Scissors or nips

5. Boca Grips for toothy species

I like danco pliers, they have tons of options. I don’t like side cutters and prefer not to have the split ring tab either. I had an aluminum pair but got the steel and like those a lot. I like ego nets for kayaking, because you can buy the head separately from the net, to mix and match, so I have a short floating handle with a large head.

My pliers are on my PFD and tethered. Other tools are tethered or I use a float for some tools in my crate.