If you’d like to stay still whilst you’re out on the water, you’re not going to want to be moving around uncontrollably. As you’ll probably know if you’re a kayaker, even if you stop paddling, you’ll still find yourself being moved around on your boat due to the natural movements of the water.
If you’re a keen angler, for example, you definitely don’t want to be constantly moving around and drifting away from the spot that you’ve chosen to fish. Similarly to a traditional anchoring system, a kayak stake out pole serves to keep your boat exactly where you want it to stay in the water. Not only does this mean you can keep fishing or doing whatever you like at the same point in the water, but also that you won’t need to worry about constantly having to keep an eye on your position.
What Exactly Is A Kayak Stake Out Pole?
A kayak stake out pole exists to serve the same purpose as an anchor does – to keep your kayak from moving around in the water when you want to remain in the same position. Whether you’re fishing, taking photographs, or would simply like a break from moving around, there are many reasons as to why you might want to stay in the same place when you’re out on the water.
As you probably know, a normal anchor is a heavy weighted objects which is attached to a rope, and dropped to the bottom of the water. It then embeds in the ground at the bottom of the water and stops your boat from moving around. Traditional anchors offer their advantages and disadvantages. They can be quite tricky and troublesome to pull back onto your boat, for example.
Advantages of Kayak Stake Out Poles
As opposed to being dropped to the bottom of the water and attached to a rope of some sort, a stake out pole embeds in the ground underneath the water whilst still being visible above the water too. This offers a multitude of advantages to you as a kayaker. It’s quick and easy to remove from the water should you need to reposition it, being the main one. There’s also a number of ways that you can choose to secure the stake out pole to your kayak. You can simply attach it to the side of your boat using a tie of some sort, or you can fit them into the drainage holes of your kayak if you’d like a tighter and more secure fit.
Another one of the advantages of stake out poles is that you can easily use more than one at the same time without too much hassle. If you’d like to use a pole at either side or at either end of your kayak, you can easily do so.
Disadvantages of Stake Out Poles
In our opinion, the main and really the only disadvantage of stake out poles is that they’re not great/could prove to be troublesome in deeper water, in which situation an anchor might be more appropriate.
Best Kayak Stake Out Poles
YakGear – YakStick Floating Stake Out Pole For Shallow Water
If you’re looking for a fast and easy solution to anchoring your boat in some shallower waters, the YakStick Floating Stake Out Pole is a great option. It’s 6 feet in length, and is perfect for keeping your boat still in a variety of water types – whether you’re on the coast, in a stream or on a calm lake, the YakStick will keep you still.
It’s extremely easy to use thanks to its light weight and thick foam handle. It’s very easy to get a good grip on and drive down to the bottom of the water . When you’re finished in your staked spot, the YakStick can simply be pulled out of the ground at the bottom of the water, and can even be used as an aid to get your boat in motion again, thanks to its extremely strong and durable construction.
The YakStick is constructed from fiberglass, making it very lightweight at just 22oz. It’s very easy to use and carry around when it’s not in use. It’s very portable indeed. As a great added benefit, the YakStick floats too!
Key Points
- 6 feet in length
- Lightweight at 22 oz
- Great for staying in one position in shallower waters
- Easy to use thanks to large foam handle and light weight
- Buoyant
- Extremely portable
YakAttack ParkNPole – Kayak Stake Out Pole
YakAttack is well known for its high-quality products right across the kayak fishing market. The YakAttack ParkNPole is no different in quality and functionality. It optimizes the high quality construction that’s typical of YakAttack products, and is easy to use too.
At 8 feet in length, the ParkNPole is ideal for shallower waters. It will keep your boat well-grounded in a number of different water types too. If you’re fishing in the sea, in a stream or on a lake the ParkNPole is a great accessory to have for staying in the same place. It’s also perfect for some slightly deeper waters.
The YakAttack ParkNPole is constructed from fiberglass, meaning that similarly to the YakStick that we reviewed previously, it’s extremely lightweight and extraordinarily durable. For added durability, the poles are also UV stabilized and make use of nylon protection.
Key Points
- The perfect stake out pole for shallow and mid-depth waters
- Can be split into 2 parts for easy portability and storage on or off your kayak
- Fiberglass construction making for a light weight and durable pole
- UV Stabilized
- Extremely lightweight at only 1.8 lbs
SuperStick Shallow Water Anchor Pin – Popular Stake Out Pole
The SuperStick Shallow Water Anchor Pin is one of the most popular kayak stake out poles available, and for good reason too. In addition to offering a great level of usability and portability, the SuperStick is very cost-effective.
The SuperStick is both multipurpose and extremely strong. It’s made from fiberglass that’s aircraft-grade – you don’t need to worry about this pole failing under the pressure of the water or your boat!
The SuperStick also comes packaged with a rope and storage clips, for easy storage. In terms of usage, this pole really does cover everything that you could possibly think of in terms of making it as easy and effective to use as possible. It features a t-shaped handle for easy use as well as a spiked tip to make driving it into the ground as easy as possible.
Key Points
- Available in 7’ and 9’ variants
- T-shaped handle for the ultimate usability
- Spiked at the bottom
- Made from aircraft-grade fiberglass
- Available in different diameters (3/4” and 5/8”)
- Comes supplied with a rope lanyard as well as mounting clips
- Suitable for boats/paddleboards up to 17’ in length