Caught just an hour or two ago. Squam Lake, NH. Small spinner bait. First outing in the yak. Gonna be a fun week!

 I see in your pic  that you have a skirt over your cockpit. I assume that this is to keep out rain & keep the yak from acting like a parachute.

Grew up down in Hyannis, used to fish for Stripers and blues all the time. Brings back a lot of memories.  Used to fish along the canal with my grandfather!

You go girl!! When the yaks get too heavy for us to throw on top of the TV, we'll look at getting something like The Hullavator

My wife loves her boat.

Love my R-Pod

You don't say whether your yak is a sit-in or sit on top.  Mine's a sit on top, very handy style for fishing.

On managing tackle, some folks like a soft bag (like an insulated lunch bag) they put under bungies behind the seat.  Others like something larger like a milk crate they can zip-tie rod holders on to.  I've got built-in rod holders so just keep a handful of lures in a small case.  Don't need the milk crate. You have to adjust, of course, if you're using live bait.  There are purpose-built buckets for live shrimp, minnows but that's more of a challenge in a yak, esp if it's a sit-in rather than a sit on top.  

On paddles, I use a paddle leash.  Also have a paddle clip on the side of the boat.  I'd personally rather have a paddle that's too long rather than too short.  Mine's either 87" or 89", can't remember which. Best thing to remember on paddles is: light is good.  Paying extra for a lightweight paddle is money well spent IMHO.

You might try an anchor trolley and a sea anchor.  With the trolley, you can orient your yak relative to the wind any way you like: into the wind, downwind, or any point in between.  With a sea anchor, you'll still drift with the wind but slowly.  If you're in very shallow water, you could use an anchor pole instead of the sea anchor.  Good luck!

We have been staying at the Cape Hatteras KOA in Rodanthe. We get a site right next to the back wall and surf fish for the month of October. This will be our fourth year in a row. The KOA has a fisherman's package 750 for the hole month. They have a great pool and hot tub. The beach is amazing.