Unlimited fishing potential. Minimal startup investment. Outstanding exercise benefits. No maintenance fees.
Too good to be true?
Kayak fishing is much like powerboat fishing, minus the repairs, storage fees, fuel, insurance, and weekend launch ramp chaos. Kayaks offer an inexpensive entry to anglers getting on the water for the first time and the perfect exit strategy for boaters trying to downsize. Solitude, self-reliance, and a good workout come at no extra charge.
While some people might view the kayak’s limited speed as a fishing liability, that isn’t necessarily the case. The slower pace of kayaking can improve angling skills because it emphasizes the mental aspects of fishing to be consistently successful. Kayakers don’t have the option of firing up the outboard and blasting off to a new spot in search of fish, so they invest more thought into selecting a target area and how to fish it properly. The kayak’s stealth more than offsets its lack of range, and its fish-holding structure is easier to spot at four knots than at forty.
Anglers contemplating a kayak purchase today can test-drive infinitely more models than I had to choose from. The sizes, styles, and colors accommodate virtually everyone—most of my fanatic fishing partners are women. The sit-on-top kayak (SOT, versus the traditional Inuit-style sit-inside model) has significantly evolved as the fishing flagship of the plastic navy. Versatile SOTs are far less cumbersome to get in and out of and offer more significant, more accessible dry storage space for gear, along with easier accessory installation. The biggest models, such as Hobie’s Pro Angler series, support between 500 and 600 pounds of weight, provide stand-up stability for sight-fishing and have built-in space for eight fishing rods, camping gear, and the family Labrador.
Fortunately, kayak fishing doesn’t require jamming the boat with stuff to catch fish—my necessity checklist: the seat, paddle, anchor, and life jacket. My basic philosophy of kayak fishing is to keep things simple, making it easy and inexpensive to start. If you insist on toys, an entire industry of kayak-specific fishing accessories few people could have envisioned a decade ago—camera mounts, lights, rod holders, electronics, fancy seats, fish coolers—is primarily targeted toward the SOT market. Perhaps most importantly, SOT kayaks give anglers a choice between traditional paddling and hands-free foot-drive propulsion that can double the number of casts in a day.
Hobie’s pedal-driven models are my preference as versatile fishing kayaks, but check the many options at a knowledgeable retailer near you.
