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The Kayak Craze
Continues… |
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Wr=
itten
by By Captain Greg Bowdi=
sh
&nbs=
p;
A glimpse of what is new in =
yak
fishing As a professional inshore fishing guide, Jason has been at
ground-zero for the explosion of saltwater kayak fishing. The angling
community’s interest in kayaks has even crept into his other job, t=
hat
of cameraman for Chew On T=
his,
a popular fishing television series. Jason mentioned, “We’ve
already filmed a few episodes featuring kayaks, and a few more are alread=
y in
the works.” What has been occurring in both the inshore angling and padd=
le
sports world is similar to the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commer=
cial
we all grew up with. Only instead of, “You’ve got your chocol=
ate
in my peanut butter,” it’s more like, “You’ve got
your fishing rod in my kayak!” The two industries have collided, leaving only a few compani=
es
with the knowledge and expertise to respond to this quickly growing and
rapidly evolving market. One company that has been here since the beginning is Ocean
Kayak, the manufacturer credited with creating the first roto-molded,
sit-on-top, modern-day fishing kayak. I asked Sara K=
nies,
the Director of Marketing for Ocean Kayak, about this growing trend in the
paddle industry. Sara said, “Kayak fishing continues to be our larg=
est
growing segment. We continue to see double digit growth and really
don’t anticipate it slowing down anytime in the near future.”=
Sara also commented about the addition of a number of make-s=
ense
kayak fishing specific accessories being added to the Carlisle line of
paddling gear and, more notably, the cooperation between Humminbird
and Ocean Kayak in creating the very first kayaks designed to be
“fish-finder friendly” by way of a special, recessed,
scupper-mounted transducer fitting. The new Prowler Big Game even comes w=
ith
a battery tray, making it much easier for the kayak angler to power
electronics, live wells and lights with small, 12- volt dry-cell batterie=
s.
This is big news for kayak anglers who, up until very recently, had to ta=
ke a
very makeshift approach to rigging their kayaks with electronics. With mo=
dern
GPS/fish-finder units mounted on a slower moving kayak, an angler can find
small patch reefs off the beach and mark the spot on the GPS for easy and
accurate returns. Inshore, a GPS allows the kayak angler to mark potholes=
and
troughs on the flats and small creek mouths along mangrove shorelines. A
chart-plotter/GPS allows a kayak angler to wander far up meandering creeks
without the risk of getting lost. The temperature gauge found on most of
these units can really be helpful in finding warmer water coming out of
creeks during the winter – helping anglers locate fish havens when =
the
temperature plummets. The continuing kayak craze has also brought about a
proliferation of new fishing kayaks on the market. For someone purchasing=
his
or her first fishing kayak, selecting the right boat from all the new mod=
els
out there can seem like a daunting task, but once you learn how the lengt=
h,
width and hull configuration of any given kayak determines what type of
fishing and paddling it is best suited for, the decision process starts to
become a little clearer. In order to simplify things a bit, you could bre=
ak
sit-on-top fishing kayaks down into four categories based on dimensions a=
nd
surface area. These would be as follows: Kayaks with a length of 12- to 15-feet and a width of 31 inc=
hes or
greater offer the angler great stability, but are not very efficient to
paddle. The largest of these boats are so stable that throwing a cast net=
or
casting a fly rod while standing is easily accomplished. They are also the
ideal choice for heavier anglers who need the higher volume to carry their
body weight and the weight of all their gear. The aforementioned Prowler =
Big
Game has a weight capacity of 600 lbs. – easily capable of handling=
the
largest angler, several rods, a live well, fish finder and whatever other
gear one could ever dream of bringing along on a kayak fishing trip. One
thing to keep in mind about high volume boats is that although the stabil=
ity
may seem appealing, if you don’t have the muscle mass to move the b=
oat
through the water, you may be somewhat limited in range. Then again, even=
a
slow kayak is still more efficient than most canoes. Other notable
‘high-stability’ models are the Malibu X-Factor and the Herit=
age
Redfish 14 These kayaks usually have a length of 15- to 17-feet and a w=
idth
of 31 inches or less. They still have a substantial amount of wetted surf=
ace
area though are not as easy for smaller paddlers to get up to speed and
maneuver. For the more experienced paddler, however, long, skinny kayaks
designed for speed will really move! Kayak tournament competitors prefer
longer boats for this very reason. While being the perfect choice for
covering a lot of open water while carrying an ample supply of gear, long
kayaks designed for speed, however, don’t turn easily and are not w=
ell
suited for paddling up winding mangrove creeks. The addition of a rudder =
can
help out greatly, though. Prime examples are the Ocean Kayak Prowler 15 a=
nd
the Wilderness System Tarpon 160. I dislike using the generic term of “general
purpose,” as this class of fishing kayak represents the workhorse
paddle-fishing machine that is well suited for just about every type angl=
er
and angling scenario. General purpose kayaks measure 12 to 14-feet in len=
gth
and 28- to 31-inches in width. They provide enough speed to cover as much
water as you could want in a day’s fishing, enough stability so that
nimble anglers can stand and enough maneuverability to make trips up narr=
ow,
winding creeks with ease. This class of boat also has the range of wetted
surface area that makes them the perfect choice for paddlers of all sizes=
and
skill levels. Among the most highly regarded models on the market are the
Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 and the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140. This is a fast growing segment of the kayak-fishing industry.
These somewhat mini-yaks have a major place here in Something to keep in mind when purchasing a new kayak using =
the
criteria set forth above is that hull design plays a major role in how the
yak will perform. Flat bottom boats tend to be slower and wetter, but off=
er
slightly better stability, while deeper hulled boats with more rocker ten=
d to
be more fun to paddle and are much safer in the surf – something
important to keep in mind if you are headed off the beach. Another
consideration is that not everyone fits every boat. Some cockpit designs =
just
don’t suit some people, so make sure you sea trial any boat you are
considering purchasing. It is the best way to make sure the kayak fits you
and accomplishes your needs. Up until the last few years, equipment and accessories avail=
able
to kayak anglers had been primarily designed by West Coast anglers, meani=
ng For extremely shallow angling, the best way to move your kay=
ak
is by a short pole. Well-known Stiffy Push Po=
les
now makes a five and a half foot push-pole model specifically for kayak
fishermen. This is an ideal tool for fishing softer bottom waterways such=
as
Pine Island Sound or the “Kayak fishing is such a great way to spend a few hour=
s or
the whole day out on the water,” says Curt Peer, proprietor of The =
Sun
and Moon Inn in Matlacha, a B&B style fis=
hing
resort that caters exclusively to kayak anglers. The While kayak fishing isn’t for everyone, if you have ne=
ver
tried it, you really should give it a shot. Grab a spinning rod, an
assortment of soft baits and rent a yak for a few hours. Paddle out into =
the
backcountry and enjoy yourself. By the time the morning is over, you will
know for sure if this sort of athletic fishing is for you. Between the
“Have you noticed all the kayak racks on cars nowadays?” asked
Captain Jason Le Valley as he pointed to another passing SUV with a fishi=
ng
kayak on the roof. We were peering out the front window of a ![3Dkayaks](3D"TheKayakCrazeContinues_files/image002.jpg" "3Dkay=")
![3D"kyak](3D"TheKayakCrazeContinues_files/image003.jpg" "3D\"kyak")
Yak options:
High Volume Kayaks Designed for Stability
High Volume Kayaks Designed for Speed
General Purpose Fishing Kayaks
Pocket Boats
![3D"fishing](3D"TheKayakCrazeContinues_files/image004.jpg" "3D\"fishing")
Gear & Gadgets:
Yak
attack on the web