Kayak fishing: Pros and Cons

[rwt]

Am strongly considering getting ino kayak fishing. Haven't done much fishing in over forty years and kayak fishing looks like it has many positive aspects which grealty outweigh the negative ones. Have done a great deal of research, but the source of the research material has been kayak enthusaits. Would like to hear some straight talk from people that are not enthralled with kayaks! THE GOOD, THE BAD, and everything in Between.

thanks
rwt

[Bearfootfarm]

If you take kayak lessons the FIRST thing they teach you is how to get it RIGHT SIDE UP again!! LOL I prefer a more stable boat myself. Id be afraid a good sized fish could turn one over. I guess a lot will depend on where you want to fish and how portable your boat has to be. This is what I like:

http://www.thesportscenter.com/Displ.../9/Brand_ID/16

http://www.boatingatlanta.com/riverhawk%20index.htm

I have a 15 footer

[moonwolf]

I have never done it, but have fished a lot from canoe. There are some excellent kayaks availalble with fishing as the uppermost consideration for use. I know a guy in N.Carolina that uses a kayak almost exclusively on rivers fishing for smallmouth, and goes out in the ocean for striped bass. He swears by it and has a blast fishing out of his kayak.

[BobK]

A lab mate of mine went kayak fishing for rockfish about ten days ago....they did great and I know others who love it but his drawback was he is prone to seasickness....the ocean was a bit rough...not really bad...but he found out that you can't lean over to upchuck since you'll roll over...gotta get used to gettin a little on ya....he is going back next weekend...and I am so happy I get the carcasses.......ya see crab season opens in a few weeks....

[True2Spirit]

I would suggest that you look at an Ocean Kayak. They are the "sit on top" ones vs. the "inside cavity" ones. They are becoming very popular with the anglers indeed. Very easy to manuever into narrow and heavy brush, hard to reach places, not to mention, the design is much like a pontoon boat. You dont need length for fishing as opposed to kayaking down a river etc. And accomodates tackle and Rover quite well!! You should find a nice one with minimal investment.

[moonwolf]

Here is a link to a pretty good page about selecting a fishing kayak:

choosing a fishing kayak

I kinda like this one from Redfish heritage:

[rwt]

Thanks for the imput from everyone!
Looks as if I've considered all the points that were mentioned which makes me feel good. My major concern was stability. Three different kyaks made the final list. Two catamaran type:Wavewalk(not wavewalker) and Kiwi Angler. For various reasons, these were ruled out as viable canidates. The third is a hobie mirage kayak which uses a propulsion system somewhat similar to a fish tail that is powered by foot peddals. There are several other advantage also in this area. The main point, stability, can be accomplished by an outrigger type device called sidekick. I am in NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH HOBIE. Email me if you have other questions: klb1@isp.com rwt

[boonieman]

I bought one of the cheapest kayaks I could find (Otter) because I wasn't sure I would like it and didn't want to spend big bucks. I will say it's one of the most enjoyable investments I've ever made. I use it for fishing alot. Mine is the "sit in" kind and I like it because it keeps stuff from falling out of the Kayak. Big fish, and they don't even have to be all that big, will pull you around quite a bit, but that just adds to the fun. We also use kayaks for jugging for big snapping turtles and haven't had much of a stability problem. I mean you have to be a little careful, but we handle 20+ pounds turtles and it requires a lot of wrestling around to get them in. I put a chain on mine to haul fishing baskets, etc and to hook myself to trees or limbs to keep me in one place while fishing. I have turned it over a couple times, once getting in it when I first got it, and once when I was going fast and clipped a barely submerged tree stump. I'm not into trying to sit in the kayak and flip it back over. I just slip out and bring it to shore and empty it out. The way we get them in the water is to put the kayak about halfway into the water and go ahead and get in. Using a combination of "scooting" the kayak and using the paddle to push it, they slide right in the water. We use the opposite to land them. Usually you can easily get them about 1/3 to 1/2 way onto the bank, making it stable to stand up to get out of it. Anyway, if you get one you wont be sorry.

[rwinsouthla]

First, I'll say that I do some marsh fishing, not in kayaks but with 12' canoes. I go with my brother in his bay boat. He and I take his bay boat out and he'll drop me off, anchor his boat, then follow me. What we find is the limiting factor is the size of the canoe. When we hook into a 8 or 10 lb redfish (red drum), it will pull us around, sometimes 100 yards or more. Also, if we get into a school of trout, we won't have enough room for 25 fish. Other than that, we no longer fish from his bay boat....just use it to get us and the canoes to where we know the fish are hiding!

[PyroDon]

I have to agree the only real disadvantage I've found is landing large fish .
Though on light line the ablity to follow large fish is a definate advntage.
While fishing for large cat fish on a river I got a few laughs from the "Locals " with their big fishing poles . I showed up with a medium pole and spinning reel, slid my little boat in the water and anchored mid stream beyong their casting ablity. They thought it was all a big joke watching a 20 pound flat head draggin me around like a bobber . After putting 4 large cats on my stringer the joke was on them . One old timer asked me what Id have done if Id hooked a really big one . My response was follow it where ever it wanted until it tired out .
I love fishin from kayaks and small canoes

[rwt]

Hi All,
Have researched that problem with kayaks. Being pulled around by big fish is part of fishing with a small boat. A partial solution is to maximize the resistance to the fish by turning your kayak perpendicular to the fishes direction of pull. Since fish tend to go in the direction of least resistance, you can somewhat control where you are pulled. This can be important if being pulled toward treacherous water. Always keep a good pocket knife handy as a last resort! Happy fishing rwt