Summer Kayak Fishing

[Glenn]

Summer kayak fishing. The best way to enjoy the weather!

https://www.hobie.com/miragedrive180/

 

[haggard]

Preaching the the choir @glenn. My Hobie is usually in fresh water but I put it in the salty current for the second time last weekend and landed my first salt species (4 stripers). Doing that with a paddle and no Mirage drive would not have been easy. Instant reverse of propeller drive is very appealing (I've tried it), but the comfort of the more upright seating position and lower leg angle on the Mirage drive is more important to me, plus its resistance to weed tangles, and pulling the cables between forward and reverse as so far been quick and easy. Comfort, construction quality and attention to detail are tops.

[IgotWood]

I put some serious mileage on my Outback in July. While I do enjoy paddling my NuCanoe, I would never have fished those places without my Hobie. 4 miles one way for one of the places I haunted last month. Well worth the effort.

[J Francho]

Indeed!

 

[Hawkeye21]

I've been having a great year on my kayak.  Won some money for the first time in a tourney a couple weeks ago and I can afford to upgrade now.  I think I'm going with the NuCanoe Frontier 12.

[Brad in Texas]

There are two approaches, well, at least two.

 

One is sort of "Hobie" and other fully-decked out kayaks, tournament quality makes and models, that actually allow you to carry equipment rivaling the bass boat crowd. 

 

A second is grabbing a light paddler, say an Eddyline Caribbean 12 or 14 Angler, others too qualify here, one that requires no carts, no trailering, carry along a rod or two, a Plano box of what you intend to use for that specific trip, your lures in a tackle bag with room for snacks/water/essentials . . . and go out minimalist.

 

I actually enjoy fishing both ways, I really do and who wouldn't? 

 

The difference? I find myself fishing way more often, that I actually get out on the water much more frequently, with the latter. It takes just a few minutes to rig up, toss a light paddler in the rear of a truck bed, car top it. You get on and off the water 10X as fast, back home and unload fast.

 

Kayak fishing, all styles, will soon take over the world, by the way! Ha!

 

Brad

[flyfisher]

For me it is all year not just summer.  I haven't yet gotten into the pedal drive armada but i can see the appeal.  I think if i was going to upgrade to a pedal drive i would just get a torqueedo instead.  That way i have a good paddling kayak and a motor too

Caught this guy the other day on a spot where you have 1/4 mile to the launch and has its fair share of log jams to climb over.  Makes a kayak the perfect choice.

 

 

[Brad in Texas]

14 hours ago, flyfisher said:

For me it is all year not just summer.  I haven't yet gotten into the pedal drive armada but i can see the appeal.  I think if i was going to upgrade to a pedal drive i would just get a torqueedo instead.  That way i have a good paddling kayak and a motor too

Caught this guy the other day on a spot where you have 1/4 mile to the launch and has its fair share of log jams to climb over.  Makes a kayak the perfect choice.

 

 

That is actually a very good idea, to own a paddler that can double down as a powered kayak for other purposes, say, you want to use it to get to the far end of a larger lake, paddle while you are there, then use it to get back. I have a Big Rig like this: Paddles well and stable for shorter sorts of trips but I have a customized trolling motor, too.  If they ever perfect and get the cost down on lithium batteries, it'll really change the power options we use on kayaks.  Brad

[Tizi]

I use my kayak all year too as others have stated above.  However, I enjoy the summer evenings fishing until dark on small lakes near my house.  I am a minimalist and purchased a kayak I can easily manage myself:  Jackson Cruise 10 Angler, weighs 53 pounds, fits in my truck bed or cargo trailer easily.  Takes no time to rig it up with 2 poles, 2 3600 planos, and bag o plastics...then I am off to the lake!

[Brad in Texas]

2 hours ago, Tizi said:

I use my kayak all year too as others have stated above.  However, I enjoy the summer evenings fishing until dark on small lakes near my house.  I am a minimalist and purchased a kayak I can easily manage myself:  Jackson Cruise 10 Angler, weighs 53 pounds, fits in my truck bed or cargo trailer easily.  Takes no time to rig it up with 2 poles, 2 3600 planos, and bag o plastics...then I am off to the lake!

Tizi, for every angler like you, there is a lonely fully-equipped bass boat with $10,000 worth of fishing tackle ready to be carried out to a lake, any lake. But, it sits in a garage. They often are used sparingly, a few times a year, if that. And, sort of like the dog pound I guess, boats bought like "cute puppies" often end up unwanted with for sale signs on them on Craig's List.

 

Kayaks are the same way, even worse, because the lower price tags put in reach of more impulsive buying behavior. 

 

Ah! to go out minimalist is such a sublime event. 

 

Brad

[Tizi]

5 minutes ago, Brad in Texas said:

Tizi, for every angler like you, there is a lonely fully-equipped bass boat with $10,000 worth of fishing tackle ready to be carried out to a lake, any lake. But, it sits in a garage. They often are used sparingly, a few times a year, if that. And, sort of like the dog pound I guess, boats bought like "cute puppies" often end up unwanted with for sale signs on them on Craig's List.

 

Kayaks are the same way, even worse, because the lower price tags put in reach of more impulsive buying behavior. 

 

Ah! to go out minimalist is such a sublime event. 

 

Brad

agree wholeheartedly!