Benefits of Kayak Fishing

[Harold Scoggins]

You can skip the rowing machine at the gym.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve got a jon boat with oarlocks, even better for the low body!

[Choporoz]

what's a gym?

[soflabasser]

Kayaking is a excellent form of cardiovascular exercise that is for sure. It can present a challenge to anyone from those who just started working out to those who are advanced. It is one of my favorite ways to workout besides powerlifting,running,and cycling.

[Gundog]

On ‎10‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 1:00 PM, Choporoz said:

what's a gym?

Its spelled Jim and he cooks my cheeseburgers and fries at the local diner. 

[Sam]

Harold, there are also other benefits of a kayak.

 

No gas - save money.

No oil - save a lot of money.

Easy to put in and take out.

Easy to transport.

Can get into tight spots that bass boats cannot.

No motor maintenance.

No motor trouble.

No reason to dress nice - shorts and a tee shirt will do.

No high personal property taxes on boat, motor or trailer.

No reason to install a costly trailer hitch on your Kia.

No trailer problems. Who cares if the lights don't work?

Can launch at places bass boats cannot launch.

Since no motor, no reason to take boater's safety course.

Can use on lakes and ponds where it is forbidden to use your big motor.

Initial investment is very low when compared to a bass boat.

No reason to purchase all the accessories for your bass boat when you have a kayak.

You can actually meet and speak with others while on the water.

You can't go 100 miles per hour in a kayak, thereby not killing your self.

You can't wreck a kayak by missing the creek turn and going into the woods.

No pollution from a kayak.

Lots of colors to select among.

You can't fall out of a kayak while fishing unless you are really uncoordinated.

 

Should I go on???????

 

[Hook2Jaw]

They also do well for inshore and offshore fishing if you're lucky enough to live near the coast! 

[Brad Reid]

Just wait until one of these days they work out battery technology so that we can get a 120 Ah TM battery, that weighs 15 lbs. or less, that costs under $250.

 

It'll attract yet another sizable wave of interest in kayak angling.

 

Or, if some of the knuckleheads in the outboard motor industry would build a compact 1 HP motor for kayaks/canoes/jon boats, etc. that will run on those green 16 oz. propane cannisters. Lehr and Tohatsu both have propane motors out, Lehr for awhile now. Alas, the smallest offering from either is too big. Lehr seems to have reliability issues that Tohatsu seems to have worked around. But, with our hull speed limitations, a motor around 15 to 20 lbs. and much less power would do the trick.

 

They'd sell like hotcakes if they are reliable.

 

Three 16 oz. cannisters and you could go on a kayak trip for days.

 

Brad

[TOXIC]

Simple answer.....I go fishing to relax not workout.  As a matter of fact, I do everything in my power to be comfortable when I fish.  I have always said that if you find my body on a jogging path, you can be sure I was murdered and dumped there!!  There was a time I was in great shape but not anymore.  

 

My Brother in Law is an avid yak fisherman and for many years he bugged me about giving it a try.  So 2 years ago in Wisconsin, I relented and we set off in yaks for the day.  I swear he tried to kill me.  Did I do it?  Yes.  Did I enjoy it?  Not in the least.  As woefully out of shape as I am, I stayed with him and made it back but I have no desire to do it again.  My days of being in shape enough to enjoy a yak are over.  I have a body built for a 21 foot bassboat.  More power to you that enjoy this type of fishing and I am happy to see it as popular as it is but it's just not for me.  On the practical side, I make long runs on the bodies of water that I fish that would not be possible in a Yak.  I also like to fish in less than stellar conditions.

[Darren.]

I get the workout thing...

 

But I prefer to fish when I'm going out, and I use a trolling motor

setup which helps immensely in battling the wind around these parts.

 

Sometimes I supplement the motor and paddle.

[bholtzinger14]

33 minutes ago, Darren. said:

I get the workout thing...

 

But I prefer to fish when I'm going out, and I use a trolling motor

setup which helps immensely in battling the wind around these parts.

 

Sometimes I supplement the motor and paddle.

I am right there with you. I want to fish when I am out. I normally paddle/coast my way out and down banks while fishing and then when I get done fishing I turn on the trolling motor and head back in. The only thing I wish is that I knew I was going to get a trolling motor on my yak when I bought it. I would have bought a bigger yak (big rig, nucanoe, etc) so I would be more comfortable and stable while out.

[Angry John]

1. You have way more stealth

2. I get some workout with the peddle power but not a killer at all.

3. It forces you to plan better.  People with boats can just move multiple miles.  They dont have to have a solid plan.

4. I love smaller waters and a yak is better there.

5. I am forced to simplify.  I could carry a bunch of rods but i limit myself to 4 because thats how many rod holders i have.  Could i have more yes but that just complicates things.

6.  Catch a 5 pounder from a boat is no big deal, catch one from a yak and go for a ride.

[Brad Reid]

1 hour ago, bholtzinger14 said:

I am right there with you. I want to fish when I am out. I normally paddle/coast my way out and down banks while fishing and then when I get done fishing I turn on the trolling motor and head back in. The only thing I wish is that I knew I was going to get a trolling motor on my yak when I bought it. I would have bought a bigger yak (big rig, nucanoe, etc) so I would be more comfortable and stable while out.

Looks like you have made a visit over at Kevin Dismuke's garage! He built a TM for me, too, for a Big Rig I know longer own, so I need to modify my Dismuke TM for another kayak!  Brad

[Harold Scoggins]

On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 8:10 PM, Sam said:

Harold, there are also other benefits of a kayak.

 

No gas - save money.

No oil - save a lot of money.

Easy to put in and take out.

Easy to transport.

Can get into tight spots that bass boats cannot.

No motor maintenance.

No motor trouble.

No reason to dress nice - shorts and a tee shirt will do.

No high personal property taxes on boat, motor or trailer.

No reason to install a costly trailer hitch on your Kia.

No trailer problems. Who cares if the lights don't work?

Can launch at places bass boats cannot launch.

Since no motor, no reason to take boater's safety course.

Can use on lakes and ponds where it is forbidden to use your big motor.

Initial investment is very low when compared to a bass boat.

No reason to purchase all the accessories for your bass boat when you have a kayak.

You can actually meet and speak with others while on the water.

You can't go 100 miles per hour in a kayak, thereby not killing your self.

You can't wreck a kayak by missing the creek turn and going into the woods.

No pollution from a kayak.

Lots of colors to select among.

You can't fall out of a kayak while fishing unless you are really uncoordinated.

 

Should I go on???????

 

 

39 minutes ago, Angry John said:

1. You have way more stealth

2. I get some workout with the peddle power but not a killer at all.

3. It forces you to plan better.  People with boats can just move multiple miles.  They dont have to have a solid plan.

4. I love smaller waters and a yak is better there.

5. I am forced to simplify.  I could carry a bunch of rods but i limit myself to 4 because thats how many rod holders i have.  Could i have more yes but that just complicates things.

6.  Catch a 5 pounder from a boat is no big deal, catch one from a yak and go for a ride.

I actually didn't expect much of a response when I started this thread. I also understand that it's not for everyone. I had a bass boat when I first started kayak fishing after watching a couple of YT videos. (There were not many then, maybe 20-25.) I'll never forget the first time I dug my paddle into the water, I knew then I was hooked. I remember catching more fish that first season than I had ever landed in a boat. It wasn't just the fishing part of kayaking that attracted me, it was the sense of peace it gave me, I was definitely in my "zen" when I was out alone paddling. Having retired from military service, I was looking for an escape, looking to unwind, looking for peace, and kayaking provided what I was looking for. The bass boat ended up sitting in the garage collecting dust because I was always taking the kayak out and I ended up selling the boat to make room for a couple more kayaks. Yes, kayaking provides a health benefit and will force you to fish smarter, but for me, it goes a little deeper than that. If you've ever read Walden, you know what I'm speaking of.

[Brad Reid]

1 hour ago, Angry John said:

1. You have way more stealth

2. I get some workout with the peddle power but not a killer at all.

3. It forces you to plan better.  People with boats can just move multiple miles.  They dont have to have a solid plan.

4. I love smaller waters and a yak is better there.

5. I am forced to simplify.  I could carry a bunch of rods but i limit myself to 4 because thats how many rod holders i have.  Could i have more yes but that just complicates things.

6.  Catch a 5 pounder from a boat is no big deal, catch one from a yak and go for a ride.

I like it for each of these reasons, too. Angry John. A very good summary. And, I simply don't even feel pedaling, at all. It's as if just the weight of my foot pushes the crank arm down. If anywhere, I feel it a tad in my abdomen from "lifting" my legs for the next down cycle with my foot.

 

In my big Meyers Sportspal S-15, if it isn't windy, I can stand and paddle it all the way to the boat ramp and back. About 2 miles. My former Big Rig? It was just over 100 lbs. and it'd give me a bit of a workout but really very manageable using a 2 bladed paddle.  Brad

[soflabasser]

6 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

They also do well for inshore and offshore fishing if you're lucky enough to live near the coast! 

Yes inshore fishing with a kayak is very fun and using a kayak for beach diving is even more fun since you get to practice several sports in 1 day (kayaking,freediving,spearfishing).

[YoTone]

I use my pedal kayak as an excuse to skip leg days in the warmer months. Not looking to build muscle in the summer so it helps in  keeping my legs in decent condition. Sometimes I pedal hard  for short busts for no other reason than a mild leg work out.

[th365thli]

Catching from the kayak is more visceral. You're right up near the water, the fish is pulling you around. Catching a 5 on a boat is fun. Catching a 5 on a kayak is a different experience.

 

However, I switched to boats because I couldn't deal with the wind. I tried everything but I threw in the towel and restored an older bass boat. Now I don't have to worry as much about wind and temperature reports. 

 

I plan on buying a kayak again sometime in the future. It really is a more intense experience!

[Harold Scoggins]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 1:15 PM, th365thli said:

I couldn't deal with the wind.

The wind is your friend, gives you a good burn in the shoulders and arms.

Be like water!

 

[th365thli]

8 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

The wind is your friend, gives you a good burn in the shoulders and arms.

Be like water!

 

 

I didn't have any issues paddling in the wind. I'm a pretty strong person and I got around find. I got annoyed having to paddle the wind to stay in position. I hated having to cast, paddle, retrieve a little, paddle again. Anchoring was an option but also just cumbersome especially in our deep reservoirs. Anchoring in 30+ feet of water just didn't do it for me.

 

Now I have a Ultrex and everything i just better. I can spot lock a fairly precise location and jog myself any direction if i want to re-position. I can hit a pinpoint deep water target in high wind very effectively. Kayak fishing has its advantages but deep water windy structure fishing ain't one of them. And California has a lot of that. 

[flyfisher]

For me it had zero to do with the exercise aspect and more because of the ton of lakes around that are electric only or HP restricted.  Nearly 20 years later i am still kayak fishing but am thinking about setting up an electric only set up

[lo n slo]

On 10/23/2018 at 9:10 PM, Sam said:

 

You can't fall out of a kayak while fishing unless you are really uncoordinated.

 

?

[flyfisher]

26 minutes ago, lo n slo said:

?

I'd bet @Sam hasn't been in a kayak   

I will say that these days most modern fishing kayaks you will fall out before you flip them though,

[Sam]

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

I'd bet @Sam hasn't been in a kayak   

I will say that these days most modern fishing kayaks you will fall out before you flip them though,

Right.  Never have been in a kayak.

 

Maybe next year.

[Dwight Hottle]

Anybody have any experience kayaking in south Florida with the gators?