Why are kayaks a thing?

[Brad Reid]

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

Pretty much everyone that kayak fishes, stands.  That's provided they have a boat made for standing.

J Francho, it might be sort of a regional thing and a lot depends on wind. Texas is just so windy! But, we had close to 100 kayaks on Lake Athens a few weeks ago and when you looked out over the water, almost everyone is seated. There are certainly exceptions and also it depends, as you know, on the presentation. Tough to flip seated.

 

I even stand at times in my little Propel 10 but more to move a little blood around than to fish. From my Bluesky 360? I stand the whole time but even seated, it is more or less like standing because the seat is so high.

 

I'd sort of characterize that particular canoe, the Meyers Sportspal, as the vessel with the most range of applications for the most types of water, depth, TMs and outboards.

 

I love them all! I need to narrow it down to one "ride" sooner or later.

 

Brad

[Boomstick]

A kayak seems generally faster and more maneuverable and thus easier to row than a canoe. Plus you can get them decked out for fishing out of as well.

[jbsoonerfan]

8 hours ago, kenmitch said:

I fish out of a fully rigged Slayer 10 propel and see no real advantage a fully rigged bass boat has over me other than they can get there faster. I guess the only other advantage the boat has is being able to fish in nastier weather if one chooses. Moving faster in the water doesn't mean you'll catch more fish in the end.

 

I very seldom stand in my kayak, but when I do it's godlike as all I can see is the water. I prefer to just sit and put around while enjoying my time on the water. 

 

 

 

 

 

You see no other advantage? That's like comparing a motorcycle to a truck.

[MN Fisher]

When I was looking to get an inexpensive boating option I looked at three options

Kayak

Canoe

Jon Boat

 

I went with the canoe for several reasons

1) My knees aren't the greatest and sitting low in a kayak for a period of time then trying to stand would have been...interesting. That made the kayak a non-starter for me.

2) With a jon-boat, if the motor died (out of gas/dead battery/etc) rowing like an old rowboat is your backup and I've never been a fan of rowing.

3) With a canoe as a solo angler, I get plenty of storage, paddling if the TM fails is much easier than rowing, with the stabilizers I added this winter I can stand up/move around, and with the seat mod I don't have to sit halfway to the keel - I can sit normally like in a full-size bass boat.

 

A future mod may be a live-well with easy fill/empty capability (I've already laid out a base design on paper).

 

For me and my fishing, a canoe was the best call over anything else given my financial situation.

[kenmitch]

1 hour ago, jbsoonerfan said:

You see no other advantage? That's like comparing a motorcycle to a truck.

I can carry 8 rods, but I only have 7. I can carry more tackle then I'd ever need. I can go thru the timber instead of all the way around. I go thru the really shallow water instead of around it.

 

I've caught many a bass behind the bassboaters as they troll thru my spots.

 

To be fair tho I did think of one other advantage. It's easier to tick in a bottle on a bassboat.

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, kenmitch said:

I can carry 8 rods, but I only have 7.

Good thing Tackle Warehouse has a big sale every Spring!

[billmac]

Are there any kneeling kayaks?

[flyfisher]

i have been a kayak fisherman for over 15 years and i originally did it as a way to get on the water around me which is mostly electric only or rivers.  Since then i have had lots of kayaks and while I love kayak fishing, i love fishing more.  If i lived in an area where i would do well with a regular motor powered boat, that is what I would get.  I grew up fishing out of a canoe and I will take a modern kayak over a canoe every day in any conditions.  Just having scuppers is a great reason to use a sit on top kayak, especially in rivers or rough water.  I am able to stand and fish if i so choose but i rarely do given my current kayak has a raised seat.  On the rivers though, i am standing the majority of the time as it allows me to see better and fish areas more thoroughly.  A few corrective strokes with the paddle keeps me moving in the right direction.

 

 

[Junk Fisherman]

On 3/4/2019 at 5:15 PM, jbsoonerfan said:

You see no other advantage? That's like comparing a motorcycle to a truck.

I agree.  These guys are fooling themselves if they feel there is little advantage to fishing out of a bassboat compared to a kayak.  

[Kev-mo]

Kayaks are a 'thing' because a whole industry has been built around it. It's just that simple.

[jbsoonerfan]

1 hour ago, Junk Fisherman said:

I agree.  These guys are fooling themselves if they feel there is little advantage to fishing out of a bassboat compared to a kayak.  

I pick my battles wisely, that's why I decided not to debate. LOL

[kjfishman]

I have a bass boat and a kayak and was kayak fishing before it was a thing and before I could afford a bass boat. Gets you into places you can't go into a boat. There are a few productive small lakes I can go to and have the lake to myself. Kayak fishing  forces you to be a minimalist because you can't take all the rods and tackle you carry in your bass boat. Making you a better fisherman in the long run.  If I had to give up my the yak or the bass boat I would give up the bass boat.

[Russ E]

A kayak is a lgood low cost way to get off of the bank.

I have a bass boat and a kayak.

I agree a kayak can get you into a few places a bass boat can't go . To me that is only  helpful a small portion of the time. The bass boat may not be able to navigate as well n tight quarters, but I can cover a lot more water with it.

Last year I put in around 800 hours on the water. 790 of those hours were in the bass boat.

If I had to get rid of one, it would without a doubt be the kayak.

[flyfisher]

I do think it is all relative to where you live.  Within an hour or so drive of me i have probably 15-20 electric only lakes and maybe 3-4 that are not restricted.  That made my choice for me.  

I also don't buy into the whole i can get to places that boats can't.  While it is true per se it isn't that much of an advantage around here.  

 

[Russ E]

17 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

I do think it is all relative to where you live.  Within an hour or so drive of me i have probably 15-20 electric only lakes and maybe 3-4 that are not restricted.  That made my choice for me.  

I also don't buy into the whole i can get to places that boats can't.  While it is true per se it isn't that much of an advantage around here.  

 

I agree.  There are very few electric only lake within 50 miles of me. there are 5 reservoirs and a couple dozen mid size lakes. In addition Kansas is a windy state. That is why my bass boat sees a lot more action.

[flyfisher]

wind is the worst part of fishing out of a kayak for sure

[Darren.]

2 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

wind is the worst part of fishing out of a kayak for sure

Wind is the "bane".... Ugh.

[WRB]

S-13 looks interesting until the hull thickness of 1/32" (.032)!

The 1st kayaks out west were white water river and the 1st fishing kayaks were ocean models that soon became known as the plastic navy they are so popular. I can't recall seeing a canoe on the ocean.

I have fished out of everything but a kayak and would own one if I was 20 years younger.

Tom

[Dens228]

Even though I fish out of a kayak I agree, the advantages with an actual boat are large. 

I fish tournaments that allow both, if fishing conditions are good I can hold my own, if the fish aren't biting well and you need to find them the boat guys kick my butt pretty much every time. 

 

[billmac]

Just watched a youtube video of Roland Martin fishing out of a kayak, but it looked more like a mini catamaran.  It was definitely a sweet setup.  I think it was from Blue Sky Boatworks.  Unfortunately it costs a little more than I paid for an old bassboat.  I think if I was going to go small, I'd go with something like a Sundolphin.

[J Francho]

None of these fish would be possible, if not for my kayak.  There is no way to access these waters with my bass boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TOXIC]

So the next big question is paddle or peddle and why?

[J Francho]

Row or sell?  Think you mean PEDAL!

 

Peddle pedal kayaks, but still sell them a paddle.

 

Depends on the boat for me.  I have no issue paddling my Commander 140, but I enjoy pedaling my Compass.  It's an advantage to be able to hold position while fishing, or even troll, keeping the rod in your hand instead of the rod holder.

 

I'm convinced Jacob would not have lost the two lakers he had on if he had a pedal drive.

 

 

 

[Brad Reid]

1 hour ago, billmac said:

Just watched a youtube video of Roland Martin fishing out of a kayak, but it looked more like a mini catamaran.  It was definitely a sweet setup.  I think it was from Blue Sky Boatworks.  Unfortunately it costs a little more than I paid for an old bassboat.  I think if I was going to go small, I'd go with something like a Sundolphin.

I own one of the Bluesky 360s and it is a wonderful expansion of kayaking to boating where the gap will be filled. No doubt about it. When I stand it feels about like walking around on the deck of a bass boat. Very cool, and an electric motor is due out soon where it plugs directly into the spot where the pedal drive goes.

 

The big advantage for me? It slides right up onto the bed of my Toyota Tacoma and I use a bed extender to keep it balanced. No trailer required. It has built in wheels to roll the thing into and out of the water. The "tongue weight" is so light, an 8 year old boy could manage it.

 

 

Brad

 

 

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

So the next big question is paddle or peddle and why?

Both have their place.  I don’t think I would want a peddle yak that was too cumbersome to paddle if I needed to.  I have a Slayer 10 and leave the peddle drive at home maybe 50% of the time.  I fish a lot of small, shallow spots and being able to park myself in the middle of a pad field is how I do most of my fishing in these spots.