What's to like about a kayak?

[Dye99]

There is a freedom in a yak.

I started bass fishing in Texas in a canoe.

One year I was in Austin fishing and I spied a weird looking plastic boat with rods sticking up in the back. I paddled over and checked out his fishing kayak. Never seen before at that point.

I immediately headed to Austin canoe and kayak and put some money down on a Ocean Kayak trident.

That was 16 years ago.

Ive owned 5 kayaks since that one. All but one purchased from ACK.

Ive fished Arizona, Texas, California and now Idaho on a regular basis. 

 

The freedom, the peace, and the ability to sneak up on fish is my thing.

Well that and now Im finding my son really enjoys it too and he is hooked.

Bass boats are AWESOME machines but for me, I just feel more comfortable in a kayak.

[CountryboyinDC]

7 hours ago, livemusic said:

What about fishing lakes with lots of stumps/snags. Kayaks that you use an oar or those you have pedals. Can you always get unstuck?

I don't fish a ton of places with submerged stumps, the few I do (Lake Frederick, Occoquan Reservoir), I can usually stay out of the stumps.  I have a pedal drive that I use for these types of bodies of water.  The worst thing is when the drive encounters these stumps.  It's not fearing the damage to the drive or kayak (although I probably should), it's a jarring stop if you have any speed.  If these types of waters are the ones you frequent, a better pedal drive would be the newer Hobies, with the fins that trip and then reset themselves.  Alternatively, the Jackson drive flips up, would be an obvious choice.  And I don't really fear tipping that much personally when you slide over a stump.  I've been canoeing whitewater all my life, so I've swum a bunch, and we don't have piranhas or gators this far north.

The issue of horizontal rod storage is a non-issue.  Boats like the Hobie Pro Angler already have it, as does my Jackson Coosa HD and many others.  If the boat you choose does not, there are so many rod holders on the market that might accomplish staying out of tree limbs, you can just post or PM and I'm sure you'll get good advice here.

Your post taught me something - what a pirogue is.  The ones I see online better resemble a canoe, but if they would be good for the types of water you fish, I can't imagine a flat bottomed kayak being a poor choice.

 

 

[TcRoc]

There’s something about being closer to the water and to me it’s more rewarding and exciting when you land that fish , I don’t have a bass boat but fish from a friends. Love going out on his boat but hitting the water on my yak is just awesome. 

[GTN-NY]

One thing I do miss about a boat is having someone to talk to. Sure I have some great conversations with myself but I do miss someone else within talking distance 

[bulldog1935]

14 minutes ago, GTN-NY said:

One thing I do miss about a boat is having someone to talk to. Sure I have some great conversations with myself but I do miss someone else within talking distance 

we're always in range

[livemusic]

I have always been active in sports but I have become much softer at age 67 and not in nearly as good a shape as I wish! And my knees give me trouble. I have lost some weight, so, that helps. I am 6'2" and weigh 242 right now. I am wondering about getting in and out of a kayak, lol. Standing up in one, I can't imagine. I am not sure I have the leg and core strength. If I am on the ground for whatever reason, I can get back up but if there is something to push off of with my arms, that is what I am naturally going to do! But I am still agile enough that I can drive my bassboat onto the trailer after fishing and hop out onto the tongue and balance without falling in the water and crank the winch down and then climb into the back of the pickup and get down to the ground. Many guys couldn't do that but, no doubt, getting up and down is more of a challenge these days! It's part strength problem, flexibility and just the knees wearing out, I suppose. More weight to lose! I would love to see some comments about getting in and out of a kayak.

 

I am also curious about rod storage while fishing a kayak. I watched a Hobie video and I didn't see a mention of that at all, so, I will search for more videos. If I had to use just one rod n reel, I could, no doubt. And just retie to change baits. But having an extra rod or two would be nice. I see people with the milk crate behind them and rods stored vertically. Do you just lean back and draw one out like an arrow out of a quiver, lol? Trying to envision how you (I, not you!) can get to the extra rods.

 

Yes, I need to get in better shape. I was learning to fly a paramotor last year even at my age but I quit and took up gliding in sailplanes instead due to the fact that I just can't run like I used to. With a paramotor on your back, it weighs 50-70 lbs and you gotta run like hell pulling that big parachute wing to get launched. Sailplanes are easier, lol.

[GTN-NY]

5 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

we're always in range

I didn’t see that radio at first so all I could think of was how much I’d have to yell at that distance. 
What model radio is it?

[gim]

22 minutes ago, GTN-NY said:

One thing I do miss about a boat is having someone to talk to.

I exclusively fish from a boat and that doesn't bother me to be honest.  Frankly, sometimes I bring someone with and we rarely speak to each other.  But clearly a bass provides the opportunity to have 2 anglers fish comfortably from the same platform while a kayak is generally a solo mission kinda thing.  Also, I like to bring my dog with sometimes and that would be impossible in a kayak.

[bulldog1935]

On 4/6/2021 at 7:31 AM, GTN-NY said:

I didn’t see that radio at first so all I could think of was how much I’d have to yell at that distance. 
What model radio is it?

that's the Standard Horizons HX 890 with DSC/GPS - boats/ships navigating with AIM can see you on their nav screen, and the Coast Guard can find you on their GPS.  You can also find your buddies, and set up a "private" channel so others don't hear you talking about fishy spots.  Each radio is registered to the boat hull through FCC/MMSI

They offer both plug-in and wireless hands-free headsets.  

 

If all you want to do is talk, the SH HX40 is the smallest hand-held VHF made.  

SH also gets the nod for range least affected by ground-clutter interference.  

 

Looked for a photo of the one on my dad's center console, but don't have the photo.  At least at the coast, all the boat-rescue service companies are always monitoring for "Pan, Pan" calls - dead motor, grounded.  

[Choporoz]

@livemusic, I'm a badly out of shape 58....getting in is never a problem....getting out after 10 hours on the water isn't quite so smooth.  I still do consecutive long days....3 straight days and it takes a couple to recuperate

[Bird]

Convenient, just throw on back of truck and go and the fact that I fish mostly smaller electric only lakes. 

 

My biggest complaint as I've mentioned several times here is my casting accuracy has suffered as apposed to the big stable platform of a bass boat.

[Bluebasser86]

On 4/5/2021 at 8:55 PM, livemusic said:

What about fishing lakes with lots of stumps/snags. Kayaks that you use an oar or those you have pedals. Can you always get unstuck?

If I was fishing places predominately with lots of stumps and logs, I'd go paddle instead of peddle. A new drive for my kayak is $1,000. I'm not sure how hard I'd have to hit a stump to break it, not wanting to find out either.

 

It is very possible to get stuck to the point you can't get unstuck. I had a decent sized limb pop up through a scupper hole in my last kayak and had a heck of a time getting loose from it. That one was not nearly as stable and I had to climb out on the end of it to finally float free, it wasn't fun. A lot of guys seem to carry small saw blades or limb saws for just such an emergency.

 

I really have been enjoying my kayak. All the reasons listed. I've been a boat owner for over 20 years. Not having to worry about gas, trolling motors, batteries, trailer bearings or tires, registering the kayak, oil, all that mess it's just so much more simple. I toss my kayak in the back of my truck and all my gear in the cab and go. I'm loaded up and gone in the same amount of time it takes to hook up the boat and unloaded in the same time. It's quiet in the kayak. I've already had so many fish eat the bait right under or next to me, it's crazy. It presents it's own set of unique challenges and I enjoy figuring those out right along with figuring the fish out. It really just takes me back to my days fishing out of my 2 man when I was a kid, only a much nicer boat and no trolling motor or battery to mess with.

[K1500]

1. They are inexpensive

2. You can fish VERY skinny water

3. They are inexpensive

4. You can fish water without a launch

5. They are inexpensive

6. You can fish small streams

7. They are inexpensive 

I started in a kayak and it was/is a nice way to get on the water. I can only take a few hours before I want out, whereas I can fish all day in my 20’ boat. The kayak was a great ‘proof of concept’ that helped justify a bigger boat, and they open up so much more water than bank fishing does. They are the best ‘bang for the buck’, but I really love fishing out of my boat. 

[XF15-Loader]

1. Easy storage
2. Easy to transport
3. Easy access to skinny water
4. Proximity to the catch...nothing like a blowup 5' from your boat while your 12" from the water!
5. Ease of customization
6. Cost
7. Everything else others have said that I may have missed.  It really is a great experience.

[J Francho]

A kayak is a vehicle to get off the shore or get to a place not accessible from shore, just like any other boat.  Like every other boat, there are compromises.  A kayak brings portability, lower expense, and a different, more connected type of fishing to the fold.  They aren't for everyone, but for many they work well.  I'll always have a few kayaks to fish from.  The last ten years, models designed for fishing are quite good at it.

[dickenscpa]

On 4/5/2021 at 5:52 PM, michaelb said:

I have a boat but it is mostly a money pit that i keep running for my family and relatives. I would much rather fish off one of my kayaks. I have thought about rigging a rack so we could use the boat to haul the kayaks to places to fish. 
 

it is more fun and more challenging to fish on the kayak. You are right at the water level. You are alone on the boat. You have to figure out how to catch fish where you are or paddle/peddle yourself to somewhere else. You can haul the kayak to water that doesn’t have a trailer launch and also go to wild lakes that don’t have any motors. 

 

The bold above is another thing about my kayak, no one asks me to take them fishing. I do not like fishing on someone else's boat and sure hate somebody on the back of mine. Oh Lord they get on my nerves. 

 

I bought the office Suite next to the one I already had for the sole reason of my employees are in one suite and I'm in another by myself. No one uses my bathroom, drinks my coffee, etc.

 

I really like enclosed and solitude

[Allen Der]

for me, I mainly only kayak fish lakes and rivers that I cant get into with my boat.  I also like the simplicity and exercise of paddling.  When you start adding motors, electronics, and accessories to the point you need a trailer then you pretty much have a boat.

[ooga0341]

I bought my first kayak in 2008-ish, after reading about HOW. I didn't have a chapter near me, so I bought an Old Town sit in kayak, grabbed a couple of fishing rods, and fished local reservoirs nearby. I have upgraded a few times since then, and have gone on some really fun trips in them. My youngest son has the bug now too. You can drop some serious money rigging them up if you choose to, or keep it simple. I prefer a sit on top, and have added a modestly priced graph, anchor trolley with the anchor wizard. As far as storage, I use rod holders that I can change the angle on it to avoid snagging on trees, and use a cart to transport in and out of the water.

[Darth-Baiter]

The best thing about a boat is you can rip around a body of water. With a kayak you study google earth for places to launch near where you want to fish. If you chose poorly, you’re fairly committed. Bummer for you.  You have to launch relatively close to your target spot on big waters. 
 

‘you are very dependent on fair weather.   I like the strategizing 

[Choporoz]

16 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

The best thing about a boat is you can rip around a body of water. With a kayak you study google earth for places to launch near where you want to fish.  

A corollary is that from a kayak, I tend to cover (& learn) a given area far more thoroughly than I do in a boat.  

[Darth-Baiter]

14 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

A corollary is that from a kayak, I tend to cover (& learn) a given area far more thoroughly than I do in a boat.  

True. But no denying a bad spot simply can be jut that, bad. 
 

I've chosen poorly lots of times.   But I’ll fish the heck out of the day.  Thousands (feels like it) of cast. 

[J Francho]

The lack of speed is a bit of a double edged sword.  You can't get to the other spot without a paddle, and that time eats into fishing, but you might discover a spot on your way over there.  I've never really felt like I launched in the wrong spot either.  If what you know isn't working, what you don't know is a short paddle away, even on well known water.  This is why I think some electronics is important.  At the very least, mapping and standard chirp.  I often run DI and SI at once, and drop waypoints on anything interesting.  WHen you zoom back out on the map, sometimes those pins tell a story, just like pins for catches do.  I've found structural elements that I would not have seen just looking at the contours.  They are too subtle, but there's fish.  I'd NEVER find these spots at 75 mph in my bass boat, lol.

[dickenscpa]

On 4/15/2021 at 9:17 AM, Choporoz said:

A corollary is that from a kayak, I tend to cover (& learn) a given area far more thoroughly than I do in a boat.  

Another thing about a kayak is if I go to a spot and it is just bad, I'll pull out and go somewhere else. In my boat I just live with it or go home. I'd never pull my boat out, load it back up, pull somewhere else, unload it and fish another place. 

 

Due to my fear of speed on the water and getting stranded too far from the ramp if there was a problem, I wouldn't motor very far out either.

 

I cover WAY more water on my kayak than in the boat. There's very little that can go wrong with a simple pedal drive and if it does, worst case scenario I paddle back. Hard to paddle back a bass boat with a half oar. Sitting in the middle of my boat and paddling like a kayak isn't an option either. LOL!

 

I do 2-3 century rider per year on a bicycle and regularly do 35-50 mile bike rides with my club so I'll admit I'm in a bit of a different situation than most kayakers. My legs are conditioned to pedal all day on a kayak and never really notice it. Plus no hills! LOL!