Do you consider kayak fishing to be exercising?

[Darth-Baiter]

I occasionally fish off a bass boat. It’s downright luxurious.  (Rod storage does suck in the back of the boat)

 

I actually prefer kayak fishing at this point.  It’s super challenging for me. I can do a 10-mile day if needed, but I always hope it isn’t necessary. But in general, I’m immediately married to the spot I launched at.  I never pack up and drive to a new spot. I don’t consider it exercise.  It’s not that strenuous. I do lose weight because I’m too lazy to bring food. I’ll go 8-hours on water and a fist full of nuts.  My friends bring lots of food. They are always chewing on something. 
 

‘’by the time I get home I’m tired.  But it’s a combination of the long drive, or heavy lifting. (Kayak into truck or lake). Maybe the long duration sitting position, but I do stand up. A lot. 
 

It’s not exercise. My HR goes up, but doesn’t strain. Not like mtn biking. 
 

‘’you?

[the reel ess]

Yes. It is my habit to do some cardio for about 45 minutes per day, every day if I can. On days I fish I don't do the cardio. I paddle the perimeter of a 30-or-so acre lake. If it's windy, I really get my workout in. I'm always tired afterward so I know I did something. And I only drive 2 miles to and from the lake.  I don't eat the entire time I'm fishing. I'm alone so there's no temptation. I don't even think about it. I just drink water. Now, I have one buddy that rarely goes with me who has to have a cooler of beer. In that case, it's the opposite of exercise. But still better than sitting on the couch drinking those beers.

[Bankc]

It's work.  But I wouldn't consider it exercise.  To me, exercise is something that gets your heart rate up.  

 

I generally fish smaller bodies of water with just a paddle.  That can be a bit of exercise, but not good exercise, as I'm usually only paddling TO a spot.  So I rarely get my heart rate up and keep it there for extended periods of time.  And even those bursts of exercise aren't typically high energy.  

 

On larger bodies of water, I'll bring along my trolling motor.  Now that sounds like it won't be much work, just sitting back and letting the motor do the work.  But it's actually more work than you think.  On the larger bodies of water, I have to deal with much stronger waves, which means I'm constantly readjusting my center of gravity.  Plus the added weight of load in and load out.  After 6-8 hours of fishing, it really wears me down.  But I wouldn't consider that exercise, because only the loading raises my heart rate, and even then, not by much or for very long.  

 

Now, on a few occasions, I've been stuck in unexpected bad weather and had to paddle my way back against the wind and current.  Fighting 40+mph headwinds and white caps is exercise by any definition.  

[flyfisher]

Kayak fishing is more "exercise" than bank fishing but I wouldn't call it exercise.  I guess if you had long paddles every trip out and were keeping a higher heart rate for 20 minutes or so it could be exercise but in your normal kayak fishing, I wouldn't call it exercise.

[Swampdonkeyfishing]

Yes, i bought 2 of them and everytime it is a blast,my abs are always toasted and my arms are hard to hold up after but you can get into the most hard to reach places.

[TnRiver46]

Depends on where. Many days they are running 30,000 cubic feet per second and we paddle a few miles upstream against it. That’ll have your life jacket dripping with sweat real quick, especially in 100% humidity. Further down the reservoirs with no noticeably surface current, it’s a breeze 

[OldManLure]

2 hours ago, Swampdonkeyfishing said:

Yes, i bought 2 of them and everytime it is a blast,my abs are always toasted and my arms are hard to hold up after but you can get into the most hard to reach places.

There is a technique to paddling a kayak.  If your abs and arms are taking a beating, it sounds like you are relying on only your arms to paddle.  There are plenty of videos demonstrating paddling a kayak and how to engage more of your body to efficiently move the kayak and prevent muscle fatigue.  Your abs and arms will thank you.  (You might also check the length of your paddle and make sure it is the recommended length for your body size)
 

[cyclops2]

Kayak or a rowboat.  The oars MUST  MUST be LONG ENOUGH  !  Save 10$ ?  OWW  OWW  say your arms.

I use 8' wood oars in a 16' X 4.5' wide  Lowe Aluminum fish boat of 1986.  My 83 year old arms get TIRED.  But do not hurt ever.  I simply anchor and rest. Or use the 30 hp motor If weather & waves are too much.

[Swampdonkeyfishing]

5 hours ago, OldManLure said:

There is a technique to paddling a kayak.  If your abs and arms are taking a beating, it sounds like you are relying on only your arms to paddle.  There are plenty of videos demonstrating paddling a kayak and how to engage more of your body to efficiently move the kayak and prevent muscle fatigue.  Your abs and arms will thank you.  (You might also check the length of your paddle and make sure it is the recommended length for your body size)
 

I will have to check them out!

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, cyclops2 said:

Kayak or a rowboat.  The oars MUST  MUST be LONG ENOUGH  !  Save 10$ ?  OWW  OWW  say your arms.

I use 8' wood oars in a 16' X 4.5' wide  Lowe Aluminum fish boat of 1986.  My 83 year old arms get TIRED.  But do not hurt ever.  I simply anchor and rest. Or use the 30 hp motor If weather & waves are too much.

I’ve also got oar locks on my smaller boat, they are pretty nice!! I can never find 8 footers at any stores though. However my boat is 14’ x 4’ so the 7 footers do alright. Longer always seemed better with oars in oar locks 

[NYWayfarer]

It’s exercise, at least my Apple Watch counts it as much. ?

 

I usually launch my kayak on the river upstream and drift fish downstream for most of my sessions. The paddle back is good exercise against the current.

[king fisher]

When I bought my Kayak, I told my wife not only would I use it to catch fish for dinner, but I would get lots of exercise.  That was my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

As far as hear rate goes, If landing a giant bass by hand while sitting a few inches from the water doesn't get your heart rate going, you need to take up another sport.

[Koz]

For me, my pedal kayak is exercise. I can go for miles and miles. But I don't feel it until I have to haul the kayak up and over the sea wall then pull it up a big hill to store it back in my hotel. Then I feel it - especially when it's blazing hot outside.

 

I never bring any food out there, but I do bring water our Lipton Diet Green Citrus Tea.

 

Speaking of fitness, I bought this Amazfit Band 5 Fitness Tracker for $30 on Amazon and it's great. It tracks everything including my sleep, heart rate, PAI, steps, stress level, and more. It also connects to my phone, Alexa, the local weather, and more. I think it's as good or better than a FitBit, especially since FitBit now utilizes subscription services.

[FishTank]

The main lake I fish in my kayak, Eagle Creek, is notorious for having strong winds out on the water and strong current when they are letting the water out.  It might take me 20-30 minutes to get from one side to the other, just straight paddling.  White caps are the norm in 15mph wind.  I get a good work out just trying to keep the kayak still some days.   The strangest thing is to have the current pull you towards the dam and the wind blow you the opposite direction of the current.  You kind of go nowhere fast and work twice as hard. 

[Boomstick]

It depends. One day I paddled 2 miles to a connecting lake, around the lake, targeted every laydown and back to camp and back. According to GPS I paddled around 12 miles that day.

 

If you go 200 feet from the boat launch and anchor, not so much.

[Bluebasser86]

I pedal a few miles most days I'm on the water. I'd compare it to going for a long walk, not high impact exercising but exercising either way. 

[Smalls]

Kinda depends on the day. Is it slick calm and I found fish 1/4 mile from the ramp? That's probably not burning off enough calories to call it a workout. 

 

Then there's days with 12mph wind, can't find fish on that side of the lake (with only 1 launch area available), and a headwind on your way back in. 

 

 

[CountryboyinDC]

It all depends.  If you haul your kayak to the bank in your truck and then do little paddling/pedaling, surely you can't count that as much exercise.  If you attain several miles against current that requires ferries and hard paddling, there's no way of saying it wasn't exercise. 

Especially when I'm not having great luck with the fish, I'll go play in an easy ledge hole or cruise around looking for something cool to see.  I end up getting a little exercise.  May not be Zumba at its highest level.  When I go out on a whitewater boat, I almost always get exercise - not all of it planned.

[A-Jay]

When & If paddling or pedaling a kayak is the only 

physical exertion one participates in, then it certainly feels like exercise.

Clearly duration, distance & frequency come into play.

If you're participating in a schedule regiment of another type of exercise,

that is done more often than kayaking,

then the boating might seem more like recreation.

A-Jay

 

[GTN-NY]

I would look at the wind forecast and launch downwind. Paddle 1-2 miles into the wind with the plan of drifting/fishing back to the launch. I considered that first thing paddle exercise as I would push it pretty hard. 
Then I bought a motor…..

[bulldog1935]

come kayak fishing with us - you bet it's exercise. 

A day with us is a core muscle workout. 

 

Or follow Glenn off the beach for even more exercise

 

Do you consider kayak fishing to be exercising?

Edited November 25, 2021 by bulldog1935
ya think?

[guidoStow]

If you are working hard enough to call it exercising in a kayak you probably aren't getting much fishing done.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

come fishing with us - you bet it's exercise. 

A day with us is a core muscle workout. 

 

Or follow Glenn off the beach for even more exercise

 

 

And that's not bass fishing now is it. 

A-Jay

[Koz]

21 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I pedal a few miles most days I'm on the water. I'd compare it to going for a long walk, not high impact exercising but exercising either way. 

One day I was fishing a cove with a thick tree canopy a few miles from my launch point. I felt a shift in the wind, but couldn't see the sky through the trees. I pedaled out of the cove just in time to see a storm barreling at me.

 

I'd say that 2 mile pedal was a good workout! I made it back and managed to get my kayak inside the door of my hotel when the skies opened up.

[flyfisher]

On 11/24/2021 at 9:48 PM, king fisher said:

When I bought my Kayak, I told my wife not only would I use it to catch fish for dinner, but I would get lots of exercise.  That was my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

As far as hear rate goes, If landing a giant bass by hand while sitting a few inches from the water doesn't get your heart rate going, you need to take up another sport.

if it takes you 20 minutes, time needed for an elevated heart rate to count as exercise by many, to land any bass then you need to up your skill level and stop stressing the fish so much lol