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Kayak fishing
Advantage, adventure, andaddiction awaits the willing
“Hunters boat” or “Mansboat.” This is what kayakliterally means in the languageof Inuit, the natives ofGreenland and the CanadianArctic that originally developedthe sleek water-craft. More than4,000 years ago, Inuit werebuilding the first kayaks fromdriftwood and sealskin to huntwhale and fish. Although Inuithave mostly abandoned thekayak now for the motor boat asa way to hunt and fish, amodern resurgence of kayakfishing is happening.
The Advantage- Kayaks arequieter, cheaper, cleaner, easierto maintain, and are able toaccess more areas thanmotorboats, sailboats, andcanoes. A kayak enables you toaccess extremely shallow andweedy areas without spookingcorn-meal’s better half and canbe carried to a great fishing spotthat is miles from the closestboat ramp. There is no motor torepair or flush, no trailers to dealwith, and the loading andunloading of a kayak is quickand painless. Kayaks are alsocleaner for our aquaticenvironment. Motor boats canimpact sea grass beds andpollute our water with gas andoil.
The Vessel- With kayaks youessentially have two types ofcrafts to choose from. You canget the traditional sit in kayakthat is closest to resembling theoriginal kayaks of Inuit or youcan opt for the sit on top kayak.The sit on top is a kayak with anopen deck equipped with holesthat allow water to drain off ofthe deck and open cockpit.
I would highly recommend asit on top for fishing. It is mucheasier to maneuver into the surfwith a sit on top because thewater just simply drains out ofthe bottom of the kayak.With asit in you have to wear a sprayskirt(a device that wrapsaround your waist and attachesto the outside rim of thecockpit) to keep water out of thecockpit when surf is rough. Thisskirt is not only somewhatuncomfortable, but it also limitsyour range of motion and canbe quite hot during the summer.The sit on top kayak is alsomuch easier to get off of andinto a shallow area or flat whereyou may want to wade and fishor just walk around and stretch.
The real advantage of the sitin kayak surfaces during thewinter when you want to keepthe elements out of your kayakand off of you. If you think youwould be more of a seasonalkayak fisherman than I wouldrecommend going with a sit ontop kayak and just shore castduring the winter. I own a sit inkayak and a sit on top and thesummer spoils me so much Ihardly kayak fish in thewintertime at all.
Most kayak manufacturerslike Wilderness Systems, Hobie,and Ocean Kayak make kayakmodels specifically for fishing.Most importantly, a goodfishing kayak must be stable andhave good storage space.Having a stable kayak is vitalwhen you are reeling in fish, thisbecomes more important thecloser the fish is to your boat. Astable kayak could mean thedifference between the fishgetting dry and you getting wet.Also, to avoid getting draggedout farther than you want to goand getting pulled overboardkeep your drag loose on yourpole until you are sure you canhandle the fish.
As far as storage space goes,some kayaks have open areasequipped with bun-gee to strapdown accessories and coolers,and some have protectedstorage areas below the deckthat are accessed through aneasily removable hatch cover.
Everything Else You WillNeed- Accessories are simplythings that are certainly not vitalto whatever it is that you aredoing. When a belt becomesmore a fashion statement thansomething that holds up yourpants, it becomes an accessory. Iam of the camp that says less ismore, and would rather justhave a good kayak with a poleholder attached to it, a good rodin the pole holder, and a nicefish on the end of the poleinstead of getting tangled andoverwhelmed in a pile of cords,GPS units, and fish findersystems. I guess you just have tobe careful that you don’t let theaccessories take the fun andsport out of the sport. Hey, ormaybe we should all just buy akayak fishing robot and forgetthe whole thing.
There are some good andnear vital accessories on themarket though and I’ll save youfrom having to sift through allthe junk. You definitely needyour PFD. A knife and pliers ina belt sheath with a separatepocket for each is essential. Ananchor for your kayak is good tobring along. You may findyourself wanting to stay wherethe fish are really biting. A lipgripper tool is especially helpfulin getting fish on board and offthe hook. Leashes that attach toyour kayak are also extremelyimportant items to have. Whenyou are kayak fishing you reallydon’t want to have to worryabout your rod, paddle or lipgripper falling over board andfloating off or worse sinkingdown into the blue abyss. And ifyou need to keep some of yourgear from getting drenched,purchase the necessary drybags. You can find everythingyou need atkayakfishingstuff.com or mostof this locally at Weatherfordsand West Marine.
Storing Your OceanHarvest- Once you make acatch there are a plenty ofplaces to store them and keepthem cold and fresh on a kayak.If you plan to be out for just alittle while, you can place yourfish in the inner storage areawhere fish will stay fresh longerclose to the cool water againstthe bottom of the kayak. Forlonger trips, a soft-sided coolersecured on the back or inside ofthe kayak is a great way to storeyour catch. Another option thatis especially useful whenhooking larger fish, is theCreative Feathers Studio kayakfish and storage bag. Thestorage bag comes completewith customized ice packs andattaches securely to the outsideof the deck to keep fish cold andprotected from the elements.
Experiencing the NightNight kayaking is reallysomething for the spiritedadventurer. Yes, there is thesmall possibility of your kayakgetting bumped in the darknessby some unseen sea creature.And you must know straight upthat you are handing over yourimagination to the night. Thesplash of a mullet can soundlike the tail of a whale. And thatbump against the side of yourkayak can feel like a nudge fromthe last-living, 50-foot,prehistoric shark about to takeyour kayak under. This isexactly what keeps so manypeople coming back into theGulf of Mexico, night afternight, with their headlamps,rods, and kayaks ready. This andthe memories of manta rayssailing along side your boat asyou glide quietly through acalm, clear, turquoise ocean anda moon-lit, sparkling, star-scape.It is in these moments that thefour-thousand years betweentoday and the instance that thefirst kayak was slipped into theArctic waters by primitive, darkhands dissolves and life returnsto its simplest state- man woveninto the rhythm and experienceof nature through the journey ofinnovation and theoverwhelming desire tocontinue existence in thisbrilliant and beautiful life. Becareful though about kayakingat night if you don’t have timefor another Florida addiction.But I would be willing to bet thiscould be one of the best vicesyou’ve ever had.
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