An Introduction To Kayak Fishing

As one of the oldest sports, fishing has experienced a lot of changes over the millennia. This has continued in the modern era, and one new wrinkle in fishing that's growing in popularity is the art of fishing from a kayak. Kayaks allow anglers to chase highly sought-after game fish in a healthy, environmentally-friendly way, and specialized equipment and kayaks can make this an extremely effective fishing method.

Historical Background

The kayak is one of the oldest boat designs in the world, with clear examples that are over 4,000 years old preserved in museums. The indigenous peoples who invented them used them for hunting rather than fishing, silently cruising along the banks of rivers and lakes to take game unawares. In modern times, fishers have discovered that the kayak makes an ideal base of operations for many different types of fishing. Kayaks are environmentally friendly, and their human-powered propulsion makes it easy to approach game fish that would be spooked away by motor-powered craft.

Modern Kayaks Designed For Fishing

While many kayak fishers use traditional kayaks with minimal alterations, manufacturers have also modified the basic kayak design to make them more useful for the sport. As noted on Outdoorsman Weekender, built-in equipment (including coolers, anchors, and rod mounts) is quite common. Many fishing kayaks are exceptionally wide when compared to ordinary kayaks, and twin-hull "W" models are even available. The width of a fishing kayak is important to increase stability and make it healthier and more comfortable for fishers who will be spending a long time in the boat. Sit-on-top kayaks make excellent fishing vessels, as do kayaks designed for standing up.

The Skills Of Kayak Fishing

While the small size of kayaks requires a little bit of additional prowess and balance on the part of the fishers that use them, the general principles of fishing are more or less the same. Kayaks make it easy to fish for bottom feeders or use jigs. Kayak fishers have even discovered that trolling is possible in a kayak; many species of fish respond well to towed lures even at the relatively low speed of a paddled kayak. Many kayak fishers ferry their kayaks to fertile fishing grounds on larger boats, allowing them to pursue large game fish.

Although fishing from a kayak isn't ideal for everyone (some prefer to use an iSUP for fishing!), anglers who are interested in getting plenty of exercise while they fish will enjoy using kayaks. They're eminently affordable when compared to motorized watercraft, and they enable their users to catch fish that would in many cases be impossible to reach otherwise.