Kayak Fishing and Fishing Kayak Facts You Should Know

U.S. Patent #6871608

Many articles about fishing from kayaks have been published in recent years, some of which also offer advice on how to choose a fishing kayak, and while most of them offer valuable information they also seem to miss some of the most important issues that affect your overall kayak fishing experience, and will eventually determine whether you stay with this sport or move on to fishing from another platform.
This article discusses kayak fishing from a particular standpoint: Yours.

What can you expect to get from kayak fishing?

Native people have been using small, personal paddle craft for fishing out of necessity, as means for survival but this is probably not your case, so what is it that draws you to kayak fishing? Obviously, you like fishing as an outdoor, fun, both relaxing and exciting activity. That makes you a candidate for traditional fishing from shore or from a motorboat, so why consider kayak fishing in the first place? Compared to bigger boats, fishing from a canoe or a kayak offers the following advantages:
Portability- unlike bigger and heavier boats, most canoes and kayaks can be car topped and do not require a towing trailer.
Convenience- the hassle of put-in and take-out is considerably reduced.
Mobility- you can put in and take out in more locations, and access very shallow waters. However, motorized boats have a bigger range of operation.
Low Cost- both cost of purchase and cost of maintenance are minimal.
Physical Exercise- something you get from paddling but not from motor boating

Why is it that some people prefer kayaks to canoes, and why choose a kayak over other, traditional fishing paddle crafts?

Good question indeed, considering most people who fish from paddle crafts still prefer canoes and other traditional boats for fishing since those are usually made bigger than kayaks… Nevertheless, fishing kayaks offer some advantages that most canoe and other traditional boats don’t:

Ease of use- Generally speaking, paddling and controlling your boat with a double-blade (‘kayak’) paddle is easier to learn than paddling and controlling it with a single-blade (‘canoe’) paddle, especially if you’re paddling solo.
Less windage - Most canoe models are quite big and have an open cockpit stretching all the way from bow to stern, which tends to cause a windage problem: The user finds it difficult to progress and steer his/her boat under wind conditions. Kayaks are generally less problematic when it comes to wind, unless they are very long and/or wide: Being long increases the wind’s leverage on the boat, and being wide makes it hard to propel it efficiently as well as track and maneuver. Unfortunately, a reasonably good fishing kayak must be wider than recreational and touring kayaks in order to offer more stability and support.
Portability- Most sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks are smaller and lighter than the average fishing canoe models since canoes today are usually made for more than one person.

How do you fit into this picture?

It seems you should ask yourself a number of basic questions, which are: -Who am I and what experience am I looking to have? Where am I going to fish and what am I going to fish? And what else would I like to do with my kayak besides fishing.

Who am I and what experience am I looking to have?
Sounds pretty obvious, but after all this is about you wanting to enjoy a lasting, good personal experience, and not about you conforming to an image created by kayak vendors:
Factors like your weight, height and age are important as well as physical condition, experience in paddling and experience in fishing from small watercrafts. Needless to say, that the same boat can confer a totally different experience to different paddlers or fishermen.

First of all, a few words about your personal safety:
The height and weight factors are often discussed but age and physical condition not so- You need to be aware of the fact that in case of very small watercrafts ‘expecting the unexpected’ means that sooner or later you may have to face some hazardous situations on the water.
Naturally, the best strategy in planning for such cases is prevention and not reaction, which means you should first think in terms of minimizing the probability of accidents happening.
Reaction is your second line of defense - the one you don’t want to have to reach. Reaction is a strategy designed to reduce the potential damage in case an accident already happened.
This is where it is useful to understand the term Redundancy in planning:
Redundancy is all but unnecessary - On the contrary, it is a critical factor that must be integrated in any planning for unexpected problems, which eventually never fail to materialize.

Two examples may clarify this:

Redundancy in prevention: The best example for applying redundancy as part of the first strategy is your fishing kayak’s stability: You may be a seasoned kayaker and used to paddling fast (i.e. narrow and unstable) kayaks, and you may even be able to use such kayaks for fishing. However, you are likely to find that the unfortunate yet perfectly expected combination of a moment of inattention when you are casting or landing a fish (and therefore not holding your paddle) with either a wake coming from a bigger boat passing nearby or a sudden lateral gust of wind or wave can easily lead you to lose balance and capsize. Such event can be perfectly harmless, but in case you’re not in good physical condition it might be dangerous, especially in cold waters and/or weather that can lead to hypothermia and even cardiac arrest. Other factors such as underwater rocks that might injure you as well as marine predators, jellyfish etc. need not be taken lightly. Planning for redundant stability is your best policy against having to need to use emergency tactics and second lines of defense (i.e. reaction strategies) that may or may not work. Interestingly, what is the prevalent approach in evaluating the seaworthiness of watercrafts of all sizes and types is contested by some in the kayaking world, whose reasoning is that you should rely on the extreme and in most cases inapplicable recovery (i.e. post-accident) technique known as the Eskimo Roll…
Redundancy in reaction: The obvious example for applying redundancy in your second line of defense is wearing a Personal Floatation Device (PFD): It doesn’t contribute a thing to your paddling performance or experience, but in case you fall overboard and need to get back into the boat or stay in the water for a long time this seemingly redundant object becomes highly necessary, and sometime even vital.

See and be seen:
A kayak is not just a very small boat for others to see, it is also very low above the water and therefor even more difficult for others to perceive. Your kayak can easily disappear behind the waves, especially if light conditions are not optimal. As for radar, you shouldn't count on those devices to detect you since they can't always do it.
Furthermore, sitting so low limits your own field of view and puts you in double jeopardy...
In view of this you should consider fishing from a boat that's either yellow, orange or bright red - the three most visible colors on the water.
You may also consider the advantages of fishing standing or sitting in a higher type of kayak.

Fishing alone:
Seakayakers have developed a strict and elaborate sea paddling code of conduct, and one of the essential things you learn as a seakayaker is never to paddle alone. In fact, even paddling in pairs is not considered very safe, and seakayakers prefer to paddle in packs. While fishing in groups may not seem like an appealing idea to you, it's important to remember that the ocean is too unpredictable and powerful for tiny, under-powered vessels such as kayaks, and in this aspect planning for enough redundancy is essential for safety: Sooner or later fishing by yourself in the ocean is likely to get you in some trouble that otherwise you would have had a much better chance to get out of.

After safety, the second most important issues are your well-being and comfort.
The main questions you may want to ask yourself are:

Do I feel secure and confident in this kayak?
Am I going to be comfortable in it after sitting more than an hour in it?
In case I don’t feel comfortable, is there anything I can do to improve the way I feel?
Is this kayak fun to paddle?
Do I want to go through the hassle of manipulating a rudder?
If I feel numbness in my legs can I change positions?
Do I feel any pressure points when sitting?
Is this kayak easy for me to put in or do I have to struggle to enter it?
Is it acceptable for me to step in water each time I put in and take out?
What kind of gear am I going to take with me, and are storage solution offered by ordinary kayaks acceptable for me?
Where am I going to fish, and what am I going to fish?

Once you’ve established what the answers to the first set of questions are, you need to think about the type of fishing you’d like to do. The conclusion may be that you don’t need or want a kayak at all, and you may be better served by another type of paddle craft (e.g. canoe, pirogue) or even a motorboat.

In case you’re thinking about kayak fishing at sea you’d have to make sure you understand the risks involved, and realize that ‘stuff happens’ – sooner or later, in a mild or severe form. Most fishing kayaks don’t handle the surf well, which means you’re likely to capsize on either on your way in or out, and even if you don’t you’ll be soaked from the first moment throughout your entire fishing trip: Kayak fishing experts would tell you that fishing from sit-in kayak (SIK) is not practical since you’d have to use a spray skirt that would limit your access to gear inside the cockpit. They would recommend that you use a sit-on-top (SOT) kayak that has offers practically no protection against the elements and lets water penetrate the cockpit through its scupper holes… In sum, whether you fish from a SIK or a SOT a ‘wet ride’ is a fact you have to accept, unless you wear waders, which can be very dangerous if you go overboard in water that’s too deep for you to stand in.

You may also want to consider the fact that traditional, native kayak fishing was done mainly in protected waters such lakes, rivers, estuaries and bays, while native arctic fishermen were more likely to use large-size and stable canoes called Umiaks for their Ocean fishing and whale hunting expeditions.

The ocean is challenging not only in the surf zone, but practically everywhere and at any time: While you’re sitting peacefully in your kayak a motorboat passing nearby may fail to perceive you and either run you over or what is more likely simply cause you to overturn by the effect of its wake hitting your kayak. Such event may be turn out to be anything from funny to fatal.

Another factor that should not be taken lightly is marine life: Every year there are divers, surfers, swimmers, windsurfers and paddlers being attacked by sharks. Fishing in shark infested waters from a small watercraft that offers no protection at all is risky by definition, especially in view of the fact that sharks are attracted by the shape of the kayak that similarly to the shape of a surfboard resembles that of a fat seal, and by the scent of bait and fish. Jellyfish, worms and bacteria are sometime abundant in warm waters, and may present other risks.
Cold water can be extremely dangerous, as well as exposure to cold from the combination of spray and wind - Water and weather can kill, and they do.
Currents and wind can easily carry you where you don’t want to go, without you being able to do anything about it.

Bottom line: Unless you use an appropriate boat (primary - prevention strategy) and are perfectly capable of dealing with emergency situations (secondary - reaction strategy) you should abstain from fishing at sea and in large-size bodies of water such as big lakes, big rivers etc.

What's a fishing kayak, actually? -
The common 'fishing kayak' is in most cases a stable, recreational kayak accessorized with 'special' features for kayak fishermen such as rod holders and hatches. But while recreational kayaks are normally very affordable, fishing kayaks are considerably more expensive. No wonder many kayak fishermen prefer to purchase recreational kayak models and outfit them for fishing with off-the-shelf fishing accessories and sometimes even home-made fishing accessories created from inexpensive materials that you can find in hardware stores.
So, do you really need a 'fishing kayak' or could you be satisfied with a self-outfitted recreational kayak?
This is a question that only you could answer.

How to test a fishing kayak?
Leg numbness, back pain etc. are problems that appear after some time. Don't think that because you felt comfortable paddling a certain kayak for half an hour and casting from it a number of times that you'll be comfortable after two or three hours in or on that kayak.
Test kayaks in real life conditions i.e. wind, and if you're planning to fish at sea you must check how you're doing with the kayak in the surf and with some real waves... -The reason for this is that even if you decide to fish only on beautiful and windless days the weather may change by the time you go back home, which can mean difficulties in the surf zone and even at sea. Remember - the wake of motorboat passing by can overturn your kayak, especially if you didn't notice it since you were busy fishing, which means you can't stabilize yourself using your paddle.
Check if the boat is stable enough to support you when you're struggling with a strong fish -Do you feel safe and confident enough?
Ask yourself in all honesty:
-"Am I going to like this in a year from now?"
-"How do I really feel about sitting there in wet clothes for hours?"
-"Do I miss casting standing?"
-"Do I really get along with carrying and car topping this heavy, 14' long kayak?"
-"Would I rather spend this time in a more comfortable boat?"

After all, it's about you enjoying your free time safely and comfortably.

***

List of Busted Fishing Kayak Myths:

First kayak fishing myth busted:-“A kayak can get you where other boats can’t”                                   -This statement is not very accurate since those who claim so ignore a wide range of small water crafts including motorized and human powered pirogues, canoes, dinghies, rafts and more. Both whitewater canoeing and downriver canoeing are still practiced by many, and so is fishing from canoes, dinghies etc.

Second kayak fishing myth busted: -“A kayak is faster than a canoe”                                                   –This statement is based on an erroneous comparison between some faster kayak models to the most common canoe models that are usually large and very stable, while in fact fishing kayaks are rather slow by nature and some racing canoe models are very fast.

Third kayak fishing myth busted: -“Kayaks are more stable than canoes”                                               -This statement is false, and canoes are still more popular than kayaks are, mainly because they are usually wider and offer more stability. You can sometime see people casting standing in a canoe if water and weather permit, but have you ever seen someone casting standing in a kayak? -It is said that very small and lightweight people can, but this is certainly not true for the overwhelming majority of people.

Fourth kayak fishing myth busted: -“The Sit-On-Top (SOT) is a new type of kayak”                           –Wrong. The first commercial SOT models were introduced on the US market in the beginning of the seventies. Native peoples all over the world have used small sit-on-top paddle crafts for millennia, often with double-blade paddles.

Fifth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Kayaks were the fishing boats of choice for natives of Greenland, Northern Canada and Alaska”                                                                                                                                         -In fact these people preferred large and stable canoes called Umiak, especially for open-water fishing. Kayaks were used more often in protected waters, and mainly for hunting.

Sixth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Modern kayaks are both stabler and faster”                                   -Totally false: Paddle sports are generally slow, and the slowest kayaks are those designed for fishing. The reason for that being that the monohull design is constrained by the laws of hydrodynamics to a tradeoff between speed and stability, and since fishing kayaks are required to offer more stability than other kayaks they are slower. Furthermore, Sit-On-Top (SOT) kayaks are even slower since their scupper holes substantially increase drag.

Seventh kayak fishing myth busted: -“A good kayak seat is very important”
–The fact of the matter is that the original native people’s kayaks never had seats, and the whole concept of kayak seat is rather misleading since leg numbness is the result of bad circulation in the legs coming from being seated in the “L” kayaking position, which most of us stopped using since we were toddlers. As for lower back pains, they result from the legs pushing your body against the seat’s backrest (AKA “lumbar support”) in an attempt to prevent your body from sliding down. Expensive, cushioned and otherwise sophisticated seats may delay the appearance of these annoying and potentially dangerous physiological symptoms, but eventually they will appear simply because kayaks offer you just one, unusual and therefore problematic position without any option to switch to other paddling or casting positions.

Eighth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Kayak fishing is a water sport and therefore you have to get wet!"
-Not acceptable. First of all kayak fishing doesn’t necessarily have to be wet if you use a sit-in kayak on flat water. Second, getting wet and staying wet for long hours is not an option in colder climates and waters, that is in about half of the US territory. Third, being wet for hours is unpleasant even in warm climates and waters, and can cause rashes and infections. Conclusion: You don’t have to listen to SOT manufacturers’ excuse for not having found better solution to “wet ride” and “soggy bottom” problems that are plaguing people who fish from SOTs and are a main turnoff for those who want to participate in kayak fishing. And just for the record, you don’t really want to wear waders while in your kayak, not just because it’s uncomfortable but also because it’s dangerous.

Ninth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Scupper holes drain the water from your SOT.”
-Yes but since kayaks are not static and they move both up and down as well as laterally the scupper holes also let water into your sitting space, which is the main cause for the infamous 'wet butt syndrome'.

Tenth kayak fishing myth busted:   -“Kayak stability is important only for beginning fishermen.”
–Not when it comes to fishing kayaks since the overwhelming majority of North Americans have neither the skills nor the physical attributes that Inuit and other native kayak fishermen had, and SOT kayaks are essentially less stable than comparable sit-in kayaks since their center of gravity (CG) is higher. Therefore, modern, recreational kayak fishermen are exposed to a much higher risk of capsizing than the original, native kayak fishermen were. You may get used to fishing from an unstable kayak until the inevitable moment comes when you’ll capsize in unsafe conditions. –Some people can ride a monocycle quite easily but that doesn’t mean you should try it...

Eleventh kayak fishing myth busted: -“SOTs are more versatile than Sit-in kayaks.”
–Not if you would even consider fishing with a SOT in cold water and/or old weather, -conditions that are common to much of the US and Canada. Also, SOTs offer you little or no protection in the surf, and are less maneuverable than sit-in kayaks, which elevates the risk of injuries and accidents even in warm waters (e.g. shark bytes, jellyfish etc.)

Twelfth kayak fishing myth busted: -“You can roll a SOT.”
-In fact 99% of people who paddle kayaks can’t even roll a sit-in kayak properly although it’s basically easier than rolling a SOT, so it would be a waste of time for you to try to roll a fishing SOT, especially considering the fact that in order to do so you’ll have to strap yourself to your boat, which is very dangerous, especially in the surf where capsizing is more likely to happen.

Thirteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“You can cast standing in a kayak.”
-Although nobody really believes it since most people don’t even feel fully confident just sitting in a kayak, this myth keeps being mentioned on Internet forums in discussions about stable fishing kayaks. Technically speaking, children and very small adults can sometime stand in a kayak, usually a wide sit-in since it has a lower center of gravity than a SOT. However, no full size adult can stand in any type of kayak confidently enough to cast, and as hard as you may try you won't be able to find any proof to substantiate such claims. The truth is that some people can cast standing in large-size canoes, some can fish standing from kayaks outfitted with a pair of fairly big outriggers on both sides, and practically anybody can cast confidently and comfortably standing in a standard W kayak, as our demo videos can prove.

Fourteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Rudders solve your tracking and maneuvering problems.”
–Although many would like to believe so, the reality is more complex and not particularly encouraging one to use a rudder: Native kayakers never used rudders but Kayak manufacturers introduced rudders with the intent to improve kayaks’ directional stability (i.e. tracking) and maneuverability. Keeping any monohull including kayaks is a problem since zigzagging makes the boat go a longer distance, and constantly correcting the kayak’s course can require a lot of your energy and time. Moreover, tracking becomes more difficult as water and weather conditions deteriorate. But looking only at (unpublished) results of hydrodynamics tests shows that rudders increase total drag by up to 10%, and considering the constant mental and physical effort that manipulating the rudder requires from the paddler it is possible to say that rudders reduce effective speed by about 25%. Naturally, the more experienced the paddler the less effort is wasted, but the less the rudder is required in the first place. As for maneuvering, a rudder can make a noticeable difference especially if the kayak is very long (e.g. 16’-18’ long seakayaks) and the paddler inexperienced, but its effectiveness is dubious in shorter (i.e. more maneuverable) kayaks.

Fourteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Modern fishing kayaks are so stable you can hardly tip them over, even if you try.”
-This is an absurd falsehood: The only people who are not in danger of tipping a modern fishing kayak are small children who sit and behave nicely in their kayak. In fact, when you need to struggle with a big fish kayaks are impractical since they can offer little support to your pulling effort. Only few kayak fishermen are capable of catching big fish from their kayaks without any assistance.

Fifteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Most kayak fishermen fish at sea.”
–This image doesn’t seem to fit reality, where most people who use kayaks for fishing tend to do it in protected waters, for obvious reasons.

Sixteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Kayaks are very mobile.”
-While this may be true compared to boats that require towing, it’s not necessarily true within the class of paddle craft since kayaks are more difficult to get into and out from than canoes are, and consequently also more difficult when it comes to launching and taking out.

Seventeenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“SOTs are stabler than SIKs.”
-Quite the opposite: SOTs offer paddlers to sit in the unstable “L” kayaking position on top of a deck, while SIKs offer them to sit it that same position at the bottom of the hull. This difference in the center of gravity (CG) height works against the SOT and needs to be compensated by a wider hull.

Eighteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -“Hatches offer practical means for storage.”                               -Few thing could be further from the truth: In fact, you can't access what's inside the hatches from your seat, and in most cases the hatches fail to be totally waterproof.

Nineteenth kayak fishing myth busted: -"SOTs are very safe kayaks."
-This is partly true: SOTs are self bailing, which means they are designed not to let water in the hull even if the kayak is capsized. The problem is that eventually some water can get in through small cracks or mainly through holes made in the hull for attaching various accessories. When this happens you can't notice the leakage until you take out and drain your kayak.

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