Anybody else fish from a kayak?

Guyon

Guyon

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Last year, I bought a fishing kayak (Ocean Kayak Prowler 13, Angler Edition) to get at some of the places I can't go in my jon boat. It's also nice to be able to just toss the kayak in the pickup and take off--then toss it in the water and go when I get to my destination. Decent exercise, and it's a lot of fun fishing some of the harder-to-get places and some of the "trolling motor only" lakes in my area. Wondering if anyone else has gotten the kayak fishing bug.

It seems to be getting more and more popular. Saltwater tournaments, professional guides, discussion boards, kayak clubs. These guys rig out their kayaks with rudder kits, electronic fish finders, aerated bait buckets, radios, you name it.

As for catching big fish out of a kayak, check out the pic on this page
(it enlarges): http://www.kayak4fish.com/

Another marlin story with pics:
http://www.kayaksportfishing.com/journal/journal_jschwartz_marlin_landed.htm

And these idiots fish for sharks out of kayaks:
http://www.canoekayak.com/kayak-fishing/sharkbite/#loop

I read an article in Outside magazine about a guy who hooked up and fought a great white in a kayak. It was longer than his boat. Lucky for the guy, it eventually cut his line. Nuts.
 
I enjoy saltwater kayak fishing. i have caught some small sharks, a very large 180+ lbs tarpon, and some general game fish snook, grouper, redfish etc.

it is a blast, and i think there is nothing that can beat the experience. you can sneak right up on the fish and the fight with the larger fish is unbeleivable.

Billyp
 
billyp said:
I enjoy saltwater kayak fishing. i have caught some small sharks, a very large 180+ lbs tarpon, and some general game fish snook, grouper, redfish etc.

it is a blast, and i think there is nothing that can beat the experience. you can sneak right up on the fish and the fight with the larger fish is unbeleivable.

Billyp
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Billyp, you see many gators while fishing out of your kayak?

I would love to hook up on something like a large tarpon. Biggest thing around here is either large channel cats or striped bass. Still, nothing pulls like a tarpon or a jack. Would like to get down to Mobile sometime soon and fish for jack crevalle and reds out in the bay with my kayak.

Been a minimalist so far in terms of rigging, but I am thinking about putting a depth/fish finder on my Prowler 13. Looks easy enough to install, and should help out a lot in seeing structure on the bottom.
 
Alot of people hereabouts fish on Lake Michigan from kayaks. They troll just like the big boats with downriggers and all. I just bought an Ocean Kayaks Sidekick. It can be paddled alone or with a 90lb. passenger (in my case a mutt). It's stable enough that I can stand in it. I flyfish for musky in the UP, but will be outfitting this boat for the fall salmon runs here. I have landed some muskies from my decked sea kayak, as well. Be careful if you try this. It will become a bit of an obsession!

Jim
 
I fish from a 9 foot inflatable pontoon (white water rated) with a rowing frame. guys take these out in the bays in California and other places. I am looking forward to getting more use out of it.:D
 
Finally got most of my mods done on the 'yak. It's a fishing mow-sheen now.

Kayak1.JPG


Kayak2.JPG


Kayak3.JPG


Kayak5.JPG
 
Nice rig Guyon!!!!
Bout what most folks down here roll out onto the piers, lol!
I can see how that would be a handy set up for grab and go fishing. Everything has a place and it's nice and compact. No motors to worry with or fuel.
What part of Tennessee are you in?
I've got kin in east Tennessee and lived in Knoxville before I came down here to Florida.
 
L6steel, I'm in middle Ten-Uh-Sea, not too terribly far from Music City. Used to live down your way in Mobile. I miss driving over to Pensacola to fish the bridge/pier or Ft. Pickens. Used to catch a lot of nice pompano off the beach at Pickens.

Wish I'd had the kayak back then. A kayak would be really fun for the bay side of Santa Rosa island. Would love to hook up with a bull red or a jack crevalle there in one of these rigs.

There is a growing legion of saltwater kayak fisherman on the east, west, and Gulf coasts. Just read a write up about kayak fishing for Atlantic stripers in Hooked on the Outdoors magazine.

You're right about the pier fishermen. Some of them take small trailers out onto the pier!!!
 
i have done some inshore salt water fishing from a kayak .

will sometimes use a sit on top kayak to access some fishing spots on the harpeth river not too terribly far from guyon. i flyfish and i just use the kayak for transportation

some day i will get one of these....its a maxi poke boat. they even make them in carbon fiber!!!!!
 
bandaidman said:
will sometimes use a sit on top kayak to access some fishing spots on the harpeth river not too terribly far from guyon. i flyfish and i just use the kayak for transportation
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When the temp cools down just a little, I'm going to head over to the the Harpeth for some smallies. Want to get over to the Buffalo pretty soon too.
 
Hi. I fish out of a canoe. I was wondering if anyone who has both a canoe and a kayak and could tell me what differences there might be between the two.

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Thanks Patrick.
 
from Wikipedia:

The main difference between a kayak and a canoe is that a kayak is a closed canoe meant to be used with a double-bladed paddle, one blade on each end, instead of a single bladed paddle. The double-bladed paddle makes it easier for a single person to handle a kayak. Kayaks are more commonly enclosed on top with a deck, making it possible to recover from a capsize without the kayak filling with water in most cases, although there are also closed canoes, which are common in competition. The deck is an extension of the hull, with a special sheet called a spraydeck sealing the gap between deck and the paddler.

I like canoes, and am only starting to get into kayaks.
 
One of the big differences between the two is how seakayaks are much less bothered by the wind as they sit quite a bit lower to the water. They tend to be faster as well. Canoes are ceratainly easier to get gear into if you are comparing them to traditional kayaks(closed decks). For solo paddling in challenging conditions, you can hardly compare the two; kayak hands down. Alot people get freaked out when they put a skirt on as they feel confined. That said, most nylon skirts wouldn't likely keep an adult in the boat in the event of a capsize. Neoprene skirts are meant for heavier seas/whitewater and are much harder to pop off, but also help you stay in the boat for rolls. Can you tell I prefer kayaks;) ?
 
I might have to try a kayak just because wind can be problematic on the large lake I fish, plus I'm curious how much faster the kayak might be.Patrick
 
flipe8 said:
One of the big differences between the two is how seakayaks are much less bothered by the wind as they sit quite a bit lower to the water. They tend to be faster as well. Canoes are ceratainly easier to get gear into if you are comparing them to traditional kayaks(closed decks). For solo paddling in challenging conditions, you can hardly compare the two; kayak hands down. Alot people get freaked out when they put a skirt on as they feel confined. That said, most nylon skirts wouldn't likely keep an adult in the boat in the event of a capsize. Neoprene skirts are meant for heavier seas/whitewater and are much harder to pop off, but also help you stay in the boat for rolls. Can you tell I prefer kayaks;) ?
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Most of the kayaks that folks rig to fish these days are sit-on-top kayaks. These 'yaks usually have some internal storage by way of a fore or aft hatch (see above). They're harder to flip than a sit-inside kayak (though it is certainly possible), and they are easy to paddle. Folks are now taking these fishing 'yaks pretty far out in the ocean because of their stability.

For some pics of rigged fishing kayaks, have a look here:
http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/gallery_kayak_fishing.php?menu=2

For some big fish caught in kayaks, have a look here:
http://www.kayakfishing.com/records.html
 
Sit-on-top kayaks are pretty much a no-no around my neck of the woods as the Bay of Fundy stays very cold year-round. Really, anyone venturing out there is well advised to be wearing some sort of thermal protection(neoprene) if they are dressing for immersion or even getting sprayed for prolonged periods of time. The exception might be on a calm ,warm day, but accidents can still happen. Lakes are somewhat different, but most of my paddling is done on the the bay. My boat is 21" wide, so it's not the best candidate for fishing from. That said, any kind of time on the water in a self-propelled watercraft is a good way to spend a few hours:thumbup: .
 
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