Kayak Fishing

December 2004-January 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Captain Charles Wright

You can access areas where no other boats can go. © photo courtesy of Walden Kayaks

Every so often something comes along that revolutionizes the industry of sports fishing. The trolling motor, plastic jerk baits, the ‘flats boat’ and push poles have all dramatically changed fishing techniques in Florida. It’s happening again now with the advent of the use of the kayak as a fishing platform. Whether it is viewed as an extension of the challenge of sports fishing, the need to be on the water, a way to be closer to nature, or simply an extremely effective way to catch fish, kayak fishing is one of the fastest growing segments of this industry.

Many kayak anglers have been doing their thing all along, unnoticed, outside the mainstream world of traditional fishing, in waters that most of us would consider inaccessible. Their private places have remained secrets for years. The blue water charter captain and the Midwest bass guide rarely saw kayakers fishing, and the west coast kayak fisherman knew nothing of the east coast kayak fisherman.

However, the birth of the Internet, the information highway, changed all that. Ken Daubert, in his book, Kayak Fishing: The Revolution, calls the Internet, “fuel to the fire of this phenomenon”. For the kayak fisherman, it has provided the means for this disjointed group of enthusiasts to learn from each other. It has become the backbone of what Ken calls the “Kayak Fishing Community”, a community made up of fishermen, guides, outfitters, paddle shops, manufacturers, merchandisers, sportswriters and publishers.

A shorter rod would be an improvement.© Alan Wilson photo

Manufacturers are starting to build kayaks specifically for fishing, with some models so popular that the dealers have three and four month backlogs. New gear, tackle, rigging and equipment are being introduced every time you turn around. Specialty guide services are available in most fisheries, clubs have formed, kayak fishing tournaments are increasing in numbers, and excursions specifically for kayak fishermen are increasingly available.

With just a little thought about kayaks, it’s easy to see why fishermen are embracing them so enthusiastically. They are very economical, with relatively low upfront cost and low maintenance. They are simple, stable (the wider the boat, the more stable it is), and deadly silent. Probably most importantly, kayaks provide access to areas that you can simply not get to by other means. Take one fishing trip in a kayak and you will become a convert.

The costs of power boating can be great. Nowadays, it’s hard to get an outfitted flats boat without spending well over $20,000. A typical fishing kayak, on the other hand, ranges in price from several hundred dollars to about $700. Completely outfitted for fishing, including paddles and safety gear, the typical fishing kayak will cost about $1000—a far cry from the cost of any flats boat.

The fishing kayak requires no fuel, no insurance, no trailer, no tow vehicle and basically no maintenance. You don’t even need a boat ramp. Weighing about 50 pounds, it transports on top of a compact car and can be launched by one person just about anywhere there is water.

Most are made out of plastic, so there is no hardware to polish, gel coat to wax, electrical systems to corrode, trailer bearings to pack or oil to change. It’s easy to use and simple to maintain. A quick rinse with fresh water is usually all that’s needed.

It takes but a few, well placed rod holders, some safety equipment and perhaps an anchor to turn that old recreational kayak in the back yard into a fishing kayak. While the basic kayak is a very effective fishing platform in its simplest form, many enthusiasts have rigged their ‘yaks’ with multiple anchoring systems, back rests, a variety of storage options, coolers, bait wells, batteries, pumps, GPS units, sonar, radios and even camera mounts.

Whether fishing vertically in deep water or horizontally in shallow water, the kayak is equally appropriate. But it’s in the shallow waters of Southwest Florida that the kayak really comes into its own. A whole new fishing world has opened up for me as a shallow water angler, a world that I used to motor right by.

Any kayak can become a fishing kayak.© Ron Mumford photo.

Success in the shallows depends largely on stealth. One slam of a hatch, a dropped tool on the deck or a graphite push pole twanged into a rock, and the game is over. Boat manufacturers have sunk huge amounts of time, energy and money into the design of expensive flats boats trying to make them silent in the shallows. Stealth is King and the kayak is the King of Stealth.

With a kayak, you are able to slip quietly into your fishing area virtually undetected, gliding practically effortlessly through the water. Basically, the only sound that you hear is that of the paddles dipping into the water. In the backcountry of the Ten Thousand Islands, tarpon actually seem to be attracted to the sound of the paddles. I have been spooked, too many times, by a tarpon rolling within feet of my kayak.

When a kingfisher smacks the water, a mullet jumps across the bow, or one of those spooky little tarpon startles me, it all happens so close. In a kayak, you’re closer to the water, closer to the fish and closer to the action. You notice things around you that you just don’t at 30 mph. When a tarpon or a ladyfish jumps, it’s jumping over your head! Looking up at a tumbling tarpon is an absolute thrill. Kayaks have completely rejuvenated my enthusiasm for sports fishing. I have made many new and wonderful friends in the kayak fishing community. Whether I’m fishing with one angler or twelve, or just reading about another’s fishing day on an internet forum, I get to share fishing experiences with others.

I love to launch the yak for an hour two in the evening, sometimes with my wife and sometimes not. If I catch a snook or a jack—or just the sunset—I’m a winner. For me, it’s about being out on the water, doing what I love.

Rockfish Conservation Areas—Off Limits

Some 35 species of rockfish live off the coast of BC and have long been popular prey for anglers. Canadian Fisheries research now indicates that the inshore rockfish species are in need of protection. In April this year, the government (DFO) established 89 Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) along the BC coast. Location and boundaries of the RCAs are available on the DFO website (www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish) and in the above brochure available free at any Fisheries and Oceans offi ce. Any changes or new protection measures will be added to the website.

Note that the RCAs are closed to all fin fishing, including salmon.

© Capt. Charles Wright runs Chokoloskee Charters, with four different boats and a fleet of outfitted fishing kayaks. He grew up in South Florida and the Keys and has fished the Everglades National Park since 1972. Schooled as an environmental engineer and an FAA Certified Flight Instructor, he sold his consulting firm and moved to Chokoloskee after hurricane Andrew. Using a small private plane, he regularly scouts the area for new fishing grounds and offers a unique ‘on top’ perspective to the area.

CaptWright@ChokoloskeeCharters.com