Standing up in kayaks

[ronaultmtd]

I see a Hobie H Bar for sale on Craig’s list...in April, I visited my Brother in my hometown in Arkansas...we fished several times out of a fully equipped 20 foot “blow your eyeballs out of your head” fast bass boat...getting up and down hurt my knees...a lot more than my fishing out of my Hobie Outback kayak...getting on the SW flight in Little Rock headed to BWI, my knees throbbed all the way home...all this is to say, for us older guys, the strain on the knees and joints ain’t worth the effort...standing up in a fishing kayak is a young man’s game...so how many here routinely get up and down in your kayaks?

[silasvirus82]

I see a Hobie H Bar for sale on Craig’s list...in April, I visited my Brother in my hometown in Arkansas...we fished several times out of a fully equipped 20 foot “blow your eyeballs out of your head” fast bass boat...getting up and down hurt my knees...a lot more than my fishing out of my Hobie Outback kayak...getting on the SW flight in Little Rock headed to BWI, my knees throbbed all the way home...all this is to say, for us older guys, the strain on the knees and joints ain’t worth the effort...standing up in a fishing kayak is a young man’s game...so how many here routinely get up and down in your kayaks?

At this point I basically don't stand for any reason. It's not that I can't, but I don't see any advantage in doing so. I can't move the boat or steer, and I'm constantly moving while fishing. For a while I used to stand for fly fishing, but now I don't even do that anymore. If I'm fishing from a boat I pretty much stand the entire time though, but in that situation I can manipulate the trolling motor. Boat positioning is as important as what is on the end of the line. If you're in the wrong spot or having to make awkward casts you cannot manipulate the lure/bait effectively. The only situation I can see myself standing in my kayak would be poling a flat sight fishing, but I haven't done that in years.

[Mark]

I never stand, even though my Ultimates advertise that they are stable enough for standing.

Frankly, I see no need to stand, especially here in our region. It's not like we do a lot of sight-fishing. But even when I've kayak fished the flats in FL and TX, I didn't stand...however, in truth, the guides there did stand occasionally but not often to look for fish.

I think some of the desire of folks to stand is because they see the bass anglers on TV standing. Bass Pros can get away with that because they are flipping in deep water with heavy cover or they are casting far. They're not going to spook the fish they are targeting by their height making a large silhouette in the sky. We, however, are often in skinny water. We can use a stealthy approach to our advantage, staying low and quiet and making short casts to catch fish. If we stand we might as well carry a flag and wave it to let the fish know we are there. I'm even conscious of my paddle stroke, keeping it low to the water when approaching a target area. So one consequence of us standing is that we are going to spook fish in the areas we kayak fish. In my opinion standing negates one of the major advantages we have as kayak anglers which is to get exceptionally close to our prey in areas where full-sized boats cannot go.

Another consequence of standing is that eventually we are going overboard while doing so. It's going to happen if you stand often enough. No kayak will ever be as stable as a bass boat or Jon boat. A second reason I don't stand is because I don't want to have to climb back in after falling out.

A third and final reason for not standing is that kayak models that promote it often have wider beams to enhance stability. The extra hull width does enhance stability, but it also increases weight and decreases speed -- speed of course in the kayak sense being ease of movement. If you're really worried about speed in terms of getting somewhere in a hurry, get a boat with an outboard. (Native's Ultimates are an exception to the wide beam/weight argument. They have a channeled hull which enhances stability without a wide beam. They paddle easily and track well. Also, they lack the extra deck of an SOT which keeps them light for their size.) So, I forego standing to have lighter kayaks that are easier to pull through the water with my paddles or pedals.

Finally, I don't have trouble catching fish from a kayak while comfortably sitting -- present tidal woes that many of us are experiencing aside. Standing is simply not going to put more fish in my kayak given my preferred fishing styles. Why start now?

[J.A. Veil]

I never stand in my kayaks and rarely stand in my center console flats boat (on the boat I sit in an elevated seat on the bow and run the trolling motor when fishing or behind the console when running). The main reason for that is my sore legs and poor balance. I don't feel that I am at a disadvantage most of the time.

I fished several times this year with kayak guides in the Florida Keys. Under those conditions (shallow, clear water and gamefish that spook easily) I can see the advantage to standing and sight casting. Those guides know that I am unable to stand in my kayak, so they point out fish to me and tell me which direction and how far to cast. That works fine for me.

One of the things I enjoy most about kayak fishing is that I can spend hours on the water without having to stand. I would fish a whole lot less often if I had to stand up to fish.

[PigPen]

I stand to sight fish specifically lilly pads or the riffles on the upper potomac. I find it pretty easy to twist my back and hit 360 around my boat while standing as long as the waves aren't bad. I agree tidal water doesn't seem to benefit much from standing unless to relieve one self or possible get a big fly cast off for newbies like me. I also like getting pressure off my butt after fishing too long. I've got a comfy seat as my wife tells me but sometimes I just need to get more motion in the hips.

[YakMan1731]

At first I was felt too unstable to stand in my Sea Ghost, let alone stand, cast, set the hook, and avoid tumbling into the drink. However, after some practice I've got my sea legs dialed in and I find myself standing quite often when targeting snakeheads. If the water is calm, I angle one rod holder nearly vertical for when I need to put the pole down to maneuver, and I use my paddle like a push-pole. I've really enjoyed the extra leverage I get when setting the hook, but one downside is that I become more visible to the snakes. Recently, I was able to stand and access the backside of some reeds at Blackwater that I couldn't cast to from any sort of sitting position unless I pushed my way into the spot itself, thus ruining it. It was a neat experience to see over the top of the reeds and set the hook while standing, and I ended up landing a nice snake out of that particular spot. It definitely has its disadvantages, but I do see myself continuing to stand when it's prudent, if only to stretch out a bit before plopping back into my seat.

[CHOC]

It's really funny. The more people I meet that kayak fish, the more I see big people trying to fit into these tiny plastic boats. The vast majority of people I meet that kayak fish are either over 6' or over 250 lbs.

[Mark]

It's really funny. The more people I meet that kayak fish, the more I see big people trying to fit into these tiny plastic boats. The vast majority of people I meet that kayak fish are either over 6' or over 250 lbs.

Grant,

The average American male today at 5' 10" is 4 inches taller than he was in 1900 and I won't even guess how much heavier he is. (However the average GI in WWII was about 145 pounds.)

So by your observation I would say that today's kayak anglers are simply trendsetters well ahead of their times.

[mchottie]

some of us are just big-boned

[clm]

I stand while fishing for snakeheads...easier to see distance and spot the channels through the plants at Mattawoman...with my fish bag on the nose of the outback, I lay the paddle down and pick up the rod from it...then I stand and use it like my paddle board when I get tired of sitting. I don't stand while catfishing though...with the rods in the holders and a nice one hits, I nearly poop from the instant violent hit...I only stand when it's summer though...when it's any other season, my rear stays firmly in the lovely reclined seat of the Hobie...I'm not that bold.

[FishMoken]

It depends. As a paddler I prefer a narrow tarpon 140-160 covering water and jumping spot to spot. Less about standing. But since getting a slayer propel 13 the ability to stand and cast is great. A decent amount of my fishing is on lakes for largemouth and being able to stand up is huge. It may only account for 5 percent of my day out but it is it nice to have the option.

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[ronaultmtd]

Like I said..standing up in a kayak is a “young” person’s game...old, stiff, achy joints with a few million miles on them protest loudly when pushed to act young again...LOL!

[Oldbayrunner]

I surfed short and longboards almost daily for the better part of 50 years. I quit when it was too painful and these old legs n knees just couldn't get me up fast enough for anything outside of mushy waves. I stand occasionally but agree with Ron on that last statement...lol

[john from md]

Standing up for hours in a fast moving boat helped wreck my back. I feel no pain sitting in the yak and have no interest in standing thankyouverymuch.

[ReelLucky22]

I tried standing on my PA12 just to see if I could last year. I'm 6ft 6in so my high center of gravity isn't the best for balance. When conditions allow, and I have the seat in the high position, I like to stand up for a few to stretch out, and being able to sight fish is a plus. For those that can't stand up or don't feel comfortable you aren't missing out on much. I was out on the flats all day Saturday and I think one reason I was able to stay out for so long was because I stood up for a while.

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