The Evolution of a Kayak Angler

[UnkleRob2020]

This is a great topic. Thank you to Mark for posting and to everyone that has shared their experiences.

I purchased two sit-in kayaks about 10 years ago with my friend Julie. We paddled regularly until she got married and had a child. Paddling alone was still enjoyable, but that is when I decided to incorporate fishing into my kayaking. I have been fishing since I was a very small child. A few years ago, if you would have asked me if I was a proficient angler, I would have said "Yes" and believed it to be true.

Growing up, most of my fishing was from shore and with live bait. There were occasional trips on headboats, charter boats, etc but that type of fishing was very different than standing on the shore, a pier or a bridge.

I quickly noticed that I could get to areas on my kayak that I could not get to on land. Also, I could cover a lot more water. Fishing from a sit-in kayak with zero modifications had its challenges. It was challenging to store a tackle box, a small cooler for bait and have room to be "comfortable" for a day of fishing.

Last year, I took my buddy Arron out for a paddle (I still owned both of the old sit-in kayaks) on the Patuxent launching from Jefferson Patterson Park. He loved it and asked me if I ever fished from my kayak, and so we decided to do some fishing. Thanks to this forum, we had some fun and success at Goodhands as well as the Severn and Patapsco Rivers. At this point, Arron ordered a kayak. When it arrived, I was truly jealous. Arron had quickly figured out that he wanted a sit-on-top fishing-oriented kayak. We fished the rest of the year and had a lot of success (thanks to this forum). Arron's new kayak did not fit on my roof rack and we could not figure out a way to transport two kayaks on the same car, so now we drove separately. I have bad knees and I would regularly pull over to shore to stretch my legs while Arron had an enviable amount of room to stretch his legs, store his gear, tie on lures, etc. I am not proud of this, but I began calling his new kayak "The S.S. Selfish" as we could no longer ride together and he was often leaving me behind to explore new waters.

I was considering a new kayak in the Spring of this year. I met John Veil on Eastern Bay and I fished from sunrise to about noon in my old sit-in kayak. This was my first time trolling and I did quite well (for me). John had been kind enough to let me take his kayak for a quick paddle and I loved it, so after I was done fishing, I went to purchase my new Falcon 11. Just making this change immediately was a game-changer for me. The Native Falcon 11 allows me to paddle comfortably for twice as long, sit comfortably in an elevated seat, store more gear, have more room to manuever and tie on lures, and much, much more.

I have made some basic modifications, such as adding gear track, locking rod holders and adding a tricked out milk crate (Thanks Cliff). I am in the process of making more modifications, including (adding a Fish Finder and mounting (thanks Mark, Dave and Scorchy) an old cell phone for use as a camera to take some pics when I believe I can do so without harming the fish.

I am not sure how a fish finder will change my fishing, but I intend to try it. I am not sure if I will really enjoy having a phone mounted in front of me as one of the best parts of fishing to me is the chance to unplug and commune with nature. Ealier this year, I test drove a Hobie (Thanks Cliff!) and it was nice. Perhaps a pedal kayak is in my future, but I am not certain. I paddled for the majority of 11 hours on the St Mary's River recently and it was great exercise and I rather enjoy paddling, but can see how it is harder to fish when you are holding a paddle.

I am truly grateful for all of the help I have received and am curious to see how my kayak angling will evolve. I would like to think that I will eventually carry less gear and "keep it simple" but I would like to try adding some of the advanced modifciations and see what truly compliments my fishing and also realize that this will likely change over time. There are very few things that I do in exactly the same manner today as I did ten years ago. I hope this forum remains up and that we take time to revisit this topic from time to time.

My birthday was last Friday. I was reflecting that this has been one of the happiest years of my life. Getting out on the water so much more has contributed to this great year of my life. Thank you everyone for being willing to share your experiences.

[Mark]

Thank you for your post Rob and a belated Happy Birthday to you!

Your "evolution" is progressing as it has for most of us on this forum.

Regarding a traditional sit-inside kayak, I have a friend who continues to fish from his. In fact, he flyfishes from it and he throws a beautiful cast. At times I envy the simplicity of his approach. He uses no crate, no rod holders (other than the stock bungy cords on his deck) and no cart. He simply slings his super light boat on his shoulder, carries a few rods and paddle in his other hand and walks to the water. That's kayak fishing minimalism at its best.

Fortunately, there is room for many kayak styles and many fishing preferences in our sport.

[J.A. Veil]

I can think of several ways in which today's kayak anglers made the transition to kayak fishing. There are probably many other ways too, but here are a few.

1) Anglers who primarily fished from the shoreline, piers, or by wading. As Rob noted, he fished a lot from the shore, but eventually wanted to expand his range. He started fishing from a kayak he had used just for paddling before.

2) Anglers who already owned kayaks or canoes, but did not use them for fishing at that time.

3) Persons who were not interested in either fishing or kayaking at that time, but later got the urge to try. Fishing from a kayak or canoe offers a low cost of entry. You can buy a used kayak or an inexpensive sit-inside kayak for a modest price and add inexpensive rod and reel combos. 4) Anglers who primarily fished from boats, but wanted something to use in the off-season or being able to get on the water with simpler logistics and lower costs. That is my pathway. Over 30 years, I owned at least 9 outboard-powered fishing boats. Most were small, but my largest was a 23' center console. I bought my first fishing kayak in the fall of 2001. The Ocean Kayak Drifter was a wet and uncomfortable kayak, but I could use it all winter after my boat was put away. I could also use it for quick trips or on days when it was too windy to launch and operate a small boat. I could always find a spot to get out of the wind (this morning for example, I caught a Severn Slam in the wind by hugging shorelines.) As time went on, I realized I enjoyed fishing from my kayaks as much as the boats, and the costs to transport and operate were minimal compared to the boat. In recent years, as my legs and back have grown more achy, I came to the conclusion that fishing from a boat was not something I wanted to do any longer, nor could I use pedal-drive kayaks. My two 11' paddle kayaks meet my fishing needs nicely at this time.

5) Having a friend who enjoyed kayak fishing. I migrated to kayak fishing on my own, but know of others who moved that way at the suggestion of a friend. For many of us, once we started paddling and caught a fish from the kayak, we were "hooked".

[Mark]

Thank you for your contribution, John. You’ve brought pre-kayak fishing into the topic of our evolution which is good.

I owned an Old Town Discovery canoe in the 1980s and a small Sea Nymph V-Hull in the 1990s. I never used them as much as my kayaks because launching opportunities were not as prevalent then as they are now in A.A. County. Also, career and family life took precedence over fishing then. Most here can relate to that.

I traded the canoe to a neighbor for this hand-carved goldfinch that he made:

Goldfinch (2).jpg

Old Town canoes are great boats. They're tough, numerous and easy to find new or used. But I think I got the better end of the deal -- a unique wildlife carving for a ubiquitous Old Town.

The V-Hull I sold to another neighbor who used it for many years it at his WV vacation property lake.

I was boatless for 10 years or so until kayaks entered the scene. I did most of my fishing during that period by wading for smallmouth in the rivers of MD, PA and VA and via occasional Chesapeake charters. I also fished when invited in a friend’s Jon boat. In fact, it was in that Jon boat that I learned to cast a fly rod effectively while seated as we moved along reservoir shorelines briskly. Pick the line up quietly and lay it down in the next spot fast. Keep false casting to a minimum, which is what I do today in my kayaks.

Since I started kayak fishing, my plastic boats have been my primary mode of reaching the water. At this point in my life, I find wading rivers extremely strenuous and even dangerous. The rocks feel slipperier and the current seems much stronger to me now. I do it infrequently, maybe one or two trips annually in the late summer when water levels and flows are very low. However, I can fish for hours comfortably in my kayaks in waters closer to home than driving to the Upper Potomac, Susquehanna, or Shenandoah.

Another point you mentioned is that we may grow in the hobby via the support of others who enjoy it. That was certainly the case for me. And Snaggedline has played a big role in that by allowing me to make many kayaking fishing friends.

I wrote in my first kayak fishing book that I enjoy fishing “alone in a group”. That may seem paradoxical but since I wrote those words, I’ve heard other kayak anglers state similar beliefs.

We who feel that way like the independence of paddling or pedaling where we want on an outing. But more than that, and in my case, even more than catching fish, we enjoy the camaraderie of other kayak anglers during the launch, while we’re on the water and after the outing. I cannot remember the last time I kayak-fished alone. I just have no desire to do it. An outing is not as enjoyable to me if I cannot reveal a catch with others instantaneously either by sight or VHF radio. There’s also the mutually beneficial fishing intel we exchange with each other during a trip. Finally, there’s the safety aspect of being with others. But for me, mainly it’s sharing the water with others -- the productive spots, the techniques and the results, albeit not in the same vessel -- that I enjoy the most about kayak fishing. That is where I am with the hobby now.