i have waders, i like using waders but there is also that one spot in the lake or river that you just can’t get to or just places that you would like to try out and see how it goes. but it is just too hard to get to without a boat of some kind. so i thought Kayaks. a Kayak would do great i heard of people fishing in kayak before. i would think it would work great in lakes where i can catch some bigger fish with a full sink line. so i was wondering is it hard to fish with a kayak and is it stable? will be hard to find something that will fit my car. but more i just want to know if im over my head with this idea.
it looks great, sounds great and fun. nice and cheap way to travel within the body of water and if im not fishing i can always go have some fun just kayaking.
oh also if there are boaters people driving their boats pretty fast by making waves on the water when it hits the kayak is it bad? or is it fine where you wont tip over get all wet and lose things? that’s what i worrie most.
since bass lake, shaver, millerton lake, kaweah has alot of people on boats.
any info will help, thanks in advance.
-fresnoflyman-
Check out the paddling section of the bulletin board. There are several people there that fish from kayaks. I don’t have one, but I have fished from a canoe. So far we’ve never flipped it, at least not by accident. We always turn it and point into the wake of a passing boat without problem, but if the wake was to hit you in the side I think you’d flip pronto.
You’re not in over your head with this idea. I fished for a number of years from a Hobie, that I thoroughly enjoyed. I just recently changed my mode of boating to a WaterMaster kickboat raft, but that was because of where I was fishing, not because the kayak didn’t work.
First, as to stability, it’s the shape and width of the hull that’ll guide you. I can only speak to the Hobie, but I’ve been in some kayaks designed for whitewater and can tell you there’s a world of difference. The thing I like about it is it’s stability–wide bottom and fairly sharp edges kept the boat incredibly safe even in rough water. The one drawback to the Hobie however is it’s weight. I could mount it on the roof of my van or Honda by myself, but it was a lesson in leverage. I understand some of their newer boats are lighter.
As far as your stuff getting wet… one of the first things you should buy is a dry bag. I always store my stuff (wallet, phone, clothes, lunch, etc.) in a dry bag that’s easy to fill and just toss in the front of the boat. I would also recommend some type of anchor. I’ve been on open water far too many times where I’m just getting into some fish, but the wind kicks up, I start drifting away, and dropping a paddle in the water is not something I want to do.
You’ll see two types of 'yaks–sit on top and sit inside. For fishing, I prefer the sit on top, primarily for its ease of entry and exit. It’s nice just to paddle up to shore, and step out rather than performing an acrobatic balancing act just to get your feet on the ground.
As recommended, check out the paddling section of the board. I know there are others who are kayak fly-fishers. I can only speak to the experience I’ve had with my Hobie. I still love to go out in it. I can’t count the times I’ve been able to easily drift up to a watering deer or a family of otters, in addition to getting across some pretty skinny water, where nobody else can go.
Been doing it for the past 2 years. It’s great for getting to spots other’s can’t fish, especially in streams!
You can put them in very shallow water in lakes and fish stuff other boats can’t get to and you can slip down stream and fish sections waders can’t get to.
Plus you can just drift a whole stream if you wish.
I’ve done it a handful of times the past 2 years. It is very fun!
One reservoir I’ve been on has a lot of recreational boat traffic. I’ve been on that water in 2 different styles of kayak…a small sit-in kayak, and a Hobie sit-on kayak. Both are very stable, even when broadsided by boat waves. Never came close to tipping over.
By traveling light, the sit-in worked ok for fishing, but didn’t have a lot of room for storage, and taking 2 rods along was a bit awkward…but certainly do-able. Plus the sit-in was more manueverable in the water, and much lighter to transport.
There is a lot more room for fishing stuff in the sit-on kayak, and I’ve mounted additional rod holders and a fishfinder with thru-hull transducer on it. I’ve also bought a GPS mount and an anchor trolley for it. The Hobie has the pedal-drive system, which allows me to keep a fishing rod in my hands, and also allows me to use leg muscles to propel the craft. To me, its more convenient, but I will admit my arms didn’t get tired even after paddling the sit-in kayak around for about 4 hours.
The only kayak I’ve ever used is a Hobie Revolution so I can’t speak for any other’s though I have heard the Native Ultimate is excellent.
As far as getting stuff wet, I’ve never had a problem with it. I keep my gear in a milk crate mounted behind me plus a little stowed below decks. There are several hatches you can use to do this.
I agree 100 % on having an anchor handy. If I want to stop and fish something like a certain tree or spot in a weed bed anchoring is the best way to do it. I use an anchor trolley to ease setting up and retrieving the anchor.
As far as stability goes the Revolution is very good. I’ve taken some waves from the side, maybe 1 - 2 footers, and never felt in danger of tipping. The Hobie is also good in winds up to about 20 - 25 mph. Much above that and you don’t want to be out anyhow. It only gets tippy when get you butt up and begin to try to stand. As long as you’re seated you’re fine. You can even hang your feet over the side and ride sidesaddle with no problems.
One of the biggest things I like about the Hobie is you need to use your hands less with it than conventional kayaks. While trolling you can keep your rod in your hands, pedal with your feet and make brief course corrections with one hand on the rudder. You can also cast with your hands and pedal the kayak with your feet resulting in your fly being in the water longer than I believe possible with a conventional kayak.
I could wish for a lighter or cheaper kayak but I like what I got.
Thus endeth my praise for the Hobie.
i’ve fished from a yak for many years, i have 3. i currently use sit in type but want to get a sit on top to try. as for stability, thay are great and much better than a canoe but not as good as a kickboat (KB). they take some getting used to when casting and do move around with the wind/current a bit but not as bad as canoes or KB. managing your line can be a problem, getting tangled on things in the yak. my advise is to get a skirt for a sit in or just deal with it for a sit on top. not all yaks are created equal. each has differnt designs that make them good for some thing and not so good for others. for example, a smooth rounded bottom is great for manuvering in a fast stream but they do not track well in slower water, you need something with a keel or chines or a rudder. wide and short is great for stability and low weight but are had to paddle straight or for long distances. a longer or more narrow yak is more efficient for paddleing. best advice is try some out at demo days and talk to different dealers about what you want the yak to do for you. most are good people and what you to get what’s best for you so you come back and buy more, like i did. remember it’s a tool, the right tool makes the job easier. PM me if you want more details.
90% of my fishing is from a kayak. I have 2 Ocean Kayak Prowler 15’s both set up for fishing. Kayak fishing is very popular here in Florida saltwater. I don’t have the balance to stand in the kayak, so I cast from a sitting position. It is no problem if you have proper technique.
Most fishing kayaks are sit on top models. These include Ocean Kayak Tridents 13’ and 15’, Wilderness System Tarpons 12’, 14’ and 16’, Heritage Redfish 12’ and 14’, Huricane Phoenix 12’, 14’ and 16’, Malibu Pro Angler and the Hobies already mentioned. The Native Ultimate 12 and 14.5 are also excellent fishing platforms, although they are a hybrid between a kayak and a canoe and are not self bailing. All of these kayaks are stable. You are very unlikely to flip them unless you do something stupid.
Personally, I would not use a kayak shorter than 12 feet or longer than 16 feet. The shorter kayaks, 12 and 13 feet, are more manuverable, while the longer kayaks, 15 and 16 feet are faster and track better. If you are only going short distances, get a shorter kayak, if you are going long distances, get a longer kayak. Most of the models are in the 60 pound range, although there are some newer models of higher tech materials that are under 50 pounds.
I’ve been flyfishing from kayaks for several years and love it. A recreational kayak is good and stable. Mine is an Old Town Loon 138, nearly 14’ long and stable as a rock. Mostly I fish lakes and the Susquehanna River.
Touring kayaks are faster, but less stable for fishing. Whitewater kayaks are as stable as a two-legged chihuahua on crack, and have no use for flyfishing.
Mark me down as another kayak fly fisherman. I’ve used my Hobie Outback 90+% of the time for the past five years. It’s very stable and the peddle system allows me to keep my hand free for fishing.
I have fished from a kayak for about 7 years, several times a year, on a lake in Ontario. The canoe has been all but retired for this use. If a boat passes I don’t even look at it anymore, much less adjust my position to consider the wake. My PFD and small tackle bag fit under the bow and between my legs. When paddling to a new location (trolling) I just put the reel between my legs as well and let the rod point out back under my arm. An anchor is a good thing.
My kayak is Loon Otter @ 9’6" and 39lbs. I am 5’10", 175#. I think that is important. If you are bigger you need a bigger kayak that is possibly wider as well. A person 6’2" tipped in it because he was ‘top heavy’ relative to the water.
Two points not mentioned here are:
Get a kayak with a large cockpit if it is sit-in. You need to get your legs in (or out) easily and have access to your fly gear. DON’T wear a vest in the kayak, get a small bag for your fly boxes and leaders etc.
Secondly, get a paddle that you really like (with curved blades) as you will have the paddle in your hands about 30% of your time on the water. A bad kayak but a good paddle will feel much better than a good kayak and a crappy paddle.
I am a kayak fishing guide. So, quality kayaks are very important to me. I use and guide out of Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5s, the best fishing and fly fishing kayaks out there.
thanks all, i feel better now about getting a kayak. sounds like it’s safe and that it’s fun in what most of you anglers wrote. yeah that sounds nice about being able to go to spots that boats can’t go like in small rivers/streams as an easy way to go up and down. i will have to do some research on some kayaks and talk with some shops before i get one. something that fit my style of fishing and that will fit my car.
and yea would not want to lose the paddle in the middle of the lake or body of water. that would really suck, i’ll have to find a way to make sure it wont fall off, maybe tie it on something…
thanks again for all your help,info, and advice.
-fresnoflyman-
I’ve been casting flies from a kayak for a few years. I have a touring kayak, nothing fancy, but it will get me pretty much anywhere I want to go.
Compared to a float tube, kayaks have advantages and disadvantages:
Kayaks will blow around in the wind unless you anchor them.
You can’t paddle and cast at the same time from a kayak.
They are heavier to carry around than a float tube.
On the other hand,
you don’t need waders,
You can cover a lot more water,
and you can exploit that blowing around by paddling upwind and allowing the breeze to carry you back, trolling a woolly bugger behind you.
I fished from a Current Design Kestrel 12’ for a number of years. Traded it back to the shop I bought it for a Wenonah Vagabond Solo Canoe. I still own a Eddyline Sandpiper 12’ kayak.
As far as keeping the kayak or canoe for that matter in place you may want to check out Joe Hyde’s 2 Anchor System. I rigged my solo canoe and it is the only way to go. I did the same thing with my other yak but just ran the rope though the for and aft handle fair leads, then tied the end of the rope off.
I rarely take much with me when I fish out of a yak or canoe. Normally just one rod and a small box of flys. A smaller cooler to hold some drinks and a lunch.
We always turn it and point into the wake of a passing boat without problem, but if the wake was to hit you in the side I think you’d flip pronto.