pokibear Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 I was doing some reading in the new issue of Outdoor Canada about fishing from a kayak. Does anybody have one? If so, what do you think of it? The article says that there are 2 kinds, one that you sit in and one that you sit on top. Looks to be an interesting set up. Quote
dryfly Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 This here's adc fishing from his! Kidding. Sorry needtimetofish, can't help you--just couldn't resist. 1 Quote
pokibear Posted February 13, 2008 Author Posted February 13, 2008 HA-HA, I am sure that is how I would look also, of course though I would be looking for the fish!!!!! Quote
Weedy1 Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 Here's another bit of info for you NTTF. http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/...230658,00.html# Using a kayak for fishing may have a time and place but personally it think the coin would be much better spent on a pontoon boat or jon boat. Quote
pokibear Posted February 13, 2008 Author Posted February 13, 2008 I have a pontoon boat, I have thought about a belly boat also. A fellow I chat with in Florida has been on about the kayak idea, then I saw the article on them so thought I would check it out on here. Quote
M3M Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 Hey Clive Isn't that picture from the time that big pike pulled Al into the water, Catch ya later Marvin Quote
reevesr1 Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 Kayak fishing has become the in thing on the Texas coast, both in the gulf and in bay systems. They are very popular and very effective in skinny water marshes. They are all sit on top types, and some are very sweet fishing rigs. Some guys even take them into the surf for big redfish, sharks, tarpon (which would be something) etc. I'd be a bit skeptical on a river, particularly the sit on top type, but in a lake with proper pfds? Should work great I would think. Though falling in the water in Texas in the summer ain't quite the same as falling in K lakes in the summer! But I've been on one and I gotta say it was very stable. Quote
Din Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 ive used one a bunch of times out on a lake at bc. wasnt bad minus having to put your rod down to paddle to get back into the spot you want to be. suppose you could rig up a anchor, but i didn't. casting in that position with your knees up in your chest area wasn't all that pleasant, and i had troubles casting, mind you i was still learning on how to cast so maybe that had something to do with it...opted to stand on the back of a sea-doo with my waders and no life jacket casting rocking back and forth...looking back...not the smartest of ideas in 40ft of water and no one around.... Quote
annapolis Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 I had a hard time fishing from a kayak, with the stability. If you have a very stable kayak I don't think it would be that bad, however, I haven't really found a stable kayak. I did some salmon fishing in the Gulf Islands and hooked into a pretty good one and it pulled me around pretty good, didn't really like that. I would get a pontoon for sure if I had the choice. Just my two cents Quote
ReelLife Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 For a long time I considered the kayak option but was concerned about the awkwardness of getting in all the gear and having it readily accessible. In addition, the pricing for having a kayak that is specially outfitted for fishing led me to look for other alternatives. In the end I went with a Frog Boat and am very pleased with it. Without pontoons it weighs only 50 pounds and so is easy to load on the car and yet it can carry 500 pounds and have a 5hp motor on it (I use an electric). This boat with its 4 pontoons is very stable for standing in and is easily modified to have swivel seats, anchor locks etc. Quote
Castuserraticus Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 One note - I believe it would be dangerous to use a kayak for fishing on a river. When fighting a fish you have no means of boat control and the risk of broaching would be high. Bad things can happen surprisingly quickly when currents are involved. I used to teach whitewater kayaking and have tried fishing from them on still water. I didn't enjoy it because any breeze would move me around too much. I wasn't skilled enough to try and figure out an anchor system. This seems to be very important from what I've read. Sea kayaks are much easier because they're designed to be more stable. Tides can be a real bugger so timing is an important consideration. In the past, I've used kelp as an "anchor" to maintain position and fish the edges of a weed bed. I played with a sit-on top type in Mexico. It seems a good idea to have something like a safety belt to hold you on top in case of a slight tipping. I was surfing and just slipped off a couple of times. The temperatures in Alta are not conducive to enjoying being dunked. I've confirmed this dozens of times. I prefer my pontoon boat for stability and ease of handling. It doesn't have the hull speed of a kayak but it can be used on lakes and rivers. Quote
Brownstone Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 I'd say a kayak would be perfect for transportation on the Bow, however fishing while floating maybe asking for trouble as you have no way to control the vessel other than constant paddling .. I suppose its not to dangerous if you consider other places Quote
Guest Sundancefisher Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 There are a number of youtube videos on shark fishing from kayaks. Pretty freaking nuts if you ask me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKjS5irBAG0 Quote
Weedy1 Posted February 13, 2008 Posted February 13, 2008 Who cares if they suck to fish from, kayaks give you the best chance of surviving a killer whale landing on top of you. Click here if the movie does not play. Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted February 15, 2008 Posted February 15, 2008 Considering the size of some of those bow river trout nowadays, and the above video, maybe a kayak ain't a bad idea? Quote
ladystrange Posted February 16, 2008 Posted February 16, 2008 LOL. that looks like it was taken outside of vancouver or up the coast. Quote
ogilvie Posted February 17, 2008 Posted February 17, 2008 The best moving water personal boat I have ever used is the Kick Boat...super manageable,with oars,flippers if you want or walk and wade> Will have several here during the Spey Week-end in early April C... Quote
Jeremy Posted February 18, 2008 Posted February 18, 2008 I have a 10 foot kayak rigged up for fishing. I like that I can just take if off the rack of my SUV and be right in the water. I have a rod holder and space for more if I want. I also have cleats hooked up for an anchor. I may try to put a sonar system on this year. It has its advantages and disadvantages. I can cover a great deal of distance in the kayak since I can move so much faster than in a pontoon or belly boat. However, I can't maneuver while I am casting like you can in a belly boat. The boat I have is a recreational model and quite stable. Getting in and out requires a little balance so walking and wading after floating down a river becomes a little trickier, but not much. It is a good option for fishing, especially larger lakes that couldn't be managed in a belly boat. Kayaks that are set up for fishing are often quite expensive. I just bought a regular kayak and added all cleats and rod holders myself. It wasn't very hard. Jeremy Quote
Bassarisk Posted February 21, 2008 Posted February 21, 2008 However, I can't maneuver while I am casting like you can in a belly boat. Kayak's are becoming popular in the UK for Saltwater fishing out on the open sea and estuarys. The odd few use them on large recreational lakes as well. I've never used a kayak, but regularly use a float tube/belly boat and can see what you mean about maneuvering and final adjustments when casting. We also get a lot of posts on the UK fly forums about this and also about stability concerns. I remembered a conversation I had with a UK fly casting instructor - he had been on holiday to America and used a kayak with a "pedal" system - he said it was great fun and allowed you to cast hands free, whilst still propelling the kayak or using the pedals to make last minute adjustments. I don't know if this is the same one he used, but I found this manufacturer online: Hobie Kayak Website As for stability options, I did read a good review on a kayak called the ultimate 12 native kayak - designed with a wider hull than most conventional kayaks (part kayak, part canoe they claim) - it allowed for standing up casting (sounds risky to me) - but not for rough waters I believe.....have a look, Orvis sell it and other companies online (the second link has a video of it)..... Orvis Ultimate 12 Native Kayak Ultimate 12 Native Kayak - Link 2 Quote
Conor Posted January 2, 2013 Posted January 2, 2013 Rehashing this thread. I started considering a kayak for the Bow, but not really to fish from. I am wondering if paddling upstream a significant distance is feasible, so that a float down dosn't require a shuttle, etc. Poor mans jet boat, I guess. I like the idea of getting some paddling in, scope out some water, then float down and stop to fish here and there (or visa versa). Can anyone that has done some paddling on the Bow comment? Quote
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted January 2, 2013 Posted January 2, 2013 depends on what shape hull you get. The small white water (sub 6') are hard to push up stream if the current if hard but a long sleek lake shell will cut up stream faster but will be more affected by currents. I would go with a 6-7ft canoe over a kayak as you can use it for an over nighter it hold beer better i find it easier to cast out of as you sit higher anchor system can be used in more areas can take another person some can take a trolling motor but i am a canoe pusher because i have been paddling solo for over 20 years of my short life. Quote
Castuserraticus Posted January 2, 2013 Posted January 2, 2013 Hull options - always a trade-off of hull speed vs maneuverability. A slim touring kayak would be a reasonable choice for getting upstream for walk and wades but would not be maneuverable. Short boats push water more than cut through it and are a bear to move upstream. Regardless, you should get some experience/instruction on moving water or you'll be looking at the bottom after trying to cross the first eddy line. The lower centre of gravity of a kayak makes it more stable than a canoe. A canoe needs considerable beam width to get stability which means less hull speed. I taught whitewater kayaking for a few years, dabbled with C1, and have ocean kayaked and canoed. I would not recommend trying to fish the Bow from a moving one. I tried to from my one of my whitewater boats on stillwater but any wind caused me to drift more than I wanted. Kayak fisherman tend to anchor. I used to have an 18' canoe and drifted the bow with it a few times. It was not great. Jumping from spot to spot was OK. It was a big boat which made it highly susceptible to wind and difficult to solo. I would say the double blade of a kayak gives a considerable advantage in boat control over the single blade of a canoe. As 420 can attest, handling a canoe on moving water takes some time to get proficient - and is great fun. Some sections of the river are much trickier. Some runs would require an upstream portage. There has to be good defined eddies to paddle upstream. About a 14' kayak with a straight keel line (but not a keel ridge) but still with some rocker and good round edges (tumble home) would be a usable compromise of speed and maneuverability. Quote
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