Boat GUIDE
2011 BUYER’S BY PAUL LEBOWITZ
You’re looking at the one and only, the mambo-jambo big bad daddy of people- powered fishing ride guides. Forty-five brands and 172 boats—yep, we counted. It wasn’t long ago that only a couple dozen or so kayaks and their cousins could qualify as full-on fish-worthy. Then came the kayak fishing revolution.
Rejoice in today’s unprecedented freedom of choice, where there’s a custom- designed fishing craft for almost every conceivable application. The wonderful variety is a colorful mix of kayaks, canoes, surfboards and genre benders. Hop aboard—the fish are waiting.
FIVE FLAVORS OF CATCHY CRAFT Sit-on-tops
The fishing gold standard, SOTs are as un- confining as a self-draining kayak-shaped chunk of plastic gets. Sit, scramble, straddle and even stand and stretch your legs on the most forgiving models. The ultimate in rigging ease, SOTs don’t offer a lick of protection from the elements.
Sit-insides The yin to the SOTs’ yang, most SIKs (sit-inside kayaks) plant the paddler in a cockpit surrounded by a raised deck. Don’t get the wrong idea. Fishing SIK cockpits run on the large side, and these boats boast plentiful stability. The trade-off for less maneuverability on the boat is often a lower price, lighter weight and a measure of weatherproofing. Not self-draining, they aren’t surf-worthy without additional equipment—like a skirt and a pump.
40 …KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2011
Hybrids If it isn’t quite a kayak and looks some- thing like a canoe, it’s no bastard child. It’s a hybrid that benefits from both parents’ strengths. Generally, they are drier rides and sometimes self-draining. Look for high sides and huge cargo capacities.
Inflatables Far more than pool toys, these rides shine for easy storage and portability but often suffer a hit on speed and ease of rigging.
Stand-up paddleboards Surf-style stand-up rides have hit it big, even spawning a number of specialized fishing models. Only minimalists need ap- ply, as there isn’t enough storage space for the entire tackle box. On the other hand, SUPs are a blast from the past. Early SOT design was inspired by surfers casting lines from longboards.
EVERY BOAT IS A COMPROMISE The long and short of it
Shorter kayaks turn on a dime. These are the right rides for tight quarters and short paddles. Longer models hit their stride when you need to cover distance and in open water. They step right over swell and chop while sticking faithfully to a desig- nated course.
Is bigger better? Fishing kayak design is trending to- ward ever bigger boats. The latest wide rides—36 inches and up—can carry an ever increasing load of gear. They feature decks chock full of catchy accoutrements such as storage pouches, tackle compart- ments, standing platforms and all sorts of good things that improve a kayak’s fishing ergonomics. The downside? Heavier hulls that won’t win races. Then again, speed rarely counts for much in the kayak fish-
PHOTO: PAUL LEBOWITZ
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