KEN DAUBERT FA TH E R O F TH E R E V O L UTI O N
Before YouTube videos and Facebook, Ken Daubert’s book Kay- akfishing: The Revolution was the best resource for information on kayak fishing.
Kayak Angler: Where does the story start?
Ken Daubert: Before I discovered kayak fishing I was a professional bass and saltwater flats guide and taxidermist. I had a dream boat, with a huge outboard, five batteries, two poling platforms, three trolling mo- tors and all the bells and whistles.
KA: What was your kayak fishing “aha” moment?
KD: I remember I was struggling to pole my supposedly light johnboat filled with gear, a livewell and two clients through a weed-choked lake. Out of the morning mist, a kayaker appeared. He paddled through the swamp like a silent predator and then disappeared. My fishing DNA changed forever that morning.
KA: How did you go from fisherman to kayak fisherman?
KD: Shortly after that morning, I rented a kayak with the basic acces- sories from a local kayak shop and went on a fishing test trip on the St. Johns River in Florida. The fishing was great but, more importantly, the advantages of fishing from the kayak were mentally and strategically transformative. I returned to the kayak rental and asked him to give me a deal to keep everything I rented. I’d just turned into a kayak fisherman.
KA: How did you become involved with the kayak fishing community?
KD: For years, I obsessed about kayak fishing and babbled to friends and clients about fishing from a kayak. On my days off, I fished alone in my kayak. In 1996, I bought one of the first broadcast-quality digital
“For years, I obsessed about kayak fishing and babbled to friends and clients about fishing from a kayak.” —Ken Daubert
video cameras on the market and I began to shoot video of my kayak fishing trips. I also bought my first computer to view and edit the video. It took me two years to think of typing kayak fishing into a search engine on the Inter- net. When I did, I discovered
Dennis Spike’s
Kayakfishing.com. It was 1998, and my life changed again. I was not alone, and I joined the kayak fishing community.
KA: What prompted you to write a book about kayak fishing?
KD: In 1999, I launched
Floridakayakfishing.com to cover shallow-water kayak fishing. I knew that there was a fast-growing community of kayak anglers sharing the sport on the Internet. Before long, I was swamped with email-questions about kayak fishing. I communicated with kayak anglers all over the world trying to learn how they fish. I decided to write a book to inspire and help kayak anglers coming into the sport. In 2001, I self-published Kayakfishing: The Revolution. That project gave me the opportunity to work with many of the top kayak fishing experts in the country. I followed up the book with a Kayak Fishing Revolution video series and started my YouTube channel, Kayak Fishing Revolution.
KA: What are you up to, now?
KD: My designer Bass FROGs have basically taken over my time. The FROG lures are often referred to as the Kayak Cult FROG. I’m proud of that, kayaks are perfect for fishing frogs. I’m now 65, and looking forward to another 20 years with this obsession.
www.kayakanglermag.com… 55
PHOTO: COURTESY KEN DAUBERT
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