PADDLING SKILLS:
I LOVE MAPS
PADDLE PLACEMENT
THE SWEEP Paddle Placement: Pay attention to how you place your paddle when The Sweep: Use the sweep to spin your kayak like a kid on a skateboard.
you’re not using it. When anchored, it is best to keep the paddle clipped to the boat and out of the way. If it floats away while you’re anchored up you may not get it back. While drifting and fishing, I keep the paddle in the crook of my upper thighs and my belly; I can make slight adjustments to my drift with one hand. When approaching another kayaker or a dock, lay the paddle between your legs with one blade extending towards the bow and the other blade just past one hip. Jeff Herman
There are two versions of this stroke. To perform a reverse sweep, sit up straight and twist your upper body at the waist so you’re facing the side of your boat and the paddle is parallel to the kayak. Place the blade nearest the stern in the water behind your hip and untwist your waist to move the blade to your feet. To make a forward sweep, again start twisted to face the water but place the blade nearest the bow in the water at your foot. Untwist until the opposite shoulder is pointing towards the bow. Don’t torque your wrist or lean out of the kayak, that makes you unstable. Use your core, your stomach, back and lateral muscles, to power this stroke. Jeff Herman
YOU’VE BEEN SPOTTED If you can see a fish, chances are the fish can see you. To keep from being spotted, avoid wearing brightly colored clothing. To avoid being heard, keep your gear from shifting around the kayak and making noise on the deck. Don’t bang the boat with your paddle! Make long accurate casts. If possible, use the wind and current to move to- wards the fish with the sun to your back. If you are standing, crouch down. Try to make an underhand cast. Use lightweight line and no terminal tackle. Green, black or brown camouflaged line and fluo- rocarbon leader add stealth. Never let your shad- ow cross over the fish. Hold your breath, still your heartbeat and think of blue sky. Drew Haerer
64 …KAYAK ANGLER SUMMER/FALL 2013
CHANNEL CROSSING Before crossing a boating channel stop, look and listen. Once you are certain the coast is clear, cross quickly. Do not stop to fish or make a phone call. Never race a vessel that is in the boating lane. Remember, a boat traveling with the current will have to maintain speed in order to maintain control. Boats will pass to the left of a red channel marker when traveling upriver or towards port. Rules of the road say a paddler has right of way when approaching a motor boat, but the might-is-right rule always takes precedence. Most of the time, it is best to let the boat pass and then continue on course. One short blast on a signal whistle indicates that you will pass the
It’s true. I love maps. While electronic charts are a valuable tool, old fash- ioned paper maps or charts still have some advantages. To start, paper maps are cheaper and tougher than an electronic device. And a paper map doesn’t need batteries! Also, a paper map gives the user a broader view of the surrounding terrain than the small screen on a GPS or smart device without having to zoom in and out or losing detail. Many paper maps also include information such as points of interest, launches, even fishing hot spots and navigation hazards not available on a digital version. Learn- ing to navigate using a topographic map or marine chart will improve your ability to navigate with an electronic device. Moreover, a paper map can be rolled up and stored in a piece of PVC tubing with end caps or it can be folded and stuck in a map bag. Add a permanent marker to make notes on the map about the area. Brad Wiegmann
vessel portside (your left when facing the bow) to portside. Make two short blasts to pass starboard to starboard. At night, use a headlamp in addition to a 360-degree white navigation light for added visibility. If you are paddling with a group, stay together as you cross. Jeff Herman
PHOTO: BRAD WIEGMANN
PHOTOS: JEFF HERMAN
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