Ato


Access EASY IN, EASY OUT


Throw it on the roof of the car, drop it down a steep


bank, paddle it deep into the backwater and store it in your garage, not only do kayaks pro- vide easy access to the most remote fishing locations, the indestructible, plastic boats offer new anglers easy access into the sport. Ac- cording to the Outdoor Foundation’s Outdoor Participation Report, 1.4 million anglers were fishing out of kayaks in 2012, up from 1.2 mil- lion just a year prior. One reason for the sport’s explosive growth is that almost any angler can afford, transport, store and operate a sit-on- top kayak. In response to this growth, more kayak companies are designing high-quality, entry-level boats that will hook anglers of all experience levels. —Submitted by Jon Mayer


Boats


PADDLE, PEDAL, SAIL OR ELECTRO MOTOR


Sure, anglers have been fishing out of kayaks and


From easy access to zero emissions, there is a lot to love about kayak fishing. Over the past year, Kayak Angler readers submitted via Facebook, Kayak Angler’s forum and email the reasons they take to their ‘yaks. We compiled the best ideas and added a few facts and figures. The result is Kayak Fishing A to Z, our tribute to 26 things we love about human-powered angling.


canoes since the dawn of civilization, but the invention of the sit-on-top kayak in the 1970s opened the sport to the masses. From the simple Ocean Kayak Scupper to an extrava- gant Hobie Adventure Island Angler, fishing kayaks have come a long way. And it’s not just kayaks. In a Kayak Angler Facebook poll, readers accepted a wide variety of vessels into the kayak fishing family—from traditional sit-inside kayaks to pimped-out, solar-pow- ered and motorized plastic craft. “If you or nature is the main means of propulsion,” says Kayak Angler Facebook fan Robert Field, “then you’re in the club.”


DIY


KAYAK FISHING IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION


At the dawn of kayak fishing, anglers had to bastardize touring kayaks


and MacGyver accessories to build a fish- catching paddle craft. Livewells, rod holders, electronic systems and anchor trolleys had to be designed, built and installed by the


Z


angler. Now, most of these accessories are professionally engineered, factory built and available in box stores. Nonetheless, many kayak anglers still disappear into the garage on a Saturday afternoon and emerge Sunday morning with a new and improved widget. Over the past six years, Kayak Angler readers have shared hundreds of projects with us online. Go to www.rapidmedia.com/0111 to see some of the best.


Efficiency


DESIGN MEETS WATER Next time you’re gliding


along in the kayak, watch the water peeling off the bow. Notice the wake rising from the stern. Observe the water swirling behind the paddle blade. Even if you take water play for granted, designers and engineers spent many hours crunching numbers to get boats and paddles just right. Paddle designers carefully design the dihedral face of the blade to reduce flutter and improve efficiency. It’s not uncom- mon for designs to take years to become reality. Old Town’s new Predator kayak took two years and four full-size prototypes before it hit the water. Thanks to thoughtful design, a kayak angler can paddle many miles through considerable opposition. In 2005, Kayak Kevin Whitley used an Ocean Kayak Manta, prede- cessor of the Prowler, to paddle 1,800 miles from Pensacola, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. Then, in 2012, kayak fishing philanthropist, Josh Tart used the Ocean Kayak Trident 15 to paddle from Ohio around the Great Loop to Lake Huron. —Submitted by Daniel Roloff


Crates


JUNK IN THE TRUNK


If you had patented the milk crate, you’d be a billionaire! The ubiqui- tous catch-all plastic crate took on a new life in the back of a fishing kayak. It wasn’t long ago that rigging a kayak for fishing started with a black-ops mission to the loading dock of the nearest grocery store


for a coveted milk crate. Cut it to size, add rod holders, attach a lid, tie on dry bags, cameras, radios and more, a modified plastic crate could hold it all. Now, companies are designing crates for kayak fishing that include solid construction, waterproof enclosures, insulation and even solar-powered chargers. Fortunately, stealing your crate is no longer part of the initia- tion into kayak fishing. That’s good news considering that in 2011, one Southern California dairy bottler lost an average of 1,200 crates each day, costing the company almost $1.4 mil- lion per year. LA police even started a special taskforce to catch the milk crate thieves.


www.kayakanglermag.com… 53


PHOTO: JOSE CHAVEZ


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