BUZ Z BA I T


PEDAL VS. PADDLE. EVERYONE WINS. PHOTO: BEN DUCHESNEY


FISHING HAND TO FOOT


TWO PROS BATTLE IT OUT FOR THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THEIR KAYAKS GO; WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE TUG-OF-WAR?


JOE GUGINO (www.whynotfishing.com) is a Hobie and BUFF USA pro staffer, co-founder of Why Knot Fishing, a kayak fishing guide at Little Harbor Boathouse in Marblehead, MA, and a die-hard PEDAL angler.


Some people say a kayak angler can’t cover a lot of water, but that’s not


the case with the power of pedals! I can pedal through miles of water with little effort. It takes about as much energy to pedal my kayak as walking at a brisk pace. And I save my arms for reeling in big striped bass and bluefish. Having my hands free in a pedal-powered kayak increases the number


of fish I catch. When I’m trolling, I can hold the rod to feel the slightest bite. Or, I can stick the trolling rod in a rod holder and cast with another rod. I can travel from one spot to the next and fish in between. Last summer, a buddy and I were trolling tube and worm rigs around


inshore rocks. At one point we noticed birds working in the distance. I started pedaling towards the action and reeling my lure in at the same time. I put my trolling rod away, took out my casting rod and arrived to the middle of the blitz. I caught the biggest fish of the day, a nice mid-30- inch striped bass. By the time my friend paddled up, the birds and fish were gone.


28 PADDLING MAGAZINE


JUAN VERUETE (www.kayakfishpa.com) is a Wilderness Systems pro and an ACA certified kayak instructor. He conducts kayak fishing classes and guided trips at Kayak Fish PA. Veruete is a die-hard PADDLE angler.


Shallow rivers and creeks criss-cross my corner of the world. The Susque- hanna River, home to trophy smallmouth bass, is a mile wide in some places but averages about four feet deep. The biggest fish hide among impenetrable ledges and rock gardens that are surrounded by a fortress of shallow water. The terrain is off-limits to anything but a paddle kayak. The moving waters I fish have also informed my preference for the


paddle. Paddling isn’t just how I get to the fish, I actually enjoy it. The challenge of navigating river water with a paddle makes the chase even sweeter. There is a peace that comes with paddling the river; the feel of my


paddle blade moving my kayak and its interaction with the current. One of my guide clients asked me if I used pedal kayaks on the river.


I smiled and flipped over my Ride 115 exposing the hull in all its glory. Hundreds of miles of river rash. I just shook my head and smiled. Can't do that with pedals.


This article first appeared in the 2015 Summer/Fall issue of Kayak Angler.


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