Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 8 - Flipbook - Page 16
Much of my love for fishing
has to do with the way it
pushes me to explore new
places in the great outdoors.
Every chance I get, I am
researching the waters that
meander through the arid
lowlands of the Columbia
basin here in my home state
of Washington, or expanding
my search down to the many
coves of the Sonoma coast
in California in search of
new fishing opportunities.
But how can we broaden
our range of opportunity
without only being limited
to bank fishing or having to
deal with towing a heavy and
cumbersome boat behind us
everywhere we go?
To me, the simple solution
has always been the kayak.
Most fishing kayaks can be
stored in the bed of a pickup
truck or racked on top of
a car as small as a Prius. In
my case, I store mine on a
ladder rack that sits above
my truck-camper conversion.
With set ups like these,
16 | NWFISHING.net
travel becomes simple and
stress free, and allows us to
move further into the great
unknown. There are many
considerations to keep in
mind when stepping into
the world of kayak fishing.
As we progress in this mode
of angling, the options
(and investments) become
unlimited, but for now, I
want to list off some basics
that will help set up the
new kayak angler with the
foundational knowledge
required to enjoy an
immensely fun and freeing
form of outdoor recreation.
THE KAYAK
The first item on the list will
be deciding what type of
kayak you want to purchase.
There’s an endless list
of fishing kayaks from a
number of manufacturers.
The factors that might inform
your decision on what to buy
are likely the type of fishing
you plan to do, where you
plan to do it, and the price
you’re willing to spend. For
bass fishing in calm waters,
you might want to purchase
a stable sit on top kayak with
a wide pontoon style hull.
These kayaks offer plenty
of deck room for storing
fish and gear, and typically
allow anglers to stand while
casting. The downside to
wider kayaks like these is that
you sacrifice some speed for
stability. You can purchase
these types of boats with the
traditional paddle option or
with a pedal drive system,
the latter typically being the
pricier of the two.
For saltwater fishing you
might consider a pedal
drive kayak that has plenty
of length and a slightly
narrower hull which affords
you the speed needed to
cut through strong currents
and choppy waves. These
are only two examples out
of an almost endless list of
fishing kayaks. My advice to
a new kayak angler would
be to plan out your budget,
then visit your local kayak
dealer and explain the type
of fishing you intend to do