Thinking about trying a little Kayak Fishing? Then read on
A kayak is a narrow canoe that a limited number of people can only use at a particular time. Primarily, a kayak can accommodate a single person at a given time. Kayaks are widely known as sports equipment due to the purpose they serve. Mainly this particular kind of boat is used in aquatic races and sports.
Kayaks were initially built by indigenous people living in the Arctic region who used these narrow boats for hunting on rivers and inland lakes.
These days, however, kayaks have evolved into versatile boats that have numerous uses. There are leisure kayaks that are for beginners. Such kayaks are light in weight and can be easily navigated by beginners. Other than that, there are tour kayaks or ocean kayaks, specifically designed for longer journeys. Furthermore, there are fishing kayaks made for anglers.
Fishing kayaks are much sleeker in design, thus enabling high maneuverability in tighter spaces. Fishing kayaks have gained much popularity these days as they provide good exercising along with fun to fishing enthusiasts.
This article describes the kayak fishing experiences of Paul Weber, a fisher from Detroit Lakes. Mr. Weber, 64, has been enjoying fishing for several years now. He owns two fishing kayaks and has been using them for quite a while now.
According to Mr. Weber, the fishing kayaks are very stable, and one can even stand up in them if one wants to. He further adds that his kayaks have built-in straps that help stand up from the seat.
Learn how fishing kayaks have increased in popularity and how they are used in angling these days. Read the full article to learn more about this!
The sport seems like a natural fit for Weber, who owns a regular fishing boat and also loves canoeing.
“I’ve probably done 50 Boundary Waters canoe trips,” he says.
He's had more time for kayak fishing since retiring July 1 following a long career in insurance, first with Schiller Insurance and then with Bell Insurance. He picked up kayak fishing about four years ago from a great-nephew who's in his 20s.
“It sounded kind of fun, so I thought I’d give it a try,” he says. “Since then I’ve been doing it quite a lot — I really enjoy it."
Weber likes the quiet and serenity that comes with paddling on the lake, and appreciates the chance to get a bit of a workout while doing something he loves.
“I get a little exercise and paddle around,” he says.
A fishing kayak weighs about 75 pounds and is easier to put in and pull out of a lake than a fishing boat, whether there’s a traditional public access or not, Weber says: “If there’s any kind of public land, you can pull it over; it doesn’t have to be an access."
The kayaks Weber uses cost about $800, but he says it wouldn’t be difficult to spend thousands of dollars buying and outfitting a fishing kayak. Part of the fun for him is finding creative, effective ways to outfit kayaks for a lot less money. He bought a used trailer, for example, and modified it to carry two kayaks, along with fishing rods and other gear.
“Typically I bring four or five rods with me, all rigged differently, so you can just switch them out if you want to change lures,” he says.
Those rods stand like flag poles from holders attached to a plastic milk crate behind an adjustable kayak seat.
“Everything’s smaller” in a fishing kayak, including the anchor, which is 3.5 pounds instead of the standard 10 pounds, Weber says. He developed his own anchor system using a 15-foot extendable dog leash. That anchor is attached to a trolley system he devised to move it back and forth the length of the kayak, which can prevent the kayak from tipping in windy weather.
“I look at YouTube and I get ideas and rig it up so it works for me,” he says. “All this stuff I’ve done for pennies, but you can spend hundreds of dollars on it.”
Walkie-talkies allow Weber and others to communicate in areas without cell phone reception.
Author: Nathan W. Bowe
The full article is available for reading on the following link:
https://www.grandforksherald.com/northland-outdoors/7239390-Combining-fun-with-exercise-fishing-kayaks-are-catching-on
