Exploring the art of kayak fishing you can find an abundance of ways and paths to take this hobby. Although I find it very impressive to pull out a goliath Grouper from a kayak or being pursued by an aggressive hammerhead while frantically working your way to the shore, I find that the simplicity is where my happiness awaits.
Over years of fishing and a little mastering of this art I have found that my greatest asset is my brain. The giant tackle box full of readiness for every situation, the special rods and reels, the fish weigher, fish finders, the fellet board and anything else you could think of are all collecting dust and have slowly disappeared over the years from people "borrowing" them. They did me a favor, Now I don't have to get rid of them. Don't get me wrong, it is about the experience and collecting gear is an experience. It is just not the part that I enjoy. I suppose if I really wanted to go simple I could get a bamboo pole and a line but even this is too cumbersome for me. I would have to find bait and the pole is to long to carry everywhere. No, I go a little more modern. A cheap collapsible pole and a decent real along with a few artificial lures that I have mastered. It all fits in a little backpack that I can carry some rain gear in it as well. It is ready to go everywhere I go. You never know when you may get a hankering for a hunk of fish.
The Experience
This is my "go to" for experience. There is nothing like fish over an open fire with the best of company.
John 21: 1-13
1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
In this 2000 year old story of the resurrected savior, even the redeemer of all mankind, cooks some fish around a campfire and shares this wonderful experience with the people he loves and trusts. There is no greater fishing experience than this.
Today in the good ol USA we have lots of fishing regulations so unless you are commercial fishing the most common way to catch fish is on a string. And what an amazing experience it is. That feeling of "FISH ON" as that girthy Brown hits your luer hard and fast or as he dives and then come up and breaks the surface of the water and then wags his tail as he flies through the air, that moment of awe with the sound of rushing water surrounding your being. That moment of great joy. This is the part we love so much. That mystical moment when time stands still.
Incorporating the Kayak
Still water
I have been known to troll for some rainbow or find a school of bass or bluegill on the other side of heavy vegetation that cannot be reached from the shore. The kayak is an amazing tool for just this kind of situation. Amazingly, using the same rigging I carry in my little backpack. Simplicity works.
Moving water
Kayakers and fisherman nearly read the river the same. In a moving river a kayakers common break system is to find a pillow to flip your kayak around in. Unfortunately, this is where fish hangout and you can miss a lot of opportunity to catch that lunker as he is spooked away by that giant approaching hull. Not that it is impossible to fish from your kayak but I find the best way to kayak fish in a moving river is to find the section you want to fish and get out and do it. You will find much more opportune moments and your experience will be better using this method. After you catch your 100 plus fish or maybe just the one you wanted for dinner, then you can yak to the nearest campfire and be a little more like Jesus.
Utah Lake "Grand Slam": 4 different species caught (click)
Fishing Quest (click)
"Last Cast Syndrome" (click)
The Gifted (click)
Carp fishing? (click)
Fishing political correctness sure has changed. (click)
The Sneaky Greenies (click)
Utah Lake "Grand Slam": 4 different species caught (click)
The Sneaky Greenies (click)
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
Theodore Roosevelt
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