Comments on: About Rudders and Fishing Kayaks

By: anon

anon — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:12:40 +0000

personally i like the rudders that fold up onto my kayak. i only fold them down if i need extra handling, like if a fish is towing me. otherwise, it stays folded on top. i got mine really cheap off ebay, so it wasn’t such a huge problem cost-wise. just needed cables, as the last ones were broken. easy fix done with a hardware store trip.

By: Jeff McGovern

Jeff McGovern — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:35:48 +0000

From a practical fishing standpoint a rudder gets in the way. In the shallow areas I normally fish having something stuck deeper into the water is a problem. Not to mentioned a fish can cut your line on a rudder. Proponents say it helps on a drift, that may be so but then again a small drift sock can do the same thing and be deployed off your trolley. I can count on one had the number of times I’ve used one at all in my W. I get much more control just by shifting my weight backward or forwards on the saddle. Something not even possible in any other kayak. As already mentioned rudder systems have cable and connections that can be an issue in saltwater, one more thing to care for. Also the lines are run into the hull space creating even more hull penetrations. The W has a serious advantage anyway when it comes to tracking. The boat will stay on a straight line with minimal effort but if you need to change course it is effortless. When it comes to most kayaks I’m always interested in the fact that you can’t just buy one and be off. You have to purchase extra stuff just to enjoy the darn thing. The W can be used right out of the box. You don’t have to worry about forgeting your rudder or even seat. Price comparison is interesting too. Some boats appear initallly much cheaper than a W. But then you have to add a seat, that alone can cost a bundle with the good ones adding nearly $250 to the base cost of a boat. Try paddling any sit on top without a well padded seat, you can’t for very long. Anyway, I’m getting too wordy. Bottom line the W has what it takes, just add a paddle and off you go to the best paddling adventure you’ll ever have.

By: Cole

Cole — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:24:53 +0000

A rudder is a turnoff, and those kayaks are really unworthy of paddling, plus they don’t make very good fishing kayaks either

By: April Leder

April Leder — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:21:20 +0000

I find that using a rudder in small human-powered water crafts such as kayaks is a serious turnoff. Never have such things been used in any native kayak or canoe anywhere in the world.
I’m not a “purist” or anything like it, and the proof is that I enjoy paddling my W-kayak more than other kayaks, but there’s something about those rudder “systems” that’s seems truly excessive, as if the kayaks that demand such accessories are just too bad for paddling.
April

By: Moshiko

Moshiko — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:12:56 +0000

Interestingly, kayak manufacturers such as [brands] claim that their pedal driven kayaks offer “hands free fishing” although it’s impossible to make them go anywhere without having to handle a rudder. This is ridiculous.
Moshiko