Kayak Fishing and Paddling - The New Standard in Fishing Kayaks. Fishing Kayak Reviews, and Kayak Fishing Trip Reports, Movies, Pictures and Articles By and For Kayak Anglers.
Here’s a short, fun action movie that Jeff just sent us from Florida:
Says Jeff:
-”With really nasty wind and rain on the way the next few days I wanted to head out today. It was very low tide when I arrived at Shady Oyster so my options of spots to fish were limited. I headed over to Moses Creek on the north side of the 206 bridge and followed it in. For much of the morning all I did was entertain fish stealing my Gulp shrimp. It was little redfish but I did manage to land a few to verify their identity. With the wind picking up and a long paddle ahead I worked my way back to the intercostal and Shady Oyster. Not too far from where the creek opens up into the waterway I came upon a whole load of those little bluefish. That provided more than enough enjoyment and for over an hour they were just a blast. Today’s gear was not too fancy. All of the fish hit a 3 inch Gulp shrimp in the color “nuclear chicken” on a 1/4oz Mission jig head. The rod and reel were one of my little Chaos NBU sticks with a Daiwa 1300SS reel spooled with 10lb Fireline and a 15lb leader.
Craig Masterman, a Massachusetts W kayak fly fisherman who contributed a great review of the W kayak last year, sent us fresh stories and rigging ideas:
-”Hey Yoav!
I just returned from my first trip to SW Florida since I got the W last summer. We drove the pick up all the way down and back from Massachusetts with the W on top secured with just two heavy duty web straps. It rode absolutely securely on 4 foam blocks sold by several outlets for just that purpose. I figured out a way to stop the straps from loudly humming like guitar strings on the highway I thought others might find useful. I simply cut some one inch diameter foam pipe insulation to fit over those parts of the straps that angle down from the top of the kayak to the vehicle, which silenced the hum caused by the wind rushing past the taught straps. Problem solved for about 4 bucks! But that’s not the main reason I’m writing you.
As we made our way around SW Florida with the W on the truck, we were followed, stopped and questioned by at least twenty people about the “really cool and unique looking kayak”. It actually started in South Carolina and continued throughout the two week trip. By the end I had my speech singing the praises of the W pretty well memorized. I gave out the website to all of them after describing the W as the ultimate fishing platform. Most were surprised at the fact that it is only 25 inches wide. They were also surprised to learn that I was not a sales rep for the company, but just a satisfied customer! I had guys climbing up on the tailgate, taking pictures of the cockpit “saddle” and the 9 foot paddle. I would be happy to put a decal of the website on the boat. It would certainly generate some inquiries, and give my voice a rest!!!
A much time as I spent talking about the W, I actually did get a chance to fish out of it too! I was fortunate enough to land several fish on the flyrod. The boat performed beyond expectations and felt solid under foot as I stood and made cast after cast to sighted fish on the flats and under the mangroves. One day, I paddled a total of six miles casting to and prospecting for fish. By day’s end I was understandably a little tired, but not at all sore or stiff owing to the comfort of the cockpit and the ability to change paddling positions at will. I can’t wait to get the W in the water again later this spring on Cape Cod!
Jeff McGovern has introduced many innovations in fishing from the W kayak. His latest rigging improvement is a device that helps you position your fishing rod inside your kayak’s cockpit. Says Jeff:
-”I took one of those paddle clips and attached it to a section of pool noddle. I plan on using it in place of the rod positioning one I have now that is just a crude grove cut into a section of the same stuff. You might notice the screws holding the piece in place in the foam. Those are actually not into the foam itself. I used plastic screw in dry wall anchors with the tips cut off first, they work pretty well when working with foam. They won’t handle a heavy load but for this purpose to position the rod tip it should be fine.”
Roger Adams, a kayak fisherman from St. Pete Beach, Florida, sent us this photo of his new W fishing kayak. Says Roger:
-”Only one trial so far and it went smoothly. I lower off my dock here on the intercoastal and away I go. I plan to do some bay flats fishing this week and will keep you posted.”
It’s the third W fishing kayak review we get from Wisconsin, which strengthens the notion that while northern fishermen have never fully adopted traditional kayaks (sit-in and SOT) as fishing platforms, they can see the advantages offered by the W kayak over other popular fishing crafts, such as canoes, dinghies and Jon boats.
When you read John’s review, please notice that he remembered Wavewalk’s instructions for first timers, and that made his learning curve short and effortless.
-”I forgot the chest mount today and what a time to leave it home the fish were quite cooperative. I caught 11 legal sea trout and a load of smaller ones. Managed a half dozen little redfish in the same area. I moved when the bite slowed down and got into a pile of ladyfish who were happy to eat everything that passed in front of them. It was a wonderful morning on the water. What made it even more fun was that I used a very old fishing rod I’ve had since the late 1970s.”
-”The rod itself it a four piece “Ugly Stick” fly/spin packrod. I bought it to carry behind the seat of my truck when I worked in Northern Indiana. That rod has been some miles with me. It was rebuilt around 1995 by a friend in Casselberry Florida. All new Fuji guides and a Fuji spinning reel seat turned it into a wonderful light action rod. It has fished from coast to coast plus in Mexico and Canada. Today it was rigged with one of my little Daiwa reels filled with 8lb mono line. All the fish today were caught on a little 1/8oz jig head with a 3 inch Gulp shrimp in “Nuclear Chicken” or “Sugar Spice Glow” colors. It was nice to get back to a simple outfit with simple rigging.”
John Fabina got his new W fsihing kayak a short time ago, and he already rigged it for the fishing trips he’s planning once the ice is gone…
Says John:
-”I have not been able to access open water yet, but I have been rigging my new “w” kayak for fishing. Using ideas from other owners I have added a crate in the back that includes three rod holders and a net holder. Two [catalog brand] quick draw rod holers have been mounted in front. Also added on the side a hook that is used with the bungee to quickly hold rod on side of the “w”.
-”Finally, I riveted two pieces of aluminum that were fashioned into a paddle holder.”
-”I am still exploring my best options for mounting my portable eagle fish finder. I sure am looking forward to getting on the water and learning about the “w”. I will keep you posted and hopefully have some photos of spring crappies.”
Jeff reflects on casting from various fishing kayaks:
-”Yesterday got me to thinking again about just how good the casting position is from a W kayak. In the riding position the power that can be put into a cast is nothing short of incredible. Gear balance is important but with the W kayak it is possible I believe to impart more power to a cast than from virtually any other water craft. This includes standing on the deck or a bass or flats boat. The W is the base of the a launcher in the form of a human body. The other thing is under windy conditions the angle of the cast from a W kayak with the increased power allows better distance if you must cast into the wind. This whole thing is a subject for much more study.
-”I did a few hours fishing with Jeff Maron again yesterday. We called it his bachelor party since he is getting married today. He and his girl friend decided to tie the knot. So we celebrated with a short fishing trip yesterday. We had a really nice time and the weather cooperated. Warm water, nice breeze and fish eager to bite made for a really good time. I’ve attached a couple pictures. Jeff took one of me sitting in the W kayak with a nice bluefish. I’ve also attached a shot of Jeff with a ladyfish. He is attired in full anti sun gear very popular in Florida right now. With so many cases of skin cancer many folks take every precaution, Jeff is one of them. Oh by the way Shady Oyster wants me to give a fishing seminar on April 4th for about and hour and a half. Should be fun. Just one more step in my quest to become famous.
This is a new kayak fishing movie from Jeff, in which he shows the area where he likes to fish, in near the 206 bridge, in Florida. Jeff shot this movie at the beginning of the fishing trip he reported yesterday.
-”Definite change to springtime water temps here. As I launched the W at Shady Oyster yesterday morning the water was much warmer than it has been for months. That normally means a change is due in the types of fish that will be hitting the lure. Sure enough I caught a load of ladyfish which are always on the prowl as the water gets warmer and a few bluefish that are around when it’s cold.
No food fish however since as soon as the lure hit the water it was grabbed by one of the two fish already mentioned. Darn, I was really in hopes of adding to the flounder already in the freezer. It was a fun day and as always when catching ladyfish I went through at least four changes of leader on one outfit and a couple on it’s twin.
So far as gear, spinning tackle with 10lb Fireline leadered with 15 or 20lb FC and a baitcaster with 16lb mono and no leader. Lure wise it was 1/4oz jig heads with Gulp shrimp, a topwater plug (Super Spook Jr.) and a suspending plug (MirroMinnow) When I got back both the the W and my fishing pants were covered with fish blood and slime. That’s how you can tell it was a really good day of catching. –Jeff”
The ‘Yak Back’ is a popular name given to a condition caused by paddling traditional sit-in and SOT kayaks, and fishing from them.
The ‘Yak Back’ symptoms include leg numbness and cramps, discomfort in the hips and buttocks, pressure and pain in the lower back (lumbar) area, and premature fatigue.
Paddlers and fishermen suffering from Yak back feel a strong urge to change positions, stand up, walk, and stretch. Early Yak Back symptoms can appear as early as half an hour from launching, and they tend to aggravate as the hours go by.
It is not uncommon that people who paddle sit-in and SOT kayaks and fish from them develop a chronic Yak Back condition, manifested mainly as an acute sensitivity to pressure on their lower back, and sometimes even chronic lower back pain that forces many of them to abandon kayak paddling and kayak fishing.
The Yak Back is the result of being seated in an unnatural position often called the ‘L position’, in which your own legs push your lower back against your kayak seat’s backrest. The pressure applied is constant, and generated by the most powerful set of muscles in your body, which is why cushioning the seat’s backrest is quite useless.
Traditional sit-in and SOT kayaks offer too little stability to begin with, which is why as a paddler or fisherman who uses them, you’re required to keep your center of gravity (CG) as low as possible by sitting as low as possible and throwing your legs forward. As you do that, your legs change roles from naturally supporting your upper body to actively pressuring it in your spine’s lower part, which is a vulnerable place.
Native people of the Arctic who invented kayaks never used backrests, because they were used to sitting this way, so they didn’t need lumbar support. However, this is not an option for you because without a backrest you’re likely to find it impossible to keep your body in the L position for more than a few minutes.
The W kayak is the only kayak that offers your legs their natural role in supporting your upper body in your balancing, control, paddling and fishing efforts. Since your legs support your upper body you don’t need a backrest to support your back, and therefore there is nothing that can cause you discomfort, fatigue or pain.
The W kayak also offers you the possibility to switch between a variety of different paddling and fishing positions, including standing, which helps you stay fresh and comfy, and avoid Yak Back symptoms.
For these reasons the W got its nickname ‘Back Saver’.
Jeff sent us this new movie from sunny Florida. He and Jeff Maron are scouting for fish in low tide.
Jeff paddles his W fishing kayak standing up, and as he explains, by doing so he’s able to see far enough to find a way through the maze of channels and oyster bars:
Wavewalk is now offering a new option with its PSP paddle: Folding Paddle Clips.
These clips are molded from Nylon, which is common for small-size deck rigging.
Each clip features two holes, and can be either riveted to the kayak hull (preferably), or attached with bolts and nuts.
Note: We don’t recommend using screws for this purpose, or for attaching any piece of deck rigging to your kayak.
The clip has two positions: Open - ready to take the paddle, and folded - so it doesn’t get in the paddle’s way when you’re paddling.
The clips’ internal diameter is 1.25″, which fits the Wavewalk paddle’s shaft diameter.
You can also use it for holding the Mohawk paddle, although it features a smaller, 1.125″ diameter shaft.
When ordering the Wavewalk PSP paddle you can choose between getting a free pair of these folding paddle clips, or a pair of rubber paddle holders (clips). The advantage of the folding clips is that they’ll never get in your paddle’s way when you’re paddling your fishing kayak. The advantage of the rubber paddle holders is that they won’t break.
Separately from our PSP paddle, a pair of folding or rubber paddle clips costs $10 plus S&H.
Different kayak fishermen prefer to have the paddle clips in different places. We recommend that you don’t attach paddle clips to your fishing kayak before having fished from it several times, that is enough for you to know exactly where you want those clips to be.
The new issue of Kayak Angler magazine includes the 2009 buyer’s guide for fishing kayaks. Going through the different brands and models of fishing kayaks featuring in it can be a sobering experience, or an entertaining one, depending on the reader’s mood.
As usual, all kayaks are described as being ’stable and fast’, and many are ‘designed for kayak fishing standing’, which is a misnomer if you consider their real-life capabilities. Obviously, none of this is true, but it seems that over the years we’ve all grown used to such non-truths, so we perceive them as being almost acceptable, which is too bad if you come to think of it.
What some manufacturers allow themselves to write about their fishing kayaks is sometimes unbelievable, not just only in the sense that it doesn’t inspire confidence in them or in their products, but one has to wonder how these manufacturers could have ever imagined that anyone would take their statements seriously. For example, a paddling and poling board manufacturer claims his product is no less than the world’s stablest watercraft… and a manufacturer of inflatable kayaks claims his boat is faster than any other kayak out there…
Merely quoting such nonsense makes one feel uncomfortable, but these are the pathetic facts, and they are representative of the market for fishing kayaks, where mostly over-hyped and under-performing products compete - sometimes in a contest to the next peak of ridicule.
And in case you expected to find useful innovations in kayak fishing, or new and inspired fishing kayaks designs - forget about it, as usual.
-”It’s all hype so far. In comparing the Kayak Angler guide to a much wider distributed magazine or rather catalog the information is about the same. I’ve got both [brand of fishing gear stores] and [brand of fishing catalog] catalogs at the house and the hype you see for various products and the crazy claims are much the same. For example reels that won’t backlash and can make you a better fisherman. Total and complete nonsense, I know people that have purchased baitcast reels because of the claims and after a few days use never ever go back to that style. They did not live up to the claims.
Sometimes people can be saved. My friend for example had loads of trouble with a bait caster. I looked at his reel an older hand me down from a relative and found it sound but in need of tuning. That issue combined with a very one broken down rod was his problem. I tore down and serviced the reel. Then at a visit to [fishing gear store] had him buy something that complemented that older reel. Now he loves the setup because it works and it fits him properly. If he had only seen the catalogs and bought the hype nothing would have worked.
Lures might be the worst of all with claims of filling the boat if a certain brand or type of lure is thrown. It’s made more complicated by the late night infomercials for things like the Banjo Minnow.
I know the whole thing is upsetting, but remember Wavewalk really does have a totally different boat. It is like nothing before it, and it will become a boat for the masses. Other fishing kayaks answer no current issues with the back or comfort since you still sit low.
The answer most folks seem to have to the comfort problem is to add a really nice seat, that I verified by checking with guys with our kayak group here. They keep upgrading their seats. First an additional pad then more padding and finally dropping big dollars (like 200+) for a fancy aftermarket seat. Of course it solves nothing long term. Fact is boats should have had comfort taken into account up front but I guess that takes away their price advantage. Of course in your case the Wavewalk seat is already there and requires nothing else to work. Also your day is not ruined when you show up to fish and find you’ve forgotten your seat.
The accessory market is also very interesting. For the added cost of the “factory” rod holders you really can’t use them in a sit on top. If you do you subject your reels to loads of saltwater wash over but then again I guess that is good for the reel companies. Treated in that fashion unmaintained reels would make it maybe one season.
Talking about reels one of the local radio fishing shows here nearly gave me a heart attack a couple of weeks back. They were on air talking about proper equipment care after use in saltwater. What they recommended would only benefit a reel repair business or the tackle firms themselves. Those fellows recommendations were just so wrong. I tried to call at the time of the broadcast to be on air. But while I was waiting and driving at the same time my cell lost it’s signal. By the time I got one again they were on to other subjects and the screener said the lines were too full. I did try again last weekend when they were on but my subject was not on the table so I didn’t make the show.
Oh well, sometimes the pioneers like Wavewalk take the sling and arrows. I like helping shoot back. The W kayak is the best of it’s kind in paddlecraft.
– Jeff”
The number of unique visitors, that is real-life individuals who visited our website in February this year reached over 10,000, compared to the 7,000 people who visited it in February 2008.
The average time and number of pages viewed by each visitor increased as well, which indicates that our website is becoming more interesting to visit.
These are encouraging trends, and we thank all those who’ve contributed their pictures, movies and comments, especially Jeff McGovern, who’s a kayak fishing advisor, columnist and commentator -if we may borrow terms from the broadcasting world.
Jeff’s kayak fishing reports, movies (should I say ‘mini-documentaries’…) and comments are undoubtedly one of the main reasons our blog has been getting an increasing number of visitors.
Jeff, the expert saltwater kayak fisherman from Florida, sent this new movies he shot.
He went on a shallow water fishing trip, looking for flounder.
The first movie is from the beach, before launching his W fishing kayak:
The second movie was shot by Jeff from the cockpit of his W fishing kayak, right under the 206 bridge. This is his favorite fishing spot in this area.
In Jeff’s own words:
-”The wind got pretty nasty at one point and would have been a royal pain for most kayakers. The W however time and again proves itself as a boat that handles the wind very well. I only got two flounder that were legal out of the nine caught so at least we have a start toward a nice meal. Maybe later this coming week I’ll have a chance to get out again. From a technical side the first fish hit a Gulp shrimp on a jig head. But then it stopped so I switched to a older style 1/8oz Cotee jig with a 1 inch Gulp crab. The next eight flounder crushed that as did two very tiny ladyfish.
–Jeff”
And this last movie shows Jeff paddling against the wind:
The obvious answer is “No!”. As a rule, fishing kayaks and waders are mutually exclusive, unless you’re kayak fishing in a small, very shallow body of water that has a non-muddy bottom that you can easily stride in.
Waders make you heavy and clumsy, and if you fall overboard in deep water they will prevent you from swimming, and might prevent you from being able to get back in your kayak - A perfect lose-lose situation, especially if the water is cold, because then you’ll be looking at hypothermia, which leads to paralysis and loss of consciousness.
Even in shallow water, where you can stand on the bottom, waders might limit your movements to a point where you become exhausted from walking in deep mud, or in water that gets above your waistline. Again, this is especially true in cold water and weather, and it’s more dangerous if you’re wearing heavy rubber boots.
To those who’d say they’ve fallen from their fishing kayaks waders on, and nothing happened, we would say “good for you!”, but such cases are by no means an excuse for being reckless - It doesn’t pay in the long run, and you don’t want to be on the news - at least not as the subject of a ‘kayak fishing accident’ story.
If you must wear something on your legs because you have to wade where you fish, you may want to consider wet-suit pants.
These clips are molded from Nylon, which is common for small-size deck rigging.