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.
Any kayak designer, paddler or angler would tell you that a kayak can either track well, or turn easily, and that the longer the kayak’s hull the better it would track, but the harder it would be to maneuver, and vice versa. In the narrow and restricted world of traditional, mono-hull kayaks this is axiomatic, meaning that it requires no proof, since everyone already knows it to be true.
Wavewalk has already proven that its W300 kayak was a great tracker for a 10 ft long kayak, and did not require a rudder to help it track even under strong wind. The W300 also astonished quite a few kayak paddlers and designers by showing them that a paddler could lean it into the turn, and make very sharp turns - again, without a rudder.
Now we offer the W500 that’s much faster than the W300, and tracks considerably better. In fact, kayakers and kayak anglers compare its speed to that of a 14-16 ft long, fast fishing kayak, or a 12-13 ft long touring kayak.
The question that some kayakers and anglers have asked, and rightfully so, is whether this great tracker could maneuver easily without a rudder.
This demo movie shows how riding the saddle from its rear end changes the kayak’s hydrodynamics in a way that makes it highly maneuverable:
Leaning into the turn makes steering even more effective.
When tight maneuvers are no longer required, the paddler can go back to paddling the W500 kayak from the middle of the saddle. In that position, the W500 is perfectly balanced fore and aft, tracks perfectly, and can achieve its highest speed.
No rudder is required for either tracking or turning the W500 kayak. If you’ve used a rudder with your kayak you’d know it is really good news. This is because rudders cost money, they impede your kayak, and they have a nasty tendency to harvest seaweed and get stuck in the bottom when you’re paddling and fishing in shallow water.
In other words, rudders are pain…
By the way, aboriginal kayaks made by arctic circle people had no rudders, since the people who crafted and paddled them were better paddlers than we are.
It summarizes various rigging projects that we know about in this field, thanks to W kayak anglers who’ve contributed their creativity, insight and pictures…
Some anglers refer to themselves as being ‘fisholic’, and that’s basically the same thing, although phrased in different pseudo scientific terms
That new article is amusing, but it’s also serious, since anglers and paddlers who spend too much time in sit-in and SOT kayaks can develop chronic pain, especially in the lower back (yak-back) and eventually be forced to quit kayak fishing and paddling, as many do - and that’s too bad.
It’s not often that a major, mainstream fishing magazine reports the fact we offer something new, useful and exciting to the fishing world.
Mike Genoun, the editor of Florida Sport Fishing magazine published this short news story in the New Products section of the magazine’s March issue (paper):
Donavan Campbell is a W kayak stream fisherman from North Carolina, who contributed a fishing kayak review of his W300.
His wheel system offers the advantages of being low-cost, simple, easy to make, and lightweight for carrying on board. It’s all-terrain, and easy to attach to the kayak.
-”Wanted to pass along pictures of the wheel system my dad and I created for the W300.
We utilized a 1/2″ aluminum tube as an axle inside a 3/4″ aluminum tube, attached plastic wheels and mounted (drilled through both tubes) aluminum shelf brackets as guides and as a place to attach the bungee.
Important thing to me was keeping the weight to a minimum (complete set weighs about 3lbs) because when you river fish, where you put in is not where you get out; the wheel system goes with you.
Additionally no ball bearings or anything that would rust as the wheel spins on a plastic bushing, the axle does not turn.
Has proven to be very stable and quick to attach and detach. Everything was purchased at Lowes Hardware for little less than $50.
No problem maneuvering any terrain now.
I imagine in a couple of years the plastic bushings and wheel will need to be replaced but this is a minimal investment. Hope someone finds this helpful.
Following Rox’ recommendation, we tested the clamp-mounted rod holder from Tite-Lok, and decided to add it to our selection of optional rod holders.
The advantages we see in this rod holder are:
1. Versatility - You can mount and dismount it within seconds, and change its location along the cockpit’s spray deflector. Both vertical and horizontal angles are easily adjustable.
2. Quality - This device is built to last.
The Tite-Lok 5615 clamp mounted rod holder attached to a W500 fishing kayak’s spray deflector.
The Tite-Lok clamp mount rod holder viewed separately from the kayak
Note that the clamp offers two different attachment spots fro the rod holder: on the side and on top.
Price: We’re offering the Tite-Lok rod holder with a clamp mount for a $45.
Great weather and a good turnout accompanied the first meeting of the Nature Coast Kayak Fishing Club held yesterday in Crystal River. My W 500 was noticed by a few other W owners in the area who stopped by to say hi and chat. It also attracted many other folks inquiring about that “crazy looking” twin hull kayak on my truck.
After a few hours of paddling at a local park, we gathered for a picnic hosted by Matt and Sue Clemons of Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Company in Crystal River where Cap’t Adrian Englert also organized a Meet and Greet for the new club. He brought a few rigged fishing kayaks with him including his W 300, and lots of folks stopped by to inquire about the sport, kayaks and gear, and claim their club membership cards.
I’ve now met 5 people in our rural county who own Wavewalk kayaks, and haven’t heard a negative word about them yet. Perhaps we can organize a W convention and fishing trip sometime this summer.
Some fishing kayak manufacturers try to lure potential buyers by offering bigger hatches, and additional space to put gear on top of their SOT kayaks’ decks. Obviously, those solutions are neither effective nor user-friendly, but what else can you do to solve the storage problem if you’re a manufacturer of sit-in or SOT kayaks? -Not much.
The W500 offers several times more storage than any kayak on the market - be it a fishing kayak or a touring kayak, a sea-kayak or an ‘expedition’ kayak.
Not only that, but the storage offered by the W500 is internal, dry, and always accessible to the passenger - be it an angler, a paddler, or a camper. In fact, there is so much room in the W500 kayak hulls and cockpit, that it can comfortably accommodate a second adult passenger on board.
The total storage space available on board the W500 kayak is 14 cubic feet, or 0.4 cubic meter. It’s way above the kayak league, and comparable to the storage space offered by canoes and some small motorboats.
The main message it conveys is that there’s no need to hurry and start outfitting your W kayak for fishing as soon as you take it out of the box in which it came, and it’s advisable to use it at least several times as is before you decide if and what type of rigging you’d like to add to it.
The article discusses typical rigging questions like rod holders, paddle holders, rudder, seat, outriggers, motor, anchor, milk crate etc.
We recommend that prospecting clients as well as new owners of W fishing kayaks read it.
The notion that kayak fishing is booming has been repeated for years by various interested parties, but a search in Google News archives revealed these intriguing facts:
1. From 1990, the number of news articles about kayak fishing kept increasing, and it peaked in 2007.
2. Since 2007, the number of published news articles about kayak fishing has kept decreasing. In fact, the number of news articles about kayak fishing in 2009 was lower than its level in 2004.
This chart was taken from a screen shot of the Google page above:
Interestingly, the number of websites and blogs related to kayak fishing has visibly gone up in the past decade, as part of the media explosion brought by the Internet. In addition, big and small kayak manufacturers have focused on the kayak fishing market in every way they could, and tried to bring the public’s attention to their products by all means.
So what’s the reason for this decrease in media coverage of kayak fishing in the past two years?
The first explanation that comes to mind is that it could be related to the economic recession, but does it make sense? The recreational fishing boat market has been severely hit, but what kayak manufacturers and other vendors and affiliated professionals have been saying is that now, more then ever, a kayak offers a the cheap way to go fishing, and consequently, they expected sales of fishing kayaks and to go through the roof, and interest in kayak fishing to explode. They even promoted the idea of stand-up kayak fishing from their obviously inadequate kayaks, thinking the public would go for it.
However, we think, as we’ve stated in the past, that many kayak anglers quit practicing kayak fishing after some time, as they find it to be less rewarding than they had initially hoped it would be. Usually, the kayak angler’s expectation is to be able to spend a few hours on the water, having fun catching fish, while the reality in many cases is that doing so results in a sore back, an aching butt, and numb legs - on top of being wet, especially if you fish from a SOT kayak.
In other words, a significant proportion of kayak anglers drops from the sport, and it could be that their numbers are now equal to, or exceed the number of new kayak anglers who enter the sport. Consequently, the public’s level of interest in kayak fishing has begun to decline, and the lower level of media exposure reflects this trend.
At Wavewalk, we’ve experienced a totally different reality, with sales increasing year after year at a faster pace, and 2009 being a boom year. Read more >>
This success has to do with the fact that our W kayaks offer a truly good user experience, less fatigue, no back pain or any other physical pain and discomfort, plus they’re stable enough to offer stand-up kayak fishing in confidence and safety.
Dick Sherman, from Florida, got his yellow W500 fishing kayak a short time ago. He ordered it after testing his friend’s Gary Rankel green W500.
“First of all, I have to thank Gary for introducing me to the Wavewalk and guiding me through the maze of islands and passageways. Without him I probably would still be trying to find my way back.
The Wavewalk was great. It was easy to launch, paddle and fish out of. It is just amazing the places you can go to in the Kayak. We went out at low tide and were often scraping bottom. There would be no other way to get into this area to fish or to view the beautiful scenery. It was really great. No motor noise, beautiful birds and crystal clear water.
Unfortunately our recent cold weather had the fish huddled around a heater that we were unable to find, but I didn’t need to catch fish to have a great time.
–Dick”
And Gary adds:
-”Unfortunately, our recent cold snap seems to have chased the fish to deeper water, so I don’t have a picture of Dick hauling in a big one. He did, however, seem to be very happy with his new kayak, and is excited about learning a new way to fish.
We ran into Adrian Englert on the water, who reminded me that there will be a Paddlers Picnic and Customer Appreciation Day in Crystal River on Feb 20. Adrian plans on setting up a station to inform folks about the new kayak fishing club he is starting.
I’ll bring my W500 for folks to look at, and may even see how I fare in the competition.
Food will be served and gifts and prizes will be handed out. The day should provide an opportunity for folks to compare the W with other kayaks on the market. The event has been covered in our local newspaper so, hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we’ll have a nice turnout.
Since this question is an important one, I’ve decided to post this kayak fishing and paddling safety article on our main blog.
Thousands of kayak anglers are risking paddling and fishing accidents because of their kayaks’ poor ergonomics. The hazards are many and diverse:
First, there’s the danger of being unable to paddle back to shore, as a result of fatigue, and even exhaustion.
Strong wind and tidal current are external forces that could be hazardous to a tired kayak angler, especially if elderly or inexperienced. If your kayak makes you prematurely tired, you need to consider switching to something more comfortable that tracks and paddles better, namely a Wavewalk kayak.
Additionally, overheating in summer, and hypothermia in winter should not be underestimated, since they reduce your ability to paddle effectively and get back to your launching spot, and could even prevent you from getting back to shore.
If your kayak exposes you to cold wind and water, you should avoid paddling it under such circumstances, unless you’re willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a dry suit. Remember: wearing waders and boots while operating small boats is very dangerous, since such heavy clothing might prevent you from swimming, and from getting back into your boat, or kayak.
Furthermore, there’s the hazard of cramps, leg numbness and being practically paralyzed by pain in your back, or in your butt.
Cramps in your legs can be very painful, and last a long time if you can’t stand up safely and relax. Sit-in and SOT kayaks offer only one position, which is sitting in an L shape, with your legs pointing forward and being restricted by footrests. Paddling or fishing in this position for a long time is s recipe for cramps, and for leg numbness, which is not as dramatic, but still most unpleasant, and undesirable as far as paddling is concerned.
Both leg pain and leg numbness are also dangerous because they prevent you from balancing and maneuvering your kayak efficiently.
Pain in your back or butt is dangerous, since it can literally cripple you, and compromise your paddling efforts. Moreover, you might find yourself close to shore and still unable to beach your kayak, or get out of it, as Don, this California kayak angler describes in his kayak review:
-”I fished for 8 years in an [Brand, Model]. The “L” sitting position and it’s effect on my back is what finished standard kayaking for me… One day I beached the bow of that 16 footer and was still about 10-12 feet out in the water where I was sitting. I discovered I couldn’t move my legs. Getting out of that thing without causing all kinds of laughter from spectators was one of my greatest physical accomplishments.
I was sure I’d avoid those scenarios with the”W”, and I could hardly wait to find out all the wonderful differences.”
This is not a rare example, and in fact many people report experiencing similar things with their sit-in and SOT kayaks.
Actually, most kayakers and kayak anglers have grown used to frequently stopping their paddling and fishing, just to go on shore an ‘unkink’. This ‘unkinking’ basically means stretching, and allowing some rest for the sore back and aching legs. Stretching your legs and back improves circulation, and relaxes muscles and tendons.
Some kayak fishermen in warm regions just stand in the water, if it’s shallow enough. If such frequent ergonomic stops are impossible, the only solution anglers face is to cut short their fishing trip, and paddle back to their launching spot.
The combination of back pain or leg pain and cold is dangerous because the cold further contracts your muscles, and thus increases the pain, and therefor makes it harder for you to paddle.
Paddling in intense heat, especially if you’ve suffered from a sun stroke or dehydration is dangerous if you have pains, because such combination can increase the danger of premature fatigue and exhaustion.
Doug had already contributed a short review of his W300 fishing kayak:
-”Just came in from a couple hours in the inlet after work — 1 14# bass. Got a 30 and a 16 last Sat night. I don’t fish from it too often; I might throw a swimmer out on my way to and fro. For the season so far I have around 75 bass over 10#/30″. I’m running second place in the season long New York Surf Fishing contest. I’m totally satisfied with the Wavewalk. If I wreck this one somehow I’ll order another within a week. It gets me access to good fishing areas and it gets me away from the crowds. Only ‘problem’ is I put a couple pretty deep gouges on the bottom while fishing in mussel beds and around rock jetties –
Doug”
Now Doug sent us some pictures of a special kayak trolley he got for it:
Says Doug:
-”Here are some photos of a cart special made by paddlecart.com I use it all the time. Works over rough terrain, rocks, down embankments,etc”
-”Attached is the drawing I sent to Paddlecart in case users inquire” :
Gary got a second W500 GF2 fishing kayak, and sold his old W300 to a friend.
He writes:
-”As per attached, the two 500’s fit nicely in my pickup, still leaving room in the top W500 for paddles, rods, etc. - should work out great when I’m taking a friend out.
We’re finally getting some decent weather. Headed out yesterday. Five hrs without one hit - first time that has happened. The cold water has really done a number on the fish - saw a few big snook belly up on the bottom, and F&G has just canceled the snook season for the year. Hope the redfish and trout didn’t get hit too bad.”
Jeff McGovern to conduct kid’s inshore fishing clinic at Genung’s Fish Camp, Crescent Beach, January 23
Palatka, FL 1/4/10—Come spend an exciting, fun day with Jeff McGovern at Genung’s Fish Camp from 9 AM to Noon on January 23, 2010. Learn how to choose lures, bait, line and rigging to catch more fish in fresh and saltwater.
Emmrods will be featured and there will be a drawing for an Emmrod Packer Combo donated by Jeff’s Tackle Box at the end of the program. This free event is open to youth and youth groups of all ages and their parents and chaperones.
Coffee and donuts will be provided.
Registration is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
Genung’s Fish Camp is located at 291 Cubbedge Road (just below the 206 bridge at US 1), Crescent Beach, FL. For more information or to register, please contact Johnny at (904) 471-4144.
I thought it may be interesting to revisit the subject of motorizing fishing kayaks with an outboard gas engine.
To the best of my knowledge, so far only one W kayak angler has used such an outboard motor: Jim McGilvray, from Norfolk, UK, who rigged his 2007 W300 fishing kayak with a 2.5, 4 stroke engine, and a pair of DIY outriggers.
This is the movie Jim sent us, over two years ago:
This rig allows for more than trolling, obviously. The speed and stability are remarkable.
Safety and ergonomics are closely linked in many products we use, including kayaks.
Here’s a new article discussing the issue of kayak fishing safety from a comfort perspective, that is comfort being a factor in your paddling and fishing safety:
The first unofficial Wavewalk group fishing outing in Florida was held December 14, 2009 at Crystal River, Florida. Gary Rankel, Ed Wheeler and I participated, fishing out of the new 2009 W500 fishing kayaks. Ed and I were in our bright yellow boats and Gary was in his green “Packer Yaker” (the name of which I understood only after asking him about it–seems he is a life long Green Bay Packer fan with as much passion for the team as he has for fishing.)
We started the day at our usual breakfast place right on highway 19 in Crystal River the day with a hearty meal for the task ahead. We hit the road in heavy fog, heading over to the Ozello area for launch from the parking area of a local seafood restaurant. They have a great kayak and canoe launch directly off the lot and, as long as you park well away from the patron spaces, you are fine. Besides, nothing beats a fried grouper sandwich at the end of a day of fishing and, since you are already there, why not partake?
We launched into water that was as smooth as a sheet of glass in the fog. It was wonderful. The temperature was ideal and only a few of the flying teeth (sand gnats) were bothering us. We headed out on a falling tide using a large culvert to take us through to the other side of the bridge. That saved us at least a mile of extra paddling while heading to Gary’s favorite fishing spots that he was anxious to share. Our trip out was aided by the tidal flow, so each stroke was easy and effortless.
We began casting as soon as Gary indicated we had reached his spots. I started right off with a small sea trout and soon after, Gary landed a really nice one. I also managed to land a number of lizard fish on my lures. These fish are not considered a game fish and serve only to keep the fish I really wanted from getting to my baits.
Our rigging was standard inshore Florida style. We used both bait casting and spinning gear. Ed and Gary used superlines, while I relied on mono for my bait casters and reserved the superline for my spinning tackle. We used both fluorocarbon and mono leaders as the presentations dictated. For lures, top waters are always a good choice in the Crystal river area. Gary preferred the IMA Skimmer, a very thin pencil style top water from the Japanese bass fishing market, while Ed and I stayed with our proven Spook Jr’s and Mirrolures. The baits all managed to produce hits, but the actual hookup percentage was low that day. That’s why we call it fishing and not catching.
The entire day was memorable– both for the company and the adventure. We saw lots of new water in a different way and enjoyed the antics of both birds and dolphins. At one point, while we relaxed wading near a small island, two dolphins decided to share our fishing spot. They were in a deeper cut a few feet from us, just ripping into schools of mullet. Times like this show who the really talented anglers are– the ones that swim with the fish, to be exact. Sure they ran off our quarry, but watching them is always fun. Besides, who knows, maybe we can pick up a thing or two from the real experts in these waters?
We ended our day around 2PM and headed in back through the same culvert we used first thing in the morning. With a slightly stronger incoming tide, that short ride was fun with the W500 shooting right through the center, using the paddle only to keep from hitting the sides. A really remarkable thing that struck me about this whole day was the comfort we had fishing from these boats. None of us are young men –I am the youngest at 55, both Ed and Gary are the 70 year old range. Between us there have been back issues ranging from simple sciatic problems to major surgeries. To a man, the W500 is a boat we could use easily and comfortable. In any other fishing kayaks, our range would not have been as great and there would have been many more stops to get out for unkinking. This trip was only the start. There will be many more to come, fishing the waters off Florida’s west coast in the world’s most comfortable and fishable paddle craft.
