First and foremost, kayak fishing in tandem involves a Safety issue, because two passengers moving about in the cockpit or on the deck of a fishing kayak in an uncoordinated manner can easily destabilize it. in such case, it’s enough to have one passenger overreacting to cause the kayak to capsize. Obviously, having fishing rods, lures and sometimes even fish flying around in all directions in space that’s so severely restricted isn’t a good recipe for safety. In fact, it is dangerous.

The second problem to consider is Convenience – Every angler wants and needs to have an unlimited range of motion around them, to allow them to perform basic things such as casting, reeling in, landing the fish, unhooking, and so on. Anglers must have a comfortable workspace for tying knots, attaching lures and bait, and doing other technical work involving handling of fishing gear, including sharp objects such as fishing hooks, and knives, which is hazardous in itself, without adding the fact that the angler is sitting in a small vessel, with a fishing partner a few feet away…
Besides, when you’re fishing in tandem, the last thing you want to deal with is your fishing lines getting entangled with those of your partner, and you certainly don’t want to be part of an accident involving someone getting poked in the eye by a misguided fishing hook, etc.. -The possibilities for a disaster are so numerous that it’s practically impossible to list them all in this article, but we assume the reader gets the point…

Kayak fishing in tandem is more complicated, and more difficult than tandem kayak paddling, and we don’t fully recommend it, unless the crew is composed of one experienced adult kayak angler and one junior kayak angler, such as a child, who needs guidance and often even technical help with handling their fishing gear. In such case the obvious choice for a kayak is the W500 that features a 6 ft long cockpit, and a longitudinal seat that makes it possible for the two anglers to sit separated by a long span, but also to approach each other effortlessly and safely when they need to do something together, such as in case the experienced angler has to instruct the novice, or help them hands-on perform a fishing related task.
A small sized angler such as a child may get confused, or overexcited, but they’re unlikely to cause a severe balance problem that the second, bigger, and more experienced will find impossible to deal with.
A large size angler getting into some kind of trouble that would cause them to lose balance and tilt the kayak sideways is a totally different problem that the second crew member might not be able to correct, especially if they’re caught off guard.
This movie was shot by Jesse Martinez in his W500, during a fishing trip in which he took his two small kids on board:

More information about kayak fishing with children >>

Kayak fishing standing in tandem is even more problematic, and should be practiced only after both anglers have practiced tandem kayak fishing before, as well as stand up kayak fishing. Needless to say that the kayak used for this type of fishing should fit for such such activities. Note that vendors’ claims about their kayaks’ stability are often exaggerated, and should be viewed with both caution, common sense, and healthy skepticism. Before getting hooked on the idea of kayak fishing in tandem, remember that it’s you and your fishing buddy that are going to be sitting in kayak out there in the real world, and not some guys who got paid to demonstrate a fishing kayak in front of a camera.

Kayak fishing offshore in tandem is even more difficult, and hazardous, and we do not recommend it, unless both anglers are lightweight and very experienced with fishing together out of small boats, such as dinghies and canoes. Fishing in tandem out of a kayak equipped with a powerful motor, such as an outboard gas engine adds yet another level of risk, and in such cases you may consider outfitting your kayak with a pair of large size outriggers, such as this South Korean couple is using on an offshore fishing trip >>



Hands down the finest fishing kayak I’ve ever used.
That is coming from someone who has used others, plus has them on the rack at the house and makes a serious choice for on the water time. My W500 is like a pickup truck on the water, the kind that has a high performance engine under the hood. It’s tough, sturdy, and made for the angler. Standing to fish is not a balancing act nor is it a stunt to show the stability of the design. It’s a boat where standing is as natural as sitting. Casting distances are far better sitting or standing since the angler can put their whole body into a cast not just flail an arm. With my little fishing rods from Emmrod I’m locked and loaded to catch fish not fool with equipment.
Of course there is a problem, the W500 really has spoiled me. Tough to even consider fishing out of anything else. My friend Yoav Rosen created quite a watercraft in the Wavewalk.
This short movie is my setup as of 12-31-11.

Jeff

Visit Jeff’s one of a kind kayak fishing blog >>

My W500 performed great and I loved the stability, look, feel, and how comfortable it was to paddle around in it. Being able to stand while throwing a spinnerbait, rip bait, and jig with the feeling and confidence I was not going to tip over was comforting. As for the fishing I blanked but it was still a good time getting used to my new yak.

My second trip was this past weekend to another northern California lake called Lake Oroville with a fellow friend/co-worker who was already yak fishing with a SOT yak. We arrived Friday night at the cabin, ate some dinner, and got ready for the next day of fishing. After rigging our rods I showed him the art of dropshotting before calling it a night. Waking to the smell of bacon and eggs I knew breakfast was in order. Once done we loaded my yak on top of his then our gear and headed off for the lake.
Shortly after we arrived, prepped for launching and soon after we were on the water.
First I tried a spinnerbait around some sunken trees with no takers and the same result with my rip bait. Next we started to dropshot and we were getting bites right away. Unfortunately it was some little trout but it was still a fish. A short while later we go around a point and in the back of this cove were some trees coming out about 50ft towards the center of the cove. So I stayed out about 10-20ft past them and lowered down my dropshot bait and after it hit bottom I went to shake the rod tip and felt weight at the end. Slowly lifting I realized there was a fish on the other end and started reeling as I lifted the rod tip to set the hook. WooHoo! Fish on and the fight began as I did my best to bring the scrapper boat side. Once I got him to the surface I could see it was a nice spotted bass that could possibly go 2lbs. After lipping him and getting him inside the yak all I could think of was how good it felt to be back on the water again (ex bass boat owner – pre kids). We ended up with about 7 spots and all were in the 2-3lb range. Also throw in a nice smallie and we called it a good day.
I’m sorry for the lack of photos as my phone died the night before and I left it behind to charge.
So far my adventures with my W500 have been a blast and I can’t wait for the next one.
Take care! And maybe I’ll see you out on the water.
George – Northern CA

Gary

View from Gary's fishing kayak

Bob and Dick paddling standing and scouting for fish

Here is a fishing trip my friend and I took to West Twin Lakes.
Lisa took my W500, and I was in my W300.
We had rain most of the time, but no thunder or lightening.

Lisa has become very comfortable in my W500, she now calls it hers, in fact when she came home from work, she asked… “Why is there a motor on my Yak?”

Many big Bass came to hand, here is a recap. Lisa was happy catching tons of sunnies.

I paddled around and scoped things out in the new waters, cast a little here and there, and was rewarded with many Largemouth bass, from 1# to 2#’s.
Not to shabby for just poking around.
I just followed my gut, if it looked fishy, I fished it.
Weeds were high just below the surface everywhere you looked, except for where some home owners did their own weed control and all you saw was a barren bottom.
But I have to say this, they were smart about it, they left large areas untreated and they all held fish.
Rain had tapered off to light showers, so it wasn’t to bad out at all.

More panfish then you can shake a stick at, Pickerel were pissing me off.

I went down to the dock and did a little more casting before night fall.

Where this dock is set, is perfect, lilly pads and weeds to the left, nice rocky point to the right with over hanging limbs, out in front of the dock, weeds, wonderful weeds, and my Lucky Papa George Rod in Hand,
How can I go wrong? I’m On Vacation.

I was throwing a 3/8oz title shot jig with a dark green power hog on it, and it produced some chunky Bass, and some insane perch, but not what i was looking for.

So I switched up to a yum dinger 4″, and started chucking it around the weeds.
Letting it sink to the bottom, and doing my drop and pop all the way back to me.

This brought a few more bass to hand, but not the picture worthy kind, until 6:22pm, why do I know what time it is you ask?
Because my tenant called me in a drunkin stooper asking if he should put the trash out…………………… he won’t even remember I hung up on him…………………

I chucked the dinger out past the rocky point and started my retrieve back, and on the second pop, pop, BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
All Hell Breaks loose……….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Up Comes a Monster, flips in the air and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
She’s just going to my left ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, then she’s going to my right ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
I’m trying to keep her out of the brush under the trees she’s trying to get into, and she comes to the surface and is waking sideways at us, and Lisa say’s that the biggest Bass she’s ever seen.
Afraid of breaking my Pappa George pole, which is only a med glass pole, I grab the line and pulled, 40lb braid with a 17lb Vanish leader and turned her.
I get her dock side and she tail walking and doing her best to not let me get my thumb in her mouth…………then……………………………………………………………….
She’s mine.

I had to use two hands to hold her and lift her out of the water, She’s a Beast!!!!!!!!!!

We snapped a few shots, and I noticed, this big Girl has no Hook marks anywhere in her mouth or face.
She was just perfect, fat and healthy, 6.2 lbs

I placed her back in the water and rocked her gently, and she rewarded me with a big old tug and a splash that got me all wet when she turned and bolted away.

I switched to a title shot jig and power hog, casting as far as my little freaking arms would cast into the weeds in front of me.
These weeds were awesome, they had high spots, holes and a very nice channel between some of the the taller weeds to the shorter weed line.
It was here that the Bass were sitting.
I tell you this, these Title Shot jigs come through the weeds like butter, I only had to remove weeds off it once in a while, other then that, a good snap of the rod tip and she would pull right through that crap.
I pulled 8 Largemouth bass, and a bunch of rock bass and shorts.
Still not picture worthy.
Then it happens, a good solid thump, I set the hook and the fight is on, fish came to hand a little easier
with the med/hvy set up.
I was pumped now, rain had stopped, I jumped in my wavewalk yak and was off.
But as luck would have it, small Bass 1# and under was all I kept finding.
Switched to a drop shot and landed a few more bass, rock bass, and PICKEREL!!!!!
Got tired of retying my D/S due to the SLIME DARTS, just as I was changing lures, the skies opened up again.
Back up to the cottage for some more cards.

Rain stopped, I headed back out.
Casting a frog all over the place with nothing to show for it, not even a swirl??????
Switched to my yum dinger 5″ in my color of choice, watermelon pearl.
Cast the dinger into the lilly’s and walked it to the edge and let it fall……………………BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Fish on and she’s pulling me into the pads with her.

Thank God For good hooksets and heavy line.

I grabbed this fatty and let out a hoot!

Then Lisa says to me, “I want to learn how to fish with your lures, I’m tired of picking wormshit from under my nails”
By now, she has most likely caught over 100 sunnies, perch and rock bass, but said she’d like more of a challenge.

So I hand her Fathers pole (My Pappa George pole he had given me before he passed away) and told her don’t you break it, rigged up the dinger, gave her some pointers, and she went to work.
A while later, she was working it, the drop and pop, and landed her first bass.
A nice little keeper, but her first ever, and liked the new fight.

I sent Lisa to the lilly pads with a 5″ yum dinger and told her to cast it into the lilly pads and work it to the edge, then let it drop and watch the line, any movement, or if it doesn’t feel right, set the hook.

She wasn’t catching squat, so she told me, “this is my last cast”

She cast the dinger up on the pads and worked to the edge, and as it fell…………………….BAM ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, then all you see is the W500 being towed and Lisa’s pole bent to the max………. then the bass buried itself in the weeds, and she drops her tip and says its gone.
I told her to put pressure back on the line and hold her ground, hoping the bass was still there……..then the rod tip starts bouncing, out of the weeds and into the air she comes. Holy Crap, it’s a good one.
It dives then comes up close to my W300’s side, I reach down and snag the fatty for her.
She is one happy camper, and most likely won’t be meat dunking again for a long time.
In fact she ended up with 5 more Bass when we called it a day.

I was happy she got a big Bass, I really wanted her to get the full battle of a big fish.

Life Is Good in a Wave Walk Yak.

Rox