Stand Up Kayaks

Some people enjoy fishing while kayaking.  However, at times they may find it difficult to cast from a sitting position.  Not only that, it may be difficult to stow their fishing rods and other gear.

Stand Up Kayaks (SUK) offer fishermen an alternative.  Generally speaking, fishing kayaks offer the fisherman more stability on the water than the standard SINKs or SOTs.  They typically have wider beams than the average kayak which increases their stability. Many fishing kayaks have outriggers to give an even more stable platform for fishing.

Fishing kayaks or SUKs may be equipped with fishing rod holders, live bait containers, electronic fish finders and more.  One disadvantage to fishing kayaks is that they can be quite heavy when loading or unloading.  Try one out if possible before purchasing.

Another alternative to try is hawaiian paddle boarding.  Stand up surf paddleboards are becoming more popular.  Many advocates of this form of paddlesports participate in paddleboard races.   

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Focus On Fishing Kayaks

Probably one of the most enjoyable things to do in a kayak is to spend the day out on the water fishing.  Recreational kayaks offer the angler a new venue for fishing.  Sure motorboats are fun, but recreational kayaks allow you to get back into creeks and sloughs that might prove difficult to maneuver a motorboat.  Your style of fishing will probably determine your choice of kayak.  Many recreational kayaks can be safely used for fishing kayaks.  Some conversion may be necessary.  Yak fishing is a sport that you can use in either freshwater or saltwater environs.

It's not rocket science, but before choosing a new fishing kayak, you need to focus on your primary fishing habits.  Those habits will best determine what type kayak to use; a simple converted recreational kayak, a stand up kayak (SUK) or a spiffy new fishing kayak.

Storage space is a primary consideration when choosing a fishing kayak or upgrading a recreational kayak.  Focus on your needs.  Where are you going to keep your catch?  Do you have a lot of gear to stow?  Will you be using live bait?  Depending on the kayak, you may be able to get by just using a simple storage space such as a plastic milk crates or other drainable crate or container.  Sit Inside Kayaks (SIK or SINK) oftentimes have sealed compartments under hatches.  This might be all the space for gear that you require.  Depending on your size and agility, you might be able to store rods, lures and safety equipment in the holds.  However, sometimes, a bit of conversion is necessary.  Rod holders, bait wells, flag supports for the kayak may all be items that you want to add to your yak fisher.

While SOT's (sit-on-tops) with their wider berths are usually more stable craft for fishing kayaks, you do tend to get wet with them.  Not a real problem if you fish in warm climates.  However, you can freeze your buns off on a northern lake or bay.  Depending on where you fish, you might have wakes from motorboats or waves from a lake or the ocean washing over you.  Scupper holes in sit on top (SOT) kayaks usually take care of the water so that you don't have to bail, but the downside is that you've still got a wet seat for most of the fishing expedition.  Without some tie-downs or holders your gear may end up on the bottom of the lake or ocean if you manage to fall off your SOT.

SIK's or SINK's (sit inside kayaks) offer more maneuverability and are generally faster than the SOT's if you have to cross a lake or a bay.   The downside of them is that should you get swamped by wakes or waves, you may find it nearly impossible to drain without specialized gear including a bilge pump.

Some recreational kayaks including stand up kayaks (SUK's) are now constructed for the specific purpose of fishing.  Some of them are quite heavy, and might require two people to carry or load them.  Consider the type of vehicle you drive before you purchase a fishing kayak.  If you're transporting the kayak by car, make sure the kayak is not so heavy that it's going to dent your roof if you have roof mounted racks.  Pick-up truck beds and SUV's with racks are pretty good options for transporting fishing kayaks.