Traditionally, anglers wanting to fish from a kayak had only one means of propelling it and that meant paddling. It was an effective way of moving around without attaching an electric trolling motor, but could be physically exhausting for an angler without the upper body strength needed to go all day, long distances, and into strong winds or current. The Hobie MirageDrive addressed that issue by changing the source of the power from pulling to pushing. Yes it’s easier to push with your larger leg muscles than pull with the smaller arm muscles. You can also do it for a longer time allowing kayakers to travel lengthy distances to pristine shallow fishing locations that other boaters cannot venture into.
You can’t hold me back, I got to go. If you bring your NuCanoe, we got to go. There’s no holding us back. We love kayaking. The adventure, challenge, and thrill of paddling streams and lakes. New places where high bluffs tower above us towards the clouds as we paddle by casting for smallmouth or lakes full of water lilies that run from the bank outwards that we fish for with hollow belly frogs. It’s the opportunity for us kayakers to escape and venture on a journey of exploration with every stroke of our paddles. We all get goose bumps just thinking about it, but there is one drawback to getting our NuCanoes in the water so we can go. Transporting it from the vehicle or storage shed to the lake or stream you are going out on.
Fishing from a kayak is an outdoor activity that almost anyone can enjoy and participate in. Only a few skills are required such as maintaining your balance when casting. It’s also wise to know a few strokes and safety precautions when out fishing from a kayak, but other than that it’s really easy. A large number of anglers like fishing from kayaks as an alternative to owning a boat with an outboard because it’s more economical and environmentally friendly. These anglers know the effects that powerful outboards have on the shorelines and want to make wise environmental choices. For them it starts with the Personal Floatation Device (PFD) and that’s why they find the Mustang Survival OASIS Paddling PFD irresistible.
It adds up after awhile. One lost pair of pliers, weigh-scale, or Boga grip can really add up. I don’t know how many times one of these slips out of my hands and sinks to the bottom of the lake. If there was ever a drawback to kayak fishing it’s not having enough space to store everything. That leaves valuable items like pliers and Boga grips lying around on the deck of your kayak. You would think that it’s almost impossible for one to fall overboard, but stuff happens when you are fighting a fish in a kayak. Take for instance the time I grabbed my net to land a fish unknowingly snagging my pliers and tossing them into the lake. Nothing is safe from sinking unless you attach a floating accessory leash by Yak-Gear.
As crazy as it may sound I bought myself an insurance policy for my fishing poles. Now my fishing poles are not the $500 over priced G.L. **** rods, but off the rack; the kind anyone can afford to have a couple of without breaking their bank account. I think it was a smart move on my part since I often fish from a kayak where the possibility of capsizing is likely. Capsizing is not the only peril; large fish can literally take a fishing rod out of the holder some days. Plus, I like the reassurance of having an insurance policy for my fishing rods. I guess the only part of the insurance policy that embarrasses me is the cost. That’s right, the cost. It only costs me less than $12. That’s unbelievable right? Nope, the FISHnPOLE Leash costs less than $12 and is the best insurance policy an angler can buy.
Besides having a good paddle the other accessory that a kayak angler has got to have is exceptional footwear. Footwear allows the angler to move around on the bank by providing traction on various surfaces. An exceptional pair of footwear not only provides traction, but support when portaging over rocky terrain, dragging your kayak over shallow shoals, or wading through creek bottoms with slippery rocks. If you wear anything less than high quality, performance footwear your day out kayak fishing can turn into a calamity. Footwear technology is what separates average water sport shoes from great. With that in mind, Sperry Top-Sider® developed their SON-R technology, a patented “outsole-to-insole-to-brain” sensory feedback system.
One drawback to fishing from a kayak is dealing with flush mount rod holders. Sure they are great for holding your rod while you paddle, but being located low on the kayak hull makes them hard to reach and allows water to seep into your kayak. Kayak anglers fishing in saltwater also want to reduce their reels from being sprayed with saltwater. Plus oversized spinning reels and baitcasters never want to sit up correctly or bang around when put in flush mount rod holders. That’s why Yak-Gear.com came up with their new Rod Holder Extender Kit. They were designed to make kayak fishing easier, reduce the salt spray, and hold your reel safely away from the hull of your kayak.
I would rank getting away from other anglers and fishing uncharted waters as the number one reason, I go fishing from a kayak. Every stroke of my paddle takes me farther and farther away from civilization and closer to nature. Kayak fishing gets me right down on the water’s surface. Often, I can feel the cool water embracing my skin as I push on the paddle moving me forward. Nevertheless, I never venture out until after my Mustang Survival Deluxe Sportsman’s Vest is on.
Do you know how to pick out the right paddle for steering and paddling your kayak or canoe? Maybe it’s your new NuCanoe that you need paddles for. It’s really an individual’s own choice, but a number of factors will play a major part in which one is right for you including your height, watercraft width, and what type of paddling you are doing. Other options that have to be considered when selecting a paddle is blade shape, blade construction, shaft type, and shaft size. In most situations the deciding factor between all of the paddles available is price. Premium paddles are made with quality, lightweight high-tech materials, but come with a higher price tag.
It had been a long day of paddling and fishing for smallmouth bass on Crooked Creek in Arkansas. Soon we would be stopping to make our camp along the scenic river banks. In the distance, you could hear the faint roar of the rapids. It was going to be the only challenging section of the river for us novice paddlers. The smallmouth bass fishing had been so good that I had completely forgotten about it. Early in the day, I had secured everything in my NuCanoe down. The only thing not tied down was my hat and paddle. Soon, I was going to lose both of them. As the roar of the rapids got louder, I prepared by putting my fishing pole in the rod holder. I wasn’t going to lose my new rod, but gave little thought to my paddle. As we rounded the corner, the rapids were straight ahead. I wasn’t impressed. Although, they were loud, they weren’t going to be a challenge; in fact, we were going to have to drag our kayaks through the extremely shallow water. What I didn’t realize was how slippery the rocks were. Jumping out of my NuCanoe, I lose my balance and fell on my rear-end. Luckily, my NuCanoe drifted over into the other bank. Unfortunately, I lost my hat and paddle in the ordeal. Of course no one in our group of anglers had an extra paddle. For the first time ever in my life, I was up a creek without a paddle.
Kayak Fishing 
Traditionally, anglers wanting to fish from a kayak had only one means of propelling it and that meant paddling. It was an effective way of moving around without attaching an electric trolling motor, but could be physically exhausting for an angler without the upper body strength needed to go all day, long distances, and into strong winds or current. The Hobie MirageDrive addressed that issue by changing the source of the power from pulling to pushing. Yes it’s easier to push with your larger leg muscles than pull with the smaller arm muscles. You can also do it for a longer time allowing kayakers to travel lengthy distances to pristine shallow fishing locations that other boaters cannot venture into.
Fishing from a kayak is an outdoor activity that almost anyone can enjoy and participate in. Only a few skills are required such as maintaining your balance when casting. It’s also wise to know a few strokes and safety precautions when out fishing from a kayak, but other than that it’s really easy. A large number of anglers like fishing from kayaks as an alternative to owning a boat with an outboard because it’s more economical and environmentally friendly. These anglers know the effects that powerful outboards have on the shorelines and want to make wise environmental choices. For them it starts with the Personal Floatation Device (PFD) and that’s why they find the Mustang Survival OASIS Paddling PFD irresistible.
As crazy as it may sound I bought myself an insurance policy for my fishing poles. Now my fishing poles are not the $500 over priced G.L. **** rods, but off the rack; the kind anyone can afford to have a couple of without breaking their bank account. I think it was a smart move on my part since I often fish from a kayak where the possibility of capsizing is likely. Capsizing is not the only peril; large fish can literally take a fishing rod out of the holder some days. Plus, I like the reassurance of having an insurance policy for my fishing rods. I guess the only part of the insurance policy that embarrasses me is the cost. That’s right, the cost. It only costs me less than $12. That’s unbelievable right? Nope, the FISHnPOLE Leash costs less than $12 and is the best insurance policy an angler can buy.
One drawback to fishing from a kayak is dealing with flush mount rod holders. Sure they are great for holding your rod while you paddle, but being located low on the kayak hull makes them hard to reach and allows water to seep into your kayak. Kayak anglers fishing in saltwater also want to reduce their reels from being sprayed with saltwater. Plus oversized spinning reels and baitcasters never want to sit up correctly or bang around when put in flush mount rod holders. That’s why Yak-Gear.com came up with their new Rod Holder Extender Kit. They were designed to make kayak fishing easier, reduce the salt spray, and hold your reel safely away from the hull of your kayak.
It had been a long day of paddling and fishing for smallmouth bass on Crooked Creek in Arkansas. Soon we would be stopping to make our camp along the scenic river banks. In the distance, you could hear the faint roar of the rapids. It was going to be the only challenging section of the river for us novice paddlers. The smallmouth bass fishing had been so good that I had completely forgotten about it. Early in the day, I had secured everything in my NuCanoe down. The only thing not tied down was my hat and paddle. Soon, I was going to lose both of them. As the roar of the rapids got louder, I prepared by putting my fishing pole in the rod holder. I wasn’t going to lose my new rod, but gave little thought to my paddle. As we rounded the corner, the rapids were straight ahead. I wasn’t impressed. Although, they were loud, they weren’t going to be a challenge; in fact, we were going to have to drag our kayaks through the extremely shallow water. What I didn’t realize was how slippery the rocks were. Jumping out of my NuCanoe, I lose my balance and fell on my rear-end. Luckily, my NuCanoe drifted over into the other bank. Unfortunately, I lost my hat and paddle in the ordeal. Of course no one in our group of anglers had an extra paddle. For the first time ever in my life, I was up a creek without a paddle.