Fishing from a kayak is a popular trend in the sea fishing and not only in it. A lot of fishermen have been considering this floating craft for a long time, but often they don’t fully understand its pros and cons.
adriaticnature asked the excellent fisherman, who calls himself “just lucky” and has been fishing from the kayak for the past few years, to tell us about fishing kayaking. Hristofor Pamyatnih lives most of the time in Sofia, Bulgaria. He regularly makes treacherous attacks on the fish of the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and other seas of the Mediterranean basin.
(Hristofor Pamyatnih. Author’s photo)
Hristofor, thanks for getting around to talking to adriaticnature. So, if you don’t mind, let’s start with the question that may seem absurd to you – what is the difference between an average kayak and a fishing kayak?
Long ago, kayaks consisted of a wooden base, covered with skins. Later, they were made completely of wood, but the approach remained the same – a hollow boat with enough space to put legs and lower part of the body. With the advent of new technologies, they started to produce classic kayaks from fiberglass, carbon fiber reinforced plastic and polyethylene.
The main disadvantage of classic (also called Sit-In) kayaks is that it’s rather inconvenient to get into such a boat on the water, and it’s hard to do something else besides the very process of moving. I don’t claim that it’s impossible, I can only compare it with riding a racing bike on mountain trails.
(Sit-In Kayak. Photo by © bestconsumerreviews.com)
But Sit-on-top kayaks occurred. Originally, they were designed for diving. But fishermen, hunters, photographers and even amateur tourists liked them very much due to their stability on the water. The production technologies of Sit-On-Top kayaks have made a step forward compared to the classical ones, as well as the improvement of their forms. Nowadays, it is not a problem to make a boat with a double bottom or case and make a kayak-trimaran.
(Kayak-trimaran. Photo by © smalltrimarans.com)
The trimaran provides you with the ability to load a large number of things on board, which will be easily accessible during fishing, the ability to install a large number of necessary accessories almost painlessly for the boat, including holders for rods, depth sounder, navigator, and so on. The convenience of boarding the Sit-On-Top kayak on the water is very important as well. All of the above mentioned points make it a good alternative to runabouts.
(Sit-On-Top kayak. Photo by © kayakhelp.com)
Do Sit-On-Top kayaks have any advantages over runabouts?
It’s a rather difficult question, since I hardly use runabouts. Basically, I have memories only about my friend’s boat, although the boat had the Salyut engine, if I’m not mistaken. And my friend, who had been a fisherman completely ignorant of technical issues, turned into a man, who was good at internal-combustion engines, in six months.
In my opinion, there are several advantages. I admit modestly that I’ve always strived to be different from others. Everyone has motor boats. When I bought the kayak, nobody had it. Kayak is cooler – I like it like a bike. Kayak is more “practicable” and maneuverable. Being on the kayak, you can get into the places you can’t even imagine being on the boat. For example, in the Danube delta, where you can take a shortcut of ten kilometers to the chosen target through plant-filled channels.
The kayak sailage is less than that of a boat, the wind hardly blows it away. In addition, with the help of the rudder, you can regulate the direction of water flow, which enables you to fish the shoals of interest in the sea, and slowly drift along the banks of freshwater bodies, catching fish from under overhanging trees and bushes.
(Danube Delta. Photo by © travelguideromania.com)
The kayak is easier to maintain – it takes 15 minutes to disassemble even my sailing trimaran. And it can also be rolled on a trolley from the beach to the hotel.
It’s almost impossible to break something in oared kayaks. Good kayaks have a much better navigability than inflatable boats. My record is the storm of force 6 at sea on December 31. I’m absolutely sure that I don’t want to repeat it, but at that moment I had no doubt that I would have time to get out. I managed to get to the shore, being 18 kilometers from the car.
The bureaucracy doesn’t lag behind. For example, in Greece, it is forbidden to fish from the boat if the boat is not registered in Greece. In Albania, registration and license is required to drive a boat with an engine with a capacity of more than one horsepower. An unknown boat always draws the attention of the Coast Guard. The Greek regulatory agencies, and I catch fish in the Greek seas quite often, adore all kinds of prohibitions. And if they are in bad humor, they will try hard to think up a reason for a fine. In the parlance of a famous Greek fisherman, in this country you can be fined for riding a bicycle without a license; and no one cares that the license for riding a bicycle does not exist. The kayak draws less unnecessary attention and increases the amount of time that can be spent on fishing, instead of talking that brings dubious pleasure.
The kayak promotes good physical fitness. When I had the kayak by the French company Rotomod, namely RTM K-Largo, the girls admired my back!-)
(Rotomod RTM K-Largo. Photo by kajakshop.hu)
Of course, escaping the storm with a 40-horsepower engine is easier than using your own muscles, but I’m sure that there are more advantages than disadvantages.
And one more thing, I forgot about the most important thing. It’s silence! I live in a “million-plus” city and work in an open space office, where, 60 more people work as well. When I’m on the sea, rush up waves in complete silence, listening only to the wave slaps and the sound of the wind in the sails, I find the reason to live. No words can convey the infinite feeling of freedom and complete awareness that you are one-on-one with the sea.
What can you say about water safety measures? Of course, to onlookers, it seems that the high seas and the kayak are not meant to be together. What one can afford when fishing from the kayak on the sea? And what must never be done?
I may be mistaken, but the kayak was invented for the high seas by the peoples of the high north. It turns out that sea kayaks have a better navigability than most boats. And the safety rules are pretty simple.
- Always put on a life jacket. Absolutely always.
- Always take food and water with you. Especially water. I know perfectly well how much water I will need for one trip, but I always take at least one spare bottle.
- You must have a reliable means of communication; I always put out to sea with a phone with an IP67 waterproof level and a sea portable radio set.
- Everything that doesn’t float and isn’t tied to the kayak will sink sooner or later. Therefore, it is necessary to tie everything to the kayak. Especially the oar.
- Consider all the “emergency” exits from the sea in advance – for example, if the wind changes suddenly, you need to know where you can land.
- Never trust the weather forecast hundred per cent. You should feel the sea, and pack your bags, when the first signs that something can go wrong occur.
- One of the most dangerous moments is unmooring and mooring. Half-meter waves on the sea will cause seasickness at most, but half-meter waves on the beach will easily turn over the boat. Don’t forget that the wind and the wave always turn over the boat sideways to the wave.
Simple safety measures aren’t rocket science, but it’s amazing how many people forget about/ pay no mind to them.
An acquaintance of mine, some time ago, was catching pikes in perfect weather conditions. This guy is a little careless. He was fishing, while standing in the kayak. There was a bite, and at that moment he stepped on one of the plugs that lay on the bottom of the kayak. He fell overboard, and the other lure treble and even some kind of rope hooked the leg. Thanks God, there was another boat nearby, and they pulled him out on time. And, moreover, he didn’t wear the life jacket. Imagine the sea is half meter deep, there is no wind and the sun is shining, the water is warm and there is no stream. He falls from the kayak into the water upside down and… It seems to be an absurd and stupid situation, but such incidents happen, unfortunately, in the most calm and idyllic moments.
Self-confidence is life threatening in our business.
- I almost forgot. No spirits! Even a can of beer can cause a lot of trouble.
Tell us please, how to approach the question of choosing the kayak for fishing, which will be used on the sea as well? In addition to products by various manufacturers, there are kayaks with all kinds of specific design features on the market, including models with pedal, models with sails, models with options for installing a motor and others. How can a person, who is not keen on kayaks, understand what s/he needs?
A perfect kayak doesn’t exist. One thing that should definitely be avoided is the kayak by the Chinese “no name” manufacturer. I haven’t seen the normal “Chinese” kayak. They are all very heavy, bulky and have poor navigable features.
If the kayak is narrow, it will be pretty fast, but less stable and you can load fewer things onto it. If the kayak is wider, it will be more stable, but slower.
If the kayak is heavy, it means that it is made using a larger amount of material, it will be stronger and you will be able to treat it more carelessly. But I this case, it will be harder to load it on the car trunk.
You should “feel” the kayak.
Ten years ago, we had almost no choice, and I bought the French Rotomod RTM K-Largo kayak mentioned above. By the way, I reached 40 kilometers upstream of the Danube on it, taking with me ammunition for weekly fishing, combined with a tent rest. The kayak was rather bulky and heavy.
Then, I bought the Malibu X13 kayak from California. And I don’t plan to part ways with it. It’s rather sharp, a little capricious, but I really like it.
(Malibu X13. Photo by yakangler.com)
And, finally, about 5 years ago, I purchased another “Californian” – Hobie Adventure Island – a sailing trimaran with pedals.
I didn’t find common language with Hobie from the very beginning. Then I understood why in English the word “ship” is the only inanimate object of the feminine gender. Very quickly I managed to drown a couple of spinning rods with reels and sunglasses, I got wet on every fishing trip. Then the hull of the vessel burst under water, and I’ve been waiting for the replacement of the kayak under warranty for 10 months. And the pedals broke 3 or 4 times on the sea.
(Hobie Adventure Island. Photo by © outdoorchannel.com)
But then, I didn’t even understand at what point, I stopped fighting with it, and we began to live in perfect harmony. By the way, I had almost the same story with my girlfriend Valentina, with who I’ve been in a relationship for several years.
When choosing the kayak for yourself, one should keep in mind its accessibility and popularity. I always recommend the following “Californians” – Ocean Kayak Prowler or Trident – for the beginners. This is the golden mean by the criterion of price-quality, and besides, they are easy to sell. Ocean Kayak is part of Johnsons Outdoors Corporation, which manufactures Minn Kota electric motors, echo sounders and Humminbird navigation systems and Cannon trolling accessories, so you can quickly find many compatible accessories for your kayak.
(Ocean Kayak Trident 13. Photo by kayaksandpaddles.co.uk)
If you have enough money, you can purchase Hobie Adventure Island, but you should keep in mind – 1. pedals break sometimes 2. all accessories, for example, rod holders, echo sounder, have rather unpleasant prices. Take a closer look at the accessories of the New Zealand-based Railblaza, which, however, are still not that cheap. And the very last modification of the Adventure Island kayak costs about 6 thousand euros in Europe.
The advantage of Hobie is that everything else is included in the price. When purchasing, for example, Ocean Kayak, one must keep in mind that the base price doesn’t include the steering wheel, seat and oar: 200 euros per wheel + 75-100 per seat and oar, which can be bought for a hundred, or five.
In my opinion, having decided to buy the kayak, you need to focus on global brands that have passed the period of infantile sicknesses. And the perfect variant is to try everything first and then make a choice. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to do this, in our conditions.
What additional expenses should one prepare for? What, besides gear, is it necessary to equip a kayak for fishing with?
Let’s start with the echo sounder. It costs at least one hundred and fifty euros and much more. I strongly advise you not to buy the echo sounder with a huge screen, it will feed on batteries like a hamster feeds on sunflower seeds. I have an old Humminbird 570 DI, with a black and white screen, without a GPS receiver. At the depths of up to 100 meters, it works flawlessly and an 8-ampere battery lasts for a week of active fishing. Modern “portable” ones discharge such a battery in 4-6 hours. You need monitor and sensor holders, cables, battery and charger for the echo sounder.
(Humminbird 570 DI. Photo by © Pavel Voroncov)
There are many options to save money not at the expense of quality. My battery is hidden in a sealed box for food for a couple of euros, cable connections are by Hobie, though they were a gift from a dealer. The stand for the echo sounder screen is produced by the New Zealand-based Railblaza Company. The echo sounder sensor is glued to the bottom of the kayak using the water-proof resin, which is sold in Bulgaria under the trade name Bolkit.
As for the sensor. It can easily work through the bottom of the kayak, sound waves pass through the plastic almost without difficulty. However, the contact between the sensor and the bottom must be tight and airtight – without air bubbles, the medium must be homogeneous.
There are several ways to mount the sensor to the bottom of the kayak. The first is to make a special “bath-tub”, which is then poured over with the gel used in electrocardiography. Or vaseline. The main problem is that sooner or later everything in the kayak will covered with these substances. In any case, I managed to achieve this result. The second way is to glue the echo sounder sensor to the bottom with epoxy resin or anything like it. There is one thing – glue or resin with perfect adhesion to polyethylene hasn’t been invented yet. “Bolkit” is just sticky and it doesn’t harden. It’s an excellent solution at a rock-bottom price.
(“Bolkit”. Photo by bonus96.com)
In the kayak, it’s very important to choose the right place for the installation of the echo sounder screen – it should be perfectly visible, but in no case hinder. Each kayak has a couple of places, where it can be installed this way.
Rod holders are a very interesting topic. Almost every Sit-On-Top kayak has a couple of factory-supplied holders, and they are located right behind the seat. It is an amazingly unfortunate place! If you catch fish with the help of a trolling track, a rear-view mirror will be useful. But this mirror still won’t save from water splashing from oars to spinning rod reels.
In order to mount the holders, you need to drill a kayak, so you’d better think twice whether it will be convenient to get rods from the place where you will drill, and whether they will hinder you.
Railblaza has very convenient systems from ports and rails for various stands, but, as I said earlier, the prices of their products make you think about the “do it yourself” options.
(Railblaza accessories. Photo by © paddleguy.com)
A box for lures. The solution to the question is what your imagination tells you. Each to their own. My friends use everything they find and mount to the kayak for this purpose. Most of them exploit bags of ordinary fabric, in which everything gets wet. Others use all sorts of plastic boxes they come around. I solved the problem for myself using the box for winter fishing.
And yes, it took me years to stop taking the lures and other stuff with me for reasons like “I may need this”.
Clothes. Hm. I have the “wettest” kayak in the world! And my fishing season lasts from October to May. In the warm time of the year, I prefer to catch fish wearing surfing clothes, and in the cold seasons, I wear “dry” suits.
If I’m not in a dry suit for some reason, I always have a wind jacket and warm clothes with long sleeves in stock.
Clothes should be stored separately from gear in a “dry” bag.
A kayak trolley is not mandatory, but a very useful thing, especially if you use it in different places and hiking conditions. And alone.
Store food and water in sealed packages.
What fishing methods do you practice in the kayak?
I practice almost all methods using artificial lures. Sometimes I even use flyfishing. In fresh water, I use plugs, soft plastic lures, flyfishing. In salty water, I use plugs, topwater and soft plastic lures, vertical jigging and, sometimes, “weekend” trips with a couple of plugs in water.
In summer, I catch fish mainly in freshwater. In summer, the activity of the bite is not very compatible with kayaking. Or I’d rather say I’m too lazy to get up at 3 am, so that at the top of 4 am I could be afloat. And barracuda, horse mackerel and Atlantic mackerel are not worth such early awakenings on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea-).