As I was strolling through YouTube the other day during what has so far been a rainiest stretch that I can recall, I came across this little gem from the guys at Jackson Kayak in conjunction with some pro staff from Orvis. Other than the cool production of the video, what struck me the most was the simplicity of the whole fishing experience for these guys. They had their fly rods, nets, paddles, and that was just about it. It occurred to me that this was a simplicity that has been lost in most fishing circles.
I remember the day that a buddy and I drove down to the nearest Bass Pro Shops and we purchased first generation 12 foot Ascend angling kayaks. I purchased the kayak for two reasons, cost and simplicity. It was a way for me to get to where the fish were for less than $600. It was literally all that I could afford at the time. As for simplicity, I had one of the more simple load outs for kayak fishing that I could assemble in a mere matter of moments. It consisted of my PFD, paddle, three rods, plastic worm box, two tackle trays, a slightly modified fishing crate that I purchased in college, a pair of pliers, and a waterproof box. This was all that was necessary for a day of fun on the water. I have since upgraded the kayak and added a flag and light mount to my crate, but my gear has otherwise remained consistent.
The point of the above is to remind folks that they don’t have to spend a fortune to catch fish. I stroll through some fishing social media sites and the casual observer would think that he or she would need to spend thousands of dollars on custom gear in order to ever have a chance to land a fish. For what some of these ambassadors load onto their kayaks, they could have bought a fairly adequately rigged john boat. There is also a correlation between cost and simplicity. The more one spends on a kayak fishing rig, the less simple the rig is to prep and launch. Conversely, the less one spends, the more simple the rig is to prep and launch.
If you have thought about investing in a kayak for fishing or exploration but are discouraged by the perceived cost, please remember to keep it simple. Start with the basics, then you can add as needed. A good rule of thumb is that any gear that you use should help you catch more fish, catch bigger fish, or help you fish longer. Everything else can be left at the store.
-Al
The Waterman Diaries 