01-02-2025 REELLIFE DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 11
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The word “kayak” means
“surface” or “top” in the
Inuktitut language, a
dialect spoken by the Inuit
people. The Inuits started
paddling around kayaks
some 4000 years ago
in pursuit of wild game.
Today, the kayak market is a
rapidly growing industry in
the fishing world. Over the
past two decades, kayak
companies have made
giant leaps in bringing new
and innovative products
onto the fishing scene.
These advancements have
made what was once just
a simple human-powered
watercraft, into now, what
is a very formidable fishing
machine.
Why a kayak and not a
traditional fishing boat you
ask? There are more than
just a handful of reasons
why kayak fishing might
suit your needs better than
a larger vessel. Here are
some of the more popular
justifications:
Maneuverability.
quite easy to move around,
and they generally won’t
require a trailer. Even my
13 ft Hobie Revolution can
be toted on top of a car as
small as a Prius with the
proper roof rack installed.
Kayaks can get into tight
spaces and shallow waters
that might not be suitable
for larger boats. This is great
for things like the seabass
fishery, where rockfish like
to hang out in shallow kelp
beds along the straights of
Juan De Fuca or the north
coast of Washington state.
Simplicity. Kayaks are
Kayaks are work.
Portability. Kayaks are
the minimalist’s best friend.
There's no combustible
engine requiring loads of
maintenance, fuel, and
oil. In a kayak, you are the
motor. Now, that’s not to
say kayaks can’t start losing
some of their minimalistic
qualities. There are loads of
add-ons, knick-knacks, and
even electric motors that
can sometimes blur the
line between a kayak and a
traditional fishing vessels.
More on that later.
You heard me right, kayaks
are physical work, yet that’s
why many of us love them.
Getting in a solid workout
in your pursuit of fish is
part of the appeal for many
of us anglers. I can tell you
firsthand there’s nothing
like landing ashore with a
stringer filled with 30 lbs
of fish and a body that lets
you know you just earned
your catch in every way
conceivable.
