Kayak fishing catching on in Great Lakes

[Spiel]

Kayak fishing catching on in Great Lakes

 

05/04/08

Eric Sharp - DETROIT FREE PRESS

 

 

DETROIT — Four years ago I bought my first fishing kayak, a sit-inside model. I start kayak fishing early in spring and keep it up until late October, so I figured a sit-inside would be drier and warmer than a sit-on-top.

 

However, the closed boat proved difficult to get in and out of for wading when the water was more than a couple of feet deep. If you dump one it requires a major effort to empty it and climb back inside.

 

So last fall I bought a Hurricane Phoenix 16 sit-on-top, and fishing from it in Michigan and Florida has been a big improvement.

 

It was a close choice between the Phoenix and the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 16 because both have good hull shapes and paddle as well as some touring kayaks. I picked the Phoenix because it seemed a little faster and, at 52 pounds, was a dozen pounds lighter than the Tarpon, making it easier to load onto the top of a full-sized pickup.

 

The Phoenix and Tarpon are a little tippier than most SOTs, but a half-hour’s practice should make anyone comfortable with the boats, and to me the superior speed was well worth trading a little stability.

 

I went with a 16-footer because I often paddle offshore in big lakes or salt water, and a big boat handles big waves better. Most Michigan anglers would be fine with a 14-footer or even a 12 if they fish smaller lakes and smooth rivers.

 

An essential purchase for an SOT is a seat, because unlike sit-insides, many SOTs don’t come with one. The first one I bought was a low-back recreational model because $80 seemed better than $120 for a high-backed seat designed for anglers. It proved penny wise and pound foolish, and after a few days of backaches I returned to the kayak shop and bought a high-backed seat.

 

I’d also recommend that anglers who fish from an SOT in spring and fall buy a wet suit. I usually wear a Farmer John style, which has separate bibs and jacket. I wear the full suit when the water is under 60 degrees, but most of the time it’s just the bibs.

 

The SOT is a great fishing platform. In deeper water I can sit with my legs dangling over the sides, and getting in and out in shallow water to wade for bass, carp or redfish is simple.

 

Most SOTs have a well behind the paddler that will hold a milk crate of gear or a scuba tank and a smaller well at the bow. I usually bungee a tackle bag onto the front deck with the gear needed for the day.

 

My next step is to figure out the type of rod holders I want to mount on the Phoenix and design a small platform for a GPS, radio and electronic fishfinder. (I have better electronic navigation and communications on my kayaks today than they had on aircraft carriers 20 years ago.)

 

I suspect that in a few years the popularity of kayak fishing in the Great Lakes will rival southern and West Coast states. If you’d like to learn more about it, do a computer search for “kayak fishing,” and you’ll get advice on everything from rigging a kayak to fighting a 300-pound marlin from one.