As I sit here at my desk this morning, I can’t help but think about the history of kaYAK fishing. It seems that it has only really grown popular in the last decade or so but the kaYAK Angler has been around for at least 4000 years. So why has it taken 4000 years to have a visible stake in the modern fishing industry?
Kayak fishing was originally developed in the Arctic regions where anglers used kayaks to hunt on inland lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. These early kayaks were usually created using stitched animal skins stretched over a wooden frame made from driftwood as many of the areas were treeless.
As we skip ahead to modern day and take a look at how the kayak fishing industry has evolved, its beneficial to see how the sport came to be. To the best of my research modern kayak fishing grew from the shores of California where groups of quiet anglers were beginning to take to the water. Among those was Tim Nemier living in Malibu where he was crafting his own brand of kayaks out of fiberglass. The Scupper kayaks that he was creating have a strong resemblance to the fishing kayaks that we use today. These kayaks seemed to be the answer to the tipsy SINKs (Sit In Kayak) that were being used by ocean kayakers. An angler or diver could easily move about the kayak, crawl on or off them, and best of all, shrug off the water from the surf.
Nemier sold his sit-on-top kayak on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway for $150 sometimes selling his own kayak minutes after hitting the beach, no problem, he would simply build another. Nemier built his small rode side business into an industry leader with the founding of Ocean Kayak and transitioning his kayaks from fiberglass to the more easily produced plastic.
The popularity of kayak fishing has primarily grown due to the ease of entry. Kayaks can be purchased fairly inexpensively and have very little maintenance cost. I think that the recent recession has also really helped to grow the industry with many boat purchasers re-evaluating their investment and deciding to take a more natural approach to fishing. Kayaks can be easily transported without the need of a trailer and can be easily stored in smaller places. One other factor that you can’t over look is the unlimited access that Kayak fishing offers. You can fish shallow water that many boats can not get too and also many small bodies of water that do not have boat ramps.
Many kayak manufactures also sell a large inventory of kayak fishing accessories, from rod holders, anchor trolley systems, to GPS and fish finders. With all of the Kayak fishing stuff out there it has become the norm for many kaYAK Anglers to showcase their personally modified “YAK’s” in forums and websites such as www.yakangler.com.
Whether you enjoy fishing salt or freshwater there is probably a local club or organization in your area. Tournaments are beginning to spring up on both the east and west coast with some of the biggest being in Jacksonville, FL and in Georgia.
Well that’s my “Yak’ing” for the day
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