It is interesting that kayak fishing has only recently become a popular sport, since hunting had traditionally been among the general uses of a kayak by the Inuit who invented these boats. But fishing wasn’t something they did with kayaks, therefore it was not until later that sport fishing found kayaking.
As can be imagined, the most stable and comfortable of modern designs are used for kayak fishing. This requirement has lead to the introduction of such useful novelties as twin-hulled, or catamaran, kayaks, which are stable enough to support anglers standing upright. This is a extremely important development because fishing typically requires long hours, and the rigid confines of a conventional kayak could make for some rather sore butts!
These designs allow the modern angler to have both speed and stability. However conventional boats may still be more or less stabilized by the use of outriggers. Kayak fishing these days regularly involves such conveniences as propulsion via foot-pedals that work flippers below the boat.
Although it is not as fast as an electric or gas motor on board, these flippers offer a lot more power than paddling – and free the fisherman or woman’s hands, which is quite a helpful feature when it comes to such common tasks as fighting game fish pulling the kayak through the water!
Actually, it’s precisely for this kind of excitement that many anglers actually launch their fishing kayaks from a larger boat, playing game fish from the kayak and fighting it as it pulls the kayak through the water.
Other conveniences catering to the kayaking fisher include things like specially designed hatches, built-in rod holders, and mounts designed for catch bags and equipment. These features on boats customized for the sport has helped increase the sport’s popularity, a happy case of enthusiasts petitioning the manufacturers successfully.
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