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  1. #1
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    Kayak vs Bassboat

    Someone made the comment the other day whether a kayak could compete with a bass boat in a bass tournament. I have to say this is an interesting question. At first glance I guess one might say this would be “low-cost- stealth” vs “high-cost-speed” fishing. It is true kayaks can go places larger boats have trouble, but the high-powered bass boat can cover a lot of territory in a short time with a wide deck for comfort to fish. However, no longer are modern kayaks used for white water fun. Now they come with many accessories bigger boats have, including anchors, rod holders and storage, sonar-GPS, electric motors, live wells, retractable rudders, and adjustable seats.

    Some of the advantages of the kayak are low-cost operation, easier to transport, easier to launch, low-water fishing and access to hard to reach places which is most important. Some disadvantages are hooksets, wind control, speed, comfort and fishing techniques such as pitching, flipping and sight fishing. Anchors, drift socks, stake-out sticks, trolling motors, fin-driven mechanisms, pontoons and platforms help to overcome some of these disadvantages.

    The modern day bass boat has been the biggest influence on the kayak evolution in design and accessories. Any sonar with a small screen can be mounted with precise transducer mounts. The Hobie’s pedal driven “MirageDrive” has allowed the kayakers’ hands to be free to fish while maintaining boat control. Platform and pontoon devices allow stabilization for one to stand while fishing. Sonar with GPS provides fish holding spots and safety during threatening weather conditions. The Torqeedo Ultralight trolling motor, including the lithium battery only weighs 15 lbs, equal to a 1 hp out-board and can last 4 hours on medium speed. The best bass kayak is a “sit-on-top” kayak so one can move around and get in and out easier.

    So, can the bass kayaker compete with someone in a bass boat? The kayaker would have to know the best places in a limited area. The kayaker would have to do his home work on any given body of water on which the tournament took place. He would have to plan carefully just as any tournament guy would do only on smaller scale, but I feel it could be done. Knowledge, technique and skill can go a long way as to whatever type of fishing one may chose.

    Some things kayakers do to increase their chances to catch bass in a kayak are skipping lures under docks and cover because they are so close to the water. They try to keep the lure positioned in front of the kayak for better hooksets and use a net to boat the fish to prevent being hooked themselves. They can pull more bass out of pure slop than anyone else.

  2. #2
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    IMO, the kayak would have a better chance in tournament styled more like the Oakley Big Bass tour. He would at least have a punchers chance at the big fish, or maybe winning one of the hourly prizes.

  3. #3
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    Kayak fishing just like a bass boat can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. I love my Hobie Pro Angler, but love to jump in a bass boat with my friends any time I can. Kayak fishing is growing each year and isnt a passing fad. I rarely get the questions "what kind of boat is that?" anymore from bass boaters. For each their own, but make no mistake that kayaks are a cool platform to fish from. Dont knock it till you try it. More and more CPR tournaments popping up all over the country. Flatwater, creeks, rivers or the ocean. Kayaks can get it done.

  4. #4
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    I agree that kayaks could work in some tournaments, but I don't want to be fishing on KY Lake when a storm with 20mph winds blows up and the ledge bite is on in a kayak....The only actual pro I see from fishing out of a kayak is cost efficiency...Don't get me wrong, taking a kayak down a creek or river and fishing is a blast, but when it comes to tournaments I'll take my bass boat

  5. #5
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    I fish pretty much every spring up in Canada out of a Canoe. Some pretty dang big water too. I'd give my left leg for a well equipped open water boat up there. Decks, outboard motor, Deep V, good electronics, and a strong trolling motor.

    Now, don't get me wrong, on a good day we can stick a couple hundred fish, but if you had a Boat and Motor, and could get to those areas, you could really put on a clinic.

    I had a spot a few years ago that we drifted at a pretty good pace. Probably 5 mph. We fished this 5-6 mile stretch of bank 2 times in 7:00am and 12:00pm, and caught over 100 fish. We could have easily caught 100 more, but we were whipped from the paddling, and we were still 10 miles from camp.

    A huge part of the fishin up there out of a canoe is time management, and energy management. Had we been in a boat, we would have drifted, turned around and trolled up and then drifted back down.......maybe trolled back up. and then headed back to camp just before dark. I bet we would have caught 200-300 fish that day with a boat.

    And I'm not talking chump fish either. On that day we had 15-20 or so over 4lbs, and probably 50 over 3. It was probably the best day I've EVER had fishing anywhere.

    Later,

    Geo

  6. #6
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    1st let me say i stand must of the time on my Kayak & setting the hook is no problem for me.I never use a net anymore because there is no room 4 it & the operator.After i hook a big fish i sit back down & just lip them.I have a custom slider between my legs that after the bass is on my kayak that helps contol the fish.Then i put the fish on a stringer so as not too louse it while i photo it.If a kayak was able too have a mother ship its anyones game.Some kayak tournaments do have mother ships because on the ocean its the only way too get out 30 or 40 miles too the fish.
    Terry Adolph

  7. #7
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    Question

    Quote Originally Posted by raincheck View Post
    1st let me say i stand must of the time on my Kayak & setting the hook is no problem for me.I never use a net anymore because there is no room 4 it & the operator.After i hook a big fish i sit back down & just lip them.I have a custom slider between my legs that after the bass is on my kayak that helps contol the fish.Then i put the fish on a stringer so as not too louse it while i photo it.If a kayak was able too have a mother ship its anyones game.Some kayak tournaments do have mother ships because on the ocean its the only way too get out 30 or 40 miles too the fish.
    Terry Adolph
    Forgive my ignorance. Thinking about a kayak.

    Is standing and casting in a kayak an easy thing to do?
    Does it take a special wide kayak?

    From some photos in "the let's see your yak" thread in the kayak forum it looks like you use some closed cockpit models vs the sit on top style. Does that make a difference regarding standing? I would guess the sit ins have a lot more room for gear and can only be used in warmer water months?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by peter View Post
    Forgive my ignorance. Thinking about a kayak.

    Is standing and casting in a kayak an easy thing to do?
    Does it take a special wide kayak?

    From some photos in "the let's see your yak" thread in the kayak forum it looks like you use some closed cockpit models vs the sit on top style. Does that make a difference regarding standing? I would guess the sit ins have a lot more room for gear and can only be used in warmer water months?
    Some kayaks are made so you can stand in them. There are also pontoon versions that allow for the stability to do this. I would never try standing in mine.

    For fishing, I prefer a sit on top over a sit in kayak. Much more room in the cockpit of the sit ons. Most have below deck storage. Like any other water craft, you can make it as simple or complex as you want. I have rod holders and a depth finder set up on mine. If you have the right gear, you can fish warm weather or cold weather and anything in between.

    I'm not a tournament angler, so I really cannot comment on that part. My yak is 45 pounds, unloaded, so easy to launch in places that you could not take a boat. Easy to transport in the back of my pick up. I've used in locally on the smaller lakes, rivers, creeks and even had it in saltwater in New England.

    Andrew

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by apb View Post
    Some kayaks are made so you can stand in them. There are also pontoon versions that allow for the stability to do this. I would never try standing in mine.

    For fishing, I prefer a sit on top over a sit in kayak. Much more room in the cockpit of the sit ons. Most have below deck storage. Like any other water craft, you can make it as simple or complex as you want. I have rod holders and a depth finder set up on mine. If you have the right gear, you can fish warm weather or cold weather and anything in between.

    I'm not a tournament angler, so I really cannot comment on that part. My yak is 45 pounds, unloaded, so easy to launch in places that you could not take a boat. Easy to transport in the back of my pick up. I've used in locally on the smaller lakes, rivers, creeks and even had it in saltwater in New England.

    Andrew
    So, do you use spinning gear or casting gear in the yak.

    I prefer spinning when I'm in the canoe. I seem to be able to control it a little more. I have taken bait casters with me, but it is REALLY tough to cast sometimes with them. The only time I really rally LOVED having a baitcaster was using swimbaits last year, and when I was drifting the bank I talked about above in the previous post. We were tossing jigs, and I was able to "roll " the cast side arm and drop the bait right in the top of some nice submerged trees. The smallies were sitting there watching stuff drift by. Practically every cast, as long as it was where it needed to be caught a fish.

    That was also the year is used 20lb braid instead of 10lb fireline. That really helped horse those fish out of the trees. FUN, FUN FUN.

    Later,

    Geo

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by peter View Post
    Forgive my ignorance. Thinking about a kayak.

    Is standing and casting in a kayak an easy thing to do?
    Does it take a special wide kayak?

    From some photos in "the let's see your yak" thread in the kayak forum it looks like you use some closed cockpit models vs the sit on top style. Does that make a difference regarding standing? I would guess the sit ins have a lot more room for gear and can only be used in warmer water months?
    I think that standing is easy on my Coosa but a freind that got 1 this yr still hasn't tryed too stand.He dumped it in a eddie after trying too move or grab a low branch.I'm not very big 5.4ft 175lbs I have a sit in that a few freinds have used that when your sitting its more stable & have seen my son stand in that i won't.I can store 7 ft rods in side it with room for other stuff but i keep it empty.Some day i will have the gear for over night trips & will fill it up.More & more kayak brands are making fishing yaks.Its been taking along time but i do remember Hank Parker yrs ago on his show promoting Hobbie.He used his Bass boat as a mother ship too get too the thin water that a boat can't.When i seen the show i wanted a Hobbie & still do for the lakes.With all the brands of fishing yaks its betting hard too know which is best but what i wanted was too be able too stand.When your standing you see so much more i feel its an advantage & helps me see the target & hit it better.I think i need too work on my standing more just like i do on casting.I'm going too try too turn & fish behind the yak.If you got sea legs then standing is easy but if not stay sitting.Both work & the fishing is blast from a yak.The best part of yak fishing you don't have too break the bank on a boat.
    Terry Adolph

  11. #11
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    Kayak vs Bassboat

    Slight changes in dimensions and shapes will favor different performance characteristics,. A longer kayak tracks smoother and faster. In moving through the water, the hull must separate the water at the bow, allowing it to return to the stern as smoothly as possible. A shorter kayak results will be less streamlined through the water, but the hull will be more maneuverable. A longer kayak will have more stability and load carrying capacity.

    Width is a key to a good fit. A wide kayak will be more stable than a narrow one. A narrow craft is usually faster than a wide one, but will compromise some stability. A wider kayak will provide more stability for both heavier paddlers and tall paddlers with a higher center of gravity. A wider kayak will allow a paddler to spread their legs out more. This is another key component of fit. A deeper hull will be roomier for paddlers with larger legs, and increases load carrying ability. It also improves secondary stability by having more volume to help support a paddler while the kayak is on edge. A shallow hull will be less affected by wind, but will carry less.

    The degree of curvature in the hull from the bow to the stern along the keel line defines the amount of rocker in a kayak. This improves the ability to maneuver the kayak, especially in rough water. While more rocker increases maneuverability, it also reduces the amount of waterline in the water, creating a less efficient hull. A kayak with little or no rocker will track very well, but can be more difficult to maneuver. The cross section determines the initial feel of the kayak. A round hull is but very unstable while a flat hull is initially stable but significantly slower. Some kayaks have a "V" hull with slightly flared sides. The "V" shape gives structural rigidity to the hull, improves tracking, has a lively feel and delivers very comfortable stability. Some kayaks have a shallow arch bottom have a little more stability.

    There are a variety of cockpit styles used. Their dimensions and shapes depend on the purpose of each kayak and the comfort of the paddler. The open cockpits are very easy to get in and out. The recreational cockpits are long enough so you can easily stand on the floor in front of the seat and sit down. The keyhole cockpits blend the openness of a recreational cockpit and the integrated thigh braces of a touring cockpit, which makes them easy to enter and exit cockpit. The touring cockpits are smaller to help resist collapsing of the spray skirt if hit by a very large wave in extremely rough water. They usually include built-in thigh braces on the cockpit rim to maximize control when edging and rolling. The ocean cockpits are much smaller than a touring cockpit and are very resistant to rough water and weather conditions.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeoFisher View Post
    So, do you use spinning gear or casting gear in the yak.

    I prefer spinning when I'm in the canoe. I seem to be able to control it a little more. I have taken bait casters with me, but it is REALLY tough to cast sometimes with them. The only time I really rally LOVED having a baitcaster was using swimbaits last year, and when I was drifting the bank I talked about above in the previous post. We were tossing jigs, and I was able to "roll " the cast side arm and drop the bait right in the top of some nice submerged trees. The smallies were sitting there watching stuff drift by. Practically every cast, as long as it was where it needed to be caught a fish.

    That was also the year is used 20lb braid instead of 10lb fireline. That really helped horse those fish out of the trees. FUN, FUN FUN.

    Later,

    Geo
    I grew up using spinning gear.Now i don't use it much & its all bait casting.I use all left hand reels so the pole never leaves my casting & hook set hand just like i did with a spinning reel.I all so had too learn how too cast so my shoulder didn't kill me(bad cup)I use both hands too cast with out much movement.I think i have more control than i did with spinning reel.Thumb it too stop it & use lite line so i can throw lite baits.Bait casting reels seem too hold up better too.
    Terry Adolph

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