By Dennis R Hill

Portability and fishing have always been a crucial combination and, although they don’t have as much room as regular fishing boats, kayaks can be an excellent choice to silently ease into a fishing hole and drop a line. Specifically, portable style folding and inflatable kayaks come to mind. Many folding kayaks, like PakBoats, can be launched without a deck, which makes them very useful for fishing. And since the majority of inflatable kayaks are also open on top, they too can be used to fish from.

Being open on top gives you access to gear that you couldn’t store in most hard shell kayaks. For a variety of reasons, folding kayaks might be slightly better adapted to fishing than inflatables, mainly because the sides don’t flex as much and they can adapt to accessories easier. Hooking your inflatable bladder is not the problem you might think. Most modern inflatable kayaks such as Sea Eagle or Innova kayaks have very tough, durable material.

There are some additional types of gear that a regular kayaker wouldn’t need but a fisherman would and you’ll find several items on the market that are designed especially for kayak fishing. One item is an access board or mount-board, which attaches to either side of the kayak and holds rods, cup holders and/or GPS units. PakBoats has adapted Scotty’s standard Mount Board so it will clamp securely to the gunwales on Puffins and PakCanoes. I haven’t seen or heard of a board that will fit on an inflatable, however, there might be some creative ways to build something that would rest securely across the hull and accomplish the same task.

Depending on your style of fishing, you might want a kayak or a bait tank. A cushion or padded seat might come in handy depending on how long you fish. Another consideration when fishing from a kayak is ‘organization’. Since there isn’t as much space as in a regular fishing boat, try to make sure that everything is organized and compact as possible. Kayaking can be relaxing and so can fishing. Sounds like a great combination, especially with a portable folding or inflatable kayak.

The author, Dennis Hill, owns and operates PortableKayaks.com where you can learn more about folding kayaks, inflatable kayaks and other portable watercraft.

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