Were you an angler or a kayaker first?

I'm going to guess that most of us were anglers first and a kayak was a means to an end.  I had an interesting conversation with ChuckE last night about this.  I had been thinking that reaching out to the kayaking community would be a way to find more kayak anglers, but he convinced me that it would probably be more fruitful to reach out to the fishing community.

-Allen
 

Here is an intresting take on that. I was talking with a friend who works at the National fish hatchery in Leavenworth. We were at  the kids ball game and started to talk about fishing. I asked him if he had ever yak fished and he looked at me like I was crazy. So I started to tell him about it. After about 20 minutes of fish tales he looks at me and says. "I have tried all kinds of things to make it more challenging, lighter gear, fly fishing, ect... I never thought about shrinking the boat."
I think that is how alot of fisherman may look at it, and the other half will look at the afforadability of a yak a compared to a boat and gas.
Matt

Hey Cowboy, Pole-pole!

This is a very interesting question and definitely worth discussing so I'm just going to chime in here...don't mind if I ramble..,
for as far back as I can remember, I had always loved being on a small wooden boat.  My first time was when I was 6 or 7yrs. old and my cousin took my brother and I out on an old boat - a junk boat that is and this was on the Mekong River.  For some of you that need a geography lesson, that's Southern part of Vietnam.  I was real scared, the boat took on some water at the bottom but as my cousin paddle, she handled it real nice.  We didn't have anything but our clothes, no such thing as life jackets or pfd's, no whistle, nothing.  If anyone wanted to fish, visit a friend, this was the way to go or on motor bikes.  Boy, I'd love to go back and reminiscient (sp?).

When I came to Canada 3-4 years later I learn how to snag fishes on my own.  Didn't know how to fish because my dad never taught me.  I just cast a fishing rod with a weight and trebble hooks and as the herring fishes swim by/close to shore, I just pulled hard and often times catch 2-3...I'd repeat the whole process until I got more than a bucket full, then take it home and fried them....mmmmmmmmmmm,...they were good!      

Fast forward 20years later, I decided to take a course on kayaking (SIK) after seing how people kayak in boats.  That was some experience, great feeling, seeing fishes swim by and so close you can touch them without disturbing them.  Didn't know if there was such a thing as SOT.  Still didn't put the connection together.  Besides, the fiberglass kayak was so expensive, couldn't afford it and don't like how claustrophobic it was sitting in a hole. 

Then when I move out of the city 3yrs ago and head for the Westshore (15-20 minutes from town - oohh that's far for us Victorians.  Anything over 10 minutes is far, we're spoiled ya know) and decided to take up a little exercise, some hiking, and maybe trying to learn how to fish again.  That's when it dawn on me, saw lots of boats trying to catch salmon and they were so close to the rocks, I could throw and hit one of them.   And that's how I started, now....I'm just waiting, waiting, itching to get my ass of this computer and get out - go Fishing!!!  Damm it when is that SP coming....aaaarrrrggghhhhhh!!    

So, to wrap it up....I agree with Cowboy & Polepole.  Both make sense, however, I'd personally lean more towards anglers.  Why?  Because they are already 50% on the way there.  All you need to do is take them out on a kayak or have a conversation and talk it out...you'd be surprise just how quickly they'd warm up to the idea....on second thought don't do that. 
We should keep the secret of kayak angling and all the fishing spots to ourselves, don't wanna have it spoiled with a gazillion kayak anglers all over the place...    

There is also a chance the recreational kayakers may enjoy adapting their kayaks to fishing...but that's if they enjoy fishing or even consider it.  I've tried many times talking to friends or co-workers about doing that, so far, no luck yet.

VP

Ramble we shall!, I started fishing from the yak after being a shore fisherman all of my life.
 One day I was fishing at the end of the N. jetty of the Chetco river, a favorite ling spot for shorebounders, After throwing and losing a few jigs and spending the better part of the morning without any action at all, some guy on an SOT pulls up to the other side of the rocks I'm fishing, I sat and watched him catch his limit while he bobbed around the rock that I could barely cast out to.
 Now I would like to say that I was envious however I was pissed! That was the point I decided to yak fish.I am no longer pissed but proud to be a yak fisher.
 I believe anyone with a spirit in tune with nature is bound to enjoy this sport. all you have to do is let them try your boat in the water and see how effortless it is, and the beauty of nature that kayaking allows you to see because of its stealth and perpective.
 The fishing part is born into most of us who fish, I have tried to "convert" a few friends to fishermen to no avail. You iether dig it or you don't.
PS Any time I am asked questions about yaks and fishing I try to answer as best and thoroughly as possible to allow them to draw their own conclusion as to whether this is something for them to try. And allways tell them to RENT a few to try first, kayak rentals can be found in almost any town now.
SO..... we all know someone we can recruit to the sport, its just a matter of time and all your friends will be yak fishers!

All you need to do is take them out on a kayak or have a conversation and talk it out...you'd be surprise just how quickly they'd warm up to the idea....on second thought don't do that. 
We should keep the secret of kayak angling and all the fishing spots to ourselves, don't wanna have it spoiled with a gazillion kayak anglers all over the place...    

The secret is out already, ask the rest of the continent!!!  My selfish motivation is to find more people for me to kayak fish with!   

-Allen

Heyyyy Allen, up here on VI, it's very rare, if not almost impossible to even find a kayer angler on an SOT.  But you're right, it'll change quickly once people see an SOT angler doing it often...soon they'll be a line up just to launch those boats.  It's much more fun fishing with a buddy then doing it alone.

VP

I just thought I'd post the results from the NCKA board here.  I posted the same poll there.

Angler first: 34
Kayaker first: 5
Neither: 2

-Allen

 Angler first but I just can't imagian going out in my kayak without a fishing pole..some times I don't fish while kayaking but I like the option and theres nothing like sizzeling fish and a pot of coffee on a small camp fire about four hours into a kayak trip...it just calms that primal need I find myself longing for when in the middle of a  work week...anybody else get these (grunt) longings?

Hmmm, I think the Natives were the only ones with kayaks when I started fishing...

My earliest fishing memory is of being in a rowboat with my Grandpa, catching crappie.

...it just calms that primal need I find myself longing for when in the middle of a  work week...anybody else get these (grunt) longings?

Yeah, and I got spanked when my "lunch-hour" sessions lasted the rest of the afternoon...