Page 18 - Outdoor Oklahoma - May/June 2021 Issue

Kayak Fishing Primer:

Getting Started Right!

WILDLIFEDEPARTMENT.COM

Getting on the water doesn’t have to be expensive, can ice packs with craft created from nothing more than skins
get you some exercise, and most importantly, can be a very stretched over a frame of bone or driftwood. Things have
effective way to catch fish without a traditional fishing boat. changed a bit since then.
More anglers are finding that kayak fishing is not only inex- Jump forward to the late 1960s, when a southern California
pensive and fun but is sometimes even more effective than surfer and diver, Tim Niemier, was generally credited with
those high-dollar fishing rigs at putting a big fish on the end creating the original sit-on-top. He carved out seats and tank
of your line. wells in old fiberglass surfboards and sold them right on the
The first step is deciding if you are mentally suited for beach or along the highway. His business caught fire, and he
kayaking. Do you love to hear that big outboard scream and was soon mass-producing his sit-on-top.
feel the rush of a boat jumping up and accelerating across The real breakthrough was the development of the rotomold-
the lake? Or is stopping for a few minutes to watch a mother ing process, which resulted in the modern sit-on-top, plastic
grebe taking her new offspring for a ride more your style? kayak. The market then started booming in the early 1970s.
Kayaking is best enjoyed by those who aren’t in a great hurry. Some 50 years later, fishing in kayaks is becoming common.
Are you comfortable when wet. In a kayak, you are literally A wide range kayaks are available to anglers. An Internet
sitting at water level, and getting wet is part of the experience. search will quickly provide the prospective kayak buyer an
The Inuit people of the North are generally given credit almost bewildering assortment of boats, even kayaks you
as being the developers of the first fishing/hunting kayaks pedal instead of paddle. Realize that there is no “one best
more than 4,000 years ago. Despite their small size, kayaks kayak,” but there are probably a few well-suited to you and
were crucial in helping the Inuit master the mighty ocean and your needs.
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