Kayak fishing has been popular for almost a decade, but a new wave of anglers and tournament directors are coming together as the sport becomes more specialized.
Whether bass fishing, getting into hard-to-reach creeks for white bass or just enjoying the peace and quiet, anglers have begun looking toward new alternatives to fishing from a boat with a motor.
Kayak fishing allows the angler to get into areas that boats can’t. They are both quiet and environmentally friendly.
Austin Canoe and Kayak finds their customers coming in for fishing kayaks for recreational use and to fish in the myriad waters around Austin.
“When economy went down, people got off their bass boats and onto kayaks,” said one sales representative for Austin Canoe and Kayak.
Customers come into their store looking for an alternative to buying expensive boats — most kayaks cost under $1,500 — and to customize a kayak to suit their needs. The buying season for fishing kayaks in their store starts in the spring and goes through late winter.
The Bass Pro Shop in Garland has the most people buying fishing kayaks between April 1 and Labor Day. The number grows in May when they have their Outdoor Sale.
A sales representative from Bass Pro said that kayak fishing is so popular that Bass Pro recently started their own brand of kayaks — Ascend.
Their kayaks range from leisure to fishing, with the high-end models being able to accommodate multiple poles, depth finders and livewells.
As kayak fishing grows in popularity, kayak-fishing tournaments are popping up all over the state.
The next kayak tournament — being held by the Kayak Angler Tournament Series — will be held this weekend on Fayette Lake.
For registration information contact their website
http://fishkats.com/sign-up-register
