MONETA, Va. (WFXR) — Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity in the past decade. It is estimated by the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation that nearly 40-million people spend at least some time fishing from a kayak.
“I really think it’s the cost,” said professional kayak angler Casey Reed of Lynchburg. “You can spend just a couple hundred dollars and get in a kayak.”
Reed is proof of the growing popularity of kayak fishing. He is a competitor on the Bassmaster Kayak Series tournament trail. More than 100 anglers now compete at that top level of professional kayak fishing.
“There’s people all over the country that are really travelling the country and fishing these kayak tournaments,” said Reed. “I started fishing kayak tournaments nine, ten years ago.”
If you are thinking about getting into kayak fishing, what do you need to know?
“You need to get online, and there’s a lot of owner groups, so like the Old Town group and other groups. you can get in there and kind of just see what other people are doing with these kayaks,” Reed said. “You may not know what you want in a particular kayak, but you’ll see how these people are using their kayaks.”
Once you decide what you want, you can spend a little or a lot, but it doesn’t have to be expensive.
“You can start in a kayak that’s under a thousand dollars and still have a really good kayak,” added Reed.
Reed fishes out of an Old Town Sporstman Autopilot 136. That’s a top of the line American-made paddle craft.
While his kayak is high end, it still costs a fraction of what a boat costs, and it provides access to water many boats can not. And, each kayak is customizable. You can add whatever you want, suited to your likes and needs.
In addition, there is the mobility factor. While Reed trailers his kayak, he says you do not have to.
“You can throw it in the back of a truck or on the top of a four door sedan,” Reed said. “You can really haul these things any way you want.”
There are kayak applications for fresh and saltwater. A kayak can be effective on lakes and streams, as well as in salt marshes and on creeks leading into the Intracoastal Waterway. Plus, there are kayaks made for “big water” like the ocean or the Great Lakes.
Reed says the sport will continue to grow because it is fun and affordable, and it give anglers access to water they might not ordinarily get.
“It is a lot of fun,” said Reed. “You can really do as much as you want with these kayaks. I have mine completely rigged, because I’m a tournament angler who travels the country, but, you don’t have to do all of this. You can be as minimal as you want or as excessive as you want.”