Are pedal kayaks good for fishing?
Nowadays, kayak fishing is evolving more and more popular. It gradually became a favorite sport of many people. This development has led to the introduction of many different types of fishing kayaks to suit different fishing situations and the conditions of consumers.
One of them is the appearance of the fishing kayak pedal. Compared to paddle kayaks, pedal kayaks are a bit new to everyone.
So, Are pedal kayaks good for fishing?
Yes, pedal kayaks are good for fishing. They are especially suitable in open water and have good stability in rough water. If you often go offshore fishing, this is a perfect choice.
Why are pedal kayaks good for fishing?
Many anglers don’t see the appeal of pedal kayaks until they have experienced them. Your arms won’t get tired after each long fishing trip. Your time is saved because of the increased speed.
Specifically, their advantages are
Hands-free experience
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of a kayak pedal compared to other boats is that your hands do not need to paddle but can do other things. Indeed when using paddle kayaks, many times I wish I had an extra pair of hands to be able to:
1. Move while casting, reeling, holding a fishing rod, or hooking bait.
2. Resist the current of water or wind when encountering rough water or a flowing river. Plus, your hands can grip the boat to stabilize your body.
3. Both hold the fishing rod and control the boat when catching a big fish.
4. Take photos or videos while traveling.
Not only that but using pedal kayaks also helps you to work out your whole body when using your legs to move and your arms to fish. While on a paddle kayak, you only use your arm and shoulder muscles for both activities.
Stability
The stability of kayaks depends on their weight and width.
Kayak pedals average 120 pounds and 38 inches wide; paddle kayaks are 78 pounds and 33 inches. From this, we can see that pedal kayaks have better stability than paddle ones. They are harder to tip over, even in rough water or bad weather.
It also helps you stay steady while fishing. Standing fishing brings many benefits, such as visibility, far and accurate casting, easy throwing and flipping, and easy keeping fish in line and out of the water.
Related: Do Fishing Kayaks Tip Easily?
Get more gear
Another great thing about the pedal kayak is that it is wide and has a large weight capacity. So it can hold more gear. When fishing, people always want to bring gear as much as possible, and a kayak pedal can partly meet this need.
Speed
The speed of pedal kayaks is faster than paddle kayaks. It is very beneficial if you go fishing in places far from the shore, it will save you more time.
Another thing is that it can also help you quickly return to the shore when any danger occurs, such as bad weather or the appearance of dangerous animals.
Power
Using pedals not only moves faster but also takes less effort than paddles.
I have had a real experience with this. With the same distance (admittedly, we were pretty far from shore that day), my friend on a pedal kayak was able to leisurely and comfortably while I was tired and my arms ached on the paddle kayak.
Disadvantages
To know: Are pedal kayaks good for fishing for you? You should take a look at their disadvantages.
Portability
A pedal kayak is usually heavier and larger than a paddle one. Therefore it is often difficult to transport on a roof car. Sometimes you need to invest in a trailer or truck car for transportation.
A heavy boat will cause limitations if you want to travel fishing. You also have difficulty accessing fishing places where the terrain is hard to go.
You can separate the pedals from the boat and transport them separately to make them lighter. You don’t have to struggle to lift the whole kayak at once.
Shallow water
While kayaks are the best floating boats on the water, able to cross shallow water with the bottom just a few inches above the water, pedal kayaks need more than 16 inches from the bottom of the boat to move. This mechanism is because they also have parts such as propellers, fins, and rudders.
Pedal kayaks are also hard to move in shallow water or areas with many obstacles, reefs, branches, marshes, etc.
Stealth
Pedal kayaks are not a stealth design. They stir up everywhere they go by propellers under the water. Although they do not make an annoying noise like an engine, they can’t quietly sneak between fish like paddle kayaks.
Price
Pedal kayaks typically cost more than $1,000, which is more expensive than paddle kayaks.
However, this price is reasonable as they have better fishing features and quality than paddle kayaks.
Conclusion
So, to conclude, pedal kayaks are fit for fishing, especially in open or rough water. However, you will need to consider it if you often go fishing in shallow water, where there are many hidden obstacles.
You should carefully consider the purpose and situations you often encounter to make the right choice for purchasing a boat.
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