Kayak fishing has surged in popularity around the country in recent years and Louisiana is no exception.
"The simplicity of kayak fishing is one of the big appeals," said Mark Elliott, owner of H2 Go, an outdoor clothing and equipment store in Monroe.
The sport requires only a kayak, a paddle and life vest. And kayaks can easily be transported in the bed of a pick-up truck or on top of a vehicle.
"Back when I first started, there might have been about a 100 of us along the entire Gulf Coast," said Glen "Catch" Cormier, a fisherman who lives on Cotile Lake.
Cormier did his first kayak fishing trip in 1988. A few years after that, he bought a kayak and has now been involved in the sport for 25 years.
He was a member of a group of kayaker fishers called The Puddlers - "You know, like the ducks."
They started a club in Southeast Louisiana called the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club that is now the largest kayak fishing club in the country.
Cormier said that fishing tournaments are what got people interested and involved in kayak fishing.
"These had low entry fees, low payouts - but people would share the information and that was the key thing," he said.
At the tournaments, people were able to see how kayaks were rigged and how stable they were - even for standing. They also had framed seats making them comfortable.
"So all these things combined led people to buy kayaks," said Cormier. "So now it's really popular. It's the largest contingent of outdoor fishing in the United States as far as growth is concerned."
Central Louisiana has its own local group, Kayak & Canoe Fishing Tournaments of Central Louisiana of which Cormier is a member.
Cormier said one of the great things about tournaments is that people can see how each kayak fishermen sets up their kayaks and what kinds of kayaks they use.
"So, it's a great learning experience for somebody who's just getting started," he said.
Cormier and Elliott say kayaks allow access to waterways such as marshes, small bayous, creeks and lakes that aren't accessible to regular motorboats.
"The ability to put your kayak into some of these waterways makes it much, much more appealing," said Elliott.
"It's a very quiet way to get up close to the fish," said Cormier. "In fact, sometimes I got so close that I could actually touch the fish with my paddle."
Another draw is the challenge kayak fishing poses.
"I think some people find it to be a more challenging to kayak fish than to fish from a bigger bass boat or fishing boat," said Elliott.
Jerry Maynor and his wife Kelly bought kayaks a couple of years ago from Pack & Paddle, an outdoor sports store in Lafayette, so they could exercise and be outside.
"They have a ton of information to share and there is no sales pressure to buy," he said.
"When researching kayaks, I did not have fishing in mind," said Maynor. "The primary goal was to paddle around and enjoy the outdoors."
At the time he was looking for ones that were of good value, light and easy to load and unload.
It wasn't until after a few outings that Maynor began to think about fishing from his kayak.
"There are tons of videos on YouTube about kayak fishing that gave me some inspiration," he said. "I had no idea how popular it was."
Last summer, the Maynors started kayak fishing in area lakes. They've already made a few trips this year but plan to do a lot more this summer.
"I will put a pole in the boat when kayaking with some of our local hiking group members on kayak outings," said Maynor. He and his wife are members of Cenla Hikers & Paddlers.
For those looking to purchase a kayak, Maynor says that they should think about the way they intend to use the kayak. If it's for fishing, than look at kayaks designed for fishing.
Finding the suitable style of kayak makes the experience more pleasurable and successful, said Elliott, because some are much better suited for fishing than others.
He recommends the sit-on-top kayaks for fishing because they are open and have more space to spread out.
"You can more easily move about to get to all your equipment," said Elliott. "That is our recommendation and our most popular is the sit-on-top style."
He said fishing can be done from an enclosed sit-in kayak but movement and storage are restricted.
Cormier, Maynor and Elliott all recommend testing out a kayak before purchasing.
"Figure out what you like about it and then go on from there," said Cormier.
Kayaks have good resale value.
"So, it's never a bad thing if after a year you decide you want to move up to a higher brand or a higher capacity kayak."
"The more expensive ones are going to have pedal drives that you power with your feet," said Cormier. "As a first kayak, I'd kind of stay away from that unless you really, really are going to be solid into it because that takes a learning curve."
"Talk to folks who have purchased a kayak and get some feedback on what they like and don’t like," recommends Maynor.
A person can spend between $600 to $6,000 for a kayak depending its features.
"I have seen some kayaks with more electronics hanging off them than most bass boats," he said.
But for those that can't afford to spend a lot of money on a fishing kayak, Maynor suggests buying a basic kayak and adding features as the budget allows.
"I recently purchased a depth finder and fishing rod holder."
He suggests buying a kayak that is a minimum of 12 feet because longer kayaks are easier to navigate than shorter ones. A comfortable seat and a light weight paddle are also recommended.
"Once you buy your kayak, there's very, very little additional ongoing costs," said Elliott, unlike motorboats which are expensive and need constant maintenance.
And kayaks don't need to be registered unless there is a motor.
"If you put any type of motor, even if it's a small electric trolling motor, you then must register it with Wildlife and Fisheries," said Elliott. "But if it's just a kayak that's only being powered by human power, you do not."
Cormier said there are many American-made kayaks that sell for under $1,000. He recommends visiting a dealer like Cane River Paddle & Pedal Sports in Natchitoches, Pack & Paddle or H2 Go.
Cormier tells people to stay away from cheap kayaks because they tend to have issues such as leaks.
"You don't want to be on the water with your kayak leaking," he said.
H2 Go and Pack & Paddle hosts demo days where those interested can try out kayaks.
"Obviously with all the COVID-19, we've not been able to have those this spring like we planned but we hope that we will be able to get back on track and offer some of those soon," said Elliott.
Both places also offer guided kayak fishing trips.
Cormier's favorite local place to kayak fish is Valentine Lake because there is no boat traffic and he can sit there without having to worry about boats "buzzing around."
He likes to do a lot of marsh fishing and there are numerous places around Lake Charles.
Being an experienced kayak fisher, Cormier has written many articles on kayak fishing and has given numerous presentations across the country.
Elliott said H2 Go also hosts presentations.
"We'll have one of the experienced kayak fishermen answer questions and go over the basics of kayak fishing," said Elliott. "And what you need to look for and things that can make it a little easier, a little bit more pleasurable."
At the presentations, a kayak set up for fishing will also be on display.
"We want to try and make it as easy as possible if people are interested in getting into it to have the information they need," he said.
As far as safety goes, one of the most important pieces of equipment kayakers should have with them is a life jacket, said Adam Einck, an agent with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
"It's required that everyone have at least one on board," he said. "And it's also a requirement for anyone to wear one if you are 12 years of age or younger."
Since kayakers sit low in the water, he recommends they wear visible clothing.
"And a lot of these kayaks are coming with flags, too, that shoot up off the kayak that makes you more visible."
He also says kayakers should stay out of boat paths.
"A lot of these areas will have boat lanes on lakes and waterways," he said. "Be aware of your surroundings and try not to get into the more traveled paths that the boats go on."
Kayaking resources:
- H2 Go in Monroe: www.h2gopaddle.com
- Pack & Paddle in Lafayette: www.packpaddle.com
- Calmwater Charters in Grand Isle: https://ift.tt/2ZMZBaH
- Red Fish Kayak Adventures in New Orleans: https://ift.tt/2TNIAJP
- Bayou Adventure in Lacombe: www.bayouadventure.com
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