C&K mag #34 dps-f spg - Canoe & Kayak

FISHING
Fishing Kayak
by Bronnie Van Lith
Off Nga Motu Beach one day,
intending to paddle around the
Sugar Loafs, Taranaki‘s reserve
and seal colony, I saw a young
man paddling a Perception
Method Air which is a small white
water boat, a play boat, made for
river rapids or surf. Nga Motu
beach is a harbour and this boat
is extremely slow on flat water. I
couldn’t resist paddling out to
him and asking “ What’s up?” I
nearly fell out of my boat when
he replied “I’m going fishing. “ It
would take him quite some time
to paddle out of the harbour, and
then if he caught a fish, where
would he put it? I chuckled for
the rest of my paddle.
So what makes a good fishing kayak? It should be
something very stable with loads of space for
storage and a decent size tank-well to put your fish
in. You don’t want to put fish inside your kayak as
they will smell out your boat. At sea it is not wise
34 ISSUE THIRTYfour • 2005
to open your boat with a flapping fish. You risk
tipping out and filling your boat with water which
puts you in a very dangerous situation. And of
course your kayak needs length, so paddling
doesn’t take too long or much effort to travel from
A to B.
A common question kayak retailers are asked is
“Which kayak do you sell most?” Obviously it
depends on the purpose for the boat. For fishing
it is definitely the Cobra Fish ‘n Dive. Why? It is a
good quality kayak specifically decked out for
fishing and is incredibly stable.
Once, when doing a demo, a client asked me “How
easy is it to get back on the kayak?” The trouble
was he couldn’t tip off the thing. I suggested
“Stand on the kayak and rock it. See if you can tip
it”. He was still unable to, so he jumped off.
Because of its initial stability it is great in very
rough conditions and also very easy to climb back
on, a very important feature on a kayak. Make sure
you can do it before you take it out into the open
sea. When in doubt ask the retailer if you can take
the boat for a demo.
The tank-well on the Fish ‘n Dive is awesome, it
can fit three dive tanks. It is the largest I have seen
on any kayak and because it is directly behind the
seat, you don’t have to lean too far back to stow
your 20lb snapper. It also means plenty of room
for a decent sized fishing bucket, fishing bag or
live bait tank. We have fishing bags which fit
perfectly into the tank well and can be carried as
a back pack when on shore. Other storage
includes a 10 inch round bait bin or bucket inside
a hatch, directly in front of your seat. You can
easily pull it out for cleaning. Lastly you can fit
your two fishing rods into a large 23 by 13 inch
hatch, so they are nicely tucked away before you
hit that dreaded surf.
Surf? Yes, in Taranaki and elsewhere there aren’t
many places where you wont meet surf. But the
Fish ‘n Dive has hard lines on it, which means you
can, with a little bit of skill, cut & carve into surf
and have a lot of fun. In fact some surfie friends
take a Cobra Tandem out when the surf is
pumping. They both stand on the kayak and go
surfing. They love it! The Cobra Tandem has the
same hull, as the Fish ‘n Dive. The deck is a
different mould.
It’s length, 3.81m gives it a reasonable speed so it
doesn’t get pushed too far back when punching
through surf. And it makes life a lot easier when
pulling out that heavy long line.
Another feature on the Fish ‘n Dive which makes
it such a popular boat is the extra seat up front
for your partner or kids. Our 5 yr old boy loves
this daddy & son quality time. Also there is plenty
of deck space for extra rod holders & a fish finder.
The high seat area makes it a dryer boat and little
strain on your back. However, if you do have back
problem you can fit a deluxe seat which feels like
a lazy boy.
To top it all off, this stable, 3.81m kayak only
weighs 25.85kgs and has a lifetime guarantee on
the plastic! Pretty awesome ah! No wonder it is
such a popular boat. Come and check it out at a
Canoe & Kayak centre.