Shore Fishing

Kayak Peace

by Les & Kimball Beery

We usually write articles about fishing from a kayak. Sure, they’re great platforms to fish shallow water or just paddle around for exercise, but a kayak is much more for an observant paddler. They’re a quiet, efficient, personal, and simple escape vehicle from the chaos of modern American life. Paddle craft, including kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes have gained popularity with all ages. Inexpensive and practical, they are perfect for many people; but the spiritual essence of a kayak is different for everyone that paddles these tiny boats.
Purchasing a kayak can be inexpensive for a used basic sit-on kayak or a major investment, if a fully electric powered fishing kayak is what you want. Used kayaks are available cheap from folks that try it and decide it’s not for them. Kayaks with electric motors or pedal drive can cost several thousand and may be more expensive than a used boat. We strongly suggest renting before buying to be sure.
As for storing them, they don’t take up much room. Larger boats, even small skiffs, need a trailer, motor, fuel, registration, insurance, and usually a garage, carport, or cover to keep them in good condition. All kayaks need is protection from damaging UV rays if left out in the sun and rain. A good scrubbing after a day’s fun is easier and cheaper than boat maintenance.
Transporting kayaks is much easier than getting a boat to the ramp. We enjoy the remote, undeveloped, and uncrowded places we can launch. There’s no need to start the day with crowds of boaters all trying to launch at a boat ramp simultaneously. It’s unnecessary to deal with rude people in a hurry and incompetent others that can’t back up a trailer. The accumulation of oil, grease, and gas around boat ramps can be difficult to clean off a kayak. Too many folks associate the smell of outboard motors with the aquatic experience without a clue as to what the ocean really smells like.
Once on the water, the difference becomes even more persuasive. Instead of a noisy motor, the only sound a kayaker makes is the quiet splash of the paddle entering and leaving the water and the sound of drops of water off the paddle as we glide through our special world; getting back into places boats could never go. Except for the sounds of distant civilization, the wind, birds, mullet jumping, dolphin blowing, and waves lapping against the hull are all we hear along with the sound of our own breathing as we drift through the mangroves or cypress.
Those first few paddle strokes after launching separate us not only from the shore, but also from the myriad issues that accompany living in today’s America. There’s a sense of peace and harmony that surrounds us as we paddle away. This is the real world. This feeling of tranquility and order can be overwhelming for folks that have not unplugged from the rigors of modern life for too long. For us “frequent paddlers”, it is like returning to a familiar, personal, cozy, and welcoming place and always makes us smile.
We wish more folks would try kayaking. It’s an experience that offers peace, beauty, exercise, and time to recharge our environmental battery. It’s hard to be in a kayak without feeling a connection to the natural world around you. The warmth of the sun, the energy of the wind, the push and pull of the tides, the colors, smells, and splash of the water; all combine with the feel of the paddle and the sound of your breath, forming an interactive experience which leads to an understanding of the interconnected relationship all life has with this planet. There’s not another option within light years in any direction.

Kimball and Les Beery, authors of Angler’s Guide to Shore and KAYAK Fishing Southwest Florida, contribute these excerpts from both Waterproof books to promote the excellent fishing available in the Englewood area. They are available locally at Old Florida Gallery on West Dearborn, and for download at www.anglerpocketguides.com & amazon.com.