Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak

KAYAK FISHING PEDAL KAYAK: INTRO

Have you ever heard of a kayak fishing pedal kayak? There is a lot to learn about pedal kayaks, and if you are searching for a guide about foot pedal kayaks in general, please take a look at our Pedal Kayak Ultimate Guide. This KFC post takes a look at what you’ll want to find in the kayak fishing pedal kayak that you ultimately decide to buy. Let’s get started!

Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak: Unbiased Review

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Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak: Overview

This post contains everything you need to know about kayak fishing pedal kayaks. The article is organized into a number of separate categories to ensure that the information is presented in a straight forward manner. We start with some of the basics before getting into an instructional checklist which contains tips and tricks on how to use a kayak fishing pedal kayak correctly.

Next, a short summary highlights some of our favorite features to find on a kayak fishing pedal kayak. Also, we’ve added a link to the product page for a particular model of kayak that contains each favorite feature – you can visit the product page to learn even more about this model’s specifications. Lastly, we’ve added a short narrative that reveals our own experience with the particular kayak that we’ve linked to above and we briefly mention the impact of a pedal kayak on our kayak fishing career!

Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak: The Basics

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Shortcut to the Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak Review

In general, a kayak fishing pedal kayak is just like a standard fishing kayak. There is, however, one big difference – the foot pedal drive system! Sure, there are many different ways to power a fishing kayak. Most fisherman opt for the “old fashioned” way of using with kayak paddles, even though paddling can become tiring after a long day on the water. Others prefer the kayak trolling motor, but trolling motors are somewhat expensive and do potentially frighten  fish due to sound frequency and vibration.

The kayak fishing foot pedal kayak is somewhat of a middle ground between using paddles and a trolling motor. The benefit of a kayak fishing foot pedal kayak is that it is “quiet” just like the kayak paddles, but also let’s you to keep one hand free to manage to your rod and reel, kind of like a kayak trolling motor. We are quick to recommend a pedal kayak to kayak fishermen of any level of experience! They are easy to use and most importantly, fun!

How to Use Properly

Let’s learn how to use a kayak fishing pedal kayak. After all, we’ve written this post to provide you with a well founded understanding of how to use this particular type of kayak, and the  short check list below will help you get up and running in no time flat:

• DO – Place the pedal drive system into the proper slot and tighten to make sure you’ve made a flush connection.
• DO –  Adjust the distance of your seat relative to the pedals. You’ll want to do this to make sure your legs are far enough away from the pedals, as you’ll want to create the right amount of power. But don’t be too far, you don’t want to have to reach too far to apply god pressure to the pedals.
• DO – Strap your gear down into the front and rear storage bays. Most pedal kayaks have these located fairly close to the cockpit – we like to keep our tackle box in the front with any additional gear located safely in the back.
• DON’T – Wear ill fitting shoes or those without a thick rubberized sole while using the pedals. Your shoes should have soft soles, reasonable ankle support, and a nice tacky bottom. Keep your feet where they belong, on the pedals!
• DON’T – Venture out onto the water prematurely. Until you’ve confirmed that you have an understanding of how to pedal forward and backward (and have mastered doing so while steering the pedal kayak with the rear mounted rudder) it would be unsafe for you to venture out onto the water. Remember, safety first!
• DON’T – Forget forget to look for a kayak fishing pedal kayak that features a mounting track. Mounting tracks (or mountain “rails”) are great because they allow you to attach after market products (like deck mounted rod holders) without having to drill holes into the kayak’s hull! I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that the fewer holes in my kayak the better!

Important: Padding a kayak with your feet can be tough! See if a Minn Kota Terrova could help make your movement in the water a little easier! Just make sure you power it with a quality Trolling Motor Battery!

Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak: Important Features

There are many good pedal kayaks on the market, but we’ve discovered that most aren’t designed for kayak fishing. Because of this, kayak fishermen are required to buy many after market products to get the kayak fishing ready. the The features summarized below illustrate why its wiser to buy a kayak fishing pedal kayak where all of the kayak fishing outfitting has already been done for you! Doing so ensures that there is no extra expense or risk of buying after market products that turn out to be incompatible with the kayak itself.

• Pedal Drive. It goes without saying that a pedal drive system is the defining feature of any kayak fishing pedal kayak. The pedal drive should be made of high quality components. After all, it needs to stand up to the riggers of kayak fishing, but you’ll also want it to be removable and whisper quiet (don’t disturb the fish!).

Look for a pedal drive that is built of metal and includes an axle that turns within a high quality housing. The removability features gives fishermen more room to stand in the middle of the kayak.  Standing while casting can be more comfortable for the kayak fisherman, and also allows you to cast longer and with greater accuracy. Additionally, you’ll want a pedal drive system that allows for forward and rear motion. You need to be able to pedal forward and backward without creating a lot of “extra” noise. Fish don’t like noise and a high quality pedal drive will be “quiet” enough to avoid any disturbance. I don’t know about you, but I’m a fast peddler. I’ve started using an inflatable kayak outrigger to help make sure I stay upright!

• Comfort. One thing that is overlooked on many kayaks, whether pedal powered or otherwise, is the seat! You’ll want to find a seat with supportive, yet stretchy, material. The best ones are those wrapped around a lightweight and rigid metallic frame. Aluminum is one of the best materials for the job. Also, find seat that has been designed for longevity and can perform adequately in hot and cold weather alike. Adjustable straps are also a must, as you’ll be more comfortable if you pull the straps on each side of the seat to adjust the angle  to fit your desired sitting position.

The seat included in the model shown above is set upon a track with adjustment knobs that control its location. If you take a look at the image above, you can actually see the knobs and the ergonomically designed handles that allow you to twist and tighten without extra tools. The seat can be moved forward or backward, which is important depending on the length of the fishermen’s legs! DO NOT buy a kayak fishing pedal kayak that lacks this type of adjustability. Without adjustability, a kayak will likely put its captain in uncomfortable positions, forcing the fisherman to adjust to the kayak, instead of the other way around!

• Storage. Do you have a ton of kayak fishing accessories and gear? I know that myself and the remainder of my kayak fishing crew do. Whether its tackle boxes, extra rods and reels, paddles, life jackets, so on and so on, it seems to be without end! Find a pedal kayak with tons of extra storage, and specifically storage that has been located in efficient and convenient locations. Make sure that your kayak fishing  pedal kayak has an abundance of such space. We’ve included a photo below that shows a wisely designed storage bin. This particular bin is located near the rear of the kayak, but you’ll frequency see them located in the front as well.

You’ll want these locations to be deep enough to hold a number of pieces of kayak fishing gear without sacrificing room for the kayak fisherman himself. Look for elastic and interlocking bands. These bands will keep your gear from bouncing out and into the water! Looking for extra tie downs and straps? We’ve written a post about some that we’ve found helpful here.

Don’t spend the additional cash on after market products that may or may not fit your fishing kayak. It is much easier to buy a kayak fishing pedal kayak that has already been assembled with everything you need for kayak fishing – “out of the box”.

Buy a Kayak Fishing Pedal Kayak

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Propel yourself through the Water!

The kayak fishing pedal kayak that we’ve linked to above has been designed specifically for kayak fishing. You can tell. Just look at all of the features that it comes with right out of the box. The included track bar makes the installation of any after market product that you do decide to buy a breeze! Remember, you very well might decide that you don’t want any because the kayak is “ready to fish” on day 1. The hull includes flush mounted rod holders and a one handed rear mounted rudder control allowing for 360 degree maneuverability. This pedal kayak has the ability to turn with one hand while pedaling along by using only your feet. Your hands can stay focused on your rod and net! Multi tasking will invariably lead to a better day of fishing on the water!

My Experience

I was actually pretty late to the “pedal kayak” movement. I quickly learned that using a pedal kayak is a great way to expand my kayak fishing experiences. Maybe I am lazy, but my opinion is that kayak paddles can be tiring. More importantly, paddles require me to take my hands off my rod and reel – and a trolling motor isn’t always the answer. Yes, a kayak trolling motor can be great for long distances, but they can be expensive! I wanted a cheaper solution!

The pedal drive system on a kayak fishing pedal kayak is similar to your childhood bike! After putting your feet on the pedals, when you want to move forward you just need to lightly pedal. The efficiently geared mechanism will do the rest of the work for you! It really is a minimal amount of effort needed to propel the pedal kayak forward. The less effort, the better. I’d rather devote my energy to reeling in my catch!

KAYAK FISHING PEDAL KAYAK: CONCLUSION

I hope our article about kayak fishing pedal kayaks has served as a useful guide on everything about his particular type of kayak that makes it so perfect for kayak fishing purposes. Remember, if you have any questions about whether a kayak fishing pedal kayak is going to be well suited for you and your kayak fishing style, be sure to write to us and let us know.

Did you know that there is a comment box at the end of the page? We routinely monitor and respond to our readers’ questions. We’d love to walk you through the decision making process. Let us close with one final point: If you are looking for a kayak that is ready to handle your kayak fishing needs, the model we’ve linked to above is sure to do the job. Let this quality and experienced manufacturer design the perfect kayak for fishing instead of spending a bunch of money buying after market products! Trust us, you’ll be glad you did! Learn other ways to get fit while having fun!

Have you ever wanted to “compete” against your fellow anglers? A kayak fishing tournament can be a great way to exercise your competitive juices!

Comments

Do you own a kayak fishing pedal kayak?  What has your experience been like?  Does it perform well on the water? What about the ocean? What features did you find to be important? What overall score would you give it?  Please share your knowledge with the KFC Community by posting a comment below.  I read and reply to all comments, and I love interacting with our readers!