4 Reasons Fishers Should Use a Pedal-Powered Kayak Instead of a Paddle-Powered Kayak

Posted on: 25 January 2017

When asked to picture a kayak, most people conjure up an image of one that is propelled using a paddle. However, that fact that paddle kayaks are more well-known doesn't mean that they are the only kind out there. In fact, kayaks that are driven by the legs using pedals are becoming more popular, especially among recreational fisherman.

If you're going to hire or buy a kayak primarily for fishing, here are just four important reasons why you should go for pedal-power over paddle-power.

1. Saves Your Arms from Working

The central advantage that comes with using a pedal-powered kayak instead of a paddle-powered one is that you use your arms instead of your legs. That's great for any kind of user since the leg muscles are larger than those in the arms and typically better for using to cover longer distances. However, this is even more beneficial for fishing since you'll be able to save your arm muscles until they are needed. When you fish, you need your arm muscles to be strong if you want to cast out far and reel in heavy, so it's much nicer to arrive at your spot without having already made them sore and tired.

2. Keeps Your Hands Free

Of course, there's an even more important benefit to keeping your arms free while you fish: you get to keep your hands free into the bargain. Since you will be using your feet to move the kayak, you will be able to lay your bait, cast, and reel while still maintaining control. You can also lay the line behind you and then pedal until you catch something, or use the motion of your kayak to help you reel in larger fish.

3. Prevents Paddle Loss

When you head out in a pedal-powered kayak, it's always important to bring at least a smaller paddle along with you in case the pedal system breaks; this isn't likely, but it's always worth being on the safe side, and that paddle will be fixed securely to the side of the craft. One problem with fishing using a paddle-powered kayak is that it can be hard to store the paddle while you are using your rod. In the excitement of getting one hooked, you can easily drop your pedal over the side or fail to secure it. This will leave you literally up the creek without a paddle.

4. Reduced Water Disruption

An expert kayaker will be able to use a paddle to drift through the water with minimal disruption, but this can be hard for others to achieve. If you aren't an expert, it can be tough to avoid significantly disturbing the water around your craft every time either end of the paddle hits the water, especially if you're trying to go fast, and this can scare away the fish. The propeller driven by a pedal-powered kayak operates smoothly and isn't as likely to disturb either the water or the fish who live in it.

Share

How Sports Saved My Life

Hello, my name is Lenny and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I was never much of a sporty person. I didn't even watch sports on TV. I hated it. However, all that changed one day when I suddenly collapsed at work. When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor explained that I had had a heart attack and I was seriously overweight. He suggested I take up a sport and get some exercise. I started to play softball and then soccer at my local club. It was a lot of fun and I lost a lot of excess weight. I decided to start this blog to encourage others to take up sports.

Archive

Latest Posts