By Terry Tomalin
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Sunday, February 4, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

To trace the evolution of fishermen, one would start with those based on land. Casting from a pier, bridge or sea wall is the first step for most people.

But as the fisherman becomes more skilled and confident, he is no longer satisfied with simply waiting for the fish to come to him.

He wants to be proactive and go where the fish are. This means fishing with a guide or on a party boat, and for the truly adventurous soul, wading the shallows.

In what many would consider the final stage in the evolution of a fisherman, he buys his own boat, be it a flats skiff or offshore center console, and he becomes the master of his own fishing destiny.

In some rare cases, he deviates or, depending on your viewpoint, has an epiphany, and abandons the combustion engine and picks up a paddle.

"I started off wading, bought a kayak and then bought a flats boat," said Shandy Gregg, a teacher from St. Petersburg.

"But after a while, I got tired of the flats boat and went back to a kayak. Now I am catching more fish than ever."

Ten years ago, canoes outsold sea kayaks at a rate of 5-1, according to Mike Seibel of St. Petersburg's Canoe Country Outfitters. Today, those numbers are reversed.

"We can't keep the fishing kayaks in stock," Seibel said. "They are the hottest growing segment of the market."

Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park has been selling kayaks for 34 years.

"In the old days, we had to beg people to try a kayak - everybody wanted canoes," said Darry Jackson, Bill's son and a co-owner. "Now it is exactly the opposite. We have a hard time selling canoes."

Jackson would not disclose how many kayaks his shop sells in a year, but he did say that the number was in the "hundreds." And he said that "more than half of those sales are fishing kayaks."

Since it was founded nine years ago, Clearwater's Osprey Bay Kayaks has always pushed its fishing models. A store-sponsored tournament held each March routinely draws more than 100 kayak fishermen.

"Our area has so many good places to wade fish," owner Tom Doehleman said. "The kayak is a natural extension. If you are wade fishing and come to a deep channel you have to stop. But in a kayak, you just paddle across and keep fishing."

In Sarasota, at Dolphin Dive & Camp, George Kaiser has watched kayak sales increase with the advent of the Hobie pedal-powered kayak.

"It allows you to operate the boat without using your hands," said Kaiser, who has been selling kayaks for 15 years. "You just set the tiller in the direction you want to go, then pedal and cast. It really comes in handy when you are fighting a fish."

But some die-hard fishermen still wonder, why all the fuss about kayaks?

So, here are 10 reasons kayak fishing is so popular:

1. Shallow-water capabilities. Kayaks allow fishermen to venture into no-motor zones and shallow areas where motor boaters dare not go. "I can fish pretty much anywhere I want to," Gregg said. "I can get way up into the mangroves and go wherever the fish are."

2. Quiet. Kayaks are the quietest watercraft on earth. An fisherman can sneak to a few yards of a school of fish and start casting. Try that in a flats boat with an electric trolling motor, and you will send the school running.

3. Stealth. When you paddle a kayak, you are close to the water. Your profile is about one fourth of what it would be if you were standing on the deck of a flats boat. Keeping a low profile allows an fisherman to get much closer to the fish.

4. Maneuverability. Kayaks are relatively easy to paddle and steer. If you want to reposition the boat for that perfect cast, a few flicks of the paddle will get you there. It is much easier than pulling an anchor and starting an engine.

5. Weight. Kayaks are light. The average plastic kayak weighs between 50 and 80 pounds. The average person can put a kayak on the roof of a car without throwing out his back.

6. Accessibility. No more waiting in line at the boat ramp. Just pull your car alongside the road and slide your kayak into the water. Plastic kayaks can be stored on the deck of bigger boats as well, for forays into hard-to-reach areas such as Everglades National Park.

7. Durability. Plastic sea kayaks are indestructible. Unlike a Fiberglas hull, you don't have to worry about bumping against rocks or tree stumps. You can even drag one across an oyster bar and keep going.

8. Maintenance Free. Plastic kayaks require no maintenance. If you are really picky, you might rinse it off with fresh water after paddling. But that is about all it takes to keep one in shape.

9. Inexpensive. When you compare the cost of a sea kayak and a flats boat, there is no comparison. Most kayaks cost less than $1,000, and kayaks hold their value. If you see a new model you like, trade it in. Most dealers sell used boats as well as new ones.

10. The exercise factor. If you want a good workout, you'll get it paddling a kayak. Who said fishing was a lazy man's sport?

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