Hello from Dixie
 

Just a note to say hello from down South. I live in AL but fish mostly in MS. Small lakes and ponds are plentiful around here and despite much ribbing from my in-laws, I love kayak fishing. I had no idea that the sport was a "thing" in so many places. I've been yakin' for a while now. I rigged my own and my wife made fun of me when I began getting the yak in fishin' order. Add-ons were odd to her and others in the area.

I had no idea when I started that my ideas weren't unique! Y'all have taken this "rigging" thing to a whole new level. The pics on this site and others let me know quickly that serious yak fishin' has been going on for a while. As I've poked around on the net for the last couple of days, I've found that there are a few yak-fishing clubs down this way.

I've really enjoyed cruising the sites and learning stuff already. I've been catching great LMB and pan-fish from my kayak for a good while now. She's all rigged up like I like her and although my rigging is conservative by comparison, me and my flyrod do just fine.

There's great fishing here and of course on the Gulfcoast too. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the saltwater fishing soon down in the estuaries and flatwaters of south AL (or LA...Lower Alabama) and Mississippi soon. I can't help but believe that yak fishing is going to go big here real soon.

Looking forward to getting to know y'all and learning more. My wife is going to kill me, but I already feel an upgrade to a larger sot soon. Oh...and a milk crate!

Ichthys

Re: Hello from Dixie
 

Welcome Carl! Hope to see some reports from AL.

Re: Hello from Dixie
 

Thanks. I'm headed to MS this weekend to a favorite lake. I've tied some new dry-flies and can't wait to try 'em out. I'll report upon return. I've got a neighbor couple there and he and his wife are also yakers. They LOVE to fish from their tandem. It's not unusual for them to catch upwards of 20 fish in an afternoon. The lake is over 600 acres and they don't even have a fish finder. I've got the recent issue of Kayak Angler magazine and I'm planning to let him borrow it. I'm certain that he's also unaware of the popularity of the sport so far.

Re: Hello from Dixie
 

Shhhh, don't let the cat out of the bag here in Alabama! I've been kayaking hard to reach areas for years and catching big bass that the bass boats have not seen. I also like to sneak across the state line and catch smallmouth and walleye up in Tennessee. I couldn't live without my kayak. I just purchased my 9 year old daughter one for herself. It's going to be a fun spring putting her on the hawgs around Lake Guntersville and associated rivers and creeks.

Re: Hello from Dixie
 

Five years ago, I purchased a 12' Perception Sundance - a decent sit inside kayak. I paddled it quite a bit on the nearby Finger Lakes for most of a season, but never fished from it. Actually, the thought really had not crossed my mind. I was also in the market for a fishing boat at the time and when the subject came up, my Dad (I'm in my 40s btw...) asked "Why don't you fish from your kayak?". Considering that they were used for whaling, I decided I would give it a shot. After my first time out, I was addicted!

I too had no idea that there were people who had alread advanced rigging kayaks for fishing and so didn't think to look. I just began adding pole holders, built an equipment deck, and purchased a portable fish finder among other mods to make my kayak a fishing machine. Afterwards, I stumbled upon a kayak fishing forum (can't remember which one...) and found that I wasn't so original afterall. I've learned lots since then... I now have five kayaks, three of which are equipped for fishing, and I'm looking to get a bigger rig as I post this so I can take it over and try some saltwater fishing!

I'm a newb here myself and this is my first post, but welcome just the same!

Re: Hello from Dixie
 

Great to see some activity on this forum. I'm definitely a noob poster here too. I hope to share my experiences with others who enjoy fishing from a kayak. I haven't gone to great lengths to customize my Old Town Loon just yet. I did add a paddle holder and some deck rigging. I guess you could say I've been roughing it but I don't recall being skunked on the water yet. Yesterday I caught 15 crappie and 3 smallmouth bass. I ran into some bass boats and one guy was amazed at my catch and said, "That's some way of fishing you have there. I don't think I could do it." I guess it's not for everyone, but consider me addicted!