There is no doubt that certain kayaks
are more suitable for fishing than others. It is widely accepted that
the more stable the kayak, the more 'fishable' it is. Since kayak
fishing trips can take long hours, and sometimes days, properly
designed fishing kayaks should offer their users the means to keep
fishing and paddling without having to stop because of problems such as
leg pain, leg numbness, butt pain and back pain, a.k.a 'yak-back'.
Those who have tested W kayaks, especially the new generation of W500
models, would find it easy to understand why old-style fihsing kayaks
commonly known as sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks (SOT) are poorly
designed, and do not fit the needs of the modern kayak fishing
community.
Although certain kayak manufacturers have been pushing forward the
notion that some of their wider fishing models are fit for stand up
kayak fishing, there doesn't seem to be a considerable number of kayak
fishermen who would agree. Stand up kayak fishing is a misnomer when
SOT and sit-in kayaks are considered.
The main reason why kayak fishing is not
as popular as it could have been, is the problem of discomfort and poor
erogonomics. In other words, fishing kayaks are a pain to fish from,
literally. This is especially true as the anglers get older. Here is a link to an
article about fishing kayaks and old kayak anglers,
courtesy of the Painless kayak Fishing blog. The article has links to
fishing kayak reviews written by elderly kayak anglers.
This movie shows the new
W500 fishing kayak. It is the second generation of W Fishing Kayaks, and offers a glimpse at
the future of kayak fishing: Better ergonomics, better hydordynamics,
and better stability, enabling a good experience in both paddling and
fishing - unlike the sit-in and SOT kayaks commonly used today.
The World's Only
True
Stand Up Fishing Kayak, and the Only One Fit for Fly Fishing: