10 Different Types of Fishing Kayaks

Kayaks are simply wonderful pieces of watercraft. By the way, you will find different types of kayaks in the market. The simplicity of the design enables anyone to make changes to a kayak according to their preferences. Depending on what people want to do or do professionally, kayaks have been modified from time to time.

People have tried different things with kayaks. Although kayak is a small, two-person or single-person watercraft, people have actively used kayaks for finishing. They call them fishing kayaks.

Somehow people have managed to create space inside a kayak and are now using them for fishing from different water bodies and carrying the fish back to land. The beautiful part here is that a traditional kayak has not been modified to be a finishing kayak.

Instead, people have modified kayaks in many ways into make types to fulfil their demands. So, t=now there are different types of finishing kayaks available. Some are even of production-grade. Kayak companies are now selling modified kayaks that can serve fishing needs.

Types of Fishing Kayaks

You will e extremely surprised to know that you can find about ten different types of fishing kayaks in the current market. Small watercraft go as back as 4000 years without even adding up the mythologies. Since then, people have used small boats for fishing from different bodies of water.

In different water bodies, people have fished for different fishes. Big fishing boats that capture big fishes have different genres in the modern-day world. Whaling boats, tuna boats, swordfish boats, etc. following that, there are many types of fishing kayaks. We will discuss them one by one.

Sit-inside Finishing Kayaks

Sit inside fishing kayaks are made following the traditional kayak design. Some fishermen follow the different duration of fishing expedition. Some go for day finishing, some go for multiple-day fishing. For multiple-day fishing expeditions, sit-inside models are the best option.

Sit-inside kayaks have the most interior space where you can keep your fish and every necessary tool for fishing. You can easily tuck yourself away when you want to sleep. You can convert a storage compartment into a live fish tank to keep the fish fresh for longer.

Sit-on-top Fishing Kayaks

Sit-inside fishing kayaks are designed for pro fishermen. The exact opposite option to that is the sit-on-top fishing kayak. They have a sit installed on top of the kayak and offer more stability. It’s technically for newbs, but people of all walks prefer this one.

These kayaks are the most affordable ones because most kayaks are designed to be suitable for one user only. That means a person with one specific size can use a kayak. But this one offers the paddling and sitting versatility which makes it a family usable fishing kayak.

Stand up Fishing Kayaks

Not every angler wants to fish while sitting. Some prefer a standing position while catching a fish. To be fair, standing gives you more grip while hooking a fish. That’s why when people are fishing at a lake or pond sitting on a fixed platform, they stand up when a fish has been hooked.

There are stand-up kayaks to meet that demand where you can literally stand up to catch fish. These kayaks offer you maximum stability. The cockpit has an extra foam gripping where you can stand and get more stability while catching stronger and bigger fish.

All Water Fishing Kayaks

All water fishing kayaks, also known as bass fishing kayaks, are specially designed for capturing smallmouth and largemouth bass. The only catch in this type of fishing kayak is that it is exceptionally stable in different water conditions.

Anglers can easily set multiple fishing rods on different sides at once in the boat.

Tandem Fishing Kayaks

Fishing kayaks are usually designed for single-person. As kayaks are already lightweight, if you put another person cockpit in fishing kayaks, there will be no carrying space for fish.

But there are people who like to take a buddy or a family member along to fishing. For that, there are tandem fishing kayaks.

Inflatable Fishing Kayaks

Some people have problems carrying their kayaks from one place to another. A kayak might be a lightweight watercraft for water, but it has some weight which forces you to carry it on top of your car or get a pickup truck to carry it in the back.

There are inflatable fishing kayaks for those who don’t own a pickup truck or don’t want to carry their kayak over their car. Rather than carrying a 10 feet kayak over the top of your car, all you can do is take an inflator and the inflatable fishing kayak, inflate it after reaching the waterbody.

Outrigger Fishing Kayaks

Outrigger fishing kayaks are the most noticeable one among all of these fishing kayaks. They have an extra one-sided balancing part that stays in the water. This design adds extra stability, which is suitable for fishing in the ocean or water bodies where there are large fish.

Saltwater Fishing kayaks

Kayaks have metal in them. The joints, rivets, clips, rings, screws, and other metal-made parts. Mostly they are made out of iron. The problem with metal is that they accumulate rust if exposed to saltwater.

So, manufacturers came up with saltwater fishing kayaks which have such components that don’t get rust while being in saltwater.

Fishing Kayaks with Pedals

Most people are not comfortable with the paddle mechanism of kayaks. Yet, they want the fishing experience. For them, there are fishing kayaks with pedals. These kayaks can be steered very easily and have more stability than usual kayaks. They are suitable for lakes and huge water bodies with less current.

Fishing Kayaks with Motor

Motorizing everything is just another step towards technological advancement. Now there are motorized kayaks for those who want to travel far in a short time and get back before dark after completing their fishing. There are several motor setups for fishing kayaks with a motor.

They all have the same function, to increase the fishing radius of fishing with kayaks.

Final Words

I hope I have covered all types of kayaks there is for you to make a choice from. The reason why you searched for different types of kayaks is because you want to find a suitable one for yourself, right?

If you are starting fresh, the best option for you would be to get yourself a fishing kayak with pedals. That way, you will have more stability. If you are planning on using the fishing kayak to pass your time with family, especially if you want to give your son a fishing experience, go for tandem kayaks.

The selection of kayak depends on you. Everyday, manufacturers are adding new features to existing kayaks. Soon there will be more types of kayaks in the market to choose from.