| NOVEMBER 2007 -- POLING YOUR KAYAK | |
| I like to pole a boat almost as much as I like to fish. People who have fished with me over the years love this fact... and think that I am a little touched in the head. At the same time, they do seem ever so happy to fish while I pole them around. Poling offers you the advantage of being in an elevated position, increasing your ability to see fish tremendously. It opens up a whole new world, and you are able to see this world through different eyes (I might mention here that in order to see fish you have to wear polarized sun glasses). |
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| During my lifetime, I have seen the world of poling watercraft advance to a whole new level with the development of new technology and materials. When I started poling in my youth, I had to make do with materials that were readily available... and use a lot of imagination. My first push poles were simply the straightest and lightest wooden poles that I could find which worked fine when poling on a fairly hard bottom. When poling over a soft mud bottom a straight pole with no fork on it would sink into the mud, and you could not get any solid foundation to push against. A pole with a |
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| fork on the end would not sink in the mud as badly. I found the footing that I needed in a chinaberry tree because the end of its branch has three forks that offered enough resistance to keep the pole from sinking in the mud. I also found myself poling in areas that had harder bottoms but in which the water depth varied: I'd go from shallows that were the right depth for poling, to occasional canals and deeper areas that were too deep for the pole to reach bottom. This presented another problem because you would have to swap out the pole for an oar or a paddle and paddle or row across the deep water and than go back to poling when you got back in the shallow water. We solved this problem by designing a poling paddle - a pole that has a long narrow paddle blade on one end. We made the tip end of the paddle blade blunt to offer a wider surface for poling that would not sink into softer bottoms. Now, when I came to a deep spot I could just paddle, then return to poling when upon reaching shallow water. All of this could be accomplished with the same pole. In the sophisticated world of shallow water flats skiffs, push poles have evolved into works of art (they even cost as much as some artwork: some cost more than the average kayak). As the height of poling towers on flats boats has grown, it has become necessary to use longer and longer push poles. I have seen some poling towers that were so tall that I think they might induce nose bleeds! I believe there's a limit to the effective height of a tower as you become more visible to the fish. A Poling and Kayaking Partnership In order to sight fish from a kayak you need to have the ability to stand up for better visibility. You also need to be able to pole the kayak effectively so you need a pole that will allow you to pole efficiently. Through trial and error I've decided that the most efficient pole for me is the old paddle pole that I used years ago, updated for kayak use by its multiple-piece configuration and light weight. Poling a kayak not only allows you to see fish better: it is a very efficient means of propelling a kayak or canoe. Once you get the feel for the pole in shallow water you will be surprised at the speed you can maintain pushing a kayak for long distances, without much effort. The poling paddle also allows you to control your direction confidently by using the paddle blade as a rudder. |
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| In kayak fishing, an accessory that has multiple uses is a big plus. The poling paddle is an example of such versatility, for you can break it down to transport it easily and you can adopt it to many uses. The following are some examples: •You can use the point on one side to stake out the |
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| boat by sticking it through an anchor trolley ring (for boats outfitted with anchor trolley systems). •You can lengthen it easily (by adding an extension) to use in deeper water or to move a greater distance with each stroke. •You can take the point off and replace it with a paddle blade to make a long double bladed paddle for paddling while standing, or 'striding.' •You can disassemble it halfway and add a tee grip to the end to make a shorter stake out pole. •You can take the blade section off and add a tee grip to make a short, single-bladed paddle. •You can take it apart for easy transportation inside your kayak •You can transport it on your kayak by using the paddle clips on the Adapt-a-Track™ system on a Native Watercraft Ultimate™ Kayak or by using a deck mounted paddle holder on any kayak. Poling a kayak with the proper pole opens up a whole new world and is a sport in itself. It allows you to not only spot fish better but you can observe all of the marine life that you would not be able to see from a sitting position. |
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