At some point as an adult we lose our ability to appreciate the smallest wonders surrounding us. There is no better way to be reminded of this than spending time around kids. Each day, tiny miracles happen all around us. But, in a world that moves at breakneck speeds and intensity, it’s easy to miss the simplest things that keep us grounded.
Over time, kayak fishing catapulted from a niche pastime to booming sport pushing the boundaries of what a kayak is and testing the limits of what accessories, motors and electronics can be added. Kayak fishing has grown both in popularity and pace. Bigger tournament payouts, bigger social media followings and bigger budgets have clouded the simple reasons kayak fishing was founded on.
We’ve written many blogs and hosted podcasts on slowing down to appreciate the little things before. Easier said than done for us adults. Every day is filled with decisions that have real consequences. Life can be a heavy burden to carry. Water therapy is a real thing for many of us and getting there can be difficult.
Reframing Our Own Perspective
After a few years of collecting accessories and focusing so heavily on chasing personal bests, my family reminded me of what really matters – having fun. Every trip on the water is a gift. For us anglers, the accessories, electronics and gear are essential to angling success (for some, but they don't seem to help this author). But they cannot replace what truly matters – connecting with nature, unwinding from the daily grind and sharing a passion for the water with the next generation.
Recently, I got to watch this first-hand with my two boys. They didn’t care what kayaks they were in or what accessories they had. They did what all kids do – took the most simple thing like a traditional paddle kayak and made it fun by paddling in goofy ways, bumping into one-another and making games out of thin air. I got to kick back and watch with my own wonder again. I remembered why I started kayaking in the first place.
Then it hit me right between the eyes. I realized if I want my family to continue in this sport, it wasn’t about grinding the lakes and rivers for fish, it was about making it fun for everyone so we could spend more time together on the water. Making a connection with the water and having should come first, fishing can come second.
Time is our most precious gift.
Finding the Perfect Fits for Your Family
If I sound like a dad approaching the 40-year-old mark pontificating about time and its seeming acceleration, it is because I am. I now understand that my love for the water and yearning to be on it needs to be married more to the idea that spending time together with my family can take precedence over angling. By ensuring they have fun, I also get to be on the water more as well.
Finding kayaks that work both for angling and an entire family isn’t exactly easy. But, it is absolutely worth the effort and research if you want to spend more time on the water. My dad taught my brothers and I how to fish. We learned all about trout fishing, wading and reading the streams. Now, I get to pass on that knowledge, but add my own learned experiences fishing from a kayak.
Let’s take a look at some kayaks that are great fits for families looking to spend time on the water together. We’ll break them down into recreational kayaks with fishing features, tandem-capable fishing kayaks and kayaks a youth angler could handle on their own. These are by no means all-inclusive lists. Click on the link for far more options that fit many different budgets.
Recreation Kayaks with Fishing Features
