First Trip of the Year
July 26th was my first kayak trip of the year. Not my first kayak trip ever, just the first one the weather actually let me do in this particular season. My brother in law Bryan and I loaded up and headed out, and I felt pretty geared up for it. I had my fishing gear, I had my camera gear, and I had Bryan running Mega Live on his kayak, so I figured between the two of us we’d find fish without much trouble.
I was hoping for bass. Bass fight hard anywhere, but from a kayak, right down at their level, it’s a completely different kind of fight. There is a spot we paddle to where some south facing rocks warm up in the spring and the bass spawn there. Once they’ve spawned they get protective, and casting into that area usually gets them fired up. So going in, I really thought we were going to catch fish.
We did not catch a single fish.
That said, this still turned out to be a good kayak video, just maybe not a great fishing one. And somewhere in the middle of not catching anything, Bryan figured out something about my kayak that explained a whole lot.
The Pedal Problem
A few minutes in, Bryan says, “Dude, your pedals aren’t lined up properly. That’s why you’re struggling.” I had no idea what he meant. Turns out on a pedal kayak, your feet are supposed to be directly across from each other so each leg does its own thing. Mine were staggered, almost right next to each other, so every time I pushed forward, both feet were basically moving at the same time instead of alternating. Pedaling backward was next to impossible. I had to rely on the velcro straps just to pull my feet back instead of push.
I have never put a bike together in my life, including apparently the pedals on this kayak, so once Bryan pointed it out I just started laughing. I told him I’d probably have spent two or three more years pedaling around telling myself kayak fishing sucks, then sold the thing, bought a new one, and been amazed at how much easier it was, never once realizing the problem was something I did to my own kayak.
Underprepared, As Usual
On top of the pedal situation, I was underprepared in pretty much every other way too. No net. No live well bag to keep a fish in if I caught one. No rod holder, so I had to hold the rod the whole time. I did have pliers in case I hooked something with teeth, and I was wearing a pair of Crocs after asking on a short a while back if anyone had shoe recommendations for pedal straps. Crocs was the top suggestion, and they held up fine, my feet felt a lot better than last time, though I might still look at a dedicated pair.
We fished the rocky shoreline first, casting in toward the spawning spot, then moved to a hump we normally fish through the ice in winter, figuring it would hold fish in open water too. It didn’t. I did get a couple of bites, a fish nibbling the tail of my bait, and at one point I’m pretty sure I lost one because I got distracted talking and pulled the hook right out of its mouth. That one stung a little.
Fixed and Ready For Next Time
We paddled back in with an empty livewell we didn’t even have, and I fixed the pedals right there on the dock before calling it a day. Squared them up, tied the kayak off, and could immediately tell how much easier it was going to pedal next time.
Honest result: we didn’t catch anything. That’s called fishing, not catching, and I’m fine saying that out loud. But I did walk away with a real list. I need a net, a cup holder because I got thirsty out there with nowhere to put a drink, a live well bag, and obviously the pedals needed fixing, which is now done.
The good news is the next trip should be a lot smoother now that I’m not fighting my own kayak on top of everything else. Kayak fishing is still a legitimately good workout too. Even on flat, calm water, pedaling around all day burns real calories.
The Gear Locker
From This Post
- Kayak pedal drive
- Fishing net
- Live well bag
- Rod holder
- Crocs
Go Deeper
For everything else I use and recommend, check out the full guides and gear hub.
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I’m Ryan from Might As Well Guy. Try stuff. Have fun. Life’s way more interesting when you actually go do stuff.
