Tried fishing from the Kayak just once. After the Brewster Flats bar was
buried under a foot of water and my wife would not let me fish anylonger,
we chased breaking schools around the flats for an hour or so. I had no
luck chasing pods and then casting to them as they usually spooked when
I got close, and my casts were not what I expected. The whole process of
dropping the paddle, getting the rod, getting line out, casting etc took
more time than expected, so I think the troll will be much more productive.
When selecting a Kayak, I chose one more sleek and geared for transportation
to the Flats in a minimal amount of time, rather than a wider more stable
version that would be easier to fish from. I had heard to stay away from the
open bow versions altogether as these were attributed to more fatalities than
the closed versions. Anyway, stability is definitely a factor, and the sleeker
versions are not strong in this department. For the purpose of staying on the
flats passed the time the 'swimmers' must depart, it works very well. As mentioned
in above messages, a wind makes tracking an issue unless you have a rudder, or
one arm is twice the strength of the other. One one occasion a canoe came out
to the Flats as well, and with two adults and three kids, the stability issue
did not seem to be a factor. I would suspect it would be remarkably easier
to fish from a canoe for many of the reasons mentioned above, especially access
to gear, etc. As I did not land any fish, I could not experienced getting
dragged around, but I would think this would pose a significant problem
from just paddling with any wind. The best answer might be a two seater,
but then you have to fish with a partner the whole time to be effective.
Anyway, I look forward to trying some of the suggestions above next year.
Maybe time for a Kayak Conclave on the Flats in 98!