Kayak Fishing Lifestyle?

I posted this up on NWKA a little bit ago and it led to some good discussion.  I wanted to see what you all think about this ...

I recently stayed in a B&B with a collection of old VHS tapes.  One of them was Point Break.  This movie portrays something that has become part of the Surfing Lifestyle.  It got me thinking.  What is the Kayak Fishing Lifestyle?  To some it is a road trip to Baja with good friends.  To others, it the fish fry at the of a long day of fishing.  To me, it's the adventures I take to the remote parts of AK and BC.  Kayak Fishing to me is about self sufficiency, harvest, and being green.  It's about being the captain of my own ship.  It's about sharing those experiences with other captains of their own ship.

The self sufficiency is obvious.  Up in a remote cabin in AK you have 5 days that you can depend on no one, but yourselves.  Even if you wanted to (or needed to!) get out, there is a high likelihood you won't be able to.

The harvest part may be a point of contention.  But that's me.  I harvest.  Sure I'll practice catch and release and even enjoy it.  But more often than not, I'm fishing with the intent of putting something on the dinner table and in the freezer.  That's probably why I'm not a very good bass fisherman.  Many parts of AK and northern BC are harvest communities.  You need to fill your freezer or you don't make it through the winter.

Green.  I try.  Enough said.

Captain of my own ship!  Yup!  But I certainly enjoy doing it with other like minded individuals more than I like fishing solo.  My kayak fishing lifestyle is not about being alone.  But I can see where others might thrive in the solitude of the moment.

That's MY kayak fishing lifestyle.  What's yours?

-Allen

I'm a surfer and a yak fisher and a free diver.  Don't know what kind of "lifestyle" I have and never thought about it much.  I just want to have fun.

My lifestyle is I have a family with 2 kids that I'm trying to support.

self sufficiency, harvest, and being green.  It's about being the captain of my own ship.  It's about sharing those experiences with other captains of their own ship.

Yep.   

Yesterday, at the conclusion of my annual Bear Harbor trip - an especially fulfilling one with my uncles and cousin here to share the fun on the water - I went emotional-psychedelic!  I had experienced a set of conditions and interacted with a bunch of critters that are not just rare and special, but iconic and truly magnificent.  Exposing my kin to the kayak way, and showing them more of what "Abking" is, filled my head and my heart with passion and a strong sense of belonging, wonderment, and pride.  On the drive home with my daughter I was exhausted, and it caused me to achieve a trippy kind of frailty where I could cry at the drop of a hat.  I ran with it - it felt great!  Somehow, for me, the kayak lifestyle has allowed me to break through some of the strongest barriers that my soul encounters.  My kayak lifestyle deals with my aim to become completely humble and content, and I am using tools and strategies that play out on the other side of the spectrum from those two concepts.  From a paradox can emerge a philosophy, and I am glad to be on this journey.

Thanks for this topic, Allen.   

The lifestyle is many things to me...  Providing fresh, top-quality food to my family and friends, (although I release far more fish than I keep), the pride of making my own gaff and other equipment, the thrill of being at the mercy of the sea and the elements and being a part of the food chain...  the joy of actually being out on the water that surrounds us instead of just being an observer, the excercise I get paddling anf schlepping gear, the comraderie of pulling up at sunrise and seeing familiar faces at the familiar spot, the excitement of dropping my kayak into a new spot that I've driven by a million times and never considered fishing, (can this be legal???), the solitude and quiet of being out there alone, the fun of being there to share in the victory of others catches, the many "firsts" along the journey, and best of all meeting new friends who all understand what I'm talking about.

And speaking of lifestyle...  Some of us have 30 year old gear, some the latest high dollar gear, some use bait, some use artificials only, some are old, young, fat, skinny, rich, poor, but we're all equal out there.

Exposing my kin to the kayak way, and showing them more of what "Abking" is, filled my head and my heart with passion and a strong sense of belonging, wonderment, and pride.  On the drive home with my daughter I was exhausted, and it caused me to achieve a trippy kind of frailty where I could cry at the drop of a hat.  I ran with it - it felt great!

That almost made me cry.  Eric, you've taken the lifestyle to an almost spiritual zen.

-Allen

I enjoy the thrill of paddling a 14-foot-long piece of plastic through breaking waves, gusting wind, and powerful currents, while immersed in the food chain of the mighty Pacific Ocean. And, yes, it IS true that the same could be said for someone cruising around in a 15 foot Boston Whaler; however, there is a much greater feeling of self-fulfillment when it’s done on a kayak. It’s ME versus The Ocean. Going out there and challenging myself, both mentally and physically. The fish are simply rewards for braving the elements. For me, catching fish is just part of the equation (the addend, if you will), not the final product. But don’t get me wrong: I love to catch fish, man!

Exposing my kin to the kayak way, and showing them more of what "Abking" is, filled my head and my heart with passion and a strong sense of belonging, wonderment, and pride.  On the drive home with my daughter I was exhausted, and it caused me to achieve a trippy kind of frailty where I could cry at the drop of a hat.  I ran with it - it felt great!

That almost made me cry.  Eric, you've taken the lifestyle to an almost spiritual zen.

-Allen

i'm trying to keep it together myself...way to express the true feelings Eric....
and when i get myself back together, I'll add to the post

It has become a lifestyle for me.
I am not a big fish eater so I C&R probably more than 95% of my catch. I have nothing against harvest whatsoever as long as it never goes to waste.
There is something about being on a kayak; ON the water, not just above it that gives me a feeling I cannot put into words.
I love how physical it is. There is no better sleep than after spending a long day on the water.
I don't take sides on any religion but I feel like I am actually enjoying what God put on this earth for us to enjoy.
I marvel at the sky, the conditions, the hundreds upon hundreds of different creatures that surround us, the coastline. I try to take it all in.
The solitude is as peaceful as it gets and yet the camaraderie with fellow kayakers cannot be beat. Especially when one of those fellow kayakers is your son.
Jackson has a passion for kayak fishing that is unparalleled.
I am proud of this lifestyle and I will always take solice in knowing that this is something that I passed along to him.

After surfing for many years it used to tear me up to see a flat a** calm ocean. Thank God I couldn't afford a pb and bought my first then second kayaks. Fishing, diving, surfing,coastal camping, I love the ocean lifestyle. Even if it's windy there's always gear to be maintained, rigged, or new techniques/gear to be discovered. I used to think I would surf forever and that was my main interest. Here's to all norcals members that there lifestyles be happy whatever activities they include. Cheers!   jim/redyak    ps: love Point Break.

From a paradox can emerge a philosophy, and I am glad to be on this journey.

Word up and well said Ab!

Z

I had an Ocean based lifestyle already. I've been bodyboarding for over 20yrs. and saw a guy in a SOT Kayak, just outside the surf zone, catching big Stripers. I was an avid shorefisherman and had never seen a boat like that. A few years went by and I began to get that FishingFeelingAgain. I attended a Fred Hall show at the cowpalace and saw scallen and his FullyFunctionalYak. I then decided that I too, was gonna be doing that real soon.
It has become a MAJOR factor in what I do and how I think now.
From just asking a simple How-to ?, I get a positive vibe via the monitor and actually feel like others want  and are willing to help you out....and then the cycle continues for the next round.

My days evolve around who's going where, when and can i go too. Free time is non-exsistant and turns into Fueling the Fire Of Madness!

A WorldWideFamily if you will.....that's more than a lifestyle...it's a WAY OF LIFE for me now!....andIloveIT

Good stuff all around here.   

It has become a MAJOR factor in what I do and how I think now.
From just asking a simple How-to ?, I get a positive vibe via the monitor and actually feel like others want  and are willing to help you out....and then the cycle continues for the next round.

My days evolve around how's going where, when and can i go too. Free time is non-exsistant and turns into Fueling the Fire Of Madness!

A WorldWideFamily if you will.....that's more than a lifestyle...it's a WAY OF LIFE for me now!....andIloveIT

Amen, AdamBro - PTY!  (Praise the Yak!)   

Adam, I still remember that first striper you got up at Mendo.  And look at you now ...

I was hoping some of the other OG might chime in on this thread.  Where were we then?  Where are we now?  Are we any closer to enlighenment?

-Allen

Adam, I still remember that first striper you got up at Mendo.  And look at you now ...

I was hoping some of the other OG might chime in on this thread.  Where were we then?  Where are we now?  Are we any closer to enlighenment?

-Allen

While still a noob myself, I can definitely see a lot of growth in my fishing and paddling and the way I look at my off-time over the course of the last year since I bought my kayak in June 07. As far as lifestyle, this year every single day of vacation that I put in for is/was scheduled around kayak fishing and anymore it's all I want to do when I'm not at work. I've still got a lot to learn, but since I've started to focus all of my recreational efforts into kayak fishing and attending every NCKA event I can, I feel like each time I load my boat and drive down the road I'm a little more relaxed in life and a little more confident in my fishing abilities that I ever have been before.

I'll add one more thing that kayak fishing and kayaking in general have done for me and my wife. People that know us already know this, but my wife and I prefer a rural lifestyle, but my career brought us to the Bay Area which is anything but rural. Our first two years here we HATED living here. Sure, there are benefits to shopping and entertainment, but in general we would groan each day we woke up here and couldn't wait to move back to someplace less crowded and more friendly. Since we started kayaking, and hooking up with the cool folks at NCKA, we have changed our tune. While we still don't love it here, kayaking has given us an outlet for our rural desires and the friendliness and openness of the NCKA crew has made living here much more fun. Now we aren't dying to leave, and although we will inevitably move on at some point, we'll miss the kayaking lifestyle we've developed here.

-Jay

My wife would call it an "obsession"...I think its just part of our outdoors lifestyle.  Cycling, climbing, snowboarding, yakfishing...even our house is more or less outside in.

I took my daughter out in the yak this am (she's 18 months), she was so psyched, giggling and shouting, "booowww, booowww" (translated" "boat boat"). 
That surpassed, my all time favorite part of yakfishing -- launching solo in the quiet gray light, and watching the sun burn color into the world.