What got you into Kayak Fishing?

watched a guy in a kayak catching fish one day off lovers point about 8 years ago --I was on shore chilling and he was only about 200 feet off shore......he would catch a little blue on every drop......I fished all my life freshwater and figured a kayak on the ocean would be the way to get at good fishing

a year or so later I saw a guy in a parking lot with a fishing kayak on homemade racks on an old truck...he told me about nor cal kayak...said to join up and post up and learn how....few years later I got around to buying a kayak and joined up

It got expensive filling a 100 gallon gas tank on a boat that was lucky to get 2 miles a gallon. 

The chicks! 

Curiosity, then you all got me involved on this website, then I met a bunch of you. End of story, I was hooked. Also got tired of being stuck to the shore. 

Got tired of fighting for real estate with other shore fisherman, and hiking down sea cliff's  only to get knocked down by waves.

I grew up fishing for bass in the midwest, mostly in small farm ponds. If anybody had told me then that someday I'd be fishing from an overgrown bathtub toy in the ocean, I'd have thought they were on something (as opposed to be "on to" something).

Anyways, for me, the light bulb came on when I saw some guy catching stripers from a kayak just off of New Brighton, and the shore fisherman (including me) weren't getting anything. I figured I'd just need to get a few hundred yards offshore and I'd be set. I never thought I'd be going miles out.

Always fished from a canoe growing up. Got into whitewater kayaking, reaching some beautiful sections of river on clear creek below whiskeytown, sf smith, mf smith, nf smith, trinity, etc. always wondering how I could stow some gear in 7 foot kayak to fish some epic spots most folks cant reach. With that in the back of my mind and sick of donating gear to the jetties, I went with Abking one time (didnt even fish) on his sit on top and watched some of his videos catching big lings just off shore of where we would fish, and the light bulb went off. Bought an xfaxtor and that was that.

A damn fool named "Snapperhead"!

We both are cross-overs from PBing and CSFC

I had been a seakayaker for a while and said that when I retired, I was going to buy an SOT and outfit it for fishing. It happened that in early 2005 I met Mooch and ChuckE at Paddlefest in San Mateo. I was so jazzed that I joined the forum right away. I was easily sucked into the madness and quickly became known at Mooch's "Sugar Mama." Whether I caught fish or not made no difference because the NCKA family is without a doubt the most awesome group of people I have ever met. I graduated from freshwater to saltwater fishing and even went on the Islander trip in November 2007.

After a hiatus of 2-3 years (the madness never really diminishes), I'm back with my 8 YO granddaughter, who has her own kayak and who just caught her first fish this year (thanks, DaleShark!).

Hope to meet the many new folks and hug and talk with all the "old" ones!

Janice aka Big J
Emily aka Little E

I accidentally came across this forum while looking for fishing info on the web.  After reading posts for a couple of weeks I joined up thinking "this is a bunch o' crap" these guys can't be that cool.  I bought an Outback and went to Bss4.  I was wrong, they are that cool!

Start out rock picking for Abs in the 80's...get a kayak to get out further for bigger Abs...start fishing from kayak in the 90's...met Don/Dangling at Lake Mendo and found out about NCKA...joined NCKA in 2006...still here 

LoletaEric's YouTube videos fishing the Lost Coast.  That pretty much did it  .  Thanks again man!

I was having a fishing withdrawal and Had to find an alternative when a friend with a bass boat went on vacation for a long time. Saw some kayak fishing on YouTube and eventually led to NCKA. Then, the MADNESS got the best of me and there was no turning back.

I wanted an alternative for high altitude fresh water lakes besides my aluminum boat especially later in the summer when the water levels dropped and it was tough to launch an aluminum even with a 4x4.  Ended up trying all of the Hobie pedal kayak family because I had two torn rotator cuffs and could not paddle long distances.  Ended up buying a Outback for my son and a Pro Angler for myself, at that time when the Pro Anglers first came out no one had any demos so I bought it without trying it and have been happy with it ever since.

I have many buddies who would never shut up about yakin. I sold my offshore boat right as I won a free two yak rental from headwaters at my sons school fundraiser in Lodi. I needed to compensate. I used the rental and saw the beauty of no trailer, no engine, no launch fees, no blown bearings, and many other "no's". I was hooked. Paid my kid $20 to grab the tag off my hobie before everyone else at the headwaters swapmeet and the rest is history. I still have a whaler though that I love and slay on. Lmfao I fish every style from the fly to live bait, cuppers in the granite to tuna out the gate plus worldwide travel, and never get board. I can catch about any species you want and will always take the bet/challenge. I'm way past hobby and into full boar fettish. It doesn't get better than that! Dan at headwaters is a total enabler!