DadStuff: Stand-Up Kayak
August 14, 2011, By Steve Kissing 0 comments
Canoes and kayaks make for quiet, stealthy fishing. However, you have to remain sitting, which can make spotting fish much more difficult and casting awkward and tiresome. Well, there’s something on the market that many a fisherman will want to sink his hooks into: a stand-up kayak.
It’s true. The smart and inventive folks at Freedom Hawk Kayaks have created a kayak that looks and paddles like a regular one, but with the simple push of two levers, outriggers move outward and lock into place. This provides your boat with significantly greater stability, enough that you can safely stand up and cast without worry of falling into the drink.
I have fished multiple times in the Freedom Hawk 14 (there’s a 12-foot model as well) and have caught numerous fish on each occasion. I’ve even encountered several wakes from ski boats and the Freedom Hawk remained plenty stable⎯and myself plenty dry.
The Freedom Hawk kayaks are available at outdoor stores around the country, as well as through several online retailers, including amazon.
Be forewarned that these ingenious kayaks are not inexpensive (the 14-foot model runs about $1,200 and the 12-foot model about $1,000). But, hey, they’re cheaper than a bass boat, right? And, regardless, they’re well worth the investment in the eyes of this fisherman and many others. For more information, check out this video:
