Kayaks catching on as good craft to use for fishing

The molded polyethylene X-Wing Slider, a combination rod holder, storage console and instrument panel, is one of the newest innovations made for kayak fishing.

Kayaks move at the ideal speed for trolling a tube, according to a recent article in On The Water magazine. As more anglers catch on to the versatility of the little boats, fishing models have become the fastest growing segment of the paddling market, according to several people at the recent ICAST fishing-tackle trade show in Las Vegas.

Several manufacturers now make kayaks with compartments to stow gear, but rod holders and electronic devices such as GPS receivers have to be mounted in places that may not be the most convenient — like between your legs.

Malibu Kayaks, of Paramount, Calif., has created a new product that kayak fishermen are going to love. The X-Wing Slider is a combination storage console and instrument panel with a water-tight battery compartment and bow light.

The X-Wing Slider is so new that it hadn’t made it to Malibu’s Web site as of Friday afternoon.

The molded polyethylene unit slides on and off two rails mounted on either side of the kayak’s cockpit. When the Slider is in place, a paddler can move it forward or backward.

“People have a lot of electronics, like fish finders and GPS units, that they can’t always reach,” said Sean Caples, the Malibu representative showing a prototype at the ICAST show. “When they’re paddling, anglers sometimes have to remove the instruments, and when they’re ready to fish, they have to put them in place again.

“We came up with something that you can pull right over your lap when you’re fishing, and when you’re done, you just push it away.”

Without rod holders, electronics or anything else attached to the X-Wing Slider, the unit will probably weigh about 5 pounds, Caples said.

Rod holders can be mounted on the sides, perfect for trolling a tube-and-worm rig.

The company also makes a molded child’s seat and other accessories that do appear online at www.malibukayaks.com where there you can also see some remarkable fishing pictures. Check out the halibut.

To see several configurations for rigging a fishing kayak, look at www.kayakfishingstuff.com. The site was created by a New Jersey company that sells kayaks and outfits them for anglers. The company also outfits kayaks that anglers buy from other dealers.

Nils Christensen, a kayak-fishing authority who works with King Cove Outfitters in Stonington, Conn., also posts local fishing information at www.ultimatekayakfishing.com.