Evolution of a Kayak Angler

My name is Kyle. I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While attending Ball State University, I got really big into wade fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the White River. It never seemed like I could cover much water while wading so I was kicking around ideas trying to think of alternatives to wading. After graduation, I returned to Fort Wayne and ended up buying a Future Beach Trophy 126 kayak. I had never really kayaked much before then so it was a very new experience for me and I soon learned that kayak fishing can have quite the learning curve. I discovered that fishing from a kayak is an extremely effective and great way to get to new places that I had never dreamed of fishing before. I spent most of my time on rivers and creeks chasing Smallmouth Bass.

After a year or two, I began experimenting fishing for different species. I went through a phase where I fished for Crappies in the local rivers. The kayak was a perfect tool to get way inside downed trees to pluck crappies from places that most people could not get to. A simple approach of slip floats and jigs led to 30+ fish days. To this day this is still one of my favorite ways to fish for Crappies.

The next spring, I began casting for Walleyes. I caught a few fish, but it wasn’t until I started using my kayak's built in rod holders to troll that I really started catching a lot of them. Trolling allowed me to cover a lot of water and find more active fish than sitting and casting did. While trolling, I also managed to catch a lot of other species including: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappies, and Carp. I kept trolling the rest of that year with a single rod and did pretty well for different species. The following spring I decided to try my hand at fishing for Trout in Northern Indiana lakes. I did pretty well trolling for the recently stocked Rainbows. With the addition of a small fish finder, I was able to more easily follow lake contours while trolling.

While out one day I hooked a fish while trolling. From the start I could tell it was going to be an exceptional fish. I thought I had hooked a new state record Rainbow. After about 10 minutes of back and forth on light tackle, I could finally see that I had hooked into a MASSIVE Northern Pike. I eventually tired the fish out and managed to pull it on board for a few photos before letting it go back. It’s hard to get good pictures of a 40’’ fish from a kayak but I did the best I could. I have since fished specifically for Pike with great success.

That fall, my kayak fishing evolved yet again. While out fishing for Trout in November, I met another kayak fisherman while on the lake. He gave me some great ideas on how to modify my kayak to be even more effective while trolling. I added Scotty rod holder mounts to the front of my kayak. Moving the rods up front made all the difference in the world. I began catching far more fish and it allowed me to fish with two rods instead of just one. I caught a lot of Rainbows and several Browns that winter until the lake finally froze up in January.

In 2013 I focused a lot of my energy on fly fishing, primarily for Smallmouth Bass and Trout. I did a lot of river trips for Smallies and had some success. In the fall/winter of 2013 I trolled with fly rods with great success for Rainbows and Browns. I have been tying my own flies and greatly enjoy the challenge of catching fish on flies that I tied. Fly fishing from a kayak is a unique and often challenging experience, but can also be extremely enjoyable.

In the summer of 2013, I began to seriously take up whitewater kayaking. This sport is extremely challenging but also some of the most fun I have ever had. I spent numerous hours perfecting my roll so I can right myself if I get flipped while on the river. This discipline of kayaking has taught me how to navigate swiftly moving water with ease, which has helped my angling success in rivers and streams.


In the spring of 2014 I was accepted onto Wildcat Creek Outfitters Kayak Fishing Team. Through them I purchased my new and current kayak: The Old Town Predator MX. The sit-on-top, open deck, and stable design of this boat has changed how I fish from a kayak. I can stand and fish with ease from this boat both with a fly rod and conventional tackle. I have since customized this boat to fit my specific fishing styles. On my first outing with this new boat in March I fished Lake Michigan and landed two Coho Salmon and a Brown Trout. In April I landed my personal best brown trout of 23 1/2 inches while kayak fishing.


I almost entirely devoted the summer of 2014 to chasing Pike in Northern Indiana rivers. I landed numerous fish over 30 inches while casting flys and spinners. I also chased Musky for a brief time before the water warmed too much and landed my first ever musky of about 35 inches! I came close several other times with follows and hooked a giant right at the kayak that later threw the hook.

I fished a few kayak fishing tournaments in 2014. Both were bass tournaments. I did OK in both tournaments but not as well as I would have liked. Bass fishing especially for Largemouth is not typically something on which I focus my fishing effort, but the tournament scene was fun and a great way to meet and interact with more kayak anglers.

On 9/18/14 I caught my first Steelhead from my kayak! This was something that I had been chasing for several years and I was glad to have finally accomplished it. The Indiana Summer-Run (Skamania) Steelhead offers an unparalleled fight featuring long drag peeling runs and numerous jumps. These fish enter Indiana waters beginning in June and are available the rest of the year.

Over the winter of 2014-2015, I purchased a Musky specific rod, reel, line, leaders, and lures to focus more time and effort on landing more Indiana Muskies. Starting in May 2015 I began fishing for them. I had numerous follows each trip and managed to land 4 Muskies! I learned a lot and really enjoy the hunt for these fish. The Predator MX is a tremendous asset as the flat, open deck design allows me the ability to stand and fish. Standing is a huge advantage as it allows you to see following fish sooner and better react to them. I hooked most of my fish right at the boat highlighting the importance of the 'figure-eight' maneuver and spotting following fish as soon as possible.

There are only a few sport fish in Indiana that I have still not managed to catch from a kayak. I mostly just have the tougher ones remaining and they are my goals for the next few years:

1) Chinook (King) Salmon

2) Lake Trout

3) Striped Bass

4) Flathead Catfish

5) Gar (all Indiana native species)