8 Kayak Fishing Myths Debunked

Sanding your hull will make it go faster, kayak fishing is bad for your health and kayak anglers attract sharks, alligators and killer whales—fish long enough and you’ll hear it all. Kayak Angler asked readers for their wildest kayak fishing myths. Here’s what you told us.

8 Kayak Fishing Myths Debunked

“Several people have told me that paddling a kayak is bad for your shoulders. I have severe arthritis in my right shoulder and kayak fishing has been my saving grace. No chance of skipping therapy when it includes fishing, either.”

– Woody Sanford, Princeton, North Carolina

“The number of fish a kayak angler catches is limited to the number of GoPro cameras mounted on his kayak.”

– Don Smith, Beaufort, South Carolina

“Apparently bananas are bad luck, but I bring them almost every trip. I have worse luck when I bring my girlfriend.”

– Andy Evans, College Station, Texas

“An old man once lectured me for 20 minutes about how kayak fishing the Puget Sound in Washington State was extremely dangerous because killer whales would knock kayakers out of their kayaks and eat them.”

– Fil Martinez, Tacoma, Washington

“Hanging your feet off the sides of your yak in the Gulf of Mexico attracts sharks. No seals and no great whites. Myth.”

– Jeb Bradshaw, Fort Worth, Texas

“Sanding the bottom of your yak with sandpaper will make your kayak faster—it doesn’t, just hurts the integrity of your yak.”

– Matt Heinrichs, Jaffery, New Hampshire

“Sharks…always sharks.”

– Joe Miller, Chattanooga, Tennessee

“I had a guy just two days ago asking for money at an intersection walk up to me and say, ‘You can’t fish from a kayak—you might think you’re fishing, but there’s no way.’ This was followed by something about alligators and sharks I couldn’t understand. It all stemmed from the Kayak Angler sticker on my back window.”

– Eric “Marsh-Man” Bonneman, Cutler Bay, Florida

This article was first published in the Early Summer 2014 issue of Kayak Angler. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.

Don’t believe everything you hear, bananas are bad luck. | Feature photo: Ben Duchesney