By Paul Lebowitz

October 5, 2007

A tip of the cap to SoCal's super paddle-fishing shops

Here in SoCal, a few special shops have evolved into the ultimate kayak fishing headquarters. You know the ones I mean.

You walk in the door, and the good stuff is there in all its one-stop-shopping glory. Of course, the biggest head-turners are the newest fishing ‘yaks, pristine, sparkling, smooth and shiny. You think to yourself, what a joy it would be to dirty one up with fish slime and sand.

The best kayak fishing shops are always a bit cluttered because there’s just so much great gear to strap on these boats. Entire walls are filled with rod holders. Rocket launchers, flushmounts, Scotty and RAM, they have exactly what you need to build a custom fishing machine. There are accessories galore: feather-weight paddles, coiled leashes, comfy seats, jackets that shrug off water, fish-friendly PFDs, compasses, GPS units, compact radios, color-screen fishfinders. The list goes on and on. 

When its time to install your new gizmo, there’s no need to scatter plastic shavings throughout the garage, or smear your hands with marine epoxy. Let the rigging experts take care of it on the spot. The guys who drill the holes and run the wires are true craftsmen.

Watch out for your wallet! The top tier of paddle-fishing specialists go one budget-busting step farther. They carry a finely honed selection of the deadliest kayak fishing baits around. It’s the true double whammy – everything kayak, everything fishing. These shops are many a kayak angler’s second home.

It’s no surprise that SoCal’s best kayak fishing shops are such great supporters of the Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News. It’s impossible to imagine the Trail without the hospitality of a Ron Lane, whose Fastlane Sailing and Kayaking hosted our Mission Bay kickoff. Or a John Upchurch, Southwind Kayak Center’s Irvine accessory inventor.

Then there’s Dana Point Jetski and Kayak Center owner Tim Boyer, who steered Plastic Navy to a launch ramp launch site. And Ric Osanai of San Diego Kayak Adventures, who co-located his paddle shop with one of San Diego’s largest tackle stores. Or Brent Torgeson, whose OEX family of fishing-centric kayak shops has grown to four with the addition of Hobie dealer OEX Oceanside. Five, if you count the newest OEX must-stop, a webcam aimed squarely at the huge launch site at La Jolla’s Avenida de la Playa. The camera feed is available at BigWatersEdge.com.