By Paul Lebowitz

February 16, 2007

Kayak fishing is soaring in popularity.

Across the nation, people are pairing the paddle with the fishing pole to discover a new way to fish.

The movement is about more than a mode of transportation. There’s a sense of wonder here, of fading into and becoming part of the natural outdoor environment. Adventure too, with frenetic action and high drama pacing every big fish battle. And the sense of accomplishment that comes from besting a fish in its own element.

The big bait and tackle companies have noticed the trend, said to be the fastest growing sector of the recreational fishing industry. The result? The first new products designed specifically for the demands of fishing from a kayak are trickling into the tackle stores, with more good stuff just around the corner. 

Ric Hawthorne was ahead of the curve. For years he’s been spreading the message. Now at Okuma, producer of wide variety of attractively priced and increasingly improved saltwater rods and reels well suited for kayakers, Hawthorne said: “Kayak fishing is coming into its own. This can only lead to great things for the anglers as hopefully more and more manufactures will move away from thinking of it as a fringe sport.”

Indeed they are. What’s more, the brass at other big names understand the allure of kayak fishing.

When asked what he thinks about kayak fishing, Bill Buchanan of Pure Fishing, maker of the Berkley Gulp and Frenzy baits so wildly popular among California kayak anglers, answered: “There’s no experience like it. It’s you versus the elements. I really like that.”

Or this from Ray Moore of Quantum, who touted his company’s PTs saltwater baitcast reels for anglers whose tackle is right next to the water, and occasionally in it. “When you see a picture of a guy paddling a fishing kayak, you say to yourself, that person is immersed right in the environment, like a fly caster working a stream. What a cool feeling. It’s an I want to be there type of feeling.”

It’s a feeling WON is betting on. This venerable institution, the leading voice among Californian’s outdoor crowd, has partnered with popular website PlasticNavy.com to bring you Tournament Trail 2007. This exciting 6-event series of kayak saltwater bass fishing contests kicks off in April. The tournament will stop at the cream of the crop of Southern California’s kayak fishing hot spots: Mission Bay, Newport Bay, La Jolla, Dana Pt, and San Diego Bay.

WON couldn’t have picked a better partner. The Plastic Navy crew, headlined by Drew Clark and Paul Weintraub, has built a name for themselves by putting on tournaments that are true extravaganzas. The watchword is fun. There’s something for everyone here, from the first-time kayaker to the hardest of the hardcore: how-to seminars, glitzy raffle and placement prizes, and good natured but hotly contested competition. 

This brings us back to the major names in the fishing world. They’ve stepped up big-time to support the Tournament Trail: Lowrance Electronics, Okuma, Quantum, Berkley, Costa del Mar, Rapala, Promar, Global Fish Mounts, Owner, Seaguar, VMC, Xtools, WFO Sportfishing, the list goes on and on.