June, 2006

Why I Started Fishing from a Kayak

An angler spends more time than he or she would like to admit dreaming or fantasizing about how to catch more fish. The array of inventions that have evolved from their creative minds is unbelievable, and I am probably guiltier than most for my contributions. I have been possessed with the “what about…?” affliction for my entire life and have found that you can learn a lot by trial and error. If you learn from the error side, I should be a genius.

It only stands to reason that when I saw redfish or bonefish that were tailing and feeding in areas that were so shallow that they were inaccessible by a flats boat or the bottom was too soft for wading, I had to dream of a way to reach them.

I started fishing out of canoes and pirogues and I was able to pole or paddle into areas that had been inaccessible before. Then, about 10 years ago, I started fishing out of a sit on top kayak and it changed the fishing world for me. I was traveling the Gulf Coast as a regional business manager for Orvis; I put the kayak on top of my car, and that’s were it lived.

It was a self-bailing model, so I did not have to worry about it filling up with rainwater.  It was light and easy to manage by myself. It gave me access to all the nooks and crannies along the coast that I could reach by car, and I could load it on my flats boat to reach places that were too far to paddle reasonably.

I fished a lot of shallow ponds in the Louisiana marsh and I noticed, even with a very shallow draft flats boat, that the fish seemed to sense my presence when I approached.. I could see them tailing or crawling with their backs out of the water as happy as they could be, but when I poled the boat into the pond - no matter how quiet I was - they seemed to get nervous. I finally determined that the boat was displacing and pushing water in the pond and the fish could feel it.

Once I started paddling and poling kayaks into these same ponds the fish did not seem to be aware of my presence. In fact, I was able to get literally right on top of fish without spooking them. I also realized that in addition to being able to get closer to fish that all the other wildlife in the marshes seemed to accept me as unobtrusive and part of their world. 

Fishing out of a kayak is not only a more productive way of fishing but it is quiet, peaceful and environmentally friendly. You can get away from the crowds and even if the fishing is off you can have a healthy, stress-free day enjoying nature, and exercising as well.

  Interview -  5/19/06

When did he start fishing? 

“Well, there’s an ol’ photo of me sitting in a skiff with diapers on holding a fishing pole, so I guess I was pretty young.  In grade school, I sold speckled trout and flounder in the Fairhope, Alabama fish markets during the summer, trapping and selling furs during the winter.

I worked on tug boats and push boats on the Mississippi and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in my 20’s.  Then, after making rigging for ships in Mobile (Alabama) and promoted to be the superintendent in charge of loading ships, moved to Wilmington (North Carolina).  When I was not working I’d be hunting or fishing, trying to relive the path of Robert Ruark, author of Old Man and the Boy.  That book taught me a lot about hunting and fishing and the importance of respecting the natural order.”

A licensed captain, Jimbo shrimped Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico: worked as manager for processing oysters, shrimp, and all sorts of fish in Bon Secour, Alabama; a boat dealer for Hewes Flats Boats; and as a fly fishing guide.   His off time continued to be spent fishing nearly the entire Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.

For twelve years he worked for Orvis as an Orvis endorsed guide, fly casting instructor, and regional business manager for the Gulf Coast, then turned to selling flats boats for Hell’s Bay Boat Works.  After a short stint as the premium shotgun manager for Beretta, he’s happy to be back on the water, with a thoughtful view about his ability to make a difference.  A student of yoga and meditation, he is evolving his role as an influencer in the sport of fishing.

“Being able to make a living on the water is vanishing.  Harvesting is a dying industry, so we now need to protect what we can enjoy.  I want to live the rest of my life trying to take care of what we have left.”

“I started fishing from kayaks nearly ten years ago, discovering that I could get to places I couldn’t get to before.  I love it ‘cause it’s quiet. It gives you access to places with few people.   You slow down, and can observe your favorite birds, other wildlife and all other elements of your environment better than what you possibly can appreciate from a power boat.”

Jimbo is part of Heritage Kayaks’ design, marketing, sales and public relations effort.  He is an integral part of our focus on providing fishing kayaks and gear that that will help you create a satisfying day on the water.

Jimbo's Cast Archive  

July 2006- Choosing a Fishing Kayak

May 2006 -    "Jimbo Meador, Angler Philosopher"