The only reason for standing while fishing from a kayak is visibility. When you stand up your eye level is higher giving you a more acute angle to look down into the water. This increases the distance from your position that you can see into the water. It is the same reason I can spot more fish from the poling platform of my skiff than my customers can from the lower deck. The greater visibility means that I can see into the water and locate fish that aren’t making themselves visible through surface movements such as “tailing” and “backing” or I can locate fish-holding structure. There are several situations where this comes in handy. I still fish sitting down and drifting, but when things get tough I’ll stand up and start hunting for some fish.

Most folks think that I stand up only to sight-cast to fish. While this is a great way to catch fish, there are many more reasons to learn to pole your kayak than just casting to sighted fish.

I recently fished Tampa Florida for a couple of days. The fish were in the sandy potholes and nowhere else. The problem was that the potholes were few and far between and there was an overcast sky. This meant that while I was sitting and drifting I would often end up on top of a pothole before I knew it was there. By standing up I was able to spot the potholes at greater distance allowing several good casts before getting too close. I was also able to locate more of the potholes that were not in my direct line of drift. The holes that were more than a few yards left or right of the drift would have gone by unseen. In this situation Standing made me much more efficient at covering the fish-holding structure.

I’ve been fishing in the Extreme Edge kayak tournaments this year. This has meant many hours on unfamiliar waters. I need to learn as much about the area as possible in a short amount of time. When I’m out scouting an area I like to stand up and drift or pole across a large expanse of flats. Using this method I can tell whether or not the numbers of game fish are there to support further effort. Doing this in the kayak doesn’t seem to spook the game fish and I often drift within a few feet of fish before they take off. If I start to see a concentration of fish I then have several options. I can continue drifting and sight-cast to the fish, I can sit down and blind-cast with confidence that there are good numbers of fish in the area, or I can step out and work the area thoroughly by wading it.

I also use this method for scouting the terrain of the new territory. I can learn more about an area in a shorter amount of time by poling through it. I get to see all of the structure that is available and I get to feel the bottom with the push pole. Ever wonder how the current is reacting to a certain piece of structure that you’ve found? Stand up and then stir some sediment and watch how it swirls past the structure. Armed with this information I get a good idea about the likely travel routes of the game fish and how I want to approach the area when it’s time to go fishing.

And when it is time to go fishing I let the conditions dictate whether or not I stand up to fish. Off-color water, cloudy days, deeper areas, or too much wind will have me sitting and casting. On the other hand, if I am fishing an area that is holding scattered fish and the conditions are right for sight-fishing, you better believe I’ll be standing up all day.

One of my favorite tactics for standing and spotting fish is to ease up to a point or funnel. This can be the point of a shell island, a point of marsh extending from the shore, or a cut through a reef. What I’m looking for is a piece of structure that forces fish to swim around or through it. You need good clear water, moving tide, and a high sun to make this work. I stake off the kayak with the sun at my back as far from the structure as I can get and still have the ability to see a fish swimming by. The conditions will dictate how close you can get. Once you’ve gotten into this position it is time to play the waiting game. It reminds me of deer hunting on a sendero. If you choose the right spot and the tides are moving it shouldn’t take too long for the first fish to pass by. The thing I really like about this method is that the fish are just going about their normal feeding and traveling activities when you see them. They haven’t been spooked by the boat or a splashing wader. A person can learn quite a bit about his quarry if he’ll just watch them for a while without trying to catch every one of them he sees. I’ve often stood in one place and just watched and learned as the fish go about their routine.

Many folks wonder how you can pull it off. Poling the kayak, seeing a fish, putting the pole away, getting the rod out, and then casting to the fish all without spooking the fish or falling out of the kayak. I’ll admit that it took practice, but it really isn’t that difficult. I keep the rod tucked into the back of my waistband while I ease along poling and watching for fish. Upon seeing the fish I try to determine if the fish is already alerted to my intrusion. If not, I’ll stake off using the push-pole. This is where my Wilderness Systems Ride comes in handy. The center scupper hole is very large and my push-pole fits through it perfectly. Once I’ve stopped moving I get the rod out and flip a cast to the fish. The next move is a little tricky. You have to decide how you want to deal with this fish. If it’s an average sized red I’ll usually opt to just kneel down in the cockpit to fight and land the fish. On bigger fish I usually step out of the kayak and fight them.

Standing up in a kayak is obviously not for everyone. If you want to try it I suggest going out without any gear on the deck the first time. You need a good stable kayak with a somewhat wide bottom. I use the Ride, but I’ve also fished from the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 and 140. The Tarpon 120 is not really ideal for this, but the 140 makes an excellent platform to stand on. Try to find an area with calm water less than two feet deep with a firm bottom. Stand up and use your paddle for balance. Once you get used to it, see how far you can push it before you have to “exit”. An hour of goofing off will do wonders for your confidence.

As always safety is more important than catching fish. A little common sense goes a long way. I don’t stand in high winds, deep water, or where there is a strong current. I would also say to use extra caution in areas with oysters. An oyster reef can cause a kayak to come to a sudden screeching halt and it’s not a good place to fall out of your kayak. Most of all just be safe and have fun with it.