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Top five reasons for Southeast Texas saltwater kayaking 1) Keith Lake and Bessie Heights marsh are made for yaks.
2) You can paddle into nowhere from anywhere.
3) You can fish shallow estuary lakes for reds.
4) It’s economical with a boat that needs very little maintenance.
5) There are no trailer lights to replace once a month.
I always appreciate running into hard core fishermen, and recently while checking on the availability of boat ramps on Bolivar Peninsula I ran across Bruce Sublett.
Talk about getting into fishing, this guy is there - right in the face of Old Man Winter. I pulled up to the Stingaree dock and locked in on Sublett, who was busy putting on a pair of waders, and getting ready to launch his Ocean Kayak. The game plan was to fish the estuary areas along the Intracoastal Canal. We got to talking and I could immediately tell that Sublett knew what he was in for. As he paddled away from the dock I was amazed at how well organized his kayak was. This was definitely not his first rodeo. He had two rods rigged and ready. One was a bait casting rig, the other was an eight weight fly rod. In the bow as a small anchor. He had a landing net ready for use. When I asked him what he was after Sublett didn’t hesitate. “I’ve fished this area a lot, just not in a situation like this,” he said, in reference to damage from Hurricane Ike. “What I’m going to do today is head down the Intracoastal and look for shallow reds on the small estuary areas. Then later in the day I’ll paddle across the canal and fish the south shoreline of East Bay.” We exchanged business cards. I headed back to Beaumont and didn’t think I’d hear from Sublett again.
The next day I checked my emails and there was a message from Sublett. He had caught a few reds, a couple of trout and a flounder. That’s better than most anglers do on a good day in a real boat.
I say real, because many of the guys I fish with don’t consider a “yak” a REAL boat. After all it doesn’t come with an outboard engine and doesn’t have to be towed with a trailer. However, there is one thing that’s certain about kayaks - they are cheap, don’t use gas, and can be used to access some excellent fishing along the coast. Kayaking along the Texas coast has skyrocketed over the past few years. It’s a rare day when you don’t see at least a few “yakers” on our bays. You don’t see too many on Sabine Lake. But that is definitely not the case on Keith Lake or Bessie Heights marsh. There is a growing contingent of Southeast Texas salty kayakers that have discovered the merits of yaking our small bays and back water estuaries. Hit the right spot, on the right tide, on the right day and it’s not at all unusual to see and catch reds, trout and flounder. John Gordon, who owns and operates the Coastal Paddler in Beaumont, is in the business of selling kayaks, canoes and accessories. And over the years he’s seen his kayak sales boom considerably over canoes. That’s mainly because a whole lot of fishermen have discovered that kayaking is a direct link to some excellent fishing along the coast. Over the years I’ve owned several kayaks. Two of the best, and the most user friendly, that I’ve fished from are the Wilderness Systems Tarpon and the relatively new Native Watercraft. There is one big time reason why I mention those two brand names - they offer comfortable seating. As long as you’re comfortable in a yak you’re having fun. The one thing about fishing from a kayak is that you have the option of staying inside the cockpit, or getting out to wade fish. But coming and going from a fishing location is all about comfort. The Tarpon kayaks have a flip up back rest and padded butt rest. I thought that was the cat’s meow until Gordon put me in a 12-foot Native Watercraft last fall. I used it on Village Creek one day and realized that the seating in that particular boat was like sitting in a lounge chair. It’s a suspended seat with an adjustable back rest and bottom. Plus, your bottom side stays dry. That’s not the case with most sit-on-top kayaks. Something you’ll notice quickly is that not all yaks are designed the same. The sit-on-tops are definitely the way to go if you’re into fishing along the coast. They allow for easy entry and exit. They are very sturdy, easy to paddle and track well. They are also easily loaded and unloaded. And they can be rigged with rod holders, GPS units, cooler strap downs, cup holders, paddle holders and more. And just recently Native Watercraft has come out with a pedal drive kayak, that allows for more fishing and less paddling. That’s not exactly hard core, but it’s certainly another viable option.
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