What Color Kayak is Best for Fishing?
One of the most common questions I get from fishermen who consider kayaking is “What color should I get?” Answering this question is not as easy as one might think since there are a lot of factors that should be considered beyond what looks more elegant on the water.
One major consideration when it comes to choosing a kayak is safety, which has to do with its visibility, especially with the ocean-going boats. Some colors that look highly visible are not. White kayaks may be mistaken for a crashing wave or surf. Red kayaks disappear very quickly in low light. Even bright blue kayaks can be tough to see in the blue ocean waters.
For visibility, the best safest colors for kayaks are solid bright colors, like yellow and orange, because they stand out particularly in low light sky, like dawn and dusk. According to some accounts of former fishermen, a fishing kayak hull with sand-colored boats is better if you want to be stealth and have the best chance of not alerting your future catch of your presence.
Yellow kayak can be easily seen from a great distance by fellow fishermen and boaters. This is vital on cloudy days, particularly so you can be seen by approaching motor boats. There were many circumstances when I had an encounter at landing and my follow boaters thanked me for having a yellow kayak because of the ease of seeing me.
Boaters are less likely to run over a bright red, yellow, or orange kayak. And if there is an emergency circumstance that requires assistance, the authorities can locate a bright colored kayak more easily. And also if nothing else, bright kayaks can help you take beautiful pictures of your fish.
Though few people argue that bright colors will spook the fish and it is better to take the color that will blend, and simply stay away from places where there are many other boats. But many recent studies indicate that fish cannot see a lot of colors and are not attracted or repelled by certain colors. Although some kayakers in the ocean say that yellow kayaks attract the sea lions that the animal will steal fish and bait off a line. They suggested bright green or orange kayaks when fishing near sea lion habitat.
Some kayakers prefer to have blue underneath on their kayaks, hoping to blend in with the water. On a sunny day, the white underneath of a kayak may be less visible than the dark underneath for the fish below, the similar reason most of the fish are white at the bottom. When fishing close to the beach, a sandy-kayak may be less visible to the fish. Camouflage may be less visible in reed and along wooded streams.
In conclusion, a bright colored kayak is the best fishing kayak option for safety, because it is more visible. It can be difficult to identify dark colors kayaks, particularly blues can be difficult to spot in the ocean and can lead to accidents. Therefore when buying a kayak look for the color such as yellow, green and orange.
