Many years ago a friend of our family was telling me about using his canoe to target reds on the flats. He described with great detail how the fish swam right up to his boat without realizing he was there. At the time I thought he was probably exaggerating how close he was able to get to fish, but I was very interested in giving it a try. A few months later my parents bought an open two-person kayak to paddle around the ace basin and our abundant waterways. My brother and I had much different plans for their new craft. We slipped the Kayak in the water one late summer evening about an hour before dark. The tide was low and we headed for a flat we had never been able to reach with our boat. When we reached the flat we could not believe our eyes. The Redfish were everywhere and were very active. They were chasing shrimp and they were totally unaware of our presence. My first cast was right on the money and the red turned and attacked the top-water plug. We quickly realized that fighting a fish from a kayak is a little different than fighting a fish from a boat or from the land. The fish began pulling us around the flat! Tim took his paddle and stuck it in the mud to hold us in place while I brought the fish alongside us and unhooked it. We have used the kayak on many other trips with similar results and I always see something that amazes me. I have seen fish swim by the kayak that were close enough for me to reach out and touch them. I have also had them get spooked and run into us.
Kayaks have become quite popular for fishing. They offer many advantages. Kayaks can go where other boats cannot go, you do not need access to a boat ramp to launch them, and they are much less expensive than most boats. Many people like the flexibility a kayak gives them when it comes to where they fish. They have access to very shallow water and can launch the boat at many different locations, including roadside spots, which are plentiful in the Lowcountry.
There are a few things you will need to know before jumping in