The most popular style of kayak for fishing is the Sit-On-Top. Modern day sit-on-tops provide adequate deck space for rigging as well as plentiful storage for fishing and safety gear. The self bailing feature of Sit-On-Tops allows them to be perfectly safe in any condition. They're also remarkable stable; while it's always possible to tip a kayak, most Sit-On-Tops are more than stable enough to facilitate the motion involved in fishing. Some are even stable enough to stand and fish from!
Recreation model Sit-inside kayaks make fantastic fishing platforms as well. The increased efficiency and added deck space are attractive to many kayak anglers. Inflatable kayaks, long narrow touring kayaks and white water play boats are less attractive options for fishing.
Kayaks do not allot as much space for gear storage as many traditional boats, but most provide adequate room for installing 2-6 rod holders, a fish finder, a bait tank and numerous tackle binders. Many anglers who switch from "real boats" to kayaks actually find their fishing improves when they narrow their tackle selection and focus on their confidence baits.
One of the best ways to learn the ropes of outfitting a kayak for fishing as well as learning about your local waterways is to join a local kayak fishing club. Most clubs like Georgia Kayak Fishing (http://www.georgiakayakfishing.com) have a website and online community full of friendly anglers looking to help new guys. Check the Kayaking.org directory for a club in your area.
Fishing and tournaments go hand in hand. Since live wells are not a viable option for kayaks, most tournaments use a Catch-Photo-Release system. In this system anglers take digital pictures of their fish on a measuring board and weigh their fish in through a computer. Many local clubs host their own tournaments and large nationwide sites have begun online tournament series. One such club is KayakBassFishing.com (http://www.kayakbassfishing.com), who gave away over $70,000 in prizes last year. Kayak fishing is an excellent and exciting way to combine two fun water activities. Whether you've been fishing and kayaking for years or you're new to either sport, enjoying a day on the water in your fishing kayak while catching fish will be a day well spent.
Below is one of our favorite videos walking you through the three golden rules of kayak fishing: