Paddling efficiently takes much work to develop the proper technique, so a pedal drive may be the best choice for novice kayakers. Even seasoned paddlers can benefit from pedaling when traveling long distances or prolonged periods on the water. Anyone new to kayaking will need to get into paddling shape, but most people will have a better built-up endurance in their legs. Pedaling takes advantage of our strong and powerful leg muscles. Get More Power and Endurance Using Your Legs Pedaling while making small adjustments to your keel or skeg is usually enough to keep you on the right track to your destination and your hands free for other tasks. Traveling is also a good time to tie on different baits and fine tune fishing electronics. Many anglers, in both freshwater and saltwater, actively fish while moving from location to location. The problem with paddling is that it requires both of your hands. ![]() Anglers who routinely travel large bodies of water will get the most out of their day using a pedal drive to get them where they need to be in a short time. Successful tournament anglers are usually the ones who get to their spot first. Whether it’s a rotational pedal with a propeller or push/pull pedals with fins, pedaling provides on-the-water speed and efficiency. Since this innovation, many other kayak manufacturers have launched their own versions of a pedal drive, and each delivers advantages to paddling. Hobie forever changed the landscape of kayak fishing with the introduction of the Mirage Drive in 1997. Keeping the paddle close at hand is a must, and the RAILBLAZA QuickGrip Hip Clip is a good solution to storing the paddle without unnecessary bending up and down. The paddle plays a critical role in maintaining or adjusting your position to best present the bait to fish. Standing allows for longer and more accurate casts, and provides the ability to pitch and flip baits, too. Whether chasing tailing reds or sight-fishing bedded bass, fishing from a standing position can give you an advantage. Make Adjustments While Standing with a Paddle This will take up much-needed deck space and can become frustrating after numerous switches. ![]() Some pedaling anglers flutter kick their fins in shallow water, but when fish are in super shallow waters, like redfish busting back in a mud flat, anglers will need to completely flip up their fins or remove the pedal drive. One of the drawbacks to using a pedal drive system is the extra clearance needed under the boat. Once in an area, using an ultra-quiet anchor, such as the YakGear YakStick Floating Stake-Out Stick, will shore up your boat while fishing out an area. ![]() Quietly dipping the paddle in the water makes much less commotion and will allow anglers to slip in on unsuspecting fish. Fish don’t like anything out of the ordinary and will vacate the area if they sense something is amiss. The ability to sneak up on spooky fish is probably the most often-cited reason for choosing paddling over pedaling. ![]() While options have changed, paddling does provide worthy benefits over pedaling. Paddlers harken back to the old-school days where paddling was the only game in town. We take a look at some of the advantages and drawbacks to each method of kayak propulsion. With advances in kayak propulsion technology, there are increasingly more ways to thrust a kayak through the water than ever before. One sure way to get kayakers fired up is to start a healthy conversation about paddling versus pedaling.
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