OCEAN KAYAK CAPER ANGLER

‘Yak Attack!

Small paddle craft for fishing are older than history, but the last two decades have seen a small revolution driven by the fast-growing popularity of sit-on-top kayaks. The original sit-on-top ’yak was a modified surfboard created in a Malibu backyard in 1971. It worked so well that its inventor, Tim Niemier, went on to found Ocean Kayak, which bloomed in the 1980s and is today the industry leader in sit-on top kayaks.

For the angler, sit-on-tops have many advantages over more traditional sea kayaks: far greater stability, more accessible storage, easy exit and practical reentry in the event of a capsize, positive flotation, and greater freedom of movement in the cockpit. For anglers, divers, and casual paddlers, a sit-on-top is, well, tops.

Ocean Kayak’s Caper Angler represents the best of the breed. Made from superdurable, rotomolded polyethylene, the Caper Angler is a single-seat ‘yak specifically outfitted for fishing. Eleven feet in overall length and weighing just 45 pounds, the boat is easy for one person to handle. Features include two flush mounted rod holders, a small tackle box, paddle keepers, a large bow hatch providing access to a generous storage space, and an open tank well in the stern for additional, easily accessible storage. The boat’s superb primary stability comes both from its shouldered, triform hull and from a wide, 31-inch beam. The Caper Angler is quick enough for most trolling, tracks well for such a short boat (there is a modest keel that is most pronounced at the bow and stern), and boasts excellent maneuverability. Equally at home in freshwater and the salt, the Caper Angler is a fine, versatile little fishing boat.