Growing Your Local Kayaking Community

Do you wish you had more buddies to go kayak fishing with? Want to see increased participation in your local kayak fishing club? Do you just want more people to care about the local waterways that you hold dear? What if I told you there was a simple and fun way to do all these things?
The first step to creating more kayak fishermen, is to create more kayakers. How do you do this? I’ll tell you. Check out the Jackson Kayak Outfitters listing found at this link. https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/jk-outfitters/ Choose one that is close to your area, and fits the needs of a beginning kayaker. Give them a call and ask them about booking a group kayaking excursion. Many will offer a discounted group rate, making it more attractive to potential participants. Then pick a date and put out the call to your friends list. Many people are curious about kayaking, but hesitant to take on a new challenge alone.

On the day of the trip, don’t show up in full tournament mode. Strip down your boat, or maybe even rent one like all the rest will be using. If you carry fishing gear, keep it simple. The object here is to get people to enjoy a day in a kayak. Maybe catching a fish or two along the way will stoke a fire in some, but a good kayaking experience should be your main concern. Teach them a little about kayaking. Show them why they should help one another on the river. Drive home how they can help make sure the river remains healthy and clean.

If at the end of the trip some are wanting to learn more about purchasing their own kayak, take them back to the outfitters shop, and let them check out some new boats. Chances are, at least a few in the group will become new members of your local kayak fishing community. At the very least, they will see that there is nothing to be scared of, and may come back to it at a later date. Plus, they will remember that you are the one that facilitated a new experience. Who doesn’t want to be remembered?

We are in the prime time to get new folks involved. Be the spark in your local area.