The Arkansas River has dropped to native inflows, which means this week I’ve started looking for new opportunities for outdoor fun. This inspired me to take a couple of inflatable stand up paddle boards and try fishing with them.The following is what I feel are the Top 5 Reasons to Try Fishing From a SUP Board.
1. SUP’s are lighter and easy to transport than many other offshore fishing options.
My roommate and I took two inflatable stand up paddle boards boards up to a high alpine lake. We easily strapped the two boards on a roof rack and put the paddles in the back seat. Each of our boards were easy to carry on our own and did not require a heavy duty roof rack to carry. If you do not have a roof rack you can easily inflate and deflate the boards at the fishing hole. This makes fishing from a SUP a very efficient endeavor
2. Fly fisherman can cast in the traditional way, while fishing from a SUP.
With drift boats, catarafts, and canoes, being in the seated position can affect the way you cast. On a SUP, you can stand straight up and get your fly where ever you you want without doing a roll cast or side cast. Unlike casting from the bank you have no worries of catching trees or shrubs. Fly fishing from a SUP is a great experience. The SUP pictured below is the Starboard Astro Tender.
3. You have a much better view of what you are fishing from a SUP.
The best fishing kayaks still have you sitting pretty low. When out on the water on a SUP with the proper eye wear you can get a great view of the water and the fish swimming beneath you. While paddling out to a spot i was able to see a school of fish right in front of the board. Other fishing methods wont give you as good of a view of the water compared to fishing from a SUP.
4. You can bring along a full size rafting cooler when fishing from a SUP.
This may seem ridiculous but it actually is a very useful feature. Standing all day can get tiring so the ability to take a seat while out on the lake is great. It also means you can have a place to keep a few cold beverages while out fishing and then store the nice trout that you caught for dinner. Maybe placing a partition between the two. The entire time you are fishing from a SUP while seated you are still higher above the water than you would be in a canoe or kayak. The SUP featured below is the Badfish MCIT Badfisher 11'.
5. SUPs are a very stable platform to fish from.
Some SUPs are made for racing and touring. They tend to be narrow fast and a lot less stable. Many SUP companies are now making fishing specific boards that are very stable and even have attachments for rod holders, anchors, and depth finders. The boards we used were just very stable boards and can easily carry two people so that you can bring along your significant other, child, or dog.
