Sea kayaks also are becoming popular for flats fishing along the Texas coast. With a sea kayak, you don't have to get in line at a crowded launch ramp. You only need a beachfront or roadside creek access to a bay system where you can pull off, park your car, and be on the water in minutes. The sea kayak can also be transported in center console fishing boats when it is necessary to traverse long stretches of open water to get to prime flats. And if the fish are stacked up in the corner of a lagoon where the bottom is too soft for wading, the kayak will get you to the fish.
Sea kayaks come in many designs that work well on the Texas flats.
This design has proven ideal for exploring backcountry tidal creeks, marshlands, and open flats. The tough-skinned Prism is made of a thermoplastic linear polyethylene, weighs only 51 pounds and has proven extremely seaworthy in a variety of conditions. It travels well on top of a vehicle and is light enough to be launched single-handedly in minutes from a roadside access point. The craft responds to a light paddle stroke and easily cuts through the chop at the end of the day. The self-bailing design and airtight compartments provide buoyancy and stability, and the open cockpit allows easy entry and exit at the launch point or out on the water.