Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - Kayak Fishing on Sandy Pond, NY - June 2023

The last time I approached Sandy Pond it was a blustery day in February and the beautiful blue waters were transformed to harden white turf. Ice fishing in Upstate New York is a pastime adored by my husband so every year I venture out with him bundled up ready to face the wind, cold, and prospects of catching perch. What else is a winter sportswoman to do?

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - Ice Fishing on Sandy Pond - February 2023

Yesterday approaching the same body of water on Father’s Day with the father of my two sons who couldn’t make it home for the holiday, I wore bright pink shorts, a tank top, and water shoes ready to try Kayak Fishing for the first time. I already experienced deep-sea fishing and fly fishing, why not kayak fishing? I grew up on a lake with boats so this kind of fishing was going to be my favorite.

Higginbotham Deep Sea Fishing Trip - Saint John’s Island - May 2023

As the calm waters enveloped my pink kayak (of course I have a pink kayak), my spirit settled and the old familiar comfort and serenity of being on water embraced me. As we paddled out of the cove into deeper waters with a fairly calm breeze blowing, I hooked my first worm and let it drift into the water as far as it would go, and then reeled it up two times to the perfect location, per my husband.

Boom (well, maybe a small boom) the fishing pole dipped and I yanked hard enough to pull up my first small perch. Deciding I wouldn’t be too afraid to take the fish off the hook this time, I gently started to, when my husband said, “here let me help you.” I agreed of course since I’m not that tough of a fishing gal yet. I re-launched my pole and almost immediately got another bite and up came another small perch. These small perch were not big enough to keep so we set them free. This happened again and again until I caught six of them. I can see how fishing becomes addictive in the sense of trying to see if you can catch just one more.

Scott Higginbotham catching some tuna off St. John’s Island

Alas, the wind picked up and we decided to “ride” our kayaks back to the cove ontop the white capping waves which felt like we were surfing. It was a really fun unexpected addition to the adventure. So even though we didn’t catch enough big perch to bring home some dinner, the thrill was definitely found in the experience of doing a new sport and comparing it to my other fishing experiences.

Deep Sea Fishing can be exciting if you land a big salmon like I did years ago but you weather bigger waves and need to wait sometimes to share the poles with other boat mates. Our last deep sea fishing experience in St. John’s landed my son a shark – a 4-foot, 400-pound shark – that took over an hour to pull in and then release.

Higginbotham Family Ice Fishing Adventure - February 2022 on Sandy Pond

Ice Fishing is cold but somehow enjoyable because it breaks up doing nothing in the middle of winter when one is longing for summertime and all it brings with it. Plus, my husband is a talented fisherman so he always brings home enough fresh perch to satisfy our palettes. We know when ice fishing is done, spring is on the way.

Fly Fishing has a rhythmic, lovely, peaceful vibe to it as I experience with long-time sports fisherman Jim Sollecito, a neighbor of mine, who took me out one summer night in 2022 to teach me. It is the most beautiful of the fishing sports I’ve tried so far.

If I had to say, I love kayak fishing the most because you are on the water catching rays, bobbing along in the sun, not truly caring if you catch a fish or not, because the environment is so soothing. So cheers to kayak fishing something I will do again, and again when I can. Give it a try.