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Some of my favorite fishing adventures were fishing for speckled sea trout, jacks, pompano and redfish from kayaks in the backwaters of southwest Florida from St. Petersburg, Fla., to Sanibel Island.

I grew up fishing with my dad from the shore, or sometimes from a rowboat or canoe. We never caught much. Although these were "fishing trips," I recall spending more time paddling than casting.

When I first started kayak bass fishing, pedal drive kayaks instantly won me over. Hands-free control—the ability to cast and maneuver without trying to juggle a paddle was the way to go. But now, ...