Angler Chris Zaldain fished out of a kick boat for six years, many times while competing in tournaments organized by the organization Bass-n-Tubes. The 24-year-old won the amateur side of the 2005 BASS Western Open held at Clear Lake, Calif. He took home an 18 1/2-foot Triton in the bargain. From there, he turned pro and used his new boat to attain three Top 20 finishes in the 2007 FLW National Guard Western Series.

"Some of the things I learned in a kick boat -- like to keep chucking a BaitSmith Swimbait -- really paid off," Zaldain said. "It teaches you to slow down and pick things apart."

Zaldain also said he enjoyed being eye level with bass.

"I'm in their territory, on the water and right with the fish," he said. "And it's a lot less expensive way to learn. You don't have to spend $150 on gas and oil to catch a bass."

Few Western co-anglers have enjoyed more success than Pat Wilson. He won more than $160,000 in cash and prizes from the back of the boat in BASS and FLW events. He, too, cut his competitive fishing teeth in tournaments.

Wilson has kept his approach deliberately simple, sticking with a round boat and carrying only two or three Powell rods with him when he journeys onto the water.

He said "belly boating" has helped him win, as anglers have to be more methodical and thorough because they can't cover a lot of water.

"You tend to fish slower as a tuber, and on bigger waters, you'll also be fishing behind bass boats. So, you fish more thoroughly, become more versatile, and that boosts your confidence," he said. "You realize you really can catch fish behind others, which is what you're usually trying to do as a co-angler."

THE KAYAK CONNECTION
Angler Gordon Rydquist has found kayaking to be a great way to pursue bass. He fishes out of a 12-foot sit-on-top Hobie Mirage Outback that sports pedals and weighs about 60 pounds.

The pedals only propel him forward but not backward, so he still needs an oar for backing up and getting in and out of the water. The oar also helps him get through thick weeds or extremely shallow water.

Some will plunk down the coin on a tricked-out, top-of-the-line fiberglass rig. To those fortunate few, we tip our caps.

Rydquist's molded polyethylene Hobie has a rudder that he controls with the boat's tiller.

"Pedals let you keep your hands free for casting," said Rydquist. "Trying to get around with just an oar would be like trying to use a hand-controlled trolling motor versus a foot-controlled one."

Rydquist lists the advantages kayaks offer: "They're quiet and unobtrusive. I enjoy photography, and I can get very close to birds like herons that would otherwise be spooked. Also, they'll float in as little as 1 to 2 inches of water. You can fish lakes with little or no boat access, and I've covered up to nine miles roundtrip in my kayak."

For more details about bass fishing from one of these rigs, Rydquist recommends www.ncka.org, a site dedicated to all things related to kayak angling.