Moe’s BBQ at War Eagle Resort along the Illinois River in Tahlequah.
The popularity continues
to grow.
“It’s growing every
day,” River Town Outfitters
owner Faron Davidson
said in May. “The
demand is off the charts.
It’s way more than supply
can keep up with right
now. We can’t even get
any kayaks right now. I’ve
pretty much sold everything
I can come up with.”
Kayaks are more versatile
than canoes, and
fishing from kayaks has
rapidly grown.
“Kayaks have their advantages,”
Davidson said.
“If you’ve ever spent any
time in a canoe you’re at
the mercy of whoever’s
controlling it. In a kayak,
it’s just you and you go
where you want. Kayak
fishing has just blown up.
It’s huge, not just here but
nationwide.”
Davidson recommends
the sit-on-top kayaks
with framed seating.
He says there isn’t much
of a learning curve when
it comes to controlling
one.
“Just find something
that fits into your budget
and get out and see if you
like it,” he said. “They’re
fun. The most popular
kayaks are sit-on-top
kayaks, something with a
frame seat. They’re going
to be more comfortable
then when you sit down
on the bottom of a kayak.
“It’s pretty easy. Most
of your better kayaks now
are super stable. A lot of
people who have never
been on one worry that
they’re just going to go
out and turn one upside
down. That’s not the case.
They’re really stable now.”
Barbara Kelley, the
owner at Diamondhead
Resort, recommends
kayaks over canoes to
her customers. She says
they’re more popular, safer
and more controllable.
“Rafts would be the
most popular for us, then
kayaks, then canoes,” Kelley
said. “We hardly rent
Byron Beers | Daily Press
any canoes anymore. Canoes
flip more easily than
anything out there. They
get hot, they’re heavier. I
wouldn’t advise anybody
to take canoes out unless
they’re experienced.
We don’t even like to put
them out anymore.”
Diamondhead, which
opens on Friday, May 15,
offers a variety of kayaks.
“We have singles, doubles,
sit in and sit on, we
have all types,” Kelley
said. “They’re more lightweight,
you can maneuver
them so much easier,
and you’re more level with
the water so your balance
is so much better. They’re
100 percent better than a
canoe.”
Rafting is even more
sought after than kayaking
at Diamondhead.
“You can have family
groups on rafts so the kids
don’t have to paddle,” Kelley
said. “Of course you
have the big partiers that
Tahlequah seems to bring
in.”
July 2020 • Green Country Scene • Lake & River Edition | Tahlequah Daily Press 11