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Tandem Kayak Fishing...
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Tandem kayak fishing is not something you see much of on the Hawaii kayak fishing scene. In fact, I don't know of any except for the Uyeda brothers, Kevin and Gareth.
Most of the scenes you see with two on a kayak are bordering on a comedy routine with two paddlers working more against than with each other to propel their craft in a straight line.
Kevin and Gareth, who grew up close to Oahu's North Shore, have obviously reached that zen-like state of being able to paddle as one and, as a result, have become serious in Hawaii's "tupperware" fishing fleet!
Kevin Uyeda displays a beautiful kagami ulua taken on the north shore of Oahu.
Like most of us, Kevin and Gareth started their earlier kayak fishing days hooking into papio and ulua... except they hit on one of the larger kagami ulua that I've seen boated on a kayak! Then, as they started venturing further out and into deeper and deeper waters, they began hooking into pelagics like kawakawa, mahimahi.
A fifteen pound kawakawa is a pretty big kawakawa which probably explains the smiles on the faces of the brothers Uyeda.
When I first got to know Kevin, he and Gareth shared a Cobra Tandem Kayak and did most of their fishing over on the north shore or the windward side of Oahu, often whipping with plugs or dragging baits.
No matter how many times you hook into these fish, you never tire of an omilu's impressive fight... especially from a kayak!
Interestingly enough, Kevin and Gareth were also participating in the tag & release program that my brother-in-law and I had started soon after we got into kayak fishing. And although I had put a couple of "tags" on the report, I know it's way short of the Uyeda brothers who've been functioning so much as a team that when sending picts of their catches, it's never specified which of them caught the fish! I really admire that.
Take a close look at this fully-rigged Zest-2 kayak, Ocean Kayak's flagship, with rods mounted amidships.
Recently, they upgraded to an Ocean Kayak Zest-2, the newest and, I believe, largest tandem kayak out in the market right now.
I rented a Zest one day to take my wife, Dawn, out fishing and really enjoyed the kayak. As you'd expect from these hardcore fishermen, they rigged the Zest-II to serve as a serious fishing machine with a setup for multi-poles and other gear. The kayak has got a good amount of glide and, I know, given two paddlers that know what they're doing, this thing will haul!
No wind and the eastern view of Diamond Head - Priceless!
Probably one of the nice things about tandem kayaking is the simple pleasure of talking to your partner rather than shouting from boat to boat as is the case for all of us single yakkers.
One thing I noticed when fishing on a tandem kayak was that the increased glide made it where just one could paddle and keep the kayak going at a fast enough pace to troll.
A member of the jack family, the Kahala, is another great fighter that's more easily in reach when you start fishing in a kayak!
The increased length and significantly greater stability of the Zest tandem kayak made for a really nice feeling on the water, especially when turning around to get something from the rear tankwell. With the lousy equilibrium that I guess is part of getting old, I've had a couple of flips on my scupper-pro when trying to get a cold drink out of my fish bag... and the drink wasn't even beer.
The waters off Kaneohe Bay, on Oahu's windward coast, payoff big time for Kevin and Gareth with this beautiful white ulua. Look closely and you'll see the plug that got this beauty to strike.
Probably a good reason for the Uyeda brothers' success in tandem kayak fishing comes with their willingness to try all different types of fishing from trolling to bottom-fishing and whipping.
No doubt their local upbringing and time spent on the water in not only fishing but bodysurfing and other ocean activities all contributes to the knowledge they take onto their tandem kayak on each outing. 
For many of us, the first mahimahi taken from a kayak is a life-altering experience and this one came as a total surprise to Gareth as he hooked into the fish in much shallower water than would be expected to yield such a trophy!
The more I think about it, the idea of tandem kayak fishing sounds more and more tempting.
Just think... no more searching for your partner, one could sleep while the other paddles, and to be able to converse with someone while you're fighting a fish...
these are darned good reasons to trade in my single for one of these 2-man machines... if only my wife would agree to get out tandem kayak fishing with me!
Fishing off of Waimanalo on Oahu's east side is always a great experience with Manana Island (Rabbit Island) and the Makapuu coastline for scenery especially when you get a souvenir like this omilu, huh?
The bottom line to tandem kayak fishing, I guess, is having a partner who shares your obsession for fishing and is well enough coordinated to keep in sync with you while paddling, and can go out on the days that you're able.
Most of us know that's a pretty hard profile to find. So until then, we'll all be paddling solo while watching the likes of the Uyeda brothers fly by with their two-stroke engine!
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