Almost every kayak angler has had this dream: Get dumped, get fired and go kayak fishing full time. While most of us wake-up and smell the coffee, Robert Field has turned the dream into a reality. Want to follow in his footsteps? Keep dreaming.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO GO FULL-TIME KAYAK ANGLER?
Before I jumped headfirst into kayak fishing, I was a marketing director for a financial analyst company. I decided to go full-time
kayak fishing in November 2015. I had just gone through one of the toughest weeks of my life: I broke up with my girlfriend and I got fired from my job. Then, my uncle committed suicide. My world went into a tailspin, and I began blaming everyone else and feeling sorry for myself. Luckily, I realized that the universe wasn’t out to get me; it was trying to tell me something.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A LIVING ON KAYAK FISHING?
My full-time gig is YakFish TV, a video production company that focuses on kayak fishing. I support myself with advertisements on videos, marketing consulting and freelance video projects. People attribute my fast rise in the sport to family money, luck or my rugged good looks— ha. But the key to my success is a passion not only for kayak fishing but filming, editing and marketing. Fishing is only about five-percent of the job, I love the other 95 percent just as much.
THE JOB,” SAYS ROBERT FIELD. | PHOTO: COURTESY ROBERT FIELD
WHO GAVE YOU YOUR BREAK? WHO INSPIRED YOU?
Five years ago, I was surfing YouTube looking for a hobby, I came across Jackson Kayak pro Drew Gregory’s video of kayak fishing the Devil’s River. It combined everything I love: camping, fishing, physical activity and video. I was glued to the screen for the entire 11 minutes and as soon as it was over I knew what I wanted to do. In short order, I bought a kayak, a fishing rod and a Go-Pro. I was hooked.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?
That’s hard to answer since I wasn’t even a fisherman five years ago. But that only proves how much life can change when you find your passion. My five-year goal for YakFish TV is to have a full-time video production team that will offer a full-service
media company to help launch new products and companies. Personally, my dream is to host a television show. The show will be a blend of kayaking, fishing, camping, hiking, whitewater, biology, wildlife and a little danger. Think River Monsters meets Man vs. Wild meets Planet Earth.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE?
Big trips require a ton of planning so I don’t just wake up one day and decide, I’m going to spend a month exploring
the West Coast. I consider opportunities for creating revenue. Then I consider how I can help my sponsors. I’m always looking for new species of fish to cross off my life list. Many trips start with a tempting invitation. Offer me dangerous whitewater, gruelling portages, bears, wolves, snow storms, primitive camping and I’m in.
This article was first published in the Spring 2017 issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
Let’s do a 10 day trip fishing, camping, and surviving the Fla Everglades blue way. From Everglades city to Flamingo. Been a bucket list goal of mine for several years. Need to get er done at a young 53. Ready to leave a life of sales management to fish on a kayak full time. Me and my big tuna.