Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Anyone kayak fish? Need some advice...

So I'm in my mid-30's now and with a 2 year old son and another on the way, with working an hour from home, my time for recreation and exercise are severly limited. I'm thinking about getting a sit-on-top kayak to fish from and use in backwater areas to duck hunt and hopefully get some exercise in the process. I have a 14' poly canoe that I have seldem used since I bought it. It's far too difficult to paddle solo for any distance and is heavy and awkward to transport. My plans are to sell it or trade it for a kayak.

So far I've researched a few 12' sit-ons and for the money I am considering the following: Ascend FS12T from Basspro, Field and Stream Eagle Talon from Dicks, Heritage Angler 12 from Academey and the Emotion Mojo from Academy. I'd like something that is stable but doesn't paddle like a barge. Ideally I would be able to find a used kayak that is already outfitted, but for now Craigslist isn't turning up much in my $600 budget.

Anyone have any advice for a beginner just getting started?

So what is the legal possession limit and length of kayaks?

If I was to do it again, I'd save my pennies and get a used old town predator sit on top. An awesome platform to fish and hunt from. I bought a perception sit in, and it's great, but not exactly what I need. Luckily my brother has a predator that I "borrowed" indefinitely.

I'm thinking along the same lines, except I will probably ante up for a pedal model, like the Hobie Mirage (more $) as you can move the boat and keep your hands free.

You can get small fishing pontoons fairly cheap, and some have decent features. Some could even accept a small trolling motor, if desired. Fly fisherman seem to do pretty well with inflatables, but if you fish with lures & treble hooks, sooner or later a fish shakes its head at the boat, and punctures the boat with the hooks. I knew of one guy who had his boat sunk by a striped bass

You don't say where you are, geographically. Nor do you mention exactly where you'll be using it - whitewater, slow moving water, small lakes, big lakes, ocean... So who knows if you'll be best served by a 12' boat. Though if the answer is "all of the above", then a 12' boat wouldn't be too bad.

I will say that all those brands are second tier when it comes to popularity amongst kayak anglers, with the possible exception of the Heritage.

No way you can find a used Jackson/Ocean Kayak/Wilderness Systems/Native/Hobie? Have you tried looking at kayak fishing forums based out of your area? I know there are forums for the Northwest/NorCal/SoCal/Texas/Florida area. And that's just off the top of my head.

Scott

I'd avoid sitting-on-top if stability any sort of issue. Especially if white-water is a potential.

I understand they are ill suited for trolling for great whites.

Sit on tops are plenty stable. I can stand to cast - or pee - in my Hobie Pro Angler 14" as well as troll hands free.



The Pro Angler may be beyond your weight limit (120 pounds empty) and/or budget ($3,000) but there are plenty of paddle kayaks designed for fishing in your price range.

Kayak Angler online magazine LINK has a kayak buyer's guide every spring, and you can view that issue at the link.

Lifetime Products are made right here in Utah and they offer a dozen or so fishing kayaks, and some are on sale right now - with free shipping! LINK TWO

Finally, the suggestion of a pontoon is equally good if you fish smaller waters.

My wife has this in a 10' version, I'm debating the 12 footer

http://www.wildernesssystems.com/kayaks/tarpon/tarpon-120

Locally around $700. They have basically the same Kayak at
Academy for $529, but I cannot find it on their website. Probably going to be discontinued, but still in local stores.

The Academy kayak is made from the same mold as the older version of the Wilderness Kayak, but with a cheaper seat and a few other minor differences. I'm leaning hard toward the one at Academy. The better seat isn't worth $170 to me.

If you can live with a 10' version the Wilderness sells for about $600.

It would be good if you could wait a little while and save some more money. A paddle kayak is nice but a peddle kayak is awesome. Hobies are great especially if you float shallow rivers cause you can fold the fins on the bottom flat up against the hull. Native peddle drives have a prop, so in shallow water you have to pull it up by hand but it has reverse, just peddle backwards hobies do not. If you can't wait one of the ones you mentioned would be fine but if you get hooked on fishing and hunting this way you will end up selling it and getting a top shelf boat.

I love hunting out of a kayak, its easy to hide one and you can get where the ducks want to be.

On busy waterways a lot of guys report they catch more fish out of a yak, than a normal fishing boat, as fish have learned to avoid such boats.

Peddle, petal, pedal. Not the same.

Here is the one I want. I have a 10' Dirigio but I want the fishing 12'. kwg

http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/kayaks/dirigo_angler_family/

For your price range, you could always put outrigger pontoon stabilizers on your canoe.

I have a 20 ft Grumman and with those on, it's very easy to paddle alone. And I can stand in it with no problems.

Later as money allows, you can add a trolling motor and such.

Just a suggestion. Sorry I have no useful info on kayaks

Set in Kayaks catch less wind and make it easier to paddle across open water than a canoe. A longer kayak is easier to row across wind swept lakes and open water because it keeps you going straighter and requires fewer directional correction inputs. But you want one small enough to get back into the hidden coves and tight spaces. I'm not a fan of set on top kayaks. But, that's just me. kwg

I have the Eagle Talon from Dicks. Love fishing out of it, but it needs a better seat, so add that to the cost. It's a well thought out yak and gives me all the stability I need, but I don't stand up to cast. It ghosts over weeds and into back waters and tracks well. I carry a little telescoping paddle as a backup, but it also allows me to one hand paddle to make little corrections in my position when I reach an area I'm going to fish. It's light enough I can slip it up into my pickup bed and tie it down in a minute or two. A little paddling has it moving well against a wind. Since it's a sit on top you can change positions easily. One of my favorite is to sit sideways with my feet in the water on hot days, letting the wind push me along. Sit in yaks are great for stability and waves, but a poor compromise for fishing.

Pedal then, not peddle. I don't pay attention and I never proof read. Thanks, a guy can never feel dumb enuff. grin

Thanks for the input guys. Keeping the canoe is really not an option. It's heavy as hell (90#) and sucks to paddle solo other than to steer it with the current. Pedeal yaks aren't in the budget. If I spend $3,000 on a boat it's going to be powered by gasoline

Dan, thanks for the info on the Eagle Talon. I'm wondering if the Ascend FS12T may be a better option? It already has a good seat but the specs show it's pretty heavy and I've heard you can't put a milk crate behind the seat. So many boats to chose from in that size and price range. I would love to find a nice used Malibu, Native, Wilderness, etc with some add-ons in my price range but that may not be feasible.

i use an ocean kayak frenzy, to paddle shark baits out through the surf.