10 footers are great in smaller waters, but there really isn't much room in one. Not so much for you, but for the inevitable stuff
Be aware, that a fully decked out fishing kayak can weigh darn near as much as a car topper 12 foot boat (though not the battery/motor)
Go sit on top, open deck. So, so many deaths with people in open deck "recreational" kayaks that didn't have skirts and their boats swamped. This is especially true on rivers, though with a bit of chop, it's happened on lakes too.
I'm more of a traditionalist, so like to keep my CG low and the deck fairly uncluttered. That said, a lot of folks like the ones with raised seats, tons of outfitting etc.
Not in your area, but I belong to a good group of kayak anglers. Plenty of tips on
www.norcalkayakanglers.com forums.
