Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Kayak for fishing!

hello pondering getting a fishing Kayak,I have a small 12ft. boat now but mostly fish alone, and its a pain puting the boat in and out by myself, the ele trolling motor Batt. plus tackle, where the Kayak, put in the water and go plus there ever where around here! im talking Lakes & Rivers! just not able to try one! im 6" 230lbs so ill need a bigger Kayak also open one or closed? 10, or 12 ft. any tips guys the good or bad!

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.

I borrowed a Nu Canoe from a well known leading light here on the fire.


You cant tip one over he said.


We I did tip over, I lost a couple nice rods.....but thankfully a tackle box will float.

Never forget that kayaking is a water sport. Just like swimming/water polo/snorkeling...

When I was in Delta Junction I made friends with a guy that had a Mokai. It was a Honda powered kayak and was a very cool and simple setup that made a kayak even more useful. You could even stand up in it to cast or fight a fish.

There are some pretty damn nice kayaks that are purpose built for fishing with all the bells and whistles.

I bought a thermoformed rather than roto molded kayak for my girlfriend. It is MUCH lighter than mine, and stable enough to stand in, although I rarely do...about the same dimensions as you. It was a Jackson Kilroy LT...but Jackson got out of the thermoformed boats. Supposedly they're not as forgiving to being dragged or direct hard hits on hard surfaces.

That being said, I never drag my kayaks ANYWHERE. A cart makes things so much easier, and keeps your boat's hull unscratched.

Eddyline makes thermoformed boats, and some geared towards fishing: https://eddyline.com/kayaks/fishing-kayaks

I'd definitely lean towards a 12 foot, if not 14 with our dimensions. Mine are both about 13.5, and although they hang out the back of the pickup bed, are easy to put in and out. Those putting kayaks ATOP a vehicle might shop for the lightest possible. A dedicated kayak trailer would allow just about anything.

If you fish cold weather, a sit inside offers more protection from the elements, yet, if swamped, is much more difficult to perform re-entry. They are also quite stable as your center of gravity is at the waterline, if not slightly beneath. They have a lot of space inside I find for most models.

A sit on top there is no worry about water coming overboard, as it drains right through the scupper holes. Reentry is I find quite easy, and should be practiced each season. Center of gravity is a bit higher sitting on top, and some models even offer seat adjustment height. Yet depending on width, most are amazingly stable as well. Storage is often limited to a hatch either up front, behind you, or between your legs. I find it much easier to find and access stuff in a jiffy in the sit inside, but it is protected from the elements and safe in the event of capsize with a sit on top.

A consideration for either...wider kayaks are more stable, yet give up speed and the "glide". The narrower you go speed increases, but you sacrifice that stability. Longer kayaks tend to have more glide, and more weight capacity.

I have one of each style. I like both for different reasons. When I got my first kayak, I felt as though it was tippy, but that feeling vanishes as you become more familiar with your boat. I never give it a second thought now. I fish on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron with mine, so we're not talking small waters, but more like inland oceans. Watch the weather like a hawk, and use common sense, and most importantly a life preserver. Never tipped by accident yet.

NuCanoe. 12'.

Don't forget to pack your equilibrium.

Im only about 150 yrds from the lake! I already have the 2 wheeled cart to put the front of the Kayak on and roll it down hill to the lake! coming back will be a bit harder lol. I bought it 3 years ago because I was going to get a Kayak then, but the former wife wanted a boat so she could go too! she went one time in three years! but shes gone now!

whats fun is chasing a school of jacks about 2-3 miles off the beach and hooking a 5-6 black tip and going on a ride.

I really liked my NuCanoe.

It was very stable. I did fall out of it once but I was horribly drunk. It did not tip.

I don't know how Jim managed to tip one.

I don't know the first thing about them, but this one has caught my eye. Seems like it would be top heavy, but that chair looks pretty comfortable.

https://kakukayak.com/voodoo.html

That looks like it would be a heck of a lot more comfortable to fish off of.

My wife likes her 10' and has fished out of it often. She had to get an open cause she was afraid snakes or spiders would be hiding in it. Just don't get a tippy one,seen some that are worse than a bad canoe.

Im a big boy. I use a Ocean Big Game 2. We got a saying leash it or lose it. Its comfortable for me and I can fish for about 5/6 hrs and not be sore.
Make sure you get a good seat and the proper length paddle.

I would suggest a sit-on-top.
But after that, the right boat depends on SOOOO many variables:

Boat speed (ease of covering distance) is primarily a function of boat length. There are some technical reasons for this, but just accept it. If you want to cover a lot of water, at least a 12' boat, 14' is better, 16' is fast, but most 16' boats are not built for fishing, meaning not particularly stable.

Stability is primarily a function of width. Many think a wide boat has to be slow. But a wide, long boat is stable and still reasonably fast. It also drafts very little if that matters to your application. A wide boat that floats high does have more wetted area than a more narrow boat that drafts more, but wetted area is second order to boat length.

If you want to stand to fish, you need stability.
If you want to stand to fish, but are not young/flexible/nimble, you need to sit up a bit to easily transition from sitting to standing.
Sitting up high is a bitch in the wind. When you are the propulsion, windage matters WAY more than in a power boat.

Your legs are way more powerful than your arms. If you want to cover a lot of water, a leg propulsion system is huge. Hobie is the gold standard. They are expensive.

All boats are trade offs. Kayaks are no exception. In fact, you will notice the trade offs EVEN MORE with a kayak.

The advice of others is NOT USEFUL unless they use a boat the same way you do, and are about the same size/build/physical shape. That said, well meaning people who know can tell you if a boat paddles well, is stable, etc. But that doesn't mean they need the same things you need.

Reading/research/education is a huge help. A dealer who carries a lot of brands helps. Yes, they may push a certain brand based on profit, but not as much as a dealer who sells only a few brands.

Demo (demonstration) days are great. You can try a lot of boats in a short time. Renting is also an option to figure out the right boat. Some dealers will deduct recent rental fees from the price of a boat if you end up buying.

Car topping is a pain. Especially if the boat has a lot of accessories to remove before loading. Back of truck or trailer is much better. Remember, there is a big difference between a trailer that needs a ramp to launch the boat vs. a trailer you only have to get near the water. You need to figure out how to get the boat from the vehicle to the water.

I know that is a lot. Sorry. Hope it helps.
Gun Doc

I have a Hobie Pro Angler 14' It is one of the heaviest kayaks, but also one of the most stable and roomy. I do have to install/remove a lot of gear to load and unload it, but I can get all 120 pounds of it up on my Toyota Highlander without too much trouble. I lift the bow up first, then lift and shove the stern to slide it up from the rear of the vehicle. Piece of cake, really. There are numerous YouTube vids about how to do it properly.

It is a joy to pedal on the water. I can troll effortlessly for hours, and as it is absolutely silent (not even trolling motor noise) I can sneak right up on all kinds of wildlife. Even fish. The newer ones have a forward and reverse feature on the fins, which my 2012 model lacks.

If cost is an issue, look at Lifetime Products boats. Their Tamarack Angler is a great starter kayak. Next up in quality would be the extensive Pelican line, all of which are very good indeed.

Sit on top all the way. If your budget will allow, go with a pedal kayak. The hands free fishing is well worth the price of admission. I just bought a pair of pedal boats this afternoon. My previous pedal yak was 10 years old. It was a fantastic boat, but significant improvements have been made in seat comfort since I bought mine, and my tired back appreciates it.

Old Town just recently came out with a peddle power kayak:

https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.com/kayaks/fishing/topwater-120-pdl


Native Watercraft has had one for a few years.

https://nativewatercraft.com/product/slayer-propel-13/

They are a completely different concept compared to the Hobie, but they all use leg power for propulsion so you can go further, faster and keep your hands free for fishing. Not cheap, but what is these days?


Jerry

Thanks Fellows for all the info! ill sell the 12ft. boat & trailer 1st but im going to start looking around!

This looks great.