New To Kayak Fishing

[Deadghosty]

Ok, so I'm starting to find interest in angler kayaking. I was wondering what kind of kayak should i get? I'm totally new to this concept of fishing so i have no idea what to look for. I plan on using it for lakes and rivers with small currents. The range for money is pretty much under 500 dollars preferably.

Thanks

[moguy1973]

There's basically two kinds of kayaks, sit-in and sit on top. That's the first decision you'll have to make. The sit on tops usually are slightly heavier, but have storage inside for things you don't want to get wet. Also the won't fill up with water if you accidentally flip it.

Then it comes to brand. There's a lot of them out there, and in your price range you could get a nice fishing Ascend brand kayak that Bass Pro sells that should handle rivers and lakes pretty well. There are a lot of other brands out there though with varying prices...

[Darren.]

Given your $500 limit, I'd check at big-box stores like BJ's. I bought my first fishing yak there for $380, I think it was. A good yak, a SoT (Sit on Top), that is still in use within my family of boys. I have since graduated to a Native Ultimate which is a yak/canoe hybrid, but that's out of your price range.

Other options, if you're patient, is to wait for Dick Sporting Goods' yearly sale, but it's around Spring. You can find some good fishing yaks for under $500.

In fact, there's a decent starter angling kayak at Dick's right now for $399...

All of this said, if you have a local kayak store, visit it and talk to the folks about fishing, your budget, etc. There's plenty of help to be found, especially from folks who may fish your local waters!

You'll love kayak fishing. There's so much you can do, so many places you can go where regular boats may not be able to (shallows, etc.).

[flyfisher]

All good advice. I would also add to stay away from angler versions because they are generally over priced for the extras you get that you may or may not even want. You can then rig up the boat how you want it after a few trips on the water.

Also in that price range you can probably get a very good used boat from someone looking to upgrade. I have seen the older model tarpon 120 go for around $500 and that is one of the better all around boats on the market.

Last but not least, if there are any shops that have demo days by all means go to them. You can paddle a ton of boats, see what fits your needs and they usually have boats on sale for cheap if they were part of the shop's demo fleet or reps samples to try out.

There is also a pretty good site that is all about kayak bass fishing that will give you more than enough information to make a choice on which boats to look at.

www.kayakbassfishing.com

[HeavyDluxe]

I've been told that the Perception Pescador is essentially the same mold as years-gone-by edition of the Wilderness Systems Tarpon kayaks. Might be worth adding to your consideration list.

[moguy1973]

That perception looks nice for the price. And Academy sports sells it if you have any of those around you.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

I bought an old town vapor 10 from academy for $350 and have been very pleased with it. The perception is also a great looking kayak with a strong reputation. It will probably be my next kayak purchase.

[Deadghosty]

Thanks for all the information, there is a local craiglist add for 1 i might be interested in so i will check that out for sure. I live in southern AZ and the nearest major fishing place like bass bro shops is 3 hours away from me.