Beginner Kayak

[AmatuerJames]

I've been landlocked for my entire fishing experience and i really want to get out on the water, i live on a small pond and some parts aren't accessible without chiggers and poison ivy, I also want to make it out to some other ponds and maybe even a lake when it starts to warm up.  I have a good amount of free money to bass pro from a drawing and i want to try and buy a kayak from there simply because it would be free.  Im 140 lbs and about 5'10" and i want something i can load fairly easily and that is sturdy in the water.  I understand that getting into a kayak before buying is very necessary, but i want to have a general idea of what i want to look at when i go to try some kayaks out.  I've been eyeing the ascend d10t, its fairly affordable and would be easier to load than its bigger brother the fs12 but how much would i really be losing in 2 feet of kayak?  Honestly just looking for advice on kayaks specifically, accessories and pfd's will be looked at in another thread.  Any advice on what I should look at would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[HeavyDluxe]

At your size, there are tons of options... we *ahem* more robust men have to worry more about carry-weight and stability.

 

A lot depends on the bodies of water you intend to fish.  A longer boat will track better and be somewhat faster, all other things being equal.  So, on larger bodies of water, you'll be able to paddle around from point to point a little more quickly.  Even just a couple feet of extra length (10-12ft, or 11-13ft, for example) can really make a difference in how tubby or not tubby a yak feels on the water.  The shorter boats, on the other hand, will be a little more maneuverable all other things being equal.

 

I think either of the boats you mention will be great starter boats, based on what other people have posted.  

 

I bought a Wilderness Systems Ride 115 (11'5), though I thought a lot about the Ride 135 (13'5).  I opted for the shorter boat because of these factors:

• Cost delta... I was able to find a really nice, supposedly 'blemished' 115 
• Portability... The extra length and weight of the 135 didn't look all that significant on paper, but my experience was the 135 seemed much more cumbersome
• Performance... I might want to fish on small, faster-moving rivers from time to time.  So, the 115 was better suited to my all-around tasks.  Plus, in my tests, it was clear that the 115 was slower but not so much that I felt like I was going to be really hampered by it.

re: storage capacity... FWIW, unless I'm also planning to take camping gear, there is no reason I can't fit adequate equipment on the boat for a day of fishing with ample room left over.

 

Paddle the two boats you are considering, and maybe a couple other options just for comparison.  Then have fun!  Trust me, you'll *love* the kayak angling experience.

[hookedahawg]

Amature James,I have the d10T in titanium. It is a good starter yak as it is my first. As soon as it warms up though I am upgrading to a ride 115. The ascend isnt a bad boat, but im a big guy so I can definitely use the extra 2 feet plus standing to me is a must and its just not possible to stand and fish from the d10t in my opinion. I also had to upgrade the seat on the ascend due to thr basic being VERY uncomfortable. Hope this helps and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[ClackerBuzz]

hate to take the short cut here james but use the search bar at the top of the page. change it to search 'forums'. there are some amazing threads and info.

use words like: kayak, ocean kayak, sit in/dry kayak, sit on top, stand kayak, scupper plug, pdf/inflatable