Looking To Buy A Fishing Kayak Need Some Help

[TRsenko28]

Hey guys looking to buy my first fishing kayak this year need some help on what kind of length i need. I'm going to use it on small lakes and some rivers. i was going to buy a bass boat but don't really see a need for one right at the moment because all the lakes around my area are all electric so i thought i would buy a kayak for now until i feel like buying one. any advice would help looking to put a fish finder on it also. so if you have advice for a small fish finder that is good feel free to leave a comment any advice would help.

Thanks!

Tyler

[geo g]

Check out the Freedom Hawk Kayaks they are quite unique.

[flyfisher]

If you are looking for a good all around boat that is usable in rivers and lakes i would stick in the 12' range.  Ther a rea ton of good boats out there and the sky's the limit as far as price goes.  I am partial to the native redfish as i think it is the most bang for the buck out there from a price and features perspective.  It was my first boat and is plenty stable and with some practice, you should be able to stand in it to at least stretch your legs over the course of a day.

 

The things to consider when gettign a boat though are:

• Price range
• Transporting the boat, rack, trailer, truck bed
• Weight of boat
• length
• Sit inside or sit on top-i prefer sit on top as they self bail and is something that is nice on rivers
• Budget for paddle and PFD
• Seat comfort-probably the biggest consideration

if at all possible go and paddle some at a demo days and go from there. 

[Felix77]

I just did a small writeup on my purchase of the Wilderness System Ride 115x.  Hope this helps ...

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/131930-bit-the-bullet-on-a-new-ride/

[tntitans21399]

To help determine which kayak fits you best you have to think about other factors first like price range. The hobie with the hobie fin drive is pretty nice but about $1200+. I like the Ascend fishing kayaks layout for fishing but not as much storage area for camping gear if you want to stay the night out. have you sat in a sit in and sit on top to see which you prefer? I prefer a sit in but everyone is different. I have a low budget so I have a simple Old Town kayak and its been good for me. You should also think of length. The longer the kayak the better straight it does but not as good to turn. I would look at 9-13 ft. What vechile are you going to use may determine size too because lifting a 100lbs 15ft kayak plus gear isn't fun. Thats why I like my cheap 40lbs kayak. Also factor in modification in price. You don't want to spend $2000 on a kayak and not have any funds for modifications like fish finder, rod holders, anchor trolleys etc... I would suggest to get click in rod holders vs flush mount. Then you can aim them back in the river and sideways on thd lake.

[buzzed bait]

If you are looking for a good all around boat that is usable in rivers and lakes i would stick in the 12' range.  Ther a rea ton of good boats out there and the sky's the limit as far as price goes.  I am partial to the native redfish as i think it is the most bang for the buck out there from a price and features perspective.  It was my first boat and is plenty stable and with some practice, you should be able to stand in it to at least stretch your legs over the course of a day.

 

The things to consider when gettign a boat though are:

• Price range
• Transporting the boat, rack, trailer, truck bed
• Weight of boat
• length
• Sit inside or sit on top-i prefer sit on top as they self bail and is something that is nice on rivers
• Budget for paddle and PFD
• Seat comfort-probably the biggest consideration

if at all possible go and paddle some at a demo days and go from there. 

 

completely agree with this post......  i bought a 10' starting out and am looking to buy a 12' this year.  the 10' will likely become the wife's yak and the 12' is going to be mine....  i need the speed of the 12' out on the lakes

 

COMFY SEAT is the biggest thing to consider IMO

 

Lastly, on the electronics.....  paddle and fish quite a bit before adding the electronics, just so that you know where to put it and it doesn't interfere with your movements.  I have a garmin echo, works ok, but not the best.  Basically it tells me depth, water temp and the contour of the bottom. 

when it comes time to mount it and mount the transducer, just google Duct Seal for transducers.  cheap, easy, no holes, moveable, can't beat it.....

[flyfisher]

Duct seal works but i like temp readings and i believe DI won't shoot through the hull as accurately but i could be wrong there, so i rig mine on the outside of the yak.  There are tons of good proucts out there for this nowadays.

[nitrobalddude]

I just did a small writeup on my purchase of the Wilderness System Ride 115x. Hope this helps ...

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/131930-bit-the-bullet-on-a-new-ride/

I too own a Wilderness System Ride 115x, and I love it, and you have plenty of room for growing within kayak fishing.

[TRsenko28]

thanks guys for all the comments, im just going to have to go look and sit in some of them and get a feel for them. i was looking at a lowrance elite 4 fish finder

[Felix77]

I too own a Wilderness System Ride 115x, and I love it, and you have plenty of room for growing within kayak fishing.

 

Exactly why I bought it ... I didn't want to settle for something much less expensive just to replace it with something more robust.  I see this Ride 115x growing with me if you catch my drift.

[lmbfisherman]

I just did a small writeup on my purchase of the Wilderness System Ride 115x.  Hope this helps ...

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/131930-bit-the-bullet-on-a-new-ride/

I would recommend this boat.  This would fit the bill for what you outlined. 

[MikeinFresno]

I too think the 12-13' is the right all around size. The seat is a big consideration for all day comfort. You have to decide if you are going to commit and get a name brand quality yak or a chain store mid-range yak. The cheaper ones will be lighter, but wont have the little things worked out as well. You can find a used quality yak for the same as a mid-range new. Often the used will have rod holders, PFD, etc included. I use the Lowrance Mark 4 blk n wht FF. AMAZING clarity/resolution for a small FF. It has gps as well. I can easily see my jigs go down n bounce up n down whill vertical fishing.

[FrogFreak]

I have a wavewalk kayak and I love it. Check Em out at wavewalk.com. The biggest benefit to this yak is that I can easily go from sitting to standing and move my legs around during the day. There are a lot of great yaks on the market today but I'm very happy w mine. Pm me if you want more info.