jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 I'm looking for a kayak. I want it to be stable and easily fishable. I'm about 6'1" and 230 so it needs to be for a bigger guy. Don't really have a budget, I'll just save up for a little for one if I have to. Jacob Quote
Droppingshot Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 I have a ride 115 and I really like it. I'm not as heavy as you (I'm 180lbs) but standing is very easy with this yak. Being my first kayak I was apprehensive about their stability. Not an issue with the ride 115 or ride 135 if you want something bigger. The ascend kayaks from bps are really nice for the money. I was checking them out the other day wondering why I spent so much on my ride. If you were willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort in way of a seat I'd imagine the ascend stuff is the best deal. I spent 700 on mine barely used. That's a couple hundred more than the ascend. Once you get a kayak you'll realize how big of a problem drifting can be. Either due to currents or wind it can be extremely frustrating. Even with a stake out pole. I'd recommend a Hobie mirage drive kayak if money isn't an issue. Being able to control the kayak while keeping your line in the water is something I'm always wishing for while I'm out in my yak. Unfortunately the hobies are way out of my price range. Don't forget to spend some money on rod holders, and anchor or stake out pole, and some sort of tackle management system. I have the yak attack blackpak and it's been awesome, along with their 8 foot stake out pole. Quote
basshole8190 Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 Ascend 12 or 128t are nice i have the 128t. its a comfy ride and very stable, but if you got the scratch id check out jackson coosa or cuda 12 or maybe even hobie yaks. Quote
RipSomeLips Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 You should look into a nucanoe. I just have a pelican castaway 116, it gets the job done. But my next purchase will be a nucanoe. Quote
jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Author Posted April 10, 2014 Hobie kayaks are out of my price range haha! I won't spend that much on a kayak. I'm liking the Nucanoe, Ride and Ocean offerings a lot. Now I have a question for you guys. Is a rudder a must have or is it easy to get by without? Quote
jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Author Posted April 10, 2014 I find this Ocean Kayak for $600. What do you guys think? http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/boa/4406626689.html Quote
Super User flyfisher Posted April 10, 2014 Super User Posted April 10, 2014 Before any suggestions are made you need to let us know what types of waters do you fish. Are they larger lakes, smaller "ponds", slow moving rivers, faster rivers, bay, ocean etc...  Also don't get ung up on the whole being able to stand thing. It is nice but with a raised seat as many kayaks have you may find yourself not needing to stand as often as you think. I own boats i can stand in but it doesn't happen as often as you think except for specific presnetations where it is an advantage. Standing in a boat makes keeping position much more difficult in any wind as you act like a sail.... Quote
jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Author Posted April 10, 2014 The spots I fish I probably will rarely if ever stand so that isn't a problem. I will fish some larger lakes and then ponds. No huge reservoirs. Possibly might get on a river but it isn't fast moving. Quote
Super User lmbfisherman Posted April 10, 2014 Super User Posted April 10, 2014 Easily the Wilderness Ride - I own the 135 and it is awesome. Quote
B@ssCrzy Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 The spots I fish I probably will rarely if ever stand so that isn't a problem. I will fish some larger lakes and then ponds. No huge reservoirs. Possibly might get on a river but it isn't fast moving.  Don't sell yourself short on standing. A lot of the kayaks they are building now are great for standing and you may not feel right now that is very important, but the ability to be able to stand in certain situations is great (i.e. flipping and pitching, longer casts, sight fishing, etc). I have a Jackson Cuda 12 and love the versatility of having a comfortable seat, but also the ability to stand anytime I want. It is an awesome fishing machine. If I were going to buy a kayak there is no way I would buy one that I could not stand up in comfortably. If you are in Indiana there is a fishing tournament on Eagle Creek Res in Indianapolis on April 26th. There is the ability to be able to rent a yak to fish if you don't have one and I believe they have some Jackson's and WS Rides available. Would be a good opportunity for you to try them out to know what you like. PM me if you want more information. Hope you find something you like. Quote
Mattfrom_NJ Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 I own a 115 ride and I'm liking it. It's a really wide boat which I thought would make it a very slow boat. It won't win any races but is by no means slow. I haven't had any really problems out in the wind w it either. Seems to track pretty nice too. Honestly I'd take b@sscrzy's advice and go fish out of a few or at least paddle some before you buy. Quote
jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Author Posted April 10, 2014 How about my rudder question? Is it a necessity? Quote
OperationEagle Posted April 10, 2014 Posted April 10, 2014 Things to consider:  a. comfort of the seat: your back will thank you.  b. height of the seat: the higher the sitting position the easier it is to get up and down from the sitting and standing positions...for this one your knees will thank you.  c. weight of the yak: transporting the boat is not trivial. Call me a wuss but I am not getting stronger with age. 5-10 lbs can make a difference.  d. then all of the other things that are easy to think of...stability, cockpit layout, maneuverability, height the boat sits in the water (higher profile yaks will catch more wind).  Like others asked you didnt say what kind of water you fish...river, open water, large or small. Having the ability to stand is nice but you have to decide how important that is and what your sense of balance is like.  I'd put the Jackson Cuda 12/14, Ride 115/135 on your definite consider list. The Old Town Predator looks interesting but never been in one. Get butt time in as many as possible. If you cant on the water then at least sit in the store to get a feel for what its like to sit in and get up and down in the boat. Look at the hull to try to assess difference in stability (if you cant get it on the water, though this is a less than ideal way).  Glad you arent looking for the cheapest thing to get you on the water as that is a sure way to waste your money. Good luck. Quote
jacob95 Posted April 10, 2014 Author Posted April 10, 2014 I put the types of water I fish. I'll fish small to medium size lakes, ponds, and an occasional river. Quote
Super User Darren. Posted April 10, 2014 Super User Posted April 10, 2014 How about my rudder question? Is it a necessity? Â No. If you were to hit a yak store, probably most will be sold without a rudder. Â But, a rudder does help with tracking straight, helps with wind, etc. My yak did not come with one, it is a $200 add-on... Â That said, those of us with favorite kayaks have come to those conclusions based on trying out the yaks, etc. Â The best advice I can give you is to get to a store that has demo days where you can take several kayaks out for a test drive. If not, most will let you at least sit in the kayak in-store. Â You really want to be comfortable in whatever you buy. I personally like my Native Ultimate 12 a lot. There are plenty of owners over 6' tall that use these yaks. But others like the WS Ride, Commander, a Moken Angler, Jackson Coosa, Cuda, etc. It is a very personal decision only you can arrive at. Â I like to stand in my kayak a lot. But I also have jury-rigged my seat to sit up nice and high, so I'm good either standing or sitting. Â FWIW, before I arrived at my current yak, I did fish a model I couldn't stand in. Taught me what I really wanted. And if I had the money today, I'd *probably* buy a Hobie Pro Angler 12. Quote
Super User BrianinMD Posted April 11, 2014 Super User Posted April 11, 2014 Hobie has the high price tag, but I do like the option of the pedals instead of having to always paddle. Quote
gallowaypt Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 If standing is not a priority, I'd recommend the perception sport pescador. Great starter platform 1 Quote
jacob95 Posted April 12, 2014 Author Posted April 12, 2014 What do you guys think of the one I posted? http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/boa/4406626689.html Quote
Super User Darren. Posted April 12, 2014 Super User Posted April 12, 2014 What do you guys think of the one I posted? http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/boa/4406626689.html A fine yak. I wouldn't be standing in it without pontoons, but it would serve you well, methinks. Quote
sully99 Posted April 13, 2014 Posted April 13, 2014 Check out the Native Ultimate 14 or the new FX15, or the Wilderness Commander both are solid fishing machines Quote
mattbbassin Posted April 14, 2014 Posted April 14, 2014 I am only 15, and i have really taken a liking to bass fishing even though my whole family is mostly saltwater. For my fifteenth birthday i asked my mom if i could get a kayak so i could just go out alone. Either way that doesn't matter i have the little $250 Pelican Apex 80 XE a little 8 foot kayak. Personally i i like my kayak and it is a very inexpensive and good kayak. I dont have to worry about wind cause it sits low and the weight rating is about 300 lbs. Im not the type to stand up and fish i prefer to sit down but i feel like it could be acomplished. For your first kayak i recommend you start out a little cheaper and go with one of the pelican kayaks. Quote
Dramer77 Posted April 14, 2014 Posted April 14, 2014 http://www.nucanoe.com/fishing/ These are prob the most stable kayak on the market, 41" wide.. And you can get a regular bass boat seat so it will be comfortable sitting too Quote
Jim Mac Posted April 14, 2014 Posted April 14, 2014 http://www.nucanoe.com/fishing/ These are prob the most stable kayak on the market, 41" wide.. And you can get a regular bass boat seat so it will be comfortable sitting too They're very expensive though aren't they? Quote
Frog Turds Posted April 15, 2014 Posted April 15, 2014 My girls Frontier 12 we got was $1200.00 and some odd dollars a couple years ago for just the vessel alone... Quote
Jim Mac Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 My girls Frontier 12 we got was $1200.00 and some odd dollars a couple years ago for just the vessel alone... Â That's very expensive to me. By the time you add in the seat bracket and a seat, it's probably about $1,400 correct? Quote
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