LunkerFisher Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Well, I am in a bit of a pickle (boater problems I know, woe is me). I really want to buy a kayak. Problem is, I live in a small one-bedroom, bunker level apartment with a sweet lady whom I would hate to upset by suggesting I store a 12' yak behind the couch. I also don't want to lug it in and out of the don't doorway. I am searching around to find a place where I could store a kayak safely but also have it easily accessible, and am coming up dry. An alternative for me would be to instead get an inflatable fishing boat with a trolling motor (sea eagle or the like), but then deal with increased maintenance and setup time. The storage ease of the inflatable is really speaking to me, but the maneuverability and durability of the kayak is what I really want. Budget-wise, a sea eagle inflatable and trolling motor is in the same price range as kayaks I am exploring (tarpon, slayer, etc.). I already have $1000 saved for my boat endeavor, and might have a bonus check coming soon from work. What would you do in this situation? I am going to check with a couple canoe liveries once they open May 1 to see if I can work out a storage deal with them. I just don't want to pay $70 or more a month to keep it at a storage unit. Quote
carlm01 Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015  Ditto on that , I have the seaeagle 285 pro frameless pontoon in hunter green and it's one great little boat , You can buy a electric pump and have it set up in about 10 mins 1 Quote
Super User Scott F Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 What extra maintenance is required with an inflatable? I've had personal pontoons for 12 years that have required almost zero maintenance. What makes you think they are not durable? I can out maneuver any kayak or canoe. You might need to do some more research before you come to conclusions about inflatables that may not be true. Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 21, 2015 Author Posted March 21, 2015 I know a motor of any kind is going to require maintenance. I wasn't implying that an inflatable is no good either. I'm just much more comfortable with the 1 piece ready-to-roll design of a kayak. I'd rather not be concerned about something that can revert to a resting state of deflation. I've done a lot of research to date and I'm much more confident in the idea of owning a kayak. If, however, I'm not meant to own one at this time, I may be looking at an inflatable. I know for a fact that I will not get a modular kayak, that whole idea just gives me the heebie jeebies. Quote
Dogmatic Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 I thoroughly agree with what has been said about personal pontoons. I've hooked mine with no problems. Maintenance almost nonexistent. They're light, usually lighter than kayaks, so, very portable. Easily customizable with plenty of space for gear, and trolling motor/battery. Above all else, the ability to stand(easily), even when sitting you're higher than a yak, and you can maneuver your craft while standing. I own several small craft, yaks, canoes, inflatables, and a small tin boat. When I am heading out by myself to small water, I grab a toon. Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 22, 2015 Author Posted March 22, 2015 How easy is the rowing on the sea eagle 285? Quote
Super User tomustang Posted March 22, 2015 Super User Posted March 22, 2015 For kayaks, I'd look into Point 65 N modular kayaks. I'm still interested in picking one up some day to get into tiny water. You could get a front and back piece and keep them in a suv Quote
zeth Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 research there are some great inflatable kayaks. Quote
Super User Maxximus Redneckus Posted March 23, 2015 Super User Posted March 23, 2015 All i can say is them things are tough as nails Quote
Preytorien Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 How easy is the rowing on the sea eagle 285?  While I don't have the 285, I have the SE-8 Fishermans Dream package....and it's a pain in the backside to row. It's so light and doesn't draft hardly any depth. I went out in it once with oars and immediately called my wife on the way home and said we'd move heaven and earth but I had to get a motor. I would heavily recommend factoring in the price of a decent trolling motor with your cost. I use a MinnKota Endura Max 40. Works excellent.  I also agree with the above posts. The quality and construction of the boats are very very good. I saw a video of a guy using the claw end of a hammer to try to puncture the boat hull and it just bounced off, they even drove a truck over it with no problems. They're very durable and surprisingly easy to carry around. My SE-8 hull weighs about 35lbs.  The maneuverability is, in my opinion, very well. Since the boats only draft a couple inches of water, you can literally turn in a circle on a dime. Besides, their low draft lets you fish in less than a foot of water easily.  The setup time is something a lot of people are concerned about but shouldn't be. I can have mine ready in 10 minutes. However, I would suggest getting a high speed electric air pump. The one that came with mine is very slow, but I bought a brand off Amazon that will flat out blow that baby up in no time flat. Once I get my deck, seats, battery, motor, and fishing gear loaded, it's about 10-15mins total. I'm sure just throwing a kayak in the water is faster, but it's not as stow-able or portable. Mine fits easily in the trunk of a 2008 Chevy Malibu. Now if I can just get a truck 2 Quote
nycgrip Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 heres my sea eagle foldcat 325, you can say i trust the material. Â 3 Quote
Dogmatic Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 There are things I forgot to mention, tracking and wind. Inflatables draft nearly nothing, so whether rowing or motoring, tracking straight can be a problem, especially important if you want to troll at all. There are solutions, the simplest being the addition of a skeg to the bottom of the 'toons(sea eagle sells them, but you can get them anywhere). Fixed the problem, tracks like a champ. The other draw back, because of your higher profile, you're subjected to the effects of wind more. Quote
EricDkk Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 I have sea eagle 285. The setup is painful before you fishing and after. I will go to kayak, like PA14 Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 24, 2015 Author Posted March 24, 2015 I'm starting to research inflatable kayaks as an alternative option for my storage needs. Might be the fair compromise I'm looking for. Sea eagle's 385 is kinda tempting me. Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 24, 2015 Author Posted March 24, 2015 the pro's with the frameless toon faaaaaaaaar outweigh that of an inflatable yak with its functionality for bassin...i see that as a potentially regrettable mistake choosing an inflatable yak over the sea eagle pontoon...if your serious about getting the best tool for the job for bassin within your restrictions, the pontoon is hands down the best & correct choice... The lack of needing a trolling motor is a HUGE pro for me. What pros does the toon have that an inflatable yak does not? Yak is longer, more space for gear, easier to paddle. What am I missing? Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 25, 2015 Author Posted March 25, 2015 The extra expense of a trolling motor is not what is deterring me, I still have most of my tax return and am getting a sizable bonus from work. I am looking for a compromise between comfort on the water and quick setup/teardown. This craft will not be used for all of my fishing. I fish a lot in my buddy's canoe for bass and panfish and on my other friend's 26 footer for perch and walleye. This will be for those days when nobody else is available to go fishing, or if there's a third angler who wants to tag along with my canoe buddy and me. I also drive a small Ford Fiesta sedan, so trunk real estate is another factor for me. I ideally want to be able to transport my watercraft, up to 6 rod/reel combos, net, and tackle. If an inflatable yak tracks well enough and is stable enough, I think I can get away with not needing a trolling motor. I like the idea of relying on myself in the water instead of machines, because machines inevitably break down. There has to be a way to put a sonar on one of these bad boys too, and that I am confident I will be able to figure out. Quote
Dogmatic Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 LOL Can you even get six set ups in a fiesta? I'd invest in a roof rack. Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted March 25, 2015 Super User Posted March 25, 2015 Tequila ... << everybody sing >> Â Â Saw these at Cabelas ... Was very impressed. Â Looks like it could fit under a bed. Â It also comes in a tandem 3-piece. Â The cool thing about that is that you can take the front and back piece to make a 1 person yak like you see above. 1 Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted March 25, 2015 Super User Posted March 25, 2015 https://youtu.be/vIUKMv_m7q4 Â https://youtu.be/KMVmemG7SrY 1 Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 25, 2015 Author Posted March 25, 2015 LOL Can you even get six set ups in a fiesta? I'd invest in a roof rack. Easy. The back seat folds down. I was able to fit an 8 1/2 foot shipping tube in there with the seat down. Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 25, 2015 Author Posted March 25, 2015 LOL Can you even get six set ups in a fiesta? I'd invest in a roof rack. Easy. The back seat folds down. I was able to fit an 8 1/2 foot shipping tube in there with the seat down. Quote
Preytorien Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Yea I get the space issue. I don't have a truck, so how you're going to stow a boat and all its accessories is definitely a considerable factor. My buddy fishes out of the 330 inflatable kayak and does well. Would I personally use it? Probably not, I'm somewhat addicted to standing up now and having a motor. But if the space is a major determining factor, his breaks down into a much smaller package than me and all my gear. Â But hey, whatever gets you out on the water is worth it. He takes his wife with him occasionally and they have a blast. Â Quote
justhere Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 I have a Sea Eagle that I used for a few years, it served me well overall. Set up time was about 15 minutes with the foot pump, not too bad really. I couldn't stand up very comfortably in it, but I have issues with my feet that hinder my balance. But like others said, get yourself a good trooling motor, they sit high in the water and moving them against the wind can be difficult. But overall, I was very happy with it and would recommend them to anyone. Â Â The only reason I don't use it too much anymore is the already mentioned issues with my feet, I can stand and fish better from my 15 foot jon boat. Quote
LunkerFisher Posted March 28, 2015 Author Posted March 28, 2015 Looking at trolling motors today, and I'm not quite sure how I can fit a boat, seat(s), floorboards and a TM in my little ride with all my tackle. Now it's down to the 385 kayak and the 10ft frameless fishing boat, if the latter will all fit. I'd like to have the option of floating around with a buddy or the lady, so the 285 is out now. Quote
Super User QUAKEnSHAKE Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Looking at trolling motors today, and I'm not quite sure how I can fit a boat, seat(s), floorboards and a TM in my little ride with all my tackle. Now it's down to the 385 kayak and the 10ft frameless fishing boat, if the latter will all fit. I'd like to have the option of floating around with a buddy or the lady, so the 285 is out now. What kind of prices you seeing on the 385??? Quote
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