Advice On First Kayak

[Abuss55]

Hey everyone, so I just invested in some roof racks for my SUV and am looking into getting my first yak! The issue I am coming across is that, I am 6'5" and weigh in at about 280, the yaks i have found are around 1K. Now dont get me wrong I want to get a yak that is nice and obviously that will fit me plust gear, but at the same time I dont want to spend that much for my first. Any advice from you bass fishing yakers out there would be greatly appreciated!

 

Give someone a fish and they will eat for a day teach them to fish and they will sit in a boat all day drinking beer

[Longo]

I would recommend looking for a used one on Craigslist or last years demo model.  Many of the places that sell the expensive Yaks use a few as demo models and you can usually find a pretty good price on them.  The hardest part for me was narrowing it down to which model I wanted.  Once you figure that out you'll be surprised how much the prices can fluctuate.  If you have a kayak dealer in your area try giving them a call.  Either they may have something or know of a customer looking to sell.

[Darren.]

Hey everyone, so I just invested in some roof racks for my SUV and am looking into getting my first yak! The issue I am coming across is that, I am 6'5" and weigh in at about 280, the yaks i have found are around 1K. Now dont get me wrong I want to get a yak that is nice and obviously that will fit me plust gear, but at the same time I dont want to spend that much for my first. Any advice from you bass fishing yakers out there would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'm going suggest, too, that you look for a used/last year

model. They can be hundreds of dollars less than current

models. Have a look at paddleva.com, austinkayak.com, 

and other sites -- look at their used or demo kayaks for

sale.

 

Someone your height/weight, I'd seriously consider a 14'

model (or 15). I'm sure you could do fine in a 12 or 13 foot

model as well, but would be more cramped.

[MIbassyaker]

I agree with everything Longo & Darren say above!

[Janderson45]

For what it's worth, I'm 6'2 200lbs and fish out of an 11'6" kayak quite comfortably..  now granted it is a WS ride 115 thats super stable and has a super high weight capacity, but I don't personally think if I was 3" taller and 80lbs heavier it'd be much of an issue at all.. 

 

Could be wrong, as obviously i am NOT 6'5 280, but I could see someone that size fishing comfortably out of my kayak or perhaps a 12'.

 

I did a TON of research before finally purchasing my kayak this year, the kayak was in the price range you speak of, and with all the accessories and adds ons (PFD, paddle, anchor, rod holders, etc) ran me about 1,500 dollars.  That being said, I think the advice to look used is your best bet.  You could get a yak in the 1k range new for hundreds of dollars cheaper if it's seen a season or two of fishing.  

 

Good luck! 

[Darren.]

For what it's worth, I'm 6'2 200lbs and fish out of an 11'6" kayak quite comfortably..  now granted it is a WS ride 115 thats super stable and has a super high weight capacity, but I don't personally think if I was 3" taller and 80lbs heavier it'd be much of an issue at all.. 

 

Could be wrong, as obviously i am NOT 6'5 280, but I could see someone that size fishing comfortably out of my kayak or perhaps a 12'.

 

I did a TON of research before finally purchasing my kayak this year, the kayak was in the price range you speak of, and with all the accessories and adds ons (PFD, paddle, anchor, rod holders, etc) ran me about 1,500 dollars.  That being said, I think the advice to look used is your best bet.  You could get a yak in the 1k range new for hundreds of dollars cheaper if it's seen a season or two of fishing.  

 

Good luck! 

 

LOL, that's why I said I'm sure he'd be fine, but cramped.

 

I can't speak to you guys who are 6' and over as I'm not 

graced with height. For me, 12 feet is ample, and

I can deal with a 10' yak no problem. Though sometimes I feel

cramped in my 12 footer, that's why I thought someone

of 6'5" might like a longer yak. Now if he's not a long-legged

dude, no biggie. Except the extra torso could mean less

stability.

 

The Ride, Ultimate, Lure are great yaks to consider.

[Abuss55]

 _{Thank you all very much for the input! I will certainly look into using those methods. Yeah as a former college football player, who was recently at 330 and am on my way to my goal of 260 since that size is no longer needed and just bad for the body, size has always been an issue haha. As much as I love bass fishing I could not think of a better way to get on the water to enjoy my favoirte obsession and loose a few pounds at the same time!}

[Janderson45]

LOL, that's why I said I'm sure he'd be fine, but cramped.

 

I can't speak to you guys who are 6' and over as I'm not 

graced with height. For me, 12 feet is ample, and

I can deal with a 10' yak no problem. Though sometimes I feel

cramped in my 12 footer, that's why I thought someone

of 6'5" might like a longer yak. Now if he's not a long-legged

dude, no biggie. Except the extra torso could mean less

stability.

 

The Ride, Ultimate, Lure are great yaks to consider.

 

 

I hear you, if the ride 135 came in the "X" version I'd be fishing out of that to be honest, as the 115 is pretty cumbersome (really slow) but it doesn't really bother me enough to make a difference.  Like I said I did tons of research, so I knew exactly what I was getting with the Ride 115x, and well.. it's exactly what I thought it would be!  One thing I'm actually happy to report is how easy it is to stand and fish out of... that was a huge factor in my kayak shopping, and often times people talk about how it's more difficult to stand in a kayak than a lot of people make it out to be or make it look to be.. I can happily report this is not the case with the ride 115, I practically use it as a stand up paddle board sometimes... In fact now that I've gotten used to standing and fishing out of it I rarely fish from a seated position.  The stand up strap is a necessity however.. 

[MikeinFresno]

cant really add to the advice, get a used quality yak is the way to go. I had 3 before I finally figured out what I wanted and then bought new.

[kikstand454]

Ideally, you want to be no more than 2/3 your kayaks rated weight in order for it to perform its best. This includes keeping a dry ride without scupper plugs.

That being said, I am WAY over that on my kayak and it works fine. I MUST have scupper plugs at all times though, because I will be sitting in a bathtub otherwise.

There are lots of "big guy" kayaks out there- but you have to pay attention to their weight in regards to you car topping them. Just do your research and know what features are important to you.

My personal recommendation would be a used ride 135 if you feel you can load that on top of your SUV.

Good luck. Once you get it all right........you will be addicted.

[the reel ess]

I'm 6'2" and change, about 200-220, depending on whether I'm on a health kick or a good beer kick. I have a 12' Perception Pescador SOT that sells for $500 every day at Academy. It is toward the lower end of rigs that are pre-rigged for fishing. But it's right in the middle of quality. From what I understand, it's the same mold as an older WS Tarpon. It's pretty stable if you don't try standing. It's not the best seating arrangement, but it's not the worst. I think a throwable boat cushion would help a lot. The lower back support is good.

 

The two things I dislike most about it are that I can't stand in it long enough to fish (or wouldn't try) and the seat, though padded and contoured for a man's posterior, gets hard after a couple hours. And the seat is situated low for better balance and has scuppers under it that will eventually lead to a soggy butt unless it's very calm where you're fishing. That's OK when it's hot, but not that great when it's cold out. Again, the throwable cushion is a solution. I just never remember to take it. Also it has no rudder, so wind is an issue, but I fish so many shallow places, I wouldn't use one much it I had it.

[EdRitchie]

I'm new to kayak fishing so I'm going to let the experts give advice. Great advice already.But  I will add skip the big box store brand kayaks .Save up for something nice

Ed

[J Francho]

Get some seat time. Price isn't much of an issue if you waste your money on something that doesn't work or you won't use.

[kikstand454]

I'm 6'2" and change, about 200-220, depending on whether I'm on a health kick or a good beer kick. I have a 12' Perception Pescador SOT that sells for $500 every day at Academy. It is toward the lower end of rigs that are pre-rigged for fishing. But it's right in the middle of quality. From what I understand, it's the same mold as an older WS Tarpon. It's pretty stable if you don't try standing. It's not the best seating arrangement, but it's not the worst. I think a throwable boat cushion would help a lot. The lower back support is good.

The two things I dislike most about it are that I can't stand in it long enough to fish (or wouldn't try) and the seat, though padded and contoured for a man's posterior, gets hard after a couple hours. And the seat is situated low for better balance and has scuppers under it that will eventually lead to a soggy butt unless it's very calm where you're fishing. That's OK when it's hot, but not that great when it's cold out. Again, the throwable cushion is a solution. I just never remember to take it. Also it has no rudder, so wind is an issue, but I fish so many shallow places, I wouldn't use one much it I had it.

What you need is the " gone fishin" seat by AKC. Its a perfect aftermarket seat for the old tarpon/ pascador. The other thing you need is scupper plugs. These two things will make you soooo much happier in your yak. Trust me. I paddle the old tarpon140.

[the reel ess]

What you need is the " gone fishin" seat by AKC. Its a perfect aftermarket seat for the old tarpon/ pascador. The other thing you need is scupper plugs. These two things will make you soooo much happier in your yak. Trust me. I paddle the old tarpon140.

I have plugs.  The scuppers are right under the seat though. Like the seat was an after thought after the kayak was designed. That's a good looking seat with cool storage.

[AriAngler]

 I bought a Field & Stream 12' Eagle Run Fishing Kayak last year. Ive used it more than 40times and I love it! 12ft long its feels pretty light for its size and is quality made, surprisingly it can hold up 500lbs, I paid a little over $600 but I noticed a few days back that Dicks Sporting Goods has it on sale for $549. I would recommend checking it out.

[kikstand454]

I have plugs. The scuppers are right under the seat though. Like the seat was an after thought after the kayak was designed. That's a good looking seat with cool storage.

Well.....no. The scuppers were put there to drain water from the seat area. This was designed on the premise that the load the kayak would be carrying would not be such that the scupper tops would ever be under the waterline. However..... Your ( and many other) kayaks are overloaded for their design, and that's when scupper plugs come into play. In THEORY scupper plugs are supposed to be only used when you are in high chop/ waves where the rising and falling water may come up through the holes. In REALITY- most scupper plugs are used to compensate for overloading the kayak.

The gone fishin seat is really well built and comfortable. I have a hard time accessing the storage with ease....and so I use that backpack ppcket for emergency items, and it frees up more space in my crate area.

[J Francho]

Scupper plugs reduce noise when paddling and reduce the chances of water spraying up - both of which have occurred in boats I've used, and I can assure I am overloading them. I'd say the scupper can pretty much get plugged unless you're dealing with surf or heavy rains.

What's worse than a boat the needs scupper plugs? One that doesn't drain properly when they're out, or one that has an odd shaped scupper that prevents plugs being used at all.

[kikstand454]

Agreed jFranco.

I think you misunderstood my post though. An example would be in MY current kayak ( older tarpon 140) I am well over weight of the 2/3 rule with me being 235# and then my gear. I MUST run scupper plugs all the time or my kayak is a bathtub.....the water will not drain. I am using the scupper plugs to KEEP water out......not to LET water out. Lol. If I am sitting in my kayak and I pull a plug, I have a water fountain. I MUST get out of my yak for the water to drain out.

And I believe that this is the most common use for scupper plugs. It's not what they're designed for.....but I think it's why most people buy them.

Folks who are under their yaks weight rating normally never bother buying them. They like the open holes for water drainage.

That's been my experience anyway.

[J Francho]

I understood perfectly. Who would use a plug to drain the water? Lol.

You need a different boat if you near sinking without scupper plugs. All it takes is one leak, which is more likely in an overburdened boat. For the record, I see a great many people in fishing kayaks, the only time I saw what you described us when a 300+ dude tried a Freedomhawk ultralight 12 on a demo day. It's not the norm, and it's why we all stress seat time.

I don't mean to pick on you, but it's an opportunity to point something out and for a Newb to avoid.

[kikstand454]

Oh......no doubt. That's what I was saying to begin with. Ideally you would like to be 2/3 of the rated weight of the yak with you and your gear. This what the OP should shoot for.

But in reality..... Alot of us are in the 200# range and the 500# kayak market is slim and expensive. So you make do. I got my tarpon at a steal and I wasn't going to pass it up for anything. I feel 100% safe in it and have taken steps to assure it will never fully sink. Strategically jamming the interior with pool noodles only costs a few dollars and your time.

[J Francho]

Jamming pool noodles inside a SOT would increase the mass, and make it sit lower. Just wear a PFD.