Fishing Kayak

[joshmark]

Im looking to purchase a kayak for fishing ponds and maybe the bay a little(when its real calm) and am not sure what to get. i am new to buying kayaks although i have been in one many times. i dont have much to spend and im not looking for a big expensive fishing kayak i want a sit on top kayak and have about 300 dollars. ik its not a lot of money ill buy used. and im about 6 foot 145 pounds so im not sure what size kayak to get

[flyfisher]

well the two areas you are listing as places to fish are pretty different and will need different boats.  Also with your budget you are going to have a tough time finding a boat, paddle and PFD. You also have to consider how you will transport the boat to and from the water.  do you need a rack system or do you truck that you can throw it in the bed? That being said you need to make a list of things you want and then look at boats that meet that criteria.  Based on what your post states and my personal experience, here  is what i came up with:

Comfortable seat (for obvious reasons)

Sit on top for self draining especially in the bay

12-14' range-gives the most versatility for speed and stability

basic rod storage capabilities (you can always add this later on in many different forms)

Manageable weight for loading and unloading 

To me those are the basics but then you start thinking about stability and the ability to stand, electronics if you decide to mount them, internal storage if you need it, warranty etc....

The one nice thing is that there are a ton of great kayaks out there now that are fishing machines but finding one in your price range is gonna be difficult.  I would also recommend finding a local kayak shop that has a demo days and go out there because you will be able to try out a ton of boats and they usually have great deals as well on demos or last year's models or boats from their rental fleet etc...

 

good luck and post up with any more questions you may have as there are quite a few kayak anglers on here that can help out and provide different perspectives.  Below is my current kayak  

[Caliyak]

Josh, Perception Pescador at Dicks Sporting Goods. Get the 12 footer since you are going in the bay. The Pescador is the Wilderness System Tarpon but with less upgrades. This yak would be a great starter and permanent if you want. 

[Dye99]

Get some time at your local shops and see if they have a demo day.

You made mention of some different styles of water, so as already posted above, thats a hard buy to find a super cheap boat to do all of that. Maybe find something used?

Im running a OK trident for when I have to go long distance over big water, A old town town Vapor angler for local small ponds, and my ATAK for pretty much everything from day trips to comps...That just shows ya, its different tools for different jobs!

 

Good luck!

[flyfisher]

11 hours ago, Dye99 said:

Get some time at your local shops and see if they have a demo day.

You made mention of some different styles of water, so as already posted above, thats a hard buy to find a super cheap boat to do all of that. Maybe find something used?

Im running a OK trident for when I have to go long distance over big water, A old town town Vapor angler for local small ponds, and my ATAK for pretty much everything from day trips to comps...That just shows ya, its different tools for different jobs!

 

Good luck!

Rumor mill has it that a 12' ATAK is in the works too....if it has the same cockpit size i just might sell my 14' version and get a 12'....better for rivers  Or i might just get another one lol 

 

[Dye99]

11 hours ago, flyfisher said:

Rumor mill has it that a 12' ATAK is in the works too....if it has the same cockpit size i just might sell my 14' version and get a 12'....better for rivers  Or i might just get another one lol 

 

No way! That would be an incredibly hard to thing to pass up!!