Looking for Kayak/1 Person Canoe on a budget

[BillNye]

I am looking for a one person canoe or kayak but its hard narrowing down a decent one on a budget.  I already have a saranac 146 that I use all the time but I haven't been able to load it on top of my SUV by myself.  Summer is coming and I have some time off of work so I'd like to go fishing quite often but I need something I can load on top of my SUV solo.  I am not looking for anything fancy just something to get me on the small ponds near me (~50 acres).

 

Here are some things I'm looking for:

Room for a tackle box behind seat

Do not get wet

Rod Holders

Light

Cheap

 

I am looking to spend less than 500.  My current thought is a vibe skip jack 90 or an old town vapor 10. 

[fishnkamp]

Where do you live? In many placed their are kayak dealers that do in water demos.  We even have a guide/ outfitter that rents fishing canoes and guides kayak fishing trips.  This in my opinion is a good idea. Go paddle some around and see what type of kayak you like best. Think about your waterways. Would a pedal drive work or are you in fishing in too fast of water for that. Some even allow the use of trolling motors in them. Other models are strictly paddle power.

[22hertz]

I don't get too wet in my Tarpon 120, as in Im not sitting in water or getting wet from my waist up, but I do drip water on my legs from water running off the paddle when paddling hard.

 

If you can deal with that I suggest you try to catch a sale on the Perception Pescador 12. Academy Sports puts them on sale sometimes at $400. This kayak is the old Tarpon 120 mold.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/perception-pescador-angler-12-sit-on-kayak#repChildCatid=1352017

 

If you cant handle that amount of getting wet check out the Perception Odyssey 11'6" sit inside.

Sit inside kayaks are generally lighter than sit on top.

This kayak has an actual seat, is long enough to track well and have some speed, its light, cheap at $400 and will be dry.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/perception-odyssey-116-sit-inside-kayak#repChildCatid=3463504

 

I prefer sit on top and don't have trouble loading my Tarpon 120 by myself and don't mind the minimal drip from the paddle FYI. 

[Hawkeye21]

Dick's has a good deal on the Field & Stream Eagle Talon 120 right now.  I don't have any experience with it but it seems to have decent reviews.

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/field-stream-eagle-talon-120-kayak-15fnsufsgltlnstkypsk/15fnsufsgltlnstkypsk?&color=Teal/White

[Caliyak]

22 hours ago, BillNye said:

I am looking for a one person canoe or kayak but its hard narrowing down a decent one on a budget.  I already have a saranac 146 that I use all the time but I haven't been able to load it on top of my SUV by myself.  Summer is coming and I have some time off of work so I'd like to go fishing quite often but I need something I can load on top of my SUV solo.  I am not looking for anything fancy just something to get me on the small ponds near me (~50 acres).

 

Here are some things I'm looking for:

Room for a tackle box behind seat

Do not get wet

Rod Holders

Light

Cheap

 

I am looking to spend less than 500.  My current thought is a vibe skip jack 90 or an old town vapor 10. 

Dicks Sporting Good has the perception pescador 10 or 12. This yak will fulfill your list of needs. 

[PECo]

It sounds like you want a smaller, lighter boat. I have two kayaks. The one I use the most is a Hurricane Santee 116 Sport that isn't designed to be a fishing kayak, but works fine for me and weighs only 36 pounds. My other kayak is a Hobie i9s that's inflatable, but has a mirage (pedal/flipper) drive. Out of the seven or eight kayaks that I've had, I kept those two because they're EASY; easy to store, easy to transport and easy to use.

 

Both of my kayaks weren't particularly inexpensive. Lighter is usually more expensive. You can get a much better kayak for your dollar used off of Craigslist than new from a retailer.