Fishing Kayak?

[Mgmorgan01]

I think u would find fishing out of a “6” man tube boat, add a hard floor a two seats and a trolling motor.  Then you and a buddy would have room for gear/cooler.  You would have a few bucks left over.  I bought mine used for 150 (with floor) and trolling motor then added the goodies.  Look n shop, and make an offer.  The marketplace on Facebook has some bargains.

[Joseph Taylor]

On 3/8/2018 at 6:40 PM, MassYak85 said:

I have and love my Ascend 10, it's the older model though, I think they updated them. I am in the minority as far as sit-in vs sit-on but I like being a little more enclosed. It helps keep you drier on those days when whitecaps are splashing into the side, or it's 30 degrees out and you had the brilliant idea to take the kayak out. Keeps you a little more protected. It is also pretty light, especially compared to many of the larger fishing sit-on tops. That being said I have HEAVILY modified mine. The only things left would be a fish finder and micro pole....but at that point I would have almost double into the kayak as the kayak costs, so I would definitely upgrade before doing that. 

 

The 1 nice thing about the Ascend you might not get with other minimally priced kayaks (but should look for no matter what your price range is) is it has a very nice seat. I frequently stay out all day (sun rise to sun set) and stay comfortable. Beyond that it is very minimal. I believe they changed the layout behind the seat with the newer models but mine has an indent for a bucket or crate (like you can see in the pic), as well as two flush rod holders and a scotty mount in front. But those are the only "features" it really has. The "waterproof" pocket is a complete joke btw, I wouldn't trust it. I carry two dry bags behind my seat. One for excess fishing stuff (clamshell packaged soft plastics, large worms etc) and a small one with some emergency supplies (first aid, phone charger, batteries, headlamp, emergency food). 

 

One of the nice things about a sit on top is you have almost 100% accessibility to the underside of any surface, so mounting things and customizing is super easy. 

 

No matter what you go with, comfort is your main goal. Obviously it has to be equipped enough to accommodate your gear and fishing style, but it doesn't matter how nice it is if you are feeling sore after 2 hours. Whether that's because your arms are sore from paddling, your butt is sore from sitting, or you chaffed because your life jacket didn't fit right. 

 

Other than the seat, make sure you get a nice life jacket, and at least a decent paddle. I wore a cheap water skiing life jacket and used an old heavy aluminum paddle for years and years. And you know what, the life jacket stayed behind my seat, and I never paddled more than a mile from the ramp because even in this 55lb kayak (call it 250lbs with me and gear in it) it was hard to get around on the water with that paddle. The best investment I made was getting a nicer paddle (aquabound manta ray hybrid) so that I wouldn't get fatigued paddling. And the most recent one, and something I should have done a looooong time ago, was get a nice life jacket. Try them on at a store, and see which fit best. I don't even really notice mine is on now that I found one that works for me (stolquist EBB). A comfortable life jacket is one you will actually wear.

 

Here's my setup:

 

 

 

Is that a PVC anchor pole? If so, how well does that work?

[MassYak85]

1 minute ago, Joseph Taylor said:

Is that a PVC anchor pole? If so, how well does that work?

Yes it is. It's about 8ft and works pretty well for shallow ponds which is mostly where I fish with it. I put a wooden dowel inside the PVC to give it some stiffness, which adds some weight but it's not too bad. I put an eye hook towards the top and hook it onto my anchor trolley once it's where I want it. The "T" at the top helps me jam it into the mud bottom, but it does need to be mud/muck to stick in well. 

[Joseph Taylor]

1 minute ago, MassYak85 said:

Yes it is. It's about 8ft and works pretty well for shallow ponds which is mostly where I fish with it. I put a wooden dowel inside the PVC to give it some stiffness, which adds some weight but it's not too bad. I put an eye hook towards the top and hook it onto my anchor trolley once it's where I want it. The "T" at the top helps me jam it into the mud bottom, but it does need to be mud/muck to stick in well. 

Sweet! I've been looking for a way to do an anchoring system, and of all the things I've made out of PVC, I never even thought of that! Thanks for the quick reply on that man!

[greentrout]

Sea Eagle Pack7 inflatable for tight remote fishing and more ...