Looking for Kayak Advice

[FishTank]

I am thinking of getting my first kayak and was looking for advice on what to get or not to get.  As far as a budget goes, I am thinking under $1000. 

 

I will obviously be using it for fishing and I will also be putting it on top of my SUV.  I think I will also try to hook up a depth finder as well.  

 

Thanks for any advice.

[Russ E]

I own a Bass Pro Shops Ascend FS 128T it is a bigger Kayak. It is 12ft. 8in. long. It is a little heavy at 96 lbs, but super stable. I am 6ft. 2in. and 230lbs. I can easily stand up in it. it is still very maneuverable for a bigger Kayak.

I can easily load it in the back of my truck alone.  It may be a little harder to get on top of an suv.

I got it on sale for $600.00. I think the regular price is around $850.00 

Before that i had a 10ft. Ascend. it was nice but not near as stable as the Fs 128. it also weighed a lot less.

[YaknBassn]

You can find some of the "high end" (Jackson, Wilderness, Feelfree, etc) kayaks used for less than $1000.  If you want new at that price, as mentioned, Ascends are solid kayaks at that price.  I haven't used one, but the new Pelican Catch kayaks look pretty good.  I think the 12' version is $750. 

 

One thing that is often forgot about is the paddle.  Buy a quality paddle.  A $20 paddle works, but a quality paddle makes a giant difference in comfort. 

[Hawkeye21]

The Vibe Seaghost is a good one for under $1000. 

 

The Pelican Catch 120 is a great one for the price. 

 

I recommend the NuCanoe Flint for $999 though. 

 

Looks for these on sale or used. The Pelican can be found on sale for a very good price new. The other will most likely need to be used for great prices. 

[FishTank]

2 hours ago, Russ E said:

I own a Bass Pro Shops Ascend FS 128T it is a bigger Kayak. It is 12ft. 8in. long. It is a little heavy at 96 lbs, but super stable. I am 6ft. 2in. and 230lbs. I can easily stand up in it. it is still very maneuverable for a bigger Kayak.

I can easily load it in the back of my truck alone.  It may be a little harder to get on top of an suv.

I got it on sale for $600.00. I think the regular price is around $850.00 

Before that i had a 10ft. Ascend. it was nice but not near as stable as the Fs 128. it also weighed a lot less.

 

I looked at the Ascend 128T on BPS website and it looks pretty solid but not on sale at the moment.  $600 looks like a great deal.  Do they have a time of year when they usually put these on sale?

[DogBone_384]

My first Kayak was a 2013 128T. 

 

It was big and stable enough to fish standing up.  Storage space was more than plentiful.  The seat was awesome.  I had a transom mount trolling motor on it for a year before I sold it to help pay for a FeelFree Lure.

 

Even though it was big I could still get it on my Tundra’s ladder rack without difficulty.

 

I found it to be a great 1st fishing kayak.

 

Best of luck picking a new kayak.

[Russ E]

44 minutes ago, FishTank said:

 

I looked at the Ascend 128T on BPS website and it looks pretty solid but not on sale at the moment.  $600 looks like a great deal.  Do they have a time of year when they usually put these on sale?

I bought mine 2 years ago in april

[FishTank]

9 minutes ago, Russ E said:

I bought mine 2 years ago in april

Thanks.  I am obviously not in a hurry so I will keep my eyes open.

[Djohn]

Perception Pescador Pro unless you want to stand up

[Caliyak]

Look at Wilderness systems kayaks and demo as many as you can.  

[Abby]

I sold my Old Town Vapor last year and went with a Pelican Catch 120. Although it is heavier it is a super comfortable sit on kayak and very stable. I have loaded it on my jeep with no issues I prefer to toss it in the back of my truck.

[Dens228]

If you're patient you can find great deals.  About a month ago I found a Wilderness Atak 120 with a depth finder on FB Marketplace for $1,100.  I already own a Radar but jumped on this one. 

[Harold Scoggins]

8 hours ago, Caliyak said:

demo as many as you can

Yes!

[Hook2Jaw]

I know @Hawkeye21 does a lot of kayak fishing, so when he recommends the Vibe Seaghost 130 and the Nucanoe Flint before I get in here and say exactly the same thing, you should definitely listen.

 

The Vibe Seaghost 130 comes well equipped out the box, almost moreso than any kayak in that price range, and make an excellent boat.  I know tons of people who use them and they're happy campers.  The customer service is excellent and the hull has a lifetime warranty.  It has great cruising speed, excellent tracking, and good stability.

 

The Nucanoe Flint has a more open deck and is more stable.

 

I'll just say as a Hobie Pro Angler 14 owner, I will be buying a Vibe SG130 for river fishing this year.

[NYWayfarer]

Everyone's priorities are different. My priorities in a kayak were weight and comfortable seat.

 

Weight for the fact that I would be car topping the kayak with foam blocks on my sedan. I would also have to transport the kayak a small distance to the local launch area from the parking lot. My Kayak is 28lbs. I can easily lift it over my head. That low weight saved me one day when there was an accident at the launch and it was closed upon my return from fishing. I was able to find a spot about half a mile from the launch to get my kayak out of the water and carry it to my car.

 

Comfortable seat is a must if plan on spending more than 2 hours in the kayak.

[Tizi]

My suggestion is to check local kayak stores for prior year models.  I bought my 2016 Jackson last year for 30% off MSRP.  As others have said:  OfferUp and Craigslist are good place to look at well.  Good luck!  You won't regret getting a kayak to get off the bank and on the lake.

[Darren.]

Solid advice above. If you can get to a local kayak shop and demo

the ones that tickle your fancy, that'd help a lot. The other option

is simple sit-in demoing, which is what I did when I bought my 

Native Ultimate 12. I couldn't demo on-water, so I just sat in various

models in-store.

 

Bass Pro should let you sit in some. Obviously used, or demo sales

will see some price drops. If you find something on Craigslist, etc., 

make sure to comb it over for cracks. Scratches along the bottom 

are normal from dragging, and even going over stuff in the water.

[Crankin4Bass]

On 2/14/2019 at 9:42 AM, NYWayfarer said:

Everyone's priorities are different. My priorities in a kayak were weight and comfortable seat.

 

Weight for the fact that I would be car topping the kayak with foam blocks on my sedan. I would also have to transport the kayak a small distance to the local launch area from the parking lot. My Kayak is 28lbs. I can easily lift it over my head. That low weight saved me one day when there was an accident at the launch and it was closed upon my return from fishing. I was able to find a spot about half a mile from the launch to get my kayak out of the water and carry it to my car.

 

Comfortable seat is a must if plan on spending more than 2 hours in the kayak.

Comfortable seat and light weight are a rare combination. What kayak do you have that is only 28lbs?

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, Crankin4Bass said:

Comfortable seat and light weight are a rare combination. What kayak do you have that is only 28lbs?

 

 

I have the Pelican Tracker Angler 100 and it weighs 38lbs not 28lbs. Sorry for the mistake. It's a basic Kayak with no bells or whistles but it will get me on the water easier than any other option. The seat is ergonomically shaped and I am able to sit comfortably in it for over 3 hours with no pain or issues.

 

[Crankin4Bass]

6 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

 

 

I have the Pelican Tracker Angler 100 and it weighs 38lbs not 28lbs. Sorry for the mistake. It's a basic Kayak with no bells or whistles but it will get me on the water easier than any other option. The seat is ergonomically shaped and I am able to sit comfortably in it for over 3 hours with no pain or issues.

 

38 lbs is still pretty light. Thanks for posting the photos!