Looking for a fishing kayak

[JWall14]

I am currently saving up for a fishing kayak. Any tips on gear or yaks? I’m looking to stay under $850 for the yak, paddle, accessories, and pfd. Anyone have a favorite yak. I’m thinking about buying a Ascend 12T (I’m 6’5 so I need leg room) as it is cheap and I can customize it. I fish rivers, ponds, and small lakes. 

[Hawkeye21]

I recommend the Pelican Catch 120 over the Ascend kayak if buying new.  Keep an eye out for sales right now or see if you can find a good, used kayak on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. 

[J Francho]

$850 will get you a GREAT used pro level kayak.  Keep your eyes peeled.  As always, get some seat time to see if it suits you and is comfortable.

[JWall14]

21 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I recommend the Pelican Catch 120 over the Ascend kayak if buying new.  Keep an eye out for sales right now or see if you can find a good, used kayak on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. 

Thanks for the recommendation! I am interested in the pelican and was wondering if you have any experience with it?

[Skunkd]

Something else to think about when making your choice is how will you be transporting your new yak. Will you be car topping or do you own a pickup? Some fishing kayaks ( especially wider ones built for standing ) can exceed 100lbs. Lots of good vids on YT on how to car top heavy boats. Also, a good cart can be a life saver if you need to carry your boat any distance to the water. Another thing is, if possible try to paddle your boat before buying. Most retailers, boat houses, yak shops have on the water demo days scheduled where you can try a variety on boats to help make your choice. Good Luck

T

[mrstangblb]

I have a 2017 Vibe Sea Ghost 110 that is very nice, but I’m selling it and an Eagle Talon because I am just too tall to be comfortable on them. Great kayaks, though. 

[JWall14]

22 hours ago, fishnbear said:

Something else to think about when making your choice is how will you be transporting your new yak. Will you be car topping or do you own a pickup? Some fishing kayaks ( especially wider ones built for standing ) can exceed 100lbs. Lots of good vids on YT on how to car top heavy boats. Also, a good cart can be a life saver if you need to carry your boat any distance to the water. Another thing is, if possible try to paddle your boat before buying. Most retailers, boat houses, yak shops have on the water demo days scheduled where you can try a variety on boats to help make your choice. Good Luck

T

I will be car topping but I have no racks so I will have to tie it down to the roof.

[Skunkd]

For just a little more $$ you could get into an Old Town Topwater 106 or 120 Angler. These are great little boats that are loaded with features, comfortable and best of all, have a lifetime warranty on the hull. My buddy and I recently exchanged boats for a day, he in my Hobie Outback and me in his OT Topwater PDL 120. I'm a Hobie guy and I have to say I was impressed. The PDL is obviously a different animal than the regular Topwater but the platform is the same. I'm 6'5" and 225lbs and standing to cast was no problem. Very comfortable seat, tracked well and has lots of rigging options. Buying new obviously entitles you to whatever warranty that boat has but Craigslist is usually loaded with good to very good deals on kayaks. Buy the best boat you can afford and don't skimp on safety gear.

Best T

[Abby]

I am very happy with my Pelican Catch 120. I can car top in on the jeep or toss it in the back of the truck. I am 6'2 and 265 and no issues....

[ClintIsKING]

Looking into getting an entry level kayak. Was looking into the Eagle Talon 120 at Dick's. Transporting I would need to figure out too. I have a short bed truck so a 12ft kayak would be a bit of an issue. 

[Skunkd]

Truck bed extender. Lots of good kayak specific ones available as long as you have a receiver 

[ClintIsKING]

8 hours ago, fishnbear said:

Truck bed extender. Lots of good kayak specific ones available as long as you have a receiver 

That I do have. Just seems like 7ft sticking out is a bit much ?

[pier_man0909]

On 5/29/2019 at 1:25 PM, JWall14 said:

I am currently saving up for a fishing kayak. Any tips on gear or yaks? I’m looking to stay under $850 for the yak, paddle, accessories, and pfd. Anyone have a favorite yak. I’m thinking about buying a Ascend 12T (I’m 6’5 so I need leg room) as it is cheap and I can customize it. I fish rivers, ponds, and small lakes. 

 

To be honest with you, I would wait.  for one, the best thing you can do is get seat time in different kayaks to see what you like.   many dealers and kayak clubs have demo days where you can go and paddle different kayaks you are interested in.  if you spend some time trying out different models you can see which features and characteristics you like and are important to you.  if you are wanting an ascend, try to paddle one first and just see how you like it.  im not trying to speak bad about the ascend because i know there are people that like them but I do know quite a few people just went the cheaper route and bought an ascend and it turned out to not be the right kayak for them and one of 2 things happened.  either they got rid of it (at a loss) and upgraded to a kayak they like better, basically costing more for what they want, or the whole experience left a with a negative feeling and they gave up on pursuing kayak fishing all together.  second, by waiting a little longer you would hopefully be able to save a little more money and expand your budget.  sure you can find a deal or a good buy, but $850 for everything typically wont go very far and you would mostly be left feeling underwhelmed.  you would be surprised how much farther $1,000 would go even though its only $150 more.  another good thing about waiting is that now is summer and deals from dealers are fewer and far between right now because this is just the sales season.  typically in the fall a lot of dealers have great deals trying to move out stock and demos before the end of the year to make room for the next years boats.  many dealers would have boats for 15-25% off which is exceptional for a brand new kayak which usually come with some sort of warranty.  I know how hard it is to be patient when you get excited about something but in my opinion, you would be happier with your purchase by waiting, demoing, and making the most out of your purchase.  you can keep looking by all means, but try before you buy.  I would hate to see another person eager to get into the sport get turned off from not having what they wanted.