Bye bye boats!

[SuperDuty]

Having owned multiple boats over the years, from ski boats, cruisers, bassboats, and fish/ski, I've decided I'm done with them. Enter into the world of kayaks!! It's a completely different experience fishing from a kayak. Everything is so quiet and peaceful, you're so close to the water that you feel so intune with it. Things slow down and allows you to really concentrate. And nothing like hooking a large fish and it dragging you around as you fight it. Since you're so stealthy, you see so many more things that you just wouldn't on a boat. And the fish don't even know youre6coming. I've truly never experienced anything like kayak fishing! I'm absolutely hooked on it now and hopefully will enjoy it until I'm just too dang old to care. So, I've owned my last power boat and honestly, that makes me smile from ear to ear!

So who else here shares the passion of kayaking?

 

[HookInMouth]

55 minutes ago, SuperDuty said:

Having owned multiple boats over the years, from ski boats, cruisers, bassboats, and fish/ski, I've decided I'm done with them. Enter into the world of kayaks!! It's a completely different experience fishing from a kayak. Everything is so quiet and peaceful, you're so close to the water that you feel so intune with it. Things slow down and allows you to really concentrate. And nothing like hooking a large fish and it dragging you around as you fight it. Since you're so stealthy, you see so many more things that you just wouldn't on a boat. And the fish don't even know youre6coming. I've truly never experienced anything like kayak fishing! I'm absolutely hooked on it now and hopefully will enjoy it until I'm just too dang old to care. So, I've owned my last power boat and honestly, that makes me smile from ear to ear!

So who else here shares the passion of kayaking?

 

I feel you man. 

 

I had a boat for years. Sold it because I was annoyed with the maintenance and the trouble of transporting it and launching etc. Just seemed like such a hassle. A hassle that I quickly forgot once I was on the water, but a hassle none the less. 

 

A few years ago I started thinking about getting back into it and buying another boat. Visited some dealers. Came close to buying one (Lowe). Really though, in the back of my mind I just didn't want to add the upkeep. And I wanted something that I could get to the water quick, on the spur of the moment after work on a summer night. So I bowed out and figured I would think on it some more. 

 

Thinking on it got me looking at kayak fishing. The simplicity. It spoke to me. Bought two Kaku Voodoo (because of the seat) and it floored me. I couldn't believe what I was missing all these years. Kinda jerked me off that I waited till my 40's to get into it. It's another world. It's become an obsession. 

[SuperDuty]

Hey brother. I have been looking at the kaku Zulu or the wahoo myself.  They look like nice outfits but can't find any around me to check out in person. How's the build quality?

[crankbait2009]

I switched to a kayak for the same reasons mentioned above.  I now own my 2nd kayak, Perception Pescador Pro 100.  Haven't ever looked back once

[Tizi]

I still own a small 12 foot semi-V boat with 7.5 Honda outboard.  I use this when I want to fish with someone or fish larger bodies of water.  I have 2 kayaks, 1 pedal, 1 paddle.  As you noted, nothing like fishing from a kayak.  Love being closer to nature and the solitude.  I am in "work mode" 5 days per week, nice to get out and relax fishing from my kayak.  Not many things are more relaxing and fun than kayak fishing.

[TnRiver46]

I have 2 motor boats and 5 kayaks and one canoe...... No need to limit yourself to one style. I can hook up to and launch my boat quicker than a kayak.  several of my best fishing holes are impossible to get to with paddle craft. Also a few of my best spots require a paddle craft

[HookInMouth]

1 hour ago, SuperDuty said:

Hey brother. I have been looking at the kaku Zulu or the wahoo myself.  They look like nice outfits but can't find any around me to check out in person. How's the build quality?

Very good. The owners and designer Kevin Hawkins likes to over build. Just look at the seat on the Voodoo/Zulu. A 400lb man could sit on the top perch/back rest with no issue lol. Can't think of another kayak that can make that claim haha. But seriously, I think Kaku is a quality name and belong with the other quality names out there. Kaku, Hobie, Jackson, Old Town, Feel Free, Nucanoe, they all build good stuff. I just like the Kaku designs best. 

1 hour ago, SuperDuty said:

Hey brother. I have been looking at the kaku Zulu or the wahoo myself.  They look like nice outfits but can't find any around me to check out in person. How's the build quality?

How mid-west are you? We talkin Ohio? If you can make it to Pittsburgh area one day I could hook you up on a Voodoo. Might be able to wrangle a Wahoo for you to check out too. I know a local guy. 

26 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I can hook up to and launch my boat quicker than a kayak.

I wasn't even close lol. Hell, most days the wait at the boat ramp was longer than it takes to pull a yak out of the bed of my truck and push it into the water. 

[RichF]

More power to you guys.  I just can't get myself into it. I want to, especially due to living in the city now where storage space is non-existent. Nothing beats the comfort of a glass bass boat on big water and my 16ft Tracker on small water though.  I will likely have to settle for a Bass Raider in the interim before I can find a place for my boat.  

[HookInMouth]

44 minutes ago, RichF said:

More power to you guys.  I just can't get myself into it. I want to, especially due to living in the city now where storage space is non-existent. Nothing beats the comfort of a glass bass boat on big water and my 16ft Tracker on small water though.  I will likely have to settle for a Bass Raider in the interim before I can find a place for my boat.  

It's all fishin' man. Whatever works for each of us. 

 

I do think a lot of my preference comes from the fact that I don't fish areas a boat can get into (outside of maybe those jet boats). I've been obsessed with shallow rivers rolling through the middle of nowhere. I think if I was a lake guy I might have a different opinion. Probably not, haha, but maybe.  

[RichF]

6 minutes ago, HookInMouth said:

It's all fishin' man. Whatever works for each of us. 

 

I do think a lot of my preference comes from the fact that I don't fish areas a boat can get into (outside of maybe those jet boats). I've been obsessed with shallow rivers rolling through the middle of nowhere. I think if I was a lake guy I might have a different opinion. Probably not, haha, but maybe.  

Those are usually the best places to fish!

[SuperDuty]

Nope no use for a boat anymore, the wifey and kids would rather play around the pool at home and I would too instead of being on the lake. I can fish anywhere and more with a kayak over a boat. And yaks are a world easier to take out. Takes flrev6to get a boat ready to fish but a yak can be thrown in the truck in two minutes and off I go. Done with boats!

[TnRiver46]

45 minutes ago, SuperDuty said:

Nope no use for a boat anymore, the wifey and kids would rather play around the pool at home and I would too instead of being on the lake. I can fish anywhere and more with a kayak over a boat. And yaks are a world easier to take out. Takes flrev6to get a boat ready to fish but a yak can be thrown in the truck in two minutes and off I go. Done with boats!

I just backup to mine, attach coupler, safety chains, and lights and off to the river. Much easier than putting my kayak into the bed of the truck (I do both frequently)

[kjfishman]

I only had my big boat out twice last year as I spend more time and catch more fish from my kayak. Have been thing about selling my Marsh Hawk 165V and getting a pedal kayak. I still will keep the Old Town Loon 126 if I sell the big boat.

 

[Hawkeye21]

5 hours ago, SuperDuty said:

Having owned multiple boats over the years, from ski boats, cruisers, bassboats, and fish/ski, I've decided I'm done with them. Enter into the world of kayaks!! It's a completely different experience fishing from a kayak. Everything is so quiet and peaceful, you're so close to the water that you feel so intune with it. Things slow down and allows you to really concentrate. And nothing like hooking a large fish and it dragging you around as you fight it. Since you're so stealthy, you see so many more things that you just wouldn't on a boat. And the fish don't even know youre6coming. I've truly never experienced anything like kayak fishing! I'm absolutely hooked on it now and hopefully will enjoy it until I'm just too dang old to care. So, I've owned my last power boat and honestly, that makes me smile from ear to ear!

So who else here shares the passion of kayaking?

 

 

Welcome to the addiction.  You'll find yourself saving a lot more money and doing a lot less maintenance.  If you're into fishing bass tourneys they have them for kayaks as well.

45 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I just backup to mine, attach coupler, safety chains, and lights and off to the river. Much easier than putting my kayak into the bed of the truck (I do both frequently)

Put your kayak on sawhorses so you can just back up and slide it onto your truck and strap it down.  Doesn't get much easier than that.  Can also have a small kayak trailer and do exactly what you do with your boat.

[SuperDuty]

50 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I just backup to mine, attach coupler, safety chains, and lights and off to the river. Much easier than putting my kayak into the bed of the truck (I do both frequently)

Does your boat not take gas? What about maintenance? But heck no brother, I can load a yak way faster than backing up to a boat and hooking on. Not to mention all the other work boats take to maintain. 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, SuperDuty said:

Does your boat not take gas? What about maintenance? But heck no brother, I can load a yak way faster than backing up to a boat and hooking on. Not to mention all the other work boats take to maintain. 

Of course it runs on gas and takes maintenance. Never said anything about any of that, I have 5 kayaks I’m not against you. I just know which craft I can go fishing in quicker as I go after work several times a week year round and use all types 

[Alex from GA]

About 18 years ago I bought a kayak to fish where I couldn't in my boat; shallow rivers and creeks mostly.  For several years no one would go with me so I fished alone floating mostly N GA rivers.  My wife would pick me up @ a specified time.  I still use my real boat for lakes.  For me each has it's place.

[SuperDuty]

6 hours ago, HookInMouth said:

Very good. The owners and designer Kevin Hawkins likes to over build. Just look at the seat on the Voodoo/Zulu. A 400lb man could sit on the top perch/back rest with no issue lol. Can't think of another kayak that can make that claim haha. But seriously, I think Kaku is a quality name and belong with the other quality names out there. Kaku, Hobie, Jackson, Old Town, Feel Free, Nucanoe, they all build good stuff. I just like the Kaku designs best. 

How mid-west are you? We talkin Ohio? If you can make it to Pittsburgh area one day I could hook you up on a Voodoo. Might be able to wrangle a Wahoo for you to check out too. I know a local guy. 

I wasn't even close lol. Hell, most days the wait at the boat ramp was longer than it takes to pull a yak out of the bed of my truck and push it into the water. 

 

The seat on the Zulu is what intrigues me as well as that huge cockpit layout. Just a ton of space! I wonder how it would handle in fast flowing streams, not whitewater stuff, just quick smallmouth streams with some fast ripples. I'm a good 7 hours from Pittsburg but I certainly appreciate that offer. I know there is a store a couple hours away that carries kaku and they supposedly have an indoor pool for people to test out yaks on. I may try to make it down there soon. I'd really like to try out a few yaks before I make my final decision. I love the paddling part of kayaking but also appreciate having my hands free for fishing which is the reason I'm looking at peddle kayaks. Although, I've seen several guys putting trolling motors through the removable pod which seems appealing as well. I've got a couple of months to decide what'll fit me and my style the best. Thanks for your feedback man!

4 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said:

 

Welcome to the addiction.  You'll find yourself saving a lot more money and doing a lot less maintenance.  If you're into fishing bass tourneys they have them for kayaks as well.

Put your kayak on sawhorses so you can just back up and slide it onto your truck and strap it down.  Doesn't get much easier than that.  Can also have a small kayak trailer and do exactly what you do with your boat.

Thanks man! Yeah it's definitely a money saver for sure. Most importantly for me, it's just so much less hassle. No maintenance,  no hassles of waiting it lines, worrying about stuff going wrong, and it opens up a world of new fishing spots. lots of places I will be able to go that the boats aren't gonna get but I can go anywhere they do. Also, it's just a whole whole WHOLE lot more relaxing experience. 

 

[SuperDuty]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Of course it runs on gas and takes maintenance. Never said anything about any of that, I have 5 kayaks I’m not against you. I just know which craft I can go fishing in quicker as I go after work several times a week year round and use all types 

I get it man, it's all cool. My experience is just different than yours. When I had my brother in laws yak this fall, I could literally back up to the garage and slide it in and off I went. It all took maybe 60 seconds and it don't get any easier than that. My boats were a lot more complicated than that and I'm just done with it all. Now my wife's sister has a Pavati ski boat that we go out on occasionally when were at her house, but the wifey hates it, it scares her she says. 

[GTN-NY]

I had the ranger, fished a lot of tournaments, gave it up 20 years ago. Didn’t miss it at all. 
started to get the itch last spring but wanted nothing to do with a boat again and I suck as a bank fisherman. 
I started looking at canoes and and the sales guy brought out a sit on kayak to try. Loved it!

I live close to 5 lakes and a few ponds so it only costs me a few bucks for car gas to go fishing now. That is a huge savings for me. 
Paddling is also great exercise! 

[SuperDuty]

31 minutes ago, GTN said:

I had the ranger, fished a lot of tournaments, gave it up 20 years ago. Didn’t miss it at all. 
started to get the itch last spring but wanted nothing to do with a boat again and I suck as a bank fisherman. 
I started looking at canoes and and the sales guy brought out a sit on kayak to try. Loved it!

I live close to 5 lakes and a few ponds so it only costs me a few bucks for car gas to go fishing now. That is a huge savings for me. 
Paddling is also great exercise! 

Looks like you've got it set up real nice. Which yak is that? 

[GTN-NY]

5 minutes ago, SuperDuty said:

Looks like you've got it set up real nice. Which yak is that? 

2018 Jackson Big Rig

[Hook2Jaw]

@SuperDuty, glad to have you on the plastic side.  Stuff can get very serious very quickly on little boats, so please wear your PFD.  Too many folks get gone every year and that's a shame.

 

Those Kaku kayaks and paddleboards look amazing.  I have my eye out for a used board to buy for the fiancee to exercise on and take pictures.  I think those are quality craft.

 

I would also take a look at the pedal offerings from Hobie, Old Town, and Native Watercraft.  The Slayer 13s are a killer deal right now!

 

Also, Nucanoe come pretty well equipped with that open deck you keep mentioning, plus they're capable of carrying a bow mount trolling motor.  They have me wanting spot lock on a baby bass boat!

 

Best of luck to you in whatever boat you decide to jump onto!

[GReb]

I’ve always been intrigued but my fisheries have 12 foot gators everywhere and I just don’t know how I’d feel being that small and close to the water lol. 

[SuperDuty]

7 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

@SuperDuty, glad to have you on the plastic side.  Stuff can get very serious very quickly on little boats, so please wear your PFD.  Too many folks get gone every year and that's a shame.

 

Those Kaku kayaks and paddleboards look amazing.  I have my eye out for a used board to buy for the fiancee to exercise on and take pictures.  I think those are quality craft.

 

I would also take a look at the pedal offerings from Hobie, Old Town, and Native Watercraft.  The Slayer 13s are a killer deal right now!

 

Also, Nucanoe come pretty well equipped with that open deck you keep mentioning, plus they're capable of carrying a bow mount trolling motor.  They have me wanting spot lock on a baby bass boat!

 

Best of luck to you in whatever boat you decide to jump onto!

Thanks H2J.  Yeah definitely need to be safe out there and visibility can be an issue on large lakes. I will be fishing an 11k acre lake quite often and at times it's congested with college students. Being ran over is a concern. But, I also doubt I make it out into the busy area much because the no idle zone is probably half the lake and has gobs of fishing areas. 

I'm even starting to reconsider a peddle kayak because I think I may fish streams more than the lake. 

The kaku wahoo is really pulling at me. I'm seriously thinking it may be the one. 

 

I do like the Hobie Outback, it's one of my favorites.  I'll have to look at the slayer because I've paid no attention to them. 

 

I am a great swimmer and have water survival training from when I was in the Navy.  Also plan to run a flag on my yak when I'm in traffic areas. Great advice none the less. 

7 hours ago, GReb said:

I’ve always been intrigued but my fisheries have 12 foot gators everywhere and I just don’t know how I’d feel being that small and close to the water lol. 

Dude I completely understand that. A few years ago I was in Ocala Florida visiting my mom and both my uncles took me out kayaking. We went to this stream and went out and the water was so brown that it looked black. I couldn't get it out of my mind a large gator surfacing beside me and dragging me down. It was extremely nerve wracking. But I had an extremely close call one night on Lake Weir in Ocala where I was swimming through a lagoon out to a boat late at night. I've had nightmares for 20 years because of it. 

 

But honestly, lots of yak users around  gators with no problems at all. I'm sure you'd be just fine .

Imagine those crazy guys that run yaks in great white territory!!!