First kayak

[Allen Der]

14 minutes ago, schplurg said:

I wouldn't buy a real expensive kayak unless you've at least tried kayak fishing. I didn't read every post so maybe you have done it already. 

 

The first reply has great advice, but you may not like kayak fishing. Try it if you haven't yet, or buy a cheap yet comfortable one (good seat) if you aren't able to try it first. Buying a more expensive one is a good idea if you KNOW you're going to like it a lot.

 

I didn't like it after a few trips, however it's partially due to tendinitis, and partly to me wanting to be able to move around in the boat more. It was fun but I got frustrated too. It's a Ride 115 with a super comfy Air Pro Max seat for $500 used. Very comfortable.

 

I'm trying it again this year though, in fact first trip is tomorrow. Very stoked, but if my elbows etc start hurting I'm gonna be looking for a small boat. I hope it goes well!

you need a ergonomic bent shaft paddle. I switched to one last year and it made a huge difference.  I was considering switching to a pedal kayak until I tried the bent shaft paddle.  Sierra trading post has them on clearance.  I just bought another one for backup.  240CM should be good for your ride 115.  https://www.sierra.com/at-paddles-exodus-fishstix-fishing-paddle-bent-shaft~p~869jw/?filterString=kayaking-and-watercrafts~d~122%2Fadventure-technology~b~2296%2C38519%2C1880%2C1103%2C38881%2C1854%2C2416%2C1539%2C1553%2C1551%2F

 

I had a ride 115 and it was a tough boat to paddle, but very stable.  you should be able to stand up no problem.  I was able to jump up and down in mine

[schplurg]

17 minutes ago, Allen Der said:

you need a ergonomic bent shaft paddle. I switched to one last year and it made a huge difference.  I was considering switching to a pedal kayak until I tried the bent shaft paddle.  Sierra trading post has them on clearance.  I just bought another one for backup.  240CM should be good for your ride 115.  https://www.sierra.com/at-paddles-exodus-fishstix-fishing-paddle-bent-shaft~p~869jw/?filterString=kayaking-and-watercrafts~d~122%2Fadventure-technology~b~2296%2C38519%2C1880%2C1103%2C38881%2C1854%2C2416%2C1539%2C1553%2C1551%2F

 

I had a ride 115 and it was a tough boat to paddle, but very stable.  you should be able to stand up no problem.  I was able to jump up and down in mine

Interesting. It doesn't look that bent in the photo I see, but enough to make a difference I guess. Very cool!

 

For tomorrow I picked the lake with the shortest distance from the launch to the area I want to fish, so it should be an easy day. I've been not fishing for a month to heal up a bit, been a long wait. Sucks.

 

Also, in your Ride do you still kinda wobble back and forth a little when standing? I can't stand up without that happening.

 

To the OP, my earlier post said you may not like kayak fishing, but you probably will! I say I didn't like it in some ways but here I am going out again, and I upgraded it with a Garmin Echomap 6 and some other doodads. I can use that in the boat though if I switch

 

And also I've only had one successful outing on the kayak (caught fish), so that may affect my opinion too. And it was one of the most fun days of fishing I've ever had. I also didn't paddle far to get there.

 

I'm undecided still but I want it to work for me really bad! It IS pretty awesome!

[Bankc]

9 hours ago, schplurg said:

Interesting. It doesn't look that bent in the photo I see, but enough to make a difference I guess. Very cool!

 

For tomorrow I picked the lake with the shortest distance from the launch to the area I want to fish, so it should be an easy day. I've been not fishing for a month to heal up a bit, been a long wait. Sucks.

 

Also, in your Ride do you still kinda wobble back and forth a little when standing? I can't stand up without that happening.

 

To the OP, my earlier post said you may not like kayak fishing, but you probably will! I say I didn't like it in some ways but here I am going out again, and I upgraded it with a Garmin Echomap 6 and some other doodads. I can use that in the boat though if I switch

 

And also I've only had one successful outing on the kayak (caught fish), so that may affect my opinion too. And it was one of the most fun days of fishing I've ever had. I also didn't paddle far to get there.

 

I'm undecided still but I want it to work for me really bad! It IS pretty awesome!

Yeah, it's definitely different than you think it will be.  I don't like the 20 minutes it takes to load my kayak up onto the roof of my car, nor the 20 minutes to unload it into the lake.  Then the additional 40 minutes loading and unloading, coming home.  I was also surprised at how hard it is to paddle in even small winds and waves.  Paddling a half mile in 15 MPH headwinds can take a real long time and make you pretty sore.  Never mind trying to anchor your boat in those winds or in deep water.  And in Oklahoma, there's always at least a 15 MPH wind if the temperature is above freezing or below 100, it seems.  

 

Though, you learn to adjust your expectations.  I now plan my fishing based on the wind, rather than where I think the fish will be and at what time I think they will bite.  It's not like a bass boat where the whole lake is yours and you can fish anywhere up until the point the water gets dangerous.  In a kayak, the water gets too frustrating to continue, long before it gets dangerous.  Small distances are big deals.  And something as mindlessly simple as trolling becomes a physical and mental challenge.  Though once you learn to adjust your expectations accordingly, it is a whole lot of fun!  And even if you don't catch anything, sometimes just exploring small creeks that you never knew existed and no traditional boat can get near can be a whole lot of fun!  It's a completely different perspective for sure!

[Allen Der]

10 hours ago, schplurg said:

Interesting. It doesn't look that bent in the photo I see, but enough to make a difference I guess. Very cool!

 

For tomorrow I picked the lake with the shortest distance from the launch to the area I want to fish, so it should be an easy day. I've been not fishing for a month to heal up a bit, been a long wait. Sucks.

 

Also, in your Ride do you still kinda wobble back and forth a little when standing? I can't stand up without that happening.

 

 

the bend is very small but it gives you so much more power.  a lot of kayaks including the ride have primary and secondary stability.  the rocking back and forth is the primary stability.  it feels a little tippy at first but it's almost impossible to roll it past the point of the secondary stability.  if you have the max seat though you can just sit in the high position and fish,  or put it in the low position and sit side saddle.  keep moving around so you dont get too stiff.  once you start catching fish you'll be hooked.  

25 minutes ago, Bankc said:

Yeah, it's definitely different than you think it will be.  I don't like the 20 minutes it takes to load my kayak up onto the roof of my car, nor the 20 minutes to unload it into the lake.  Then the additional 40 minutes loading and unloading, coming home.  I was also surprised at how hard it is to paddle in even small winds and waves.  Paddling a half mile in 15 MPH headwinds can take a real long time and make you pretty sore.  Never mind trying to anchor your boat in those winds or in deep water.  And in Oklahoma, there's always at least a 15 MPH wind if the temperature is above freezing or below 100, it seems.  

 

Though, you learn to adjust your expectations.  I now plan my fishing based on the wind, rather than where I think the fish will be and at what time I think they will bite.  It's not like a bass boat where the whole lake is yours and you can fish anywhere up until the point the water gets dangerous.  In a kayak, the water gets too frustrating to continue, long before it gets dangerous.  Small distances are big deals.  And something as mindlessly simple as trolling becomes a physical and mental challenge.  Though once you learn to adjust your expectations accordingly, it is a whole lot of fun!  And even if you don't catch anything, sometimes just exploring small creeks that you never knew existed and no traditional boat can get near can be a whole lot of fun!  It's a completely different perspective for sure!

when I first started kayak fishing I was trying to bring a bunch of gear and a fish finder that took a long time to set up.  IMO that somewhat defeats the simplicity of non-tournament kayak fishing. now I just have the kayak, paddle, crate, tackle boxes, rods, net and anchor.  watch some youtube videos on loading your kayak.  I use a large bathmat from walmart to slide the kayak onto the roof then turn it 90 degrees onto the cross bars.  it really shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to load and unload once you get the hang of it

[Boomstick]

14 hours ago, schplurg said:

The first reply has great advice, but you may not like kayak fishing. Try it if you haven't yet, or buy a cheap yet comfortable one (good seat) if you aren't able to try it first. Buying a more expensive one is a good idea if you KNOW you're going to like it a lot.

This is very good advice for sure, but I'm going to play devil's advocate as well. I can testify that I would not like kayak fishing if I had a cheap kayak with a bad seat, which I exceed the weight limit on and sink by stepping into it either -- or even a lesser extreme of having to be worried about flipping it if I try to put my hands in the water.

[VolFan]

4 hours ago, Allen Der said:

the bend is very small but it gives you so much more power.  a lot of kayaks including the ride have primary and secondary stability.  the rocking back and forth is the primary stability.  it feels a little tippy at 

when I first started kayak fishing I was trying to bring a bunch of gear and a fish finder that took a long time to set up.  IMO that somewhat defeats the simplicity of non-tournament kayak fishing. now I just have the kayak, paddle, crate, tackle boxes, rods, net and anchor.  watch some youtube videos on loading your kayak.  I use a large bathmat from walmart to slide the kayak onto the roof then turn it 90 degrees onto the cross bars.  it really shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to load and unload once you get the hang of it

This is great advice - if it's taking you 20+ min to load and unload you may need to look at simplifying or refining your load-out load and process.

[flyfisher]

Lots of the boats mentioned here are barges to paddle, the feel free especially as you will see most motorize them.  For me it is paddle or motor.  No need to pedal a boat with the motor options out there now.  I have an ATAK 140 and it is my favorite kayak i have owned in my very long time kayak fishing.  I might even get a motor for it but for now a paddle does it for me.  I can paddle at 3.5-4mph pretty easily.  Wind stinks but it is what it is....anchoring is easy if you learn how to do it properly.  

 

[Bankc]

5 hours ago, Allen Der said:

the bend is very small but it gives you so much more power.  a lot of kayaks including the ride have primary and secondary stability.  the rocking back and forth is the primary stability.  it feels a little tippy at first but it's almost impossible to roll it past the point of the secondary stability.  if you have the max seat though you can just sit in the high position and fish,  or put it in the low position and sit side saddle.  keep moving around so you dont get too stiff.  once you start catching fish you'll be hooked.  

when I first started kayak fishing I was trying to bring a bunch of gear and a fish finder that took a long time to set up.  IMO that somewhat defeats the simplicity of non-tournament kayak fishing. now I just have the kayak, paddle, crate, tackle boxes, rods, net and anchor.  watch some youtube videos on loading your kayak.  I use a large bathmat from walmart to slide the kayak onto the roof then turn it 90 degrees onto the cross bars.  it really shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to load and unload once you get the hang of it

I hear what you're saying.  And I do have a system.  But my situation is a little different from most.  First off, I drive a 2 door coupe.  So I have to unload everything from the kayak, just to keep the weight and wind resistance down.  That means the seat has to come off, battery, fish finder, etc. and I have to break down my fishing rods (all two piece), paddle, kayak cart, and anything else that I can to fit it all into my tiny trunk.  I also can't use a roof rack, because my roof isn't long enough (It's about 2 feet long front to back) to properly support a kayak, so I have to use pool noodles and support it off the edge of my front and rear windshields.  And I need to let them roll to help me load, which means I have to reposition them while loading. 

 

And I actually do need (or really want) a fish finder.  Not just because this is my only boat and like seeing what's down there, but because the lakes I visit are all man-made and can quickly jump from 5 feet deep to over 100.  And I don't have a rope long enough to anchor in 100 feet of water (nor do I want to carry or mess with that much rope).  A depth finder lets me know where I can safely set my anchor (and hope to retrieve it), as well as where to fish.  So I spend more time fishing, and less time paddling.  

 

I have a system where I flip the kayak cart upside down and strap it to my trunk lid to roll the kayak on and off using the cart's wheels.  It takes more time, but since I slipped a disc, I can't risk putting unnecessary strain on my back anymore when I can otherwise avoid it.  

[ApacheGuns515]

12 hours ago, Bankc said:

Yeah, it's definitely different than you think it will be.  I don't like the 20 minutes it takes to load my kayak up onto the roof of my car, nor the 20 minutes to unload it into the lake.  Then the additional 40 minutes loading and unloading, coming home.  I was also surprised at how hard it is to paddle in even small winds and waves.  Paddling a half mile in 15 MPH headwinds can take a real long time and make you pretty sore.  Never mind trying to anchor your boat in those winds or in deep water.  And in Oklahoma, there's always at least a 15 MPH wind if the temperature is above freezing or below 100, it seems.  

 

Though, you learn to adjust your expectations.  I now plan my fishing based on the wind, rather than where I think the fish will be and at what time I think they will bite.  It's not like a bass boat where the whole lake is yours and you can fish anywhere up until the point the water gets dangerous.  In a kayak, the water gets too frustrating to continue, long before it gets dangerous.  Small distances are big deals.  And something as mindlessly simple as trolling becomes a physical and mental challenge.  Though once you learn to adjust your expectations accordingly, it is a whole lot of fun!  And even if you don't catch anything, sometimes just exploring small creeks that you never knew existed and no traditional boat can get near can be a whole lot of fun!  It's a completely different perspective for sure!

 

I agree with all of this and this is good insight. The things you've mentioned here are the reasons why many kayak owners tend to treat their yaks more like small jon boats instead of semi "portable" kayaks. Lot's of trailers being purchased for kayaks which for some defeats the purpose but these fishing yaks are heavy. 

 

For me I have a pickup truck and I strap on dolly for the kayak so I don't have to load and unload gear. I can load everything into the kayak same as a jon boat while transporting and then simply pull it out of the bed and roll it to the water. Time from pulling up to the launch to being in the water is about 60 seconds, longest being walking back from the water to toss my strap on wheels back in the truck. Same when loading back up. 

 

If I had to car top this thing and load and unload all of my gear each time then I'm sure that will significantly reduce the amount of fishing I'd want to do from it. 

 

Folks just have to ask themselves their reasons for wanting a kayak over something like a small jon boat. For me it was the ease of use and having basically zero maintenance to do. No outboards to mess with was the main one. Almost every single time I go to a public boat launch I'm paddling by somebody stuck at the launch fiddling with an outboard that doesn't want to start...

 

However, that little internal smile of mine does tend to go away the second I see that guy cruising past me towards the other side of the lake while I'm cussing paddling against the slight breeze at 3mph tops and realizing that if I want to go "over there" I'm going to have to paddle this heavy thing "back" lol. 

 

"The water gets too frustrating to continue long before it gets dangerous". That's about the most accurate statement I've ever heard regarding kayak fishing lol. Many of days I have gotten up early and planned an all day fishing trip only to stop and set anchor after about an hour because I simply didn't feel like paddling way the hell out to that sweet spot I found on google earth after all. 

 

You are 100% correct, expectation management is key when thinking about a kayak purchase. With every passing year you are noticing more and more kayak folks strapping trolling motors to these things...Just saying..