Compact Kayak

[carrageenan]

Is an 8x2' kayak too small to fish from? My 12'er is a pita to lift/store and I don't know that my next living space will have garage/shed storage.

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

[J Francho]

I wouldn't want to, but that seems like a question only seat time can answer. 

[Deleted account]

Oh boy....

[Darth-Baiter]

I say yes!   Those guys with float tubes are usually minimalist. 
 

id go with a tube tho. 

[carrageenan]

7 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Oh boy....

 

1 minute ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I say yes!   Those guys with float tubes are usually minimalist. 
 

id go with a tube tho. 

Was it a dumb question? I'm asking for "fun fishing" purposes. I have a spinal fusion and lifting a 12' yak onto my roof isn't something I want to do anymore. I've only ever owned long kayaks, so I've never really tried it.

 

Thanks!

[VolFan]

I think keeping a yak that small upright might be harder on your spine than lifting one on a car. 8x2 is tiny and more likely a play or whitewater boat. What boat are you looking at?

I would also go with a tube if you’re going minimal- they’re great platforms 

[michaelb]

8x2 is too small for an adult and not sure you really mean 2’ wide. I have a tarpon 100 as one of my old boats and that is 10x33” or so and that is fishable. 
 

I am thinking of getting a fishing paddle board though to add to my fleet. Those can be inflated so easier to store and transport. Those will be 12x 36-40” inflated and can be rigged with a larry chair or cooler to sit on. 

[carrageenan]

26 minutes ago, VolFan said:

I think keeping a yak that small upright might be harder on your spine than lifting one on a car. 8x2 is tiny and more likely a play or whitewater boat. What boat are you looking at?

I would also go with a tube if you’re going minimal- they’re great platforms 

Pelican clipper 80, at 27 lbs you can lift it with one hand and carry it a short distance. I'm well under the max load (for now) and I would bring one rod and a sling bag with me. I have paddled one around a small lake, it wasn't ideal but it worked, but that wasn't for an extended period. 

 

Would I like to have a Hobie PA or Jackson? Absolutely, but it's not in the cards for me  

[VolFan]

Wear your PFD and have at it! Maybe wait until summer to experiment too much though?

[carrageenan]

29 minutes ago, michaelb said:

8x2 is too small for an adult and not sure you really mean 2’ wide. I have a tarpon 100 as one of my old boats and that is 10x33” or so and that is fishable. 
 

I am thinking of getting a fishing paddle board though to add to my fleet. Those can be inflated so easier to store and transport. Those will be 12x 36-40” inflated and can be rigged with a larry chair or cooler to sit on. 

93 x 28" are the dimensions listed online. I actually had an inflatable kayak (can't remember measurements) but that thing tracked in circles.

3 minutes ago, VolFan said:

Wear your PFD and have at it! Maybe wait until summer to experiment too much though?

LOL, I guess I'm nuts.

[WRB]

I see a lot of inflatable mini pontoon boats on the lakes. They run between 7’-10’ and look very stable.

Tom

[Crankin4Bass]

1 hour ago, carrageenan said:

Pelican clipper 80, at 27 lbs you can lift it with one hand and carry it a short distance. I'm well under the max load (for now) and I would bring one rod and a sling bag with me. I have paddled one around a small lake, it wasn't ideal but it worked, but that wasn't for an extended period. 

 

Would I like to have a Hobie PA or Jackson? Absolutely, but it's not in the cards for me  

That looks way too small for an adult and that seat looks super uncomfortable. I would look at something more like a Hurricane Kayak with a frame seat. A lot more money but...

KTP has their kayaks at demos days in the spring and summer.

 

https://hurricaneaquasports.com/our-kayaks/recreational-kayaks/prima-110-sport/

[Bankc]

I'd probably look for a trailer instead.  That way you don't have to do any lifting.  I too am suffering from a herniated disc in my back.  And car-topping my 85lb kayak onto the top of my SUV is no fun.  But I "lift with my legs and keep my back straight", and I use a truck bed extender (hooked up in reverse so it runs high instead of long) as a pivot point to get it up and down, and it's not too bad.  I never have to lift the full 85lbs at once.  

 

A kayak that small will probably have stability issues, making it harder to set the hook and land a fish without rolling over.  Also, it will probably be harder on your back, as you'll likely have to correct for the lack of balance more with your body by constantly twisting your waist to shift your weight.  Especially if there's any current.  And I can't imagine the seating position would be very comfortable.  And a kayak that short will not track well and be pretty slow, so you'll have to paddle a lot harder to cover the same distance.  

 

But ultimately, I've never tried it, so I can't say for sure.  

[michaelb]

If it floats u can fish from it but as i said before, that boat is too small. I can paddle my small kayaks but fishing invariably involves turning to the side and that will feel unstable. 
 

Also have you ever squeezed into a boat like that? Or even worse, out of a boat like that?  I am good at these things and i would dump myself regularly getting out of that boat. Plus i would throw my back out each time. 

[bulldog1935]

Inflatable kayaks are a good option to look into. 

You have to watch the sun, though - more than a few bursts because of sitting in the sun have been reported. 

The Tarpon 100 @michaelb mentioned is a workhorse. 

 

I set my daughter up in a Redfish 10 when she was 12-y-o.  She's graduating from TAMU this spring, and it rotates for me as a river boat - 44 lbs. 

Very stable, wind slippery, and surprising efficient glide. 

That's one thing about tall pontoon rafts off the river, you have a good view, but you're at the mercy of the wind. 

 

 

 

 

 

adding a ps for @carrageenan

My kayaking buddy Josh, owner of TKF forum and the best inshore fisherman I know, used to rig kayaks at JerryB's in Corpus while attending TAMU-Corpus.  He's also kept up with the industry better than anyone else I know, and maintains this spreadsheet on kayak models - it's all there. 

 

Polyethylene is here to stay, and if you can find an older model boat on craigslist with low bottom rash and stored out of the sun, it's worth buying. 

[carrageenan]

13 minutes ago, michaelb said:

If it floats u can fish from it but as i said before, that boat is too small. I can paddle my small kayaks but fishing invariably involves turning to the side and that will feel unstable. 
 

Also have you ever squeezed into a boat like that? Or even worse, out of a boat like that?  I am good at these things and i would dump myself regularly getting out of that boat. Plus i would throw my back out each time. 

I can't recall if it was the 80X or the 100X but I have sat in the smaller pelicans. I was able to fit, but I wasn't in it long enough to get a feel of how it would be after 2 hours. Getting in or out shouldn't be an issue, I'm flexible enough but I get what you're saying.

 

A trailer isn't in my budget, and storage space is most likely going to be limited when I move. I'd love to be able to keep my kayak but it's not going to work. I just don't want to be stuck with bank fishing only.

[michaelb]

1 minute ago, carrageenan said:

I can't recall if it was the 80X or the 100X but I have sat in the smaller pelicans. I was able to fit, but I wasn't in it long enough to get a feel of how it would be after 2 hours. Getting in or out shouldn't be an issue, I'm flexible enough but I get what you're saying.

 

A trailer isn't in my budget, and storage space is most likely going to be limited when I move. I'd love to be able to keep my kayak but it's not going to work. I just don't want to be stuck with bank fishing only.

You have gotten out of those boats on a muddy riverbank in several inches of water alone? Faceplanting is a fun end to the trip. 

[carrageenan]

28 minutes ago, michaelb said:

You have gotten out of those boats on a muddy riverbank in several inches of water alone? Faceplanting is a fun end to the trip. 

 Normally I'll separate my (cheap) paddle into two parts, and use them like crutches. Doesn't mean a fall can't happen though!

[the reel ess]

Just look for light kayaks. I mean any old raft will get the job done. But 12' seems to be the perfect size for fishing in my opinion. My first fishing kayak, an original Pescador (the original Wilderness Tarpon mold) was 12'. It came time to replace it and I settled for a 10' Pescador Pro to save a couple hundred bucks. I still have the older one for buddies. The 10 footer doesn't track nearly as well as the 12 footer did. The back is always getting blown around by wind. There's not enough skeg built into it. But I certainly like the stadium seat better. Alas, I can't see any way to get the stadium seat into the original 12' Pescador. I certainly wouldn't want to fish from one shorter than 10'.

[Bankc]

It's starting to sound to me like your best two options are going to be either an inflatable boat, kayak, or a fishing SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard).  Neither are good options in the wind or waves.  And both will be larger than that 8' x 2' you're looking at.  But they should provide you with a bit more stability, easier to handle on land than your current kayak, and be easier to store when not in use.  

[Hook2Jaw]

Take a look at the Crescent Ultralite and CK1 Venture.  I own a CK1, and it is an absolute pleasure to throw and go.

[Alex from GA]

Is the 8' a sit-in or sot?  I had a 9' sit-in AquaTerra that I fished with for 15 or so years and loved it. 35 lbs.  Someone wanted it more than me so I bought a 9' sot and it was terrible.  I weigh 145 and got wet every time I used it.  I now fish out of a 10' Pescador, 55 lbs, and liked my 9' sit-in better.  BTW I river fish only in a kayak.

[carrageenan]

Everyone here gave solid advice, but I had to try the 8' kayak for myself

 

Pros

-Easier to carry/load than a 12'

-Requires less storage space than most

-Great to get to bank spots not too far of a paddle

-Worked great for shallow water 

 

Cons

-Fine for calm weather, but emergencies/sudden weather changes would be scary

-Dynamics were obviously not great 

 

What I wasn't expecting

-At 27 lbs & 8 ft it was still more of a pain to carry than I thought it would be

-Easy to store, but awkwardly takes up space without a designated spot 

 

Impression

Fine for paddling around in calm conditions, exploring, just getting to spots inaccessible on foot. Not ideal to fish from, obviously not great in wind, or traveling long distances. It worked great for its original intent (access to a specific spot) but not much else. The convenience of portability was easily outweighed by poor performance when treated like a fishing kayak. I ended up flipping mine for a profit, and decided if I buy another, I have to have room for a trailer. I'm still glad I tried it out, thanks to all for your input.