Contemplating a kayak

[Skunked again]

Contemplating a kayak. What would you recommend? Things/ones to Stay away from?

Never been in one before.

[Koz]

The first factor to consider is what bodies of water you will be fishing. Big lakes and small, light kayaks don't play well. The wind and the wakes will mean you spend more time positioning your kayak than actual fishing. But bigger fishing kayaks are heavier, and you need to take that into account when lugging it around.

 

Second is transporting the kayak. The length and weight of your kayak may be limited on your ability to transport it.

 

Some may interject here with sit on top or sit inside kayak. Personally, I can't imagine trying to fish from a sit inside kayak.

 

Next - pedal or paddle? Look at the launch points for your kayak and determine how far you need to go to get to areas that you want to fish. Can you paddle that far? Even if you pedal, factor in a speed of 2.5 mph - 3.5 mph as your cruising speed. Th other option which is becoming more and more popular is adding a trolling motor.

 

Next, factor in any accessories you may need including a PFD, paddle (you need one even in a pedal kayak), anchor and anchor trolley, wet bag, tackle storage, fishfinder, battery, extra rod holders, drink holders, rooftop kayak carriers, wheels to transport your kayak to and from the launch, safety flag and light, etc. Trolling motors are also popular nowadays. You may not want any of those, but of you do be sure to include those in your budget if you want them.

 

Do you like to stand and fish or sit and fish, or both? Technically, you can stand in any kayak but you're going to want one that is stable if you plan on standing. To be honest, I don't stand and fish but overall stability was a key factor in my purchase. I fish on a big, busy lake and I prefer to mitigate the chance of rolling over.

 

Lastly - and an important factor - is how the kayak looks. Yes, it probably shouldn't matter, but I simply was not going to purchase a purple camo kayak. I love the look of my urban camo kayak.

 

Now that you have narrowed things down and have a budget, start searching for your kayak. When I was looking for mine I probably had a list of at least a dozen that I was considering. I read and watched a ton of reviews. This is where I also started factoring in tracking and seat comfort.

 

Once you narrow down your choices, compare prices on multiple websites. Another factor here is going to be availability. The kayak you want might not be available for weeks or months.

 

I took a gamble on the kayak I purchased, the Seastream Angler 120 PD (pedal drive). It was a fairly new model, and there really weren't any reviews on it. That was a year ago, and I'm still tremendously happy with my purchase.

 

Personally, I think the pedal drive has HUGE advantages over a paddle kayak when fishing. I've fished from both, and pedal drives win hands down. I spent more time trying to position the paddle kayaks than I did fishing, although you can mitigate that with an anchor system.

 

With the pedal drive it's much easier to keep the craft positioned. I can tap the rudder and jog the pedals to stay in place or reset my drift angle. I can also fish and pedal at the same time. I have no issues going out and fishing in 12-14 mph winds with my pedal drive.

 

I'm sure people will chime in with other key factors as well. I will tell you that I spent a few months researching before I finally pulled the trigger. It was a big investment and I wanted to get it right. Good luck in your search.

[Skunked again]

Koz - WOW! Thank You very much!!

 

- A few answers -

Bodies of water to fish - 500 acres and less. City lakes, strip pits. As I get more confident, maybe a river.

 

Transportation - We have a 5x10 flatbed trailer. That I would not be opposed to mounting a "rack" on. Also, the more important thing - Last spring we bought a travel trailer. I'm wanting to put a ladder rack on our truck for the kayak, while towing the trailer. This is part of what re-invigorated my thought of a kayak. Well, that and get a little exercise while fishing! 

Since we now have the travel trailer, stay the weekend in the trailer, Instead of driving home every night. 

 

Method of "power" - good points to ponder. I'm leaning towards pedal, for the reasons you mentioned. Have no idea how far I could paddle, if I had to guess, not that far!!

 

Accessories - good points for the budget. I'm guessing you could spend as much in accessories as the kayak?

 

Stand or sit - Traditionally, in a boat, I've stood. That will be an adjustment for me.

 

Looks - At the moment, I'm more worried about performance, with stability being the biggest issue.

 

Budget - $3000. 

 

Choices - Yes, I'm quickly noticing the availability issue. Or, better yet, lack thereof! Noticed several used kayaks for sale, I looked them up online, people where asking as much or more than a new one. However, the new ones could not be found. 

 

Stabilizers? Recommended for a newbie?

[michaelb]

Koz is giving lots of good advice. Your budget opens up most of the best kayaks but what is available this year may be limiting. However most pedal kayaks weigh a ton and getting even a 80lb kayak on a roof rack can be very hard (alone). The types of water you are fishing are small right? And so you don’t need to travel far to fish and wont be dealing with wind and waves. 
 

so you may want to think about getting a boat that could be converted to peddle later. Maybe you will prefer a trolling motor instead. I would look at the nucanoes. I like the jackson yupik and the bite. Generally i like open boats with clean simple decks and rails for rigging. 

[Darth-Baiter]

1 hour ago, Skunked again said:

Koz - WOW! Thank You very much!!

 

- A few answers -

Bodies of water to fish - 500 acres and less. City lakes, strip pits. As I get more confident, maybe a river.

 

Transportation - We have a 5x10 flatbed trailer. That I would not be opposed to mounting a "rack" on. Also, the more important thing - Last spring we bought a travel trailer. I'm wanting to put a ladder rack on our truck for the kayak, while towing the trailer. This is part of what re-invigorated my thought of a kayak. Well, that and get a little exercise while fishing! 

Since we now have the travel trailer, stay the weekend in the trailer, Instead of driving home every night. 

 

Method of "power" - good points to ponder. I'm leaning towards pedal, for the reasons you mentioned. Have no idea how far I could paddle, if I had to guess, not that far!!

 

Accessories - good points for the budget. I'm guessing you could spend as much in accessories as the kayak?

 

Stand or sit - Traditionally, in a boat, I've stood. That will be an adjustment for me.

 

Looks - At the moment, I'm more worried about performance, with stability being the biggest issue.

 

Budget - $3000. 

 

Choices - Yes, I'm quickly noticing the availability issue. Or, better yet, lack thereof! Noticed several used kayaks for sale, I looked them up online, people where asking as much or more than a new one. However, the new ones could not be found. 

 

Stabilizers? Recommended for a newbie?

HOBIE Outback if you can swing it.  to stay closer to your budget, Hobie Compass.  

 

I have done 14 miles days in each..(more days in the Compass, I think).  wind, current? pfft.  the Hobie drive is the best leg power on the water.  it has a "holeshot".  you kick and it immediately moves.  none of that brrrrrr..droning sound I hear from my friend's propeller drives.  I have been in tidal currents going against wind and had to offer my assistance to tow some big prop-pedal kayaks to shore.  

 

I have taken both kayaks to tiny bodies of water where I needed to portage from one tiny lake to another.  (super secret location!). to the gargantuan bodies like Clearlake and the California Delta.  (soon the Pacific Ocean!)

 

there is NO PERFECT kayak.  I have been known to curse the bulk of my boat while lifting it over a fence to reach a launch, or hauling it up a hillside, or wishing it was bigger as I looked at whitecaps between me and my truck..but for the most part, I opted for a something in the MIDDLE with respect to my uses.  I have buddies on both sides with lighter paddle boats and buds with HUGE pedal boats.  I am in the middle.  everyone will complain once in a while.  I wanted a multi-taster kayak.  one in the middle. 

 

Outback.  more fish friendly ready out of the box, awesome storage and organization.  heavier.

Compass, needs a few mods to make it more fish ready, lighter, I say faster by a nose, tighter turn radius.

 

both I can stand up and paddle like a stand-up paddle board to look for beds/fish.  casting and setting the hook standing is a confidence thing.  I was puckered early on, but now I just pop up and I dont have to look at my feet.

 

 

[Koz]

1 hour ago, Skunked again said:

Koz - WOW! Thank You very much!!

 

- A few answers -

Bodies of water to fish - 500 acres and less. City lakes, strip pits. As I get more confident, maybe a river.

 

Transportation - We have a 5x10 flatbed trailer. That I would not be opposed to mounting a "rack" on. Also, the more important thing - Last spring we bought a travel trailer. I'm wanting to put a ladder rack on our truck for the kayak, while towing the trailer. This is part of what re-invigorated my thought of a kayak. Well, that and get a little exercise while fishing! 

Since we now have the travel trailer, stay the weekend in the trailer, Instead of driving home every night. 

 

Method of "power" - good points to ponder. I'm leaning towards pedal, for the reasons you mentioned. Have no idea how far I could paddle, if I had to guess, not that far!!

 

Accessories - good points for the budget. I'm guessing you could spend as much in accessories as the kayak?

 

Stand or sit - Traditionally, in a boat, I've stood. That will be an adjustment for me.

 

Looks - At the moment, I'm more worried about performance, with stability being the biggest issue.

 

Budget - $3000. 

 

Choices - Yes, I'm quickly noticing the availability issue. Or, better yet, lack thereof! Noticed several used kayaks for sale, I looked them up online, people where asking as much or more than a new one. However, the new ones could not be found. 

 

Stabilizers? Recommended for a newbie?

You're welcome.

 

If you're looking at a pedal kayak, I would make sure that it has instant reverse and you don't have to flip a switch for reverse. Why? I spend a lot of time jogging the pedals so I can stay relatively in place while fishing. Call it "spot lock for kayaks." With instant reverse I can do this while casting and reeling. If I have to reach and flip a switch every few seconds then I'm not fishing.

 

For your price range a lot of folks like Hobie or Old Town. Personally, one reason I chose the Seastream Angler PD was the price (I think it was $1,399 when I bought it). I had never been on a pedal drive before, and I couldn't see laying out $3k plus on something I might or might not like. I don't like that kind of risk. It wasn't a matter of whether or not it was a good or bad kayak, I just did not know if I would enjoy fishing out of a pedal kayak. Update - I love it!

 

I will say this - my kayak is very stable. I'm out on a big lake and often fish in very windy weather and there's lots of boat traffic and I cross a lot of perilous areas with seawalls where I get the wake and the rebound off the seawall. Not once have I ever felt like I was going to get dumped.

 

I don't stand in my kayak because even though it's stable and has a nice deck plate, I'm short soo that means the space between the seat and pedals isn't all that big. I don't want to bark my shins on the pedal drive. Plus, I can't bump the rudder or jog the craft if I'm standing and fishing in current or wind.

 

Having that trailer will definitely be an asset for you. But I've seen a YouTube video of a 100 pound girl put a 90 pound Hobie on top of her SUV without any problems. She has an extension that pulls out the back, then simply puts the nose on that and walks the kayak up the rack. Easy.

 

One drawback of the Seastream is there are no storage hatches. So I bought I dry bag. The seat doesn't have micro adjustability, so the distance it's set at is about 1/2 inch off from what I think would be more comfortable for me. The seat also can't be raised or lowered, and I wish it was a little higher. But that would also impact the center of gravity. I can fit plano boxes underneath the seat, so that's a plus. None of the items above are deal breakers, they would be on my "nice to have" list.

 

I did invest in a Lowrance Hook2 5, but I git a refurbished model direct for Lowrance at about half price. It looked brand new to me. With that I had to buy a battery, battery box, and transducer arm. It took some trial and error to determine where I wanted everything mounted. The problem for me was that without a hatch to store the battery, I opted for mounting the battery box on the rail and the Lowrance on the battery box. That makes it a bit higher than just the fishfinder alone, so I had to learn to work around it when casting and bringing in a fish.

 

That leads to another item - if you are going to add a fishfinder, you need to determine how you will mount the transducer. My transducer is a tripleshot (has side scan), so there was no way to mount it to the bottom of the kayak with the way the hull is designed. That meant buying the arm.

 

I also have the TuffKrate Premium, and a Yak Attack safety flag with light. The other week I added a cleat to the rail to make it easier to tie off to docks.

 

One of the best investments I made was the C-Tug kayak cart. I initially bought a cheap cart and it was nothing but problems. The C-Tug has been a lifesaver, especially because I move my kayak up and down a big hill out back of my hotel. I can break down the C-Tug and tuck the front wheels under the bungees up front and store the unit between the seat and my crate so it's always with me if I need it.

 

All told, I have about $1k in addons and accessories for my kayak. To be honest, I probably could have done without the Lowrance. Then again, maybe I just need to spend some time and take advantage of all of its features. I really need to find someone who is good with electronics to come out with me, help me dial it in, and help me understand what I'm seeing beyond arches, temperature, and depth.

 

As far as kayak reviews go, remember that a lot of reviews are paid reviews or sponsor reviews. Dig around and look for actual user reviews.

 

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you purchase.

[CrashVector]

I have two pelican kayaks.  One pedal, one paddle.

 

They both have their uses, and both are good quality.

 

I paid $1400 for the pedal kayak...$435 for the paddle kayak.

 

I stand and fish in both with little problems.

[Deeare]

Lots of great info provided by the group to say the least!!    I bought an olde town predator/pedal drive and I love it.  It’s not light but I have a pickup so it’s easy to transport.  

 

#1.  I would say definitely 1000% get a pedal drive

#2. lots of good pedal kayaks out there.   Do you have a place to test them out or at least sit in them.   Make sure you like the seat positioning before buying
#3.  hobbies are great and are very expensive but they retain their value.

#4.  Not sure how far you have to transport your yak to the actual water or what shape youre in but dragging a 100 plus pound predator (on my c-tug wheels) 200 yards to the shoreline might not be easy for most.  
 

good luck!!

 

[casts_by_fly]

I fish in a old town autopilot. It’s above your budget and it’s a trolling motor model, so not exactly what you want. I love it. I’ve got the 12’ and to do it again I might get the 136 for even more space. 
 

for what you’ve specified above, an old town sportsman PDL would be a good choice. The sportsman series are built on a wide, flat bottomed hull and are super stable. I stand in mine most of the day and for all of the fishing. I’ll sit down to tie a lure or to do long motoring.  Not sure how the PDL would work for standing and also maneuvering the boat but the standing would be good. 
 

thanks
rick

[Denny]

Great topic and info.  Im in a similar situation looking at 'yaks.  So many to choose from

 

End of last year I tested out an Old Town Sportsman 106 pedal drive and was very impressed, but no way I would go that small.  The 120 wasn't available for demo but would be the smallest I would go.  I also plan to use mine out in the flats and islands right here in long island sound though so bigger would be better.  I havn't purchased yet but hoping this is the year I upgrade out of my tiny old metal boat 

[Boomstick]

Well @Koz basically mentioned pretty much everything. I would consider everything he said and think about how you might rig it out and how each model lends itself to your setup ideas.

 

In my case, I went with a Bonafide SS127 because I'm a big guy and it's pretty stable and the dry pod is a perfect place to mount a fish finder. I added an anchor trolley, a 5lb mushroom anchor, a YakAttack BlackPak in back and three rod holders on the back tracks. I knew exactly how I was going to set it up before I even get it from looking at other people's setups for ideas and it's worked out well.

 

The Old Town Sportsman 120 is also fantastic at a cheaper price (and also pretty stable and it rocks less in waves as well)

[casts_by_fly]

Denny, or anyone really,

 

Im not too far from you in north Jersey if at some point you think an autopilot is in the cards and you want to try one. It’s also the same base boat as the other sportsmen 120’s so you can see how stable of a platform it is. I agree I wouldn’t go shorter. The 106 are just as stable but there isn’t enough space in one for me. 
 

rick
 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Denny said:

Great topic and info.  Im in a similar situation looking at 'yaks.  So many to choose from

 

End of last year I tested out an Old Town Sportsman 106 pedal drive and was very impressed, but no way I would go that small.  The 120 wasn't available for demo but would be the smallest I would go.  I also plan to use mine out in the flats and islands right here in long island sound though so bigger would be better.  I havn't purchased yet but hoping this is the year I upgrade out of my tiny old metal boat 

 

[cyclops2]

I would like a K  But the 6' plus bow waves from freighters ends that in a hurry. 

A big cruiser throwing a max wave can send 4 to 5' in the normal conditions.  

[Bird]

So many great fishing kayaks to choose from, almost mind boggling.

BUT, if you're planning on pulling an RV you'll have to roof rack any boat over 11 ft...... been there.

Just throwing out another option Incase the wife or GF wants to be on the water with you like my wife suddenly did. Lol 

Had to sell my fishing kayak for a Bass Raider to accommodate the wife.

It slides in the back of truck while not interfering with trailer and a dream to fish from while standing.

Of course I'm old and can't sit long.

[Skunked again]

WOW! A big thank you to all!!

Gonna take some time, absorb this information, bookmark this page for reference. 

Need to tally up accessories, see what will be left for a kayak!  I've had a bad habit with boats, of lots of add-ons. Told myself I was going to keep it simple.....yeah, we'll see how that works!!

 

[FishTank]

No matter what you get.... if you have a $3000 budget, you should get a kayak between $2000 and $2500. All the stuff you might put into it will add up fast..... Fish finder, pfd, anchor, a crate, and it just keeps going.  I would suggest going to a good kayak specific store and explain what your plans are and see if they can fit you to the right one.  

 

What kind of body of water you fish would be the first thing I would consider.  Next would be comfort (seat, leg room, etc.) Then, method of propulsion (it may be best to consider one that is easy to both peddle and paddle). Bonfide, Native, and Old Town come to mind. Personally, I have a Hobie PA 14 (still learning though) and it is not paddle friendly but is great for choppy, windy conditions. 

 

 

[cyclops2]

Must have a Trolling motor & battery to get back going against the wind.  Been there in row boats.  I have been rowing for a !/2 hour & made a 1/4 mile.

 

 Hi guys. Can someone tow me to the ramp?

Can you wait for about a hour?    " No problem. "

[the reel ess]

There are some decent lists of "best kayaks in X$ range". My advice would be more about quality than brand. If you buy the cheapest thing you can find, you won't enjoy the hobby much. A stadium seat is almost a must for me. I would try to go with a 12 footer as they generally track better. Getting one made in USA is nice because of better customer service. But everything's on backorder right now anyway.

[Gera]

With your budget, I would purchase this (on stock on amazon) I bought the pedal drive as this motorized option was not available, I wish I waited. 

 

 

[michaelb]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:15 AM, Skunked again said:

Never been in one before.

I know everyone here is looking to spend your money, and I love shopping for more kayaks and these are all really nice boats, but I would much rather have you try some first before you drop $3000. Is there any way you can demo or rent to try some first? If you were nearer to me I would take you out in one of my five kayaks (Highland silver lake looks really nice and just perfect for kayaking).

 

Everything is a trade off in terms of cost and weight and speed and size and features and I can change my mind back and forth about what I think while I am actually sitting on my boat.

 

 

[FishTank]

 

On 3/20/2022 at 12:15 AM, Skunked again said:

Contemplating a kayak. What would you recommend? Things/ones to Stay away from?

Never been in one before.

 

It would be a long haul but these guys are great.  They know their stuff and they all fish and also are all great fly fisherman.  They sponsor a bass tournament and drop about 1,500 rainbow trout in a stream behind their store annually to help with promoting the sport.  If you contact them, ask for Jessica.  She is straight forward and pretty good to deal with. 

 

https://www.mwoutfitters.com

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I've got an old town Sportsman 120 pdl. I did a ton of research before buying and was in about the same price range on my limit. I didn't want power because I would have to register it and I had a paddle kayak in the past and didn't want that again. The peddling is easier to do than I thought it might be, I've peddled 8-9 miles on a tournament day without feeling exhausted. Been in 3-4 foot waves and 30+ mph winds without fearing for my life. I haul all the gear I could ever need and it handles it with ease. Standing and stability are so much easier and better than could have ever imagined. I haul mine in tbe bed of my truck and pick it up and put it in the back of my truck with no problems and I'm not a huge guy or anything. I've enjoyed fishing out of the thing so much that my bass boat doesn't hardly get used unless I'm going with family or it's really cold and windy.

[TnRiver46]

I got a kayak for $20 once, I still use it to this day haha . 

[Skunked again]

Thank you all!

Gera - The budget has to include everything.

Michaelb - thank you, that would be a very nice offer! Yes, silver lake is excellent for kayaking. When I was fishing it by boat, saw more and more kayaks each year, also, A smaller lake adjacent to it, that non-motorized vessels can go on.

To my knowledge, no kayak shops around to “demo” with. I’ll ask though.

fishtank - thank you 

bluebasser86- same here registration requirements here for a “power” vessel.

TnRiver46 - that would be great !

 

[Jmilburn76]

I seen a saying once that said to buy your second kayak first and I would believe it. I upgraded twice before getting my pedal-driven Native Slayer Propel 10 brand new from Cabelas for a little over $1000. I have had it 3 years now and I think I finally got it outfitted the way I want it.

 

If you can find a local dealer and demo as many kayaks as you can.If they don't have what your looking for maybe join some FB fishing groups and see if anyone would be willing to let you try theirs out. The most important thing with a kayak is to wear a PFD 100% of the time while on the water.