Kayak Suggestions

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, NoShoes said:

Any thoughts on 10 foot vs 12?  
 

i don’t plan on bringing my whole arsenal out with me. Maybe 2-3 rods and a couple bags of plastics. 

A friend of mine has the 106PDL instead of the 120PDL Sportsman and has no issues brining 8-10 rods and uses the same size rolling tool box I do for his tackle box. They take the length off the front, the back is all the same. He stands no issues also. I'd guess he's in the 5'8 range, probably 200-210 pounds.

[casts_by_fly]

7 hours ago, NoShoes said:

Even when I’m in my bass boat I have those same 3 rods in my hand 95% of it. 
 

Is the difference in length just a storage issue out there a tangible difference in performance?

 

 If I can bring a few rods, a speed bag of plastics and terminal stuff, and be able to stand it wouldn’t be too far off from my normal rig. 

like the others said.  A longer boat of the same design will track better if you’re paddling. If you go a PDL I’m not sure it will matter as much.  Storage is a real concern. Here is my rear tank well from today. I travel with not a lot and I wouldn’t want to have to add much. 
 

 

[Koz]

20 hours ago, NoShoes said:

i don’t plan on bringing my whole arsenal out with me. Maybe 2-3 rods and a couple bags of plastics. 

 

??????

 

Everybody says that. Good luck!

 

As for 10' vs 12', I think that depends upon the bodies of water that you fish. If you have a lot of wind, waves, and boat wakes you'll probably appreciate the increased stability of the 12 footer.

 

Both can accommodate storage crates. But if you also want to carry a cooler you may want the 12.

[Gera]

Sometimes I feel that I was lucky when I bought mine last spring, the market was horrible and the only decent kayak I could buy immediately was the 106 PDL I got. It made the decision process easier as it was that or nothing. I end up liking it a lot, its easy to transport, didn't pay shipping or anything and got a $200 store credit from my REI membership.

 

I think the same every time is see these post (they come really often and answers haven't change much over the months) that for once, making stupid last minute decisions worked out. 

 

If only the Auto Pilot wasn't so big. 

[J Francho]

I'm more than pleased with my Hobie Compass Mirage Drive.

[NoShoes]

I’m leaning towards a sportsman 106 without the pedal. The main place I’m wanting to fish it gets so weed infested the pedal drive would get locked up and it’s really not very big of a place. 80 acres or so

[Choporoz]

I also think the Hobie Compass is a fantastic fishing kayak.  Handles weeds extremely well.  When you do tiny flutter kicks, the fins stay up almost flat against the hull.

  I paddled for a few years before getting the Hobie, and still do sometimes.  The percent of time spent fishing when you don't have to paddle jumps exponentially.   Paddling is fun and all...but fishing is better

[flyfisher]

On 4/27/2022 at 9:18 PM, GTN-NY said:

First look for used. Better bang for your buck. 
Do you like to stand while fishing?

I first bought a used Jackson Liska. Nice kayak but I couldn’t stand comfortably while fishing. I traded that for a original Jackson Big Rig. Very very stable for standing but it’s heavy

not anymore, used market is ridiculous right now.

 

Nucanoe makes good stuff.  I really like the ATAK series as they paddle very well and are super stable.  They don't make the 140 anymore, which is what I have, but the 120 is almost as good. 

If there is a shop nearby go talk to them and get a take on what the locals are using around you and see if they allow demos.  What is great for one person may be nothing but a headache for another.  there are a ton of good kayaks out there now for fishing with more being released every year.  

[KSanford33]

I had a Lifetime Teton last year because I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy fishing from a kayak, so I didn't want to spend a ton on it. As it turned out, I love it, so I upgraded this year. I read @Koz review of the SeaStream Angler PDL and decided to take the plunge and go for it. I'm not big on spending that much for something sight unseen, but I'm very happy I did. It's a great fishing kayak. Not the lightest though.

[king fisher]

My Hobie Outback was expensive, but I strongly believe it was worth the price.

[Koz]

7 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

I had a Lifetime Teton last year because I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy fishing from a kayak, so I didn't want to spend a ton on it. As it turned out, I love it, so I upgraded this year. I read @Koz review of the SeaStream Angler PDL and decided to take the plunge and go for it. I'm not big on spending that much for something sight unseen, but I'm very happy I did. It's a great fishing kayak. Not the lightest though.

It is heavy. The kayak is 94 pounds, the pedal drive another 22, and then all of my gear, crate, electronics, and dry bag. It may be hard to tell in photo below, but this is the big, twisty hill I navigate up and down at my hotel. You can see the hotel kayak rack on the left for reference.

 

After a long day of fishing, it's a royal pain to haul it up that hill, especially in the Georgia heat.

 

 

 

[KSanford33]

17 hours ago, Koz said:

It is heavy. The kayak is 94 pounds, the pedal drive another 22, and then all of my gear, crate, electronics, and dry bag. It may be hard to tell in photo below, but this is the big, twisty hill I navigate up and down at my hotel. You can see the hotel kayak rack on the left for reference.

 

After a long day of fishing, it's a royal pain to haul it up that hill, especially in the Georgia heat.

 

 

 

I can't imagine! I do my best to only go places where I can unload everything reasonably close to the water just due to the weight. But again, I'll gladly take the weight, because it's the only downside to this kayak.

[casts_by_fly]

I feel you guys.  My AP is 152 lb assembled weight, but no battery, tackle, or me.  That's the seat and motor.  I'm topping 200 loaded up.  I leave the batteries in all the time, but the motor and everything else comes out to get in and out of the truck.  So its basically 150lb 'empty'.  Most of the access points around are pretty easy and I can back down to the water, but you still have to lift the boat up and down into the bed of the truck.

 

rick

[Bassin Bruce]

Tomorrow I'm taking my PA 14 and dollying it up a 1/4 mile first trail road, in good shape...I am not so much. 

57 yrs old and a lifetime of working outside, we'll see how it goes.

[NoShoes]

Weight is definitely a concern. Really just want something as simple as I can get and still enjoy it.  I don’t think I’ll even put a fish finder on it

[michaelb]

48 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

Weight is definitely a concern. Really just want something as simple as I can get and still enjoy it.  I don’t think I’ll even put a fish finder on it

Have you looked at the Jackson bite? Looks like one of the best "simple" kayaks. Crescent lite and their boats too.

[Koz]

8 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I feel you guys.  My AP is 152 lb assembled weight, but no battery, tackle, or me.  That's the seat and motor.  I'm topping 200 loaded up.  I leave the batteries in all the time, but the motor and everything else comes out to get in and out of the truck.  So its basically 150lb 'empty'.  Most of the access points around are pretty easy and I can back down to the water, but you still have to lift the boat up and down into the bed of the truck.

 

rick

I opted for a LiPo battery instead of AGM to save weight. Since I'm only running my Lowrance off it I have the 7A 12V and I can run it for multiple outings and for weeks without charging. And since I run my CellBlok on the rail I definitely did not want anything heavy that might impact the balance of CoG.

 

That being said, I am thinking of getting some velcro and putting the CellBloc under or behind my seat so I can lower the height of my Lowrance.

[casts_by_fly]

11 hours ago, Koz said:

I opted for a LiPo battery instead of AGM to save weight. Since I'm only running my Lowrance off it I have the 7A 12V and I can run it for multiple outings and for weeks without charging. And since I run my CellBlok on the rail I definitely did not want anything heavy that might impact the balance of CoG.

 

That being said, I am thinking of getting some velcro and putting the CellBloc under or behind my seat so I can lower the height of my Lowrance.

 

I'm also running lithium for both batteries (80 AH and 30 AH) to save weight.  There was no question on that when starting from a boat as heavy as mine and truck bedding it.  I started with a 10 AH lead for the fish finder, but too many times I had the power drop out after 4 hours so I needed more battery power.  I decided on the 30 AH because it wasn't much more expensive than an 18 (about $75 at the time) and the extra power is a nice backup to have.  I have a shunt to connect it to the main motor in case of emergency and for days when I am fishing back to back to back with minimal charge time I can devote the full charger to the main battery.  I went with a 5 amp charger so I could use the same for both, but that means the main battery takes just a little longer.  If I come in late after a long fishing day, I can leave it overnight and get back to full for the early morning while the 30 AH still has plenty to go another day or two.  I also power my Nav lights from it which don't take a ton of power but that I'll leave them on all day in some busy lakes.

 

I like a clean, flat deck as I stand to fish so I have the 30 AH inside the hull and all of the wires are internally routed.  I have charger cords permanently mounted to the batteries so I just plug the charger directly in without taking anything out or opening any hatches.

 

thanks

rick

[Dangerfield]

I vote for the Crescent Lite or Bonafide rs117, if pedal drive isn't your thing. I think there will be a bigger community behind the Bonafide or Old Town for mods/diy/add-ons.

[Koz]

6 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I like a clean, flat deck as I stand to fish so I have the 30 AH inside the hull and all of the wires are internally routed.  I have charger cords permanently mounted to the batteries so I just plug the charger directly in without taking anything out or opening any hatches.

 

thanks

rick

Ah - you lucky people with storage inside the hull. That is the one area where my ride falls short.

[casts_by_fly]

42 minutes ago, Koz said:

Ah - you lucky people with storage inside the hull. That is the one area where my ride falls short.

The AP doesn’t have much. There is a 6” hatch in the front to access the motor electronics. I put my spare prop on the hatch retaining cord.

 

under the seat there is another hatch that is inside the hull. It’s an access hatch again but a bit of Velcro and you can keep a small battery there. Some guys instead have found plastic tubs of the right size to fit it. It’s not convenient to access on the water though so also not useful. It’s just enough for me to tuck away a battery and wires.