Smallest Fishing Kayak

[Jeffrey Walker]

Inam looking for the smallest Fishing Kayak.  I found 8ft.  Is there anything Smaller?  doesn’t have to be. kayak, but not sure what else is out there? 

[Smokinal]

You can fish out of anything.

But I have to ask, why the smallest?

 

Do you want a "sit on top" or "sit in"?

Have you tried any at all yet?

[the reel ess]

I have a 10' Perception Pescador Pro and I consider it to be too short at times. I'd look into a tube if you want something that small. You don't want to buy something so small you don't want to use it.

[Deleted account]

I once cinched 2 pallets together and jammed some styrofoam in the gaps and paddled out about 1/4 mile into the LI sound...

Were I ever to suffer a traumatic brain injury, and woke up thinking I wanted to fish from a pointy wading pool, I'd get at least an 11 foot one...

[Jeffrey Walker]

I have a NuCanoe F 12 and it’s too big for one person I want something really small light really quick and portable. I am a very impatient fisherman and I don’t spend too long and I generally fish small bodies of water so it’s pretty clear pretty quick whether the fish are biting or not. I want something just to get me off the shore

[padlin]

The Ultraskiff is 6', don't think I'd want to try paddling it though.

[haggard]

3 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Inam looking for the smallest Fishing Kayak.  I found 8ft.  Is there anything Smaller?  doesn’t have to be. kayak, but not sure what else is out there? 

Hi Jeff -

 

I appreciate small and light, very easy to handle and lift, but if you're looking for a "fishing kayak" then 10 ft is as low as you can go without making important sacrifices. You can get smaller by using a float tube, but that's not a fishing kayak.

 

For kayaks, while shorter might be better for size and weight, the tracking becomes worse - as you dip the paddles to left and right sides, the yak tends to immediately steer left and right, instead of moving you forward in a straight line. Also depending on your height you might find shorter yaks are really uncomfy. I'm 5'10 and I wouldn't want to be in anything shorter than my 10 ft yak. It's tight, but not uncomfy, but wouldn't want it to be any shorter.

 

If you're looking for short, small, light weight, good fishing ability, low cost, I highly recommend the Sun Dolphin Journey 10 SS. Bought mine a few years ago for $185 new. It's tippy, so you need to keep a low center of gravity, but it works, and once you learn "the feel" you can adapt to it. I call mine the "SS Last Resort" but do so jokingly, just to poke fun at it. It's a sit-on-top model, which to me feels much safer than a sit-inside model, though it does come at the cost of a higher center of gravity.

 

It's small enough you can throw it in the bed of a pickup truck, and light enough that you should be able to lift it onto the roof rack on a car.

 

I think an 8 ft fishing yak will be hard to find. The smallest I've seen for a fishing yak is 9.5 feet from Hobie but I think that's been discontinued, not to mention it was really pricey (not to say that's bad - Hobie is high quality). If you can settle for 10 feet, you'll have a lot more better choices.

 

[NYWayfarer]

My Pelican Premium Pioneer 100XR Kayak is 10 feet and weighs 43 pounds. It’s a sit in kayak and best of all it has a removable high backed chair in it.

[BrianMDTX]

My Sea Eagle Packfish7 is, well, 7’. 
 

This is from the factory. Inflatable seat and the optional plywood floor. 
 

 

I modded it with a 7” pedestal and a folding seat. It comes with oars but I use a yak paddle. 
 

I also made a rod holder behind the seat. It has two rod holders in front of the seat, which are fine while paddling from A to Z, but worthless when fishing as the rods are in the way. With one rod in hand, I can stow two rods in the holders and one on each side (sticking out the back) for a total of five rigs. Usually 3 baitcasters and two spinning. 
 

[Jeffrey Walker]

do you keep it inflated? 

[michaelb]

If you have to carry it to the water a pack canoe that you can double paddle is the lightest fastest best option 

[casts_by_fly]

If you want fast and easy to get on the water then small pontoon would be quick and easy. You can get them down to 50lb or even less. If your vehicle is big enough you could leave it inflated and assembled. Just carry it to the water. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I dont think I've seen smaller than a 10 foot fishing kayak.  

[Jeffrey Walker]

leaning toward this

 

Pelican Sit-on-Top Kayak - Sentinel 100X - 9.5 Feet - Lightweight one Person Kayak https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0845GXRT6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8H0A44MSFYDBX48AZQV7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[BrianMDTX]

7 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

do you keep it inflated? 

Yes. All the time. Slides right into the bed of my pickup. 

[VolFan]

I would get the wildness system cart and work on your paddling with that F12 - it’s such a great fishing platform, and that cart makes it easy to move. But that is just me. I fished from a Dagger Delta and then a 10 ft Mad River canoe, and while both were functional, they really fell short on fishing while staying in the boat, especially with any waves/wakes or current. I dumped that Delta more than once just turning the wrong way with a good fish on.

[Jeffrey Walker]

do you have more information on the wilderness cart?

 

The F12 is awesome but i mostly use that with my son, for just me i want something smaller and quicker. 

[VolFan]

https://www.wildernesssystems.com/us/products/heavy-duty-kayak-kart-no-flat-wheels
 

There’s one with wheels like bike wheels for pavement or more challenging terrain, but you get the idea. You drag on, strap down and go. 

[Ventenberry]

You're post piqued my curiosity as I have sort of been looking for the same thing.  But for me, being small isn't the main criteria, being light and stable on the water is.  Ease of paddling would be third.

 

So,  after some research here is what I came up with:

 

1. Apex Tyr, it's only $11000 dollars of carbon fiber but at 45 pounds, sure is light. 

2. NuCanoe F10.  About the same as what you already have but about 12 pounds lighter than the F12

3. Vibe Yellowfin 100.

4. Diablo Chupacabra.  Seems well built but no big dealer network.  It is pretty light and would appear to be extremely stable.

[Jeffrey Walker]

The Pelican I posted is 45lbshas great reviews

[WRB]

Not a kayak the smallest and safest fishing platforms are inflatable pontoon boats. 

Tom

 

[NoShoes]

I really like my old town 106. 70 lbs. Easy to transport but still easy to stand. 

[casts_by_fly]

4 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

I really like my old town 106. 70 lbs. Easy to transport but still easy to stand. 

 

This would totally be the answer to "smallest but still fishable" for me.  I still prefer a 120 and I would go 136 to do it again, but I could make a 106 work in a pinch.  Anything shorter and the tracking gets sketchy and anything narrower and I don't think I could get used to it.

[J Francho]

I wouldn't go out in anything less than 12'.

[Jeffrey Walker]

O would be willing to get a 10ft kayak.

 

Anyone know if a 10 footer would fit inside an suv? anyone done it? 

 

im in the market for a new car and this is a factor