Smallest Fishing Kayak

[michaelb]

3 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

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

Yes a 10 foot kayak can fit in some suvs particularly if can also put the passenger front seat down or leave the rear open. I have an element that does work. 
 

the most important thing about putting a kayak inside, is after you have everything packed, don’t push on the back of the kayak to squeeze it in. Because that extra inch you got in the back may now be sticking through your windshield. 

[Jeffrey Walker]

Hmm now o need find an suv that can fit a 10ft kayak inside. w/o going down the road of the giant suvs like suburbans etc 

 

i know traverse is roomy, maybe VW atlas 

 

i thought about a pickup but i would miss storming stuff inside like rods. i always have stuff in my truck 

[VolFan]

Have you ever considered a inflatable stand-up paddle board? If you short on space and only really fish warm weather, that would be reasonably cheap, fit in a crate that you could then use to sit on, and be a good platform. I would rate them as way better than short/narrow kayaks, and much better from a space standpoint 

[Jeffrey Walker]

i have.  i like the idea of standing up, but not sure if it’s stable to fish and have a bag on the board, seems like if i do t fall a rod or a bag would definitely fall off.

 

anyone fish off these with success?

 

i was thinking a super small light rigid kayak would be the quickest route 

[VolFan]

There’s d-ring tie downs on most of them; you just bungee or carabiner stuff to the board. It’ll be way more stable than a kayak of similar size/price but similarly affected by wind. Most bungee a cooler to it to sit on and hold gear but ymmv. Much better platform for having open/stand able space but it would not be as dry of a ride.

[Dogface]

Take a look at the Poke Boat if you can find one.

 

I have a 10' and it is handy for out of the way spots. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Aquacruisers-Poke-Boat-Ultra-Lightweight-Kayak/dp/B07VF8813W

[Jeffrey Walker]

nahh, it’s not about weight, although that is important, it’s about length.

 

if i am going to go 10feet thelma as long as i can hoist it above the car, or fit it into the car, i see no reason to explore something like that.

 

i appreciate the help though 

[AndyPlaysDrums]

I just bought a Lifetime Teton 100. It fits in the back of my Hyundai Santa Fe fine with the hatch partially open. I use a camlock strap and run it through the hatch latch ring, then through the kayak handle loop (though I will be adding actual hardware loops shortly), then through the hatch grab handle. Pull the hatch down and cinch the strap. The kayak only sticks out about a foot and a half and the hatch is down far enough that the backup camera is still functionable. I can even put a second kayak on top of it if I need to.

[schplurg]

I thought about squeezing my PDL 106 in my mini-van (seats are out), but it would need to ride up onto my passenger seat (or remove that seat too).

 

The thought of putting the wet and possibly filthy and smelly boat in my vehicle at the end of the day....no thanks.

 

Another thought was that getting in an auto accident could kill me. I really don't want that heavy boat right next to me. I suppose you could fasten it down. 

 

 

[AndyPlaysDrums]

23 hours ago, AndyPlaysDrums said:

I just bought a Lifetime Teton 100. It fits in the back of my Hyundai Santa Fe fine with the hatch partially open. I use a camlock strap and run it through the hatch latch ring, then through the kayak handle loop (though I will be adding actual hardware loops shortly), then through the hatch grab handle. Pull the hatch down and cinch the strap. The kayak only sticks out about a foot and a half and the hatch is down far enough that the backup camera is still functionable. I can even put a second kayak on top of it if I need to.

Pics for reference, as I had to load them up today for the wife and the kid.

[Dan Strain]

I bought a 7’10” Field and Stream 80 from Dick’s for $200. Slides into my Toyota RAV4 and closes. It’s nowhere near as roomy or equipped as most - but I’m on the water paddling away while my buddy is still unloading. I clip the paddle in and carry it with one arm - 2 rods with the other. It’s working great for me. 27 lbs

 

Feels a little hairy in the deepest part of Percy Priest ( Nashville ) but I usually fish shallow and it hasn’t stopped me 

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/field-stream-blade-80-kayak-20fnsubld80kykxxxpsk/20fnsubld80kykxxxpsk

[Drew03cmc]

The issue with the shorter kayaks is the weight capacity. Even the Hobie Mirage Sport had one as low as around 250lbs IIRC. Add a person, tackle bag and a couple of rods and you're there. I am using an Ascend FS10 for a creek/small water boat and it's rated for 325. It paddles and fishes great for the price. If I were looking for a ten foot boat, I would get a Perception Pescador 10. It's the same hull as the pre-2017 Wilderness Tarpon 100. It paddles very well, is light and has plenty of storage space.

[Jeffrey Walker]

16 hours ago, Dan Strain said:

I bought a 7’10” Field and Stream 80 from Dick’s for $200. Slides into my Toyota RAV4 and closes. It’s nowhere near as roomy or equipped as most - but I’m on the water paddling away while my buddy is still unloading. I clip the paddle in and carry it with one arm - 2 rods with the other. It’s working great for me. 27 lbs

 

Feels a little hairy in the deepest part of Percy Priest ( Nashville ) but I usually fish shallow and it hasn’t stopped me 

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/field-stream-blade-80-kayak-20fnsubld80kykxxxpsk/20fnsubld80kykxxxpsk

that’s cool? but o would prefer an open deck 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

On 6/4/2022 at 4:08 PM, 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? 

here do

[AlabamaSpothunter]

21 minutes ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

here do

I mean War Eagle, but what an absolute legend!  

[Alex from GA]

I used to have a 9' Keowee sit in that I loved.  I only fish smallish rivers though with it.  35lbs and stable.  That's not to say I haven't gotten wet a few times.  It was stolen and I bought a 10' Pescador SOT and don't like it nearly as much.  I also have a 9' SOT and it gets me very wet and I only weigh 145 lbs.  I have a Ford Explorer and haven't tried to put it inside, carry it on top while towing our 16' camper.

[waymont]

On 6/4/2022 at 6:25 PM, Jeffrey Walker said:

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

The NuCanoe F10 is probably what you should have bought. It's so easy to move around and set up.

[Darth-Baiter]

yea.  the nucanoe 10 looks tiny.  like floating around in a walnut shell.  (I exaggerate). my buddy stands on that thing in big boat wakes.

 

I didn't realize the OP had the 12.  wasn't he looking at the ProAngler 12?!  which is going in the wrong direction.

[VolFan]

Yeah he should just get a great cart and learn to appreciate the 12, but I don’t think that’s where we’re going ?

[Jeffrey Walker]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:12 PM, haggard said:

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.

 

Thank you very helpful 

[Motoboss]

I’m thinking of picking up one of these

https://www.ascendkayaks.com/detail.cfm?boatID=5657

2 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

I’m thinking of picking up one of these

https://www.ascendkayaks.com/detail.cfm?boatID=5657

Sorry, this one

 

https://www.ascendkayaks.com/detail.cfm?boatID=5660

[Unnamed]

Talking to a guy (milfoil inspector) at the ramp Saturday, he mentioned he was considering a sectional kayak. His truck only had a 5 ft bed seemed to be the reason.

 

https://paddling.com/gear/point-65-sweden-martini-gtx-angler-solo-tandem-kayak

[bulldog1935]

Air Kayaks and Advanced Elements both have a pretty good reputation - I know of people who paddle them around oyster shell.   https://www.airkayaks.com/  https://www.advancedelements.com/

 

Nesting wood boats - check this article

https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/nesting-boats/

 

My 10' boat is a Heritage Redfish 10 bought for my daughter when she was ready for her first kayak, 11-y-o.

In fact, I used an Advanced Elements skeg to give this boat wind control in coast wind.  Here, she's 15, athletic, and it was all I could do to chase her in my T160 (until I upgraded to my Werner paddle and got my edge back). 

here up high on Boerne City Lake - good photo of the skeg. 

The skeg has the effect of lengthening the keel and moving your torso - a sail - to the center of rotation for neutral handling in big wind.  Most 10' boats and the inflatable kayaks I mentioned first really need a skeg. 

 

44 llbs, it's become my river boat now that she's grown and degreed. 

 

Even for my size, 6'3", 215 lbs, it's surprisingly fast, stable, both tracks and spins very well - designed by Paul Cronyn, the naval architect, who sold Wilderness before he started this company. 

 

Keep in mind about shopping craigslist for good old boats.  Polyethylene is here to stay. 

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.