Lessons for Kayak Buyers

[Koz]

I bought my first kayak four years ago, and while loving every minute of it, it certainly has been a wild ride with what I have learned and what I have spent. I decided to post this to let people know that if you're serious about your kayak fishing platform, you REALLY need to plan ahead and not waste money like I did.

 

Here are some of the upgrade paths I went through:

 

Kayak: Seastream Angler 120 PD to Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 120

 

Fish Finder: Lowrance 5" Tripleshot to Humminbird Helix 7 DI/SI to Garmin UHD93SV with LVS34 forward facing sonar. Fish Finder Pro Tip: Buy the biggest unit with the most features that you can afford. Note that I do run both the 9" Garmin and the 7" Humminbird (for mapping only) on my AP120. But I should have purchased a 10" or 12" Garmin in the first place. The bigger unit would make a difference when using FFS.

 

Fish Finder Mounting: Yak Attack Lowrance Mount to Yak Attack Helix mount to Dugout Crossbar. At one point I did build my own mount for my Garmin unit, but the Dugout one is much better.

 

Fish Finder Accessories: Yak Attack Switchblade and Cellblok. I used these for both the Lowrance and Humminbird units on the Seastream.

 

FFS Accessories: Fishing Specialties mount to Sniper Marine mount. Do yourself a favor and splurge on the Sniper mount. Yes, it's a lot of money. But so is investing in FFS. I'll do a write up on the Sniper Marine mount soon.

 

Batteries: Dakotah 10Ah to two Nermak 18 Ah batteries with the Seastream. On the Autopilot I now run either two 100 Ah Weize batteries or one 100 Ah and one 36 Ah Weize battery depending upon my setup that day. I also have a battery box that holds my 100Ah battery and another for my 36Ah battery. Again, plan ahead and buy enough power for down the road. Yes, you can put multiple batteries in serial, but you may not have the storage space on or in your kayak for that. 

 

Battery Charger: From 1Ah NOCO charger to 10Ah NOCO charger. I also have a power inverter to charge directly from my Bronco if needed.

 

Life Vest: Foam kayak vest to Onyx A/M 24. Trust me - if you're on a kayak all day, especially here in the south, you will appreciate the comfort of the self inflating life vests.

 

Trailer: Malone Ecolight single kayak trailer. I did add a winch post and winch which is probably one of the best investments I have made since purchasing the heavy Autopilot. If I had to do it again, I would have invested in a better trailer with box storage and one that holds two kayaks. But those are BIG money investments. Oh yeah - my Genesis Coupe would not pull a trailer so I sold it and bought a Bronco Sport.

 

Trailer Accessories: Trailer hitch, spare tire, and tongue extender. Backing up a small trailer is a pain and the tongue extender really helped out.

 

Autopilot Wiring: From Yak Power 5 circuit hub to Yak Power 8 circuit hub. What I didn't do is plan ahead on the additional items I would need power for on my kayak. I should have bought the 8 circuit hub in the first place. Of course, additional Yak Power cabling was required as well.

 

Safety Items: Yak Attack Visi Pole, Yak Power navigation lights. Due to an unfortunate incident at a ramp in Kissimmee I had to purchase a second set of nav lights.

 

Additional Electronics: Deck lights, heading sensor.

 

Storage: From Flambeau Tuff Krate to Yak Attack Blackpack. Purchased additional rod holders for the Blackpack.

 

Kayak Cover: Luckily, the cover I bought for the Seastream also fits my AP120.

 

Kayak Carts: From C-Tug to Wilderness Systems.

 

Tournament Gear: Ketch board, Ketch Keeper, Ketch ID

 

Vehicle Additions: Yakima Rod Box

 

Miscellaneous purchases: Through the hull wiring kits, fuses, USB wiring kit, Yak Attack Roto Grip phone holder, various scupper plugs, dry bag, seat back cooler, additional wiring, wiring sleeves, soldering iron, Go Pro, Go Pro mounts.

 

I think that's just about everything. If not, I'll add more at a later time. But pay attention to the upgrades I made along the way aside from upgrading my kayak. Some of those upgrades were a function of getting a new kayak, but I could have avoided the additional expenses had I spent a few more dollars up front, even if that meant waiting to make a purchase.

 

But the truth is, in most of these cases I either didn't know, didn't understand, or didn't plan ahead.

 

I guess the good news here is that if I decide to buy a new kayak, I can port a lot of gear to the new kayak and sell my old kayak with a lot of upgrades that I have outgrown over the years.

Edited April 1 by Koz

[JHoss]

So to sum it up: just skip the kayak and buy a boat? That's the gist of it right? 

[FryDog62]

Words of wisdom, good stuff. 
 

I’ve been at it 4 years as well and just told my wife yesterday that I think I’ve finally got everything where I want it. 
 

it’s a process, and I don’t think you need everything Koz listed above out of the gate - BUT THE KEY - is to buy the right foundation/platform you can add to that fits where/how you fish. 
 

Nothing worse than starting with a kayak that’s too small or limiting to add to over time.  Then you have to try to sell it, and start over the right way - -

12 minutes ago, JHoss said:

So to sum it up: just skip the kayak and buy a boat? That's the gist of it right? 

For some yes, but not for me anyway… 

At a similar price point, I fished out of a jon boat and then a tiller for many years. The kayak is much more comfortable and adaptable IMO.  Easier to trailer/store as well. The downside is only one angler, not two. 
 

I also had a Lund Pro-V Bass for 6 years. To buy another one similarly rigged would be $70k.  Big difference… 

 

I think I enjoy my kayak 80-90% as well as my bass boat. The jon boat/tiller about 50% as well… 

 

But that’s just me - -

[Koz]

19 minutes ago, JHoss said:

So to sum it up: just skip the kayak and buy a boat? That's the gist of it right? 

 

On more than one occasion I have thought about buying a boat. If I was 20 years younger I would probably go out and do that. I could have bought a new Tracker for what I have spent on my kayak hobby.

 

But then again, I don't have the additional costs of maintenance, insurance, and repairs. With the winch added to my trailer it's a quick load or unload at the ramp.  I can fish in some skinny waters, and I have things like a motor, spot lock, and FFS. I can even add Power Poles if I want. The only thing I really lack out there is speed, and at times that can be frustrating.

 

Boats are great, but I still like my kayak - despite the cost and the lessons learned.

[Crow Horse]

1 hour ago, Koz said:

If I had to do it again, I would have invested in a better trailer with box storage and one that holds two kayaks.

You can add a storage box. I have a discontinued Malone trailer (it was the smallest of their line at the time) and used brackets (from Malone) to mount the storage box and then fabbed up mounts for a Harbor Freight cargo basket.   The storage box is a Plano Sportman's Box. It has limitations but it serves it's purpose.  

[JHoss]

That comment was half joking. I started bass and tournament fishing in a kayak. I'm very glad that I was able to dip my toes into the tournament scene without selling my firstborn, but I'm equally glad to be out of the kayak scene now.

 

My first yak was an Ascend 12T that I later added a Striker and jerry-rigged hand control trolling motor and then a NuCanoe Pursuit with XI3 and all the bells and whistles except livescope. I will 100% agree that if you're going to stay with kayak fishing, buy once cry once.

 

I'm just one of many guys that I used to kayak fish with that have sold their yaks and gone to Jon Boats. Part of that is purely the increased opportunities that a boat provides over a kayak, but honestly, the biggest reason was all the drama in kayak fishing. I thought it was just my local trail at first with bad rules and borderline cheating, but quickly realized it seems to be the national trails had their own share of issues. Shows/pages like KBN both highlight and exacerbate the issues. Having been in the Jon boat tournament scene for a couple years now, I can say that the local Jon Boat trails don't have near the same drama as the local kayak trails did. 

 

I bought my boat last year this time for right around $10k and didn't have to drop another dime on it. It was decked, EVA foamed, and rigged from the last guy and came with a 93sv at the helm and a 106sv w/ live at the bow. I really don't see how anyone could build out a kayak to that level without spending a comparable amount, and I can do 30mph and fish with friends if I want. That's my main point- if you're going to stay with kayaks, spend the money to get the right gear the first time. But if you're not 100% sure kayak fishing will always be the thing for you, maybe take your time and feel it out before you drop $5k on a hobie and another $5k on accessories. 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

i think for me..my lesson learned is.  do my own thing.

 

i spend $$ following various advice.  some worked out, some, not so much.  in the end, i am where i am and i am happy.  but i seem to gravitate towards my own choices.  

 

my best $10 spent (for me) is a donkey-leash.  what a game changer. 

[FryDog62]

36 minutes ago, JHoss said:

I can do 30mph and fish with friends if I want. 

These are valid points - I do miss fishing with friends/family, and for sure some speed. Learning bodies of water like Hartwell, Kissimmee at a top speed of 3.7 mph in an Autopilot has its challenges ! 

[Koz]

1 hour ago, Crow Horse said:

You can add a storage box. I have a discontinued Malone trailer (it was the smallest of their line at the time) and used brackets (from Malone) to mount the storage box and then fabbed up mounts for a Harbor Freight cargo basket.   The storage box is a Plano Sportman's Box. It has limitations but it serves it's purpose.  

Yes - thanks. I added my Yakima Rod Box to the list. While it’s not directly for the kayak, but it’s part of my tournament package.

[JHoss]

38 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

These are valid points - I do miss fishing with friends/family, and for sure some speed. Learning bodies of water like Hartwell, Kissimmee at a top speed of 3.7 mph in an Autopilot has its challenges ! 

I even struggled with the lack of speed on 1000 acre lakes. I tended to fish less productive water between spots so I didn't entirely give up that time between spots. I was getting 4.3-4.7 WOT with the Pursuit, but my logic was fishing my way there at 1.5 for 45 was more productive than 15 minutes of no fishing followed by 30 minutes fishing in the next spot that may or may not have fish. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i like how i am slow.  and i like how big moves cost me time.

 

forces me to slow down and work the problem, relatively close to where i launched.  

 

too easy to pull up the trolling motor and race off to greener pastures. 

[TnRiver46]

Mine just have a paddle and a bail bucket/sponge 

[Boomstick]

Everyone’s path is different. I ended up getting kayaks for myself and the kids, had I gone for pedals at that time, it would have ultimately been cheaper as they were significantly cheaper at that time too. However, I wouldn’t have been able to swing it in cash either, and I would have ended up with an Old Town Sportsman 120 and not the Bigwater, which is a fine kayak but I definitely have no regrets with the Bigwater.

 

Our first setups were not bad, other than no pedals. We definitely set them up pretty ideally.

 

I ended up going from a Bonafide SS127 to an Old Town Bigwater 132 PDL. My final decision was based around performance, the Bigwater is relatively fast and also great in wind.

I started out with a YakAttack Blackpak. The lip was quite annoying and didn’t work well with 3700s, I could only fit 3 and they were hard to get out. I ended up getting a 13x16 Blackpak pro with no lip, the largest the Bigwater fits and configuring it to open front to back which makes it much easier to access.

The lights on my YakAttack flags went after a season and the track mount pulled out of one of them completely, rendering it useless. I ended up salvaging one of them and getting two Railblaza flags which are superior in every way, no flex in the wind and the lights on high will light the deck of my boat should I need it.

 

I also upgraded my fish finder to a GPSmap 943xsv and a GT56UHD transducer which is real clear and has a lot better range. My youngest kid got my old Echomap 93sv and sold his old one with my SS127. I got a 30ah battery to give me days of fishing with the larger power draw.

 

I also upgraded the front rails to Pacific Yak Angler rails that give me tool storage and places to hang lures to dry - a really useful feature. And I’ve made use of several Navarre Kayak Fishing upgrades, 1.5” rear seat risers, the rudder bolt and handle so I don’t have to deal with that annoying tension knob, the mount on the PDl that lets me mount a phone holder but I just use it as a place to set down rods which is something you lose when you add pedals and one way scupper plugs. I also got the solid mounting plates from Navarre Kayaking fishing and YakAttack mighty mounts which let me mount my fish finder behind the pedals and with a 9” screen, I can see it fine.

[Crow Horse]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

Everyone’s path is different.

So true. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum using a budget sit in kayak.My entire life fishing I was always shore bound. I was thrilled to be able to get out on the water and have the mobility that the yak provided. In the 10 years that I've owned it, the yak has gone through many modifications. Much of it's evolution was driven by me learning new and more efficient ways to fish and discovering better components. Whenever I added a modification, I always tried to think ahead about a possible change, be it making additional adjustments to it or having the option to remove it entirely. I've often thought about getting a better quality sit in yak but this one does everything I need it to do. My only regret does not even apply to the yak itself. I'm using a Gullwing paddle and wish that I had bought spare blades while they were still in business. The ones I have now are fine but I always like to have backup components.

 

 

[Boomstick]

9 minutes ago, Crow Horse said:

So true. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum using a budget sit in kayak

I would have considered going with a cheaper kayak to start with but it’s hard to find one that holds my weight. But if it works for you, you still get largely the same fun experience but may have to deal with a few additional hiccups along the way.

 

It wouldn’t work for me now as my back’s been killing me for the past couple years. It might be an easier launch, but once I’m on the water my kayak is quite comfortable.

[Crow Horse]

30 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

It might be an easier launch, but once I’m on the water my kayak is quite comfortable.

That was an area of concern when I first got my yak. The original "seat" was token and horrible. I tried several modifications and even tried different types of seat. It took a while till I found one that met my expectations and allowed me to fish all day in comfort. Now I can fish nonstop (7-8 hours) in comfort and not be a cripple when I beach. I'm a flyweight, maybe 165 on a good day so weight capacity isn't a problem but it's an important consideration.

[Boomstick]

18 hours ago, Crow Horse said:

That was an area of concern when I first got my yak. The original "seat" was token and horrible. I tried several modifications and even tried different types of seat. It took a while till I found one that met my expectations and allowed me to fish all day in comfort. Now I can fish nonstop (7-8 hours) in comfort and not be a cripple when I beach. I'm a flyweight, maybe 165 on a good day so weight capacity isn't a problem but it's an important consideration.

When I was younger, I could care less about an uncomfortable seat as long as it doesn't have front leaning headrests (like some cars). Now that I'm older though, I can't tolerate bad seating.