What kind of kayak do you suggest for fishing?

[nate larson]

Hello all,

I am very excited to see the addition of this forum. I have never done much canoeing or kayaking but I am interested in getting started. I do a lot of fishing on the root river and zumbro river. I would like to have a kayak that I could fish from (or at least get from one spot to the next and hop out if need be.) I also want to be able to do some recreational paddling and fishing on some lakes up in the Alexandria area. I am just looking for some ideas on what would be a good kayak for me. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have looked at them at Cabela's and Gander mountain but am never really sure where to start. Oh, one more thing, I would like it to be camo or a neutral color so I would be able to use it to get to a duck hunting spot (won't be shooting from it, but would use it for transport.) So it would be nice if I could strap a dozen or so decoys on the front and have a spot to put my gun. I also want to be able to cary it on the roof of my honda accord (I have a Yakima rack for it) I think it is rated to hold about 100 lbs max. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Cyberfish]

Hi Nate

I recommend a Sit on top For all those things, instead of the standard sit in kayaks. they are more versatile, and they are easy to get in and out of. I have a small sit on top I really like to fish out of it. I will post some pics if they enable the UBB code. Mine don't hold lots of gear, but thats ok simplicity is part of what I like about yak fishin, a rod or two and a small tackle bag is enough for me.

If you are looking for something bigger and more spendy, built specifically for angling, mabye look at the Ocean Kayak Prowler, or mabye the perception caster.

[ghotierman]

Look at the Old Town Predator series. I have the 140, it is an open cockpit, based on the Twin Otter hull. It is camo finish, has a foam shell holder on the bottom, has a cargo net cover on the back to hold the gear in, a work deck with zippered pockets and cup holder, comes with an anchor system and a rod holder. It is a great hunting/fishing rig. The also have one based on the Loon hull (120 i think) available in yellow or camo. Again, with all the features I mentioned. When I was carrying them at my shop in Alex, they ran about $700-800.

good luck and good paddling!

[nate larson]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I just checked out the Old Town Predator 140 online and it looks sweet! That is exactly what I had in mind. Any ideas where a guy can pick one up? I would rather not have to pay for shipping... I wonder if they start going on sale in the fall.

Nate

[Jim43]

Cabelas handles them. Go over and see if they have em stock

[nate larson]

I found that one on the Cabela's HSOforum as well...but unfortunately it is te 11 foot model and not the 14 foot. I really want the bigger model so I have some room for decoys. I have yet to see this boat in stock anywhere in the state...

[Jim43]

I bought my Keowee 2 from REI online back in 98 and they truck

shipped it with no problems. I would not be affraid to buy

another kayak online and have it truck shipped. But then again,

that is my personal preference.

[windycity]

kayakfishingstuff.com is a good place to go to get info on fishing 'yaks. Kayak reviews, user forums, do-it-yourself rigging ideas and information, any accessory that you would need.

[windycity]

I purchased an Emotion sit-on-top that works very well for fishing. The only modification I made was to add 2 flush mount rod holders behind the seat, and a Scotty rod holder on the front deck that can be used for trolling. Mine is an 11-footer that weighs about 45 lbs, so it's very easy to load and unload. Overall, its an excellent small lake and/or river boat, but probably would be too light and slow for large lakes that have alot of open water (i.e. Lake Superior, Mille Lacs). I primarily use mine for flyfishing panfish on local metro lakes. Kayak fishing is a blast!!

[yakfisher]

I picked up a predator K140 from Galyans(now Dick's) a couple of years ago. I have seen them both at Dick's and Gander Mountain within the last year. If you do buy on line and have it shipped when you go to register the boat you may gave to pay taxes to the state if you didn't pay it when you bought it. Good Luck.

[nate larson]

Thanks for all the info guys. I will check out cabela's and Dick's next time I am up in the cities.

Yakfisher,

Just curious...have you been happy with your Predator K140? That is what I am leaning towards and just wanted to get your thoughts as well.

Thanks!

[Cyberfish]

wow, good to see there are other Kayakers out there! I just started this summer.

Mabye it would be fun to do a kayak and canoe get together, mabye float a stretch of river somewhere!

[Jim43]

That was cool thing about buying it online, Didn`t have to pay

any taxes on it and it cost $789 back in 98. Only paid shipping

at around $45 from the Perception factory in NC.

[windycity]

An advantage in fishing out of a sit-on-top is that you can hang your legs over the side and straddle the kayak while casting, which allows your upper body to be upright and is a much more comfortable position over a long period of time. Being more upright with your legs over the side also allows you to pivot and cast to either side of the kayak with ease, and makes hook-setting more efficient. My sit-on-top is also stable enough for me to hang both legs over the same side (side-saddle) which allows me to easily access the storage well behind the seat. Sit-on-tops are extremely easy and quick to get in and out of. To get out, all you have to do is swing your legs over the sides and stand up.

[Cyberfish]

Good points Windy!

Another thing, when fishin a shallow section it is so nice to be able to stand up anytime and do some wade fishin without having to go in to get out !

[Blue Kayak]

I have a sit on top (SOT), and I like it for fishing. With a SOT (at least with mine) you are basically sitting in a puddle and that seems like a big disadvantage. However, if it is cool I wear raingear. Waders or neoprene are probably even better. I was out at the end of November with no problems.

I remember seeing an ad for a kayak that touted their stability. The ad mentioned even being able to shoot from their kayak. I also saw a picture of a kayak with a small platform built up and a person was standing on the platform pushing the kayak with a pole. I get nervous just turning around in my kayak, and wish it was more stable. Stability varies quite a bit, and I don't think a hunting and fishing kayak can be too stable.

[windycity]

There's definitely alot of designs out there. Mine has a good design for keeping the cockpit and seat dry, but is limited when it comes to storage, and is moderately stable. kayakfishingstuff.com has a very useful kayak review that rates each boat on individual categories such as stability, storage, speed, track-ability, manueverability, quietness/hull slap, legroom, modification potential. There's enough variety out there that you can definitely find the boat(s) that emphasize the features that you like.

[Twinfisher1]

Great topic. I purchased a SOT ocean kayak "scrambler" years ago for scuba diving - it's very stable. Now I use it for fishing. It's lite and very beatable. I installed the flush rod holder mounts a few weeks ago and they work well - I needed a better way to troll (instead of holding the fishing pole between my legs). Now I'm looking to upgrade my seat. My brother just replaced his with a kayak seat from Gander, he's happy with it so far.

[Cyberfish]

Welcome to HSO kayak-canoe forum twinfisher!

Ocean kayak makes some nice yaks, I was thinking of buying one til I got an awsome bargain on my feel free nomads

They are also great to fish from, track reasonably well in calm and windy conditions, and can handle 4 ft waves, and class 3 rapids.

[yakfisher]

Sorry it took so long to reply. I been very happy with the K140, I use it for both duck hunting and fishing. I built a blind for it out of PVC. The dog and I love it, unfortunately we don't see too many ducks in MN. I did have to lighten the topside up with tan paint to help it blend in with the weeds and my blind. I also have a 12 foot dirigo that I paddle around in. I'm 6 foot 200 lbs and the front end of the 12 foot dirigo digs water a bit when I paddle hard. The bottom isn't as flat as the predator, which helps it track better accross the water when the wind blows. Old town also came out with the cayuga this year. It looks longer than the dirigo and would probably be a better choice for a bigger person. I have not paddled it but the hull looks very similar to the dirigo only a little narrower across the beam and longer, it looks like a great boat. The only thing I don't like about my k140 predator is that it really could use a rudder when it is windy out to help it track straight. Otherwise it is a great boat. Again sorry it took so long for a reply.

[nate larson]

Hey!

Thanks for the response. I was wondering the same thing about the rudder. Would it be possible to add a rudder to the back of the predator? I kind of thought that it might be hard keeping a straight course without one. I haven't bought it yet...I want it so bad! I just got engaged so it is hard for me to justify the cost. But I should probably get it now before we are married. I am sure it will be much harder to buy the toys I want once we have a joint checking account.

[yakfisher]

Good call, unless she is willing to buy it for you like my wonderful wife did, you might have trouble convincing here it is a necesary expense. What with all the decorative pillows and the towels you won't be able to use she might be a little stuborn making a purchase that can help to put some food on the table.

But serriously, I have talked to old town and asked about the rudder. They told me there isn't one for it, and if your look at the tail you will se that it is rounded and not designed for a rudder. It tracks fine on calm days and I even had it out on Lake Superior this spring(it was calm). The worst problem I had was when duck hunting I paddled across an open area and the blind that I have built for it acted like a sail. I have also learned to paddle with different strokes on each side to correct for the wind.

I do like the stability it provides when shooting, I have also put my knees in the seat and paddled it around tail first while fishing from it. I did end up buyng the seat cushion that old town sells for it, that made it more comfortable to sit on when wet. The other mod I made to the seat was drilling two holes into the bottom side of the seat to allow it to drain, mine was taking on water.

Good luck with the wedding.