Interested in kayak fishing

[timmeh]

I've been thinking about getting a fishing kayak but I have a few questions and I'm hoping a few members on here can help me get started. First off I'm interested in a "starters" kayak. I've noticed that prices can vary and I'm on a budget so it doesn't need to have all the bells and whistles, just something that can get me on the water, but I don't want to just go for the cheapest model available. This will be used on smaller lakes and rivers so I don't require anything that can handle rough water. So here are a few of the things that i'm thinking about and any advise would be welcomed.

 

What kind of price range am I looking at to get a decent yak?

 

I am reasonably comfortable fishing from a canoe and I've heard that a yak is even easier. Is this true?

 

Finally is anyone aware of any dealers in the Kitchener-Waterloo region that I should check out?

 

Again as a newbie to this is there anything (ie. lenght, depth) that I need to keep in mind when purchasing?

 

Thanks,

Tim

[capt_hooked]

Hi Tim,

 

I just picked up a line of Malibu Kayaks (you can look them up on Google).

 

They are a well made boat and vary in length from 8-14 feet. They are very good quality and range in price from $1000.00 to $2200.00 depending on the bells and whistles...

 

(I have seen much cheaper kayaks.. (also designed for fishing) on sale at Canadian Tire. To tell you the truth I have no idea how they compare in quality?.. but appear to be the same basic idea.)

 

They can be outfitted with live wells, bait/tackle holders.. and extra room for more gear.

They have up to four rod holders.

 

These kayaks have been primarily designed for fishing.

 

They are the sit-on-top style.. and are extremely stable.

 

The only thing is be prepared to be wet.. or wear water proof clothing.

 

I have just posted some pictures on my site you can look at:

 

http://www.lakair.com/gallery-item.asp?id=10&did=7

[yakpiker]

Hi timmeh,

 

I saw your questions about kayak fishing and thought that I could help a little. I bought a new Hobie Mirage Revolution fishing kayak last November and I've enjoyed several outings with it. To me, fishing from a kayak has more in common with fishing from shore than it does with fishing from a boat. Everything you do from loading to roof-topping to launching to getting around takes a little more time and effort. But there is also a lot of freedom and satisfaction that comes from a kayak. I'll save the "it's good for the environment" stuff, but it is cheap to run (mine runs on bagels), it's quiet, it can go in all water, it's exercise, and it's FUN. Since I live at Harbourfront in Toronto, I needed a bigger and sturdier kayak for open water. If you're going to fish smaller streams and rivers then a basic kayak should be fine.

 

Here are my answers to your questions:

 

You will be able to purchase a new kayak for less than $1000 and a used one for less than $500.

 

I've found that fishing from a kayak is much easier than fishing from a canoe in terms of stability on the water. It's also much easier for one person to handle a kayak than a canoe, especially on windy days.

 

I don't know of any dealers in the K-W area, but if you get up north than Swift kayak and canoe dealers are a great place to check out...see their website.

 

The longer the kayak the more stable it is. Having a rudder makes it easier to steer. I went with a pedal-drive Hobie kayak because it allows me to cast and troll without having to paddle. Sit on top kayaks are easier to use than enclosed kayaks with skirts because you don't have to worry (as much) about tipping or being able to escape from an overturned kayak.

 

Hope these answers help. Feel free to PM me directly if you wish to chat further.

 

Yakpiker

 

Be sure to try out a couple of kayaks before purchasing to make sure it is what you want and need.

[jediangler]

If you contact Adventure Guide in Waterloo they can tell you when their next demo day is on Laurel creek. This is the best way to try out as many different yaks in one day at one place. Remember if you decide on a sit-on-top model to budget extra money for waterproof clothing that you'll need for all but two months of the year. They sell off their rental and demo fleet at the end of the year with some good savings to be had. Also keep an eye on Kijiji for used yaks. Your weight and ability to lift the yak onto your roof will determine how long a yak you'll need. Unless you are over 225lbs a 12 footer should be all you need for the kind of fishing you intend to do. Check out Yakfisher.net for ideas on what might be right for you. It's an Ontario and Quebec forum for kayak fishing with many members in our area. Feel free to PM me with any other questions you have.

[singingdog]

You should check out yakfisher.ca It's a site dedicated to kayak fishing in Canada: mostly in Ontario and Quebec. Lots of good info over there, and a bunch of folks that will do their best to help you out.

 

Adventure Guide is a great shop in your area. The advice to go to a demo day is bang on. The more boats you can paddle before you make up your mind, the better.

 

Yes, it's way easier to fish out of a kayak than a canoe. Wind doesn't affect you near as much, and it's much easier to control a kayak than a canoe. If you choose a SOT (sit on top) kayak, it's super easy to land fish. I can sit sideways on my SOT, with my feet in the water and fish with no worries of falling in the water.

[ChrisK]

Canadian Tire has their 10ft. Pelicans on right now for $299.00 and the paddle for $29.00,both on sale. The yak is rated for 275lbs...This model is not outfitted for fishing but will provide everything you need to get out on the water... I have one that I purchased a few weeks ago(fishing model) and I think its great !! I'm 6ft, 240lbs and every time I go out in the yak I have been more comfortable with it...Very hard to tip over...I have tried rocking it as hard as I could and never had a turn over...Its a great starter yak for sure for a cheap price !!!

[dave524]

Just this morning I was in a waiting room and picked up a mag with a guy in a kayak fishing, it was a spring issue of " Kayak Angler " . In it was a buyers guide with 99 different fishing models listed with specs and prices as well as some interesting articles. Curiously I thought it was very activity specific fare for the emergency room of Grimsby hospital, somebody there must be into it and bringing their old mags. Don't know if you can still find it on the news stands but would make for good browsing to see whats out there.

[jediangler]

Great magazine. Fellow OFC'er crazyhook and I appear on pages 12 and 13 in the CPR section. They showcase 15 kayak anglers and their catch and release photos from all over North America. Jamie, Marco and I were the only Canadians to make the grade.

[purekgw]

very fun sport like every one said easier to handle then a canoe i have a 10' riot i find it very stable and it handles the waves

 

have added a fish finder onto it since that pic

[Uppa]

My main advice would be to focus on the kayak you like and are comfortable with, without restricting yourself only to models pre-outfitted for fishing. It's easy enough to add rod holders, etc, to pretty much any kayak on the market. My wife was a little horrified when I started drilling holes in a 'yak I'd owned for 2 hours, but she calmed down when she saw the finished product.

 

Beyond that, just ask yourself where you see yourself using it, and just as importantly how far you see yourself paddling in any given day. If you're just using it as a way to get off-shore, pretty much anything will do. If you can see yourself putting serious mileage on it while you paddle around hotspots on a decent sized lake, it'll be worth it to pay a little more for one that tracks well and is less effort to paddle.

[timmeh]

Thanks a lot for the responses guys, I appreciate it.

 

The model I'm currently looking hard at is a Pelican castaway 116. It's a sit on top model that is 11.5 feet long. Does anyone have any good or bad experience with pelican kayaks? I'm going to look at a few other models before I buy anything but this one has caught my attention. I'm going to go talk with someone this week and see if they'll let me test it.

 

Also one more question for the experts; what are the main advantages and disadvantages of a sit on top model. Aside from being able to move around a little more are there any differences in terms of stability? I've never used a yak before so stability is something that is important to me. Just FYI I am about 5'9 and 195 and I do have some experience with canoes so this isn't totally new to me. I'm also not worried about getting a little wet, this will mostly be a summer toy.

 

Thanks again

[CLofchik]

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/

 

That's a decent place to atleast get an idea of the quirks of different models, but really you need to get out and test paddle some. Most paddle shops have demo boats that you can arrange to get out on, an afternoon rental is worth more than all the reviews & opinions of other paddlers.

 

If you can paddle a canoe without flipping you'll have no problems with any SOT yak.

[mikeymikey]

What do you all think of Hobie Mirage Pro Angler kayak ?

Foot peddle seems to be a awesome feature.

[singingdog]

Thanks a lot for the responses guys, I appreciate it.

 

The model I'm currently looking hard at is a Pelican castaway 116. It's a sit on top model that is 11.5 feet long. Does anyone have any good or bad experience with pelican kayaks? I'm going to look at a few other models before I buy anything but this one has caught my attention. I'm going to go talk with someone this week and see if they'll let me test it.

 

Also one more question for the experts; what are the main advantages and disadvantages of a sit on top model. Aside from being able to move around a little more are there any differences in terms of stability? I've never used a yak before so stability is something that is important to me. Just FYI I am about 5'9 and 195 and I do have some experience with canoes so this isn't totally new to me. I'm also not worried about getting a little wet, this will mostly be a summer toy.

 

Thanks again

 

The main advantage of the SOT is comfort and ease of fishing. With an SOT you can move around much more, sit side saddle, cross your legs, reach your coffee Where it really shines is ease of fishing. I find it much easier to land fish - especially large, PO'd musky - from a SOT. As well, it is easier to access tackle and other gear.

 

The downside is how wet you will get: great in the summertime, not so much in early spring and late fall. I get around that by wearing stockingfoot waders in colder weather and I am just as comfortable as I am in my SIKs.

 

Stability has nothing to do with SOT/SIK....it is strictly related to hull width and shape. There are SOTs out there that are fast and tippy, there are SIKs that you can stand up in.

 

Lastly, several other folks have nailed it when they say don't get hung-up on a fishing-specific boat. It is very easy to outfit a kayak to make it a great fishing machine

[Spcvicar]

There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to every kayak, there are numerous sites that will help you weigh your options. It all really boils down to comfort and enjoyment and if not comfortable you won't enjoy it. I recommend go to a few dealers and try them out, but look at your I rest your personal needs and restrictions are. What is good for someone else may not work for you, but you may be able to adapt and adopt part of their ideas.

Btw the Hobie is an awesome kayak, despite the cost, just bought up the first Hobie pro angler T 17 from the fishing show in Toronto, and I am jacked, come on warm weather. This one works for me because I can take out the wife who had a stroke, so stability is an issue. Can adapt to single, draw back little heavy for the car top so use a trailer, but hey it's all good. Any reason you have for drowning worms works for me...lol.

The key to good kayak is like any experience, make sure the good experiences out way the bad, then make the best of the bad situations.

See you on the waters... Enjoy the yak

[Steve]

keep an eye on the used forums.

 

a couple friends of mine who are big into kayak fishing, and have been before the "boom" have said a number of folks bought them, loaded them up, and didn't like the fad.

 

as such, lots of good used options on the market right now.

[DRIFTER_016]

I bought a Perception Pescador 12 last spring and it is reasonably priced and works great.

I ended up adding a ton of extras to customize it for my fishing needs.

Added rod holders, milk crate, fish finder, anchor trolley and anchor.

I also picked up scupper plugs to keep the water infiltration down during the cold months.

I believe I paid about $700 US for the yak down in Florida.

I also bought a yak dolly, roof rack attachments for it and a hoist to hang it from the ceiling of my garage when not in use.

This winter I picked up a rudder for it off our local trader site that will be installed in the spring.

I think the customizing is the best part of buying one of these things, next to using it fer fishin' that is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grizzlybri]

I always love seeing people's set ups for kayak fishing, almost 6 years between posts for this thread, regardless thanks for sharing and great looking set up Drifter