[onthefly]

Is they're anyone that has or currently Fly fishes out of a Kayak? I am interested in buying one and any advise would be much appreciated. I went to a couple of Kayak angler sights and found some pretty decked out kayak's but seemed mainly for Bait/Spin fishing. Was courious how casting out of one would be?

Thanks

Onthefly

[Frank Whiton]

The best type for fishing is the sit-on-top style. There are only a few that you can stand up in. The ones that are setup for bait/spin fishing will work fine but you need to change the rod holders. Scotty makes fly rod holders that will work. The best in my opinion is the Kiwi Kayak. It has double pontoons and you can stand in it. You can operate it with a trolling motor or a small gas engine. It doesn't paddle as slick as a standard kayak but still works well. You should also look at the Hobbie with the foot paddles. With the foot paddles you can move with out the paddle while you are fishing. You can't stand in it through. Ocean Kayak makes a nice fishing kayak.

Frank

[onthefly]

Thanks Frank!

I was looking at the prowler angler by Ocean Kayak. It is available locally and is in more my price range. I would love the hobbie, just a bit pricey. But never saw the kiwi before I will have to check it out.

Thanks

Onthefly

[fly n00b]

i have never fished from a kayak before but i often fish from a canoe and casting is not that difficult (sitting down). i dont think that thier would be much of a differance between a canoe and kayak. i have had alot fun fishing from a canoe/kayak and i hope wish you luck in your quest to find the right one.

[Jakeway]

I'm looking for a Kayak, too. I found a guy near here who offered to take me out with him and his two kayaks. That's got to be a good way to see how it will work.

My main concern with fishing from a Kayak is that while casting from a canoe or a boat while sitting is no problem, in a kayak your legs are basically straight out in front of you. I have back problems (my doctor says it's really a front problem; something about balance) and I don't know how long I could cast that way. I'm going to take an ultra-low beach chair down to the lake and see how well I can cast from that position.

[Reactor]

I fish quite a bit from a kayak on lakes and ponds. I was a die hard canoe man until I got a really got a great deal on some kayaks. $120/each, it was a going out of business deal. Now what made me change my mind about kayaks. Really one thing; the wind. I can stay in one spot and fish in a kayak but take a canoe, just the slightest wind, bearly detectable, will have you drifting all over the pond. Because a kayak sits so low on the water the wind doesn't affect you as much. You can then focus on casting rather than maneuvering the canoe back to where you wanted to cast.
There are many negatives about a kayak: comfort. I don't have a back problem but after a couple of hours in a kayak my back hurts.
Foot space: sit in a kyak for five minutes and your feet are o.k. Now try to sit bow legged or pigeon toed for hours and it hurts. Make sure your kayak has enough foot room for your shoes to stick straight up comfortably.
You need ample upper body strength to get in and out of a kayak. It can be tough to say the least. Many times I have opted to get in on dry land and shimmy my way out into the water versus trying to get into the kayak on the bank.
Freeboard: not much on a kayak. If the wind does come up expect to get wet. Sit on top kayaks your going to get wet.
Storage: None. Those compartments look good but unaccesable when your on the water. Everything usually gets wet if it's on the floor of the kyak, like a canoe. No room for a cooler.
So, I better say something more positive about kayaks: stealthy, easy to paddle, about 1/2 the effort of a canoe, easy to maneuver. They can weigh about 1/2 as much as a canoe, therefore portages are a breeze; loading and unloading your vehicle is easy as well.
To sum it up: due to their light weight and ability to stay in one place I will take my kayak out before my canoe when I'm fly fishing. If I'm using my spinning rod then it's the canoe.
Try buying a used one. I see so many kayaks these days that I'm sure many people are selling used ones as well.

[BigCliff]

Kayaks are a great fishing vehicle. There are indeed a few out there that you can stand on to fish, but it is still difficult. Any kayak that is stable enough to fish from is going to be one of the slower ones out there. A kayak purchaser needs to decide if they want it to be a stable craft to fish from and possibly stand on, or a fast way to get from one wading point to the next. The categories of boats are quite different.

To move quickly from one point to the next, one would be best served by a 12'+ long sit-on-top kayak, or possibly a shorter one if navigation through rapids or narrow creeks will be involved. This one sounds perfect to me- Perception Kayaks

For a larger, more stable boat, look for one with high weight capacity, and width over 32". This one looks pretty good- Prowler Big Game Anglerâ„¢ - Perfect for going after the "big one" - Ocean Kayak

For a boat that is small, light, cheap, comfy, and sturdy, these are durn tough to beat Perception Kayaks I've sold many, often multiple to the same family. (I also recommend buying 2 of those over 1 tandem kayak, much better for 'splorin and spousal happiness)

[Joni]

Okay, now I have a question. With the new lower profile Pontoons and the fact that you can fish easier from a pontoon (with flippers), why the interest in a kayaks?

[Jakeway]

Originally Posted by Joni

Okay, now I have a question. With the new lower profile Pontoons and the fact that you can fish easier from a pontoon (with flippers), why the interest in a kayaks?

For me, the thing that turns me off of pontoons is I don't want to mess with inflating them. If I have to go to a hard-pontoon, then I'd think a Kayak would be lighter/easier to haul around in the back of a pickup.

The Kiwi looks interesting...more like a low, hard pontoon than a Kayak, in my opinion.

I must say that the above opinions are based solely on what I get from looking at pics and reading posts on this and other forums. I've never actually used a kayak, never used a pontoon, never used a tube. I've done all my fishing from shore, wading, from a canoe, or from an aluminum boat.

[Jakeway]

Also, if you were using the craft as a way to get from one wading spot to another, would a kayak have any advantages over a pontoon? I'd think the pontoon would have the definite edge in actually fishing from it, especially in still water.