Advice for a New Kayak Fly Fisherman

[mike126]

I'm a seasoned fly fisherman and currently looking to get into kayak fly fishing for local lakes and possibly medium sized rivers in and around the mid-Atlantic. I don't want to have a fully dedicated fishing kayak but rather something I can fish and also get out with my wife and paddle around in the evenings and weekends. Basically I'm looking for the following:

Size: 10 - 12 foot range
Weight: something I can put on my small SUV by myself with the aid of a kayak loader so under 85#s
Sit on top is preferred with good seating
Simple clean deck area. I'm not into gadgets and tricking out the boat.
Stable enough to stand but not a barge. I'm not sure how often people actually stand to cast so how important is stand-ability?
Easy to paddle. Yes, the stand-ability and ease of paddling are probably conflicting requirements
Budget is around $900 top for the boat itself

Some of the Kayaks I've been looking at:
- Jackson Bite: 11'6", 35" wide, 72#s, $799 A few concerns based on reviews I've seen include the seat can be a little uncomfortable based on the back bar design and it paddles slower due to the width.

- Jackson Cruise: 12'3", 31.5" wide, 69#s, $899 Is this too narrow to stand comfortably? I'm 6'4"/215#s and 58 yrs old. I do like the simplicity of the design and the seat seems to be more of a traditional lawn chair design.

- Perception Pescador 12 Pro: 12', 32.5" wide, 64#s, $879 This seems to be a good compromise between the Bite and the Cruise but the cockpit is not as open and the Jackson Kayaks.

- Old Town Topwater: 10'6", 34.5" wide, 73#s, $899 This was recommended by a local Kayak shop as one to look at. I've not seen too many reviews on this one.

How are the build quality of Jackson and Perception Kayaks?

My specs: I'm 6'4" tall, around 215#s, and 58 years old. Given my size I prefer the open cockpits.

The weekend of June 8th I'm thinking of going to a demo day about 3 hours away to try these out. I'd love to hear from those more experienced on their advice on selecting a first kayak.

Thanks

 

[ia_trouter]

Big guy in a yak, perfect, make you get some video for us.

I should probably say something constructive while I am here. Width is your friend. I highly recommend the demo day. It's hard to fish if you are about to go swimming with every small error. It really is fun, but tricky at first.

 

[mike126]

Yep the bigger they are the harder they fall!




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[gpwhitejr]

You can get kayaks dirt cheap on craigslist. Find one similar to your requirements and if you like kayak fishing and you develop a better sense of your needs you can sell it for what you paid and buy a fancy new one. That's what I did but I decided the cheap used ones I bought (a SINK and a SOT) were fine and I didn't need a new one.

 

[karstopo]

I have a WS Commander 140 among other kayaks. I stand to cast and fish the vast majority of the time. I would no longer kayak fish from a kayak that wasn’t stable while fishing from a standing position. But I’m more comfortable fishing while standing from any other boat that will allow it.

One big plus fishing from a standing position is the enhanced ability to
sight fish, spot fish sign, and see fish holding structure. One thing that makes the Commander particularly stable is that the feet are positioned below the water line. The Commander is not a self bailing SOT but more of an open hull SINK type. I take mine out in chop and never fear taking on significant water, but I don’t navigate big expanses of open deep water as a rule and I tend to have a handle on whatever limitations the kayak might have.

The Commander is no longer made, but they come up on the used market at times. There’s a 12’ version. Other kayaks that are sort of in the same mold are the Jackson Kilroy and the Native Ultimate. There may be others now being made that are similar.

On the water demo days are a fantastic way to try out several models. Around here, the retailers that host these events will make a deal on those days and you could pick up a new kayak for something like 30% off retail. You aren’t required to take it home with you that day either, just have to sign an agreement to purchase. Another option is to go by a retailer and see if they have any older models left over from prior years. The kayak may never have seen the water, but will be greatly discounted from the current year model price.

 

[skunkedalot]

hoby just came out with a 10 footer with pedals.
looks like a great boat and perfect for a person of your size.

 

[westcoast]

SeaEagle 385 Fast track 12 foot. Tracks like a hard shell, super tough 1000 denier.

 

[mike126]

Good advice.....

I think this weekend I'll tryout the Old Town Topwater and the Jackson Bite. Two shops around me have both available to demo.

A couple of other observations. The Jackson does not have any hatches so the inside of the boat is completely sealed. Is that something to be concerned about? I guess the only time I would need interior access would be to possibly mount something use a screw/bolt. Otherwise a pop-rivet would be possible.

The Topwater comes in a 10' and 12'. For my size is the 12' better? It does add a little bit of an issue for storage in the winter (garage) but probably workable.


I'm also looking at the Bonafide RS115. It's around 11' 6" and 33.5" wide.

Thanks

 

[bks]

I’m 6’4” and around 250 now but have was over 300 when I bought my first kayak a Pelican Catch 120. This boat is stable and lightweight (60lbs) I recently bought a Jackson MayFly and love it too. Don’t sell it short.

 

[ejsell]

I bought a WS radar 115 on sale new $1100. I have seen then used for $800-$900. It's right at your weight limit for car topping but I put it on my Traverse without any problem. Just set the front on it and push it the rest of the way. I've only had it out a handful of times so far but it is super stable to stand on and has an adjustable seat with high position.
I had also looked at the 10' models of the Nucanoe. Plenty of those to be had used at your price range. Very minimalistic, stable can change out seats for higher or lower ones.

Look up Chad Hoover KBF on youtube, great videos and advice, just wish he fly fished.

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[mike126]

Nice yak! I'll have to look at that as well. How is the stability for standing?

 

[ejsell]

Nice yak! I'll have to look at that as well. How is the stability for standing?

I'm a big guy, 280# and didn't have any problem standing in it on a lake. I paddle around for a while in a standing position before landing it. Haven't tried standing in a river yet. Just got back from my first river trip. It paddled well upriver about 2 miles. River was up about a foot higher than I normaly wade it so water was moving pretty good. I walked it through 2 longish shallow fast riffles going up but it handled better than I thought it would in deeper semi-fast water.

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[mike126]

An update...

Yesterday I paddled the Jackson Bite. Overall I really liked how stable it was. I stood up easily. I did not feel that the boat was as sluggish as I thought it would be. I kept up with a few kayakers on the river I was on.

I fairly easily put it on my car rack without help.

The only downside was the seat. It wasn’t that bad but I definitely need to add a lumbar pad. I think other yak seats will likely have a similar issue for the boats in my price range.

The dealer said he has heard rumors of a newer seat design. I’ll call Jackson tomorrow to see if they can speak to that.

I looked at the Old Town Topwater and Pescador Pro. I was not able to take them on the water. For the Pescador I did not feel it added all that much to the Bite. Same with the Topwater. The Topwater is $200 more.

I think for now I’ll keep it simple and probably order a Bite. As time goes on and I get more into yak fishing I’ll sell and upgrade if I feel I need more boat.


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[The Mad Duck]

Jackson has an inflatable lumbar support available that straps over the back of the seat.

 

[whalensdad]

Some advice; be aware that anything that is in the deck area or front of the kayak becomes a tangle hazard when casting. Think things like pedals, cup holders, camera mounts, fish finders, etc. It's much worse if you are casting from a sitting position, unless you're Lefty Kreh