Kayak Question

[freebird630]

I'm seriously thinking of buying a kayak as my neighbor up the road just bought one and we are going to start fly fishing local lakes and water sheds (water supply for local towns) so not gas motors allowed. He bought a Old Town 10 foot fishing model and I haven't seen it in action yet but it was $425 with sales tax at Academy Sports.

I've been doing some research and I have found that I could get on Craigslist a 12 Synergy kayak made by Mad River Canoe that is the fishing model and it's a sit on top type and I can get it for the same price if I act fast. It's in great shape and the user reviews are all positive as you sit lower the most SOT kayaks and it has tons of storage.

What do you guys think and do you have other recommendations in the less then $600 catagory.

 

[Rip Tide]

You will never regret buying a kayak.
I've had mine for nearly 20 years and still feel that its the best fishing related purchase that I've ever made. Go for it.

 

[fishingfly]

Its an awesome investment and you have the right boat. The Synergy is a great fishing platform. The boat also paddles very well and is incredibly stable. I have sold and paddled a few for fly fishing. If you can get a good deal on one jump.

 

[fire instructor]

I've fished from both my SIS and my SOT. That said, either works well for spin fishing, but with MY 'yaks, the SIS is a much more stable fly-fishing platform. My SOT is more of a "play boat", designed for basic recreational kayaking and is GREAT to play in the surf. It's not designed as a fishing platform.

 

[schiff]

I will offer up this site below. You can find a lot of rewiews on a lot of yaks and canoes before you decide to buy one. If you can't try a few, you can at least see what others said about the few choices you have narrowed down to.

Kayaking & Canoeing | Kayak, Canoe, and Paddle Resource: Paddling.net

Just one site of many, I'm sure.

 

[shotgunfly]

I've been kayak fishing from a recreational model SIS kayak (Dagger Zydeco) for 2 years now and am thinking of going SOT in a model that is designed for standing up. Sitting in the kayak has presented a few problems (a) seat is too low for visibility and legs get uncomfortable after hours of not being elevated (b) the deck in front has to be clear of junk to avoid line getting snagged up. I don't like a lot of SOT models cause they're heavy. I'm looking at a Native Tegris. Not a SOT but it's open like a canoe. It's made of ballistic armor and only weighs 36lbs. The seats are way more comfortable than the typical kayak seat (removable also and sit up higher). The thing is expensive tho....

All that said get a kayak. It will be one of the best investments you'll make for fishing.

 

[wilky]

soon as i get back to Scotland i will be buying a SOT Kayak i have used them alot though neve fished from one and i played with them in the North sea with sudden strroms and i have never fell out put like the SOT to be safe i dont fancy being stuck in a kayak in storm waters lol. They are also far cheaper than a boat and easier to transport.

 

[fly_guy12955]

Check out the NuCanoe. I tested one this past weekend. You can not tip it over, it's wider than most kayaks and ZOOMS thur the water. As well adapted for the river as it is for a lake. LOADS of room. LOADS of seat options. It appears to be the best fishing type personal craft I've seen so far.

Michael

 

[shotgunfly]

Check out the NuCanoe.

Thanks for reminding me about this one. I think I'll take a look.

 

[cockatouche]

SOT all the way:
Ample storage, stand up, sit sidesaddle, virtually unsinkable.

Stability is the key for a fishing platform.

Try it out before you buy it!

 

[mdisbrow]

I'm currently looking for one as well, and have narrowed it down to two options at this point. The Wilderness Systems Ride 115 and Commander 120.

Two different styles, each are appealing for their own reasons. I'm not a small guy (6' 235lb) and had only a few requirements in picking a kayak. I had to be able to stand and fish, and shorter, easier to transport and store.

I like the canoe/hybrid style for it's simplicity. Really nothing to get your line hung up on the deck of the kayak. The sit on top has its advantages as well. No bailing water when it's raining, dry storage, holds more weight, etc.

I'm probably going to end up with the one I can get at a better price since I like both of those models a lot.

Diablo Paddlesports makes a couple really attractive products that I think are pretty perfect for what I want, but they're out of my price range. Just another option if you're still looking.

 

[dean_mt]

I've been kayak fishing from a recreational model SIS kayak (Dagger Zydeco) for 2 years now and am thinking of going SOT in a model that is designed for standing up. Sitting in the kayak has presented a few problems (a) seat is too low for visibility and legs get uncomfortable after hours of not being elevated (b) the deck in front has to be clear of junk to avoid line getting snagged up. I don't like a lot of SOT models cause they're heavy. I'm looking at a Native Tegris. Not a SOT but it's open like a canoe. It's made of ballistic armor and only weighs 36lbs. The seats are way more comfortable than the typical kayak seat (removable also and sit up higher). The thing is expensive tho....

All that said get a kayak. It will be one of the best investments you'll make for fishing.

Having just bought a really nice, used 16 FT Mad River Canoe (after looking all summer) I am admittedly biased...but all the issues you mention have always made me wonder, why not just get a canoe? You are sitting on a seat has a lot of advantages - seeing a little better, adjusting your casting position easier, and being able to bend you knees! are a few reasons I would not want to fish out of a sit on top kayak. Am I wrong?

 

[riverbilly]

Having just bought a really nice, used 16 FT Mad River Canoe (after looking all summer) I am admittedly biased...but all the issues you mention have always made me wonder, why not just get a canoe? You are sitting on a seat has a lot of advantages - seeing a little better, adjusting your casting position easier, and being able to bend you knees! are a few reasons I would not want to fish out of a sit on top kayak. Am I wrong?

Your right - I have several friends that won't paddle anything but a canoe. The 12'ers are popular for river fishing, and there are lots of hybrid types out there now like the Commander 120 that mdisbrow mentioned.

Good advice to anybody looking to get their first boat or add to the fleet is to look for a nearby local retailer that has a "Demo Day" where you can paddle a variety of kayaks and canoes. There are so many out there now, you can find that perfect one for your needs, type of water, paddling style, price range, etc.

 

[mdisbrow]

I've fished out of canoes plenty in the past, but this will be my first kayak whenever I decide to pull the trigger. But based on past experiences with canoes and borrowing different models of kayaks from friends recently, I've found a lot of reasons to pick up a kayak. Some differences are important to me, and some not so much.

The kayaks I mentioned in my last post are actually designed to allow you to stand. The shape of the hull gives you a lot of stability that I've never felt in a canoe. Sitting down in a higher seat on a canoe is better than sitting super low in a kayak, sure, but I'd rather be standing. So I'll give up the seating advantage for the ability to stand.

Canoes are kind of a pain to paddle by yourself, and slower. Maybe I just suck at paddling. But that's my experience. I've never tried with a kayak paddle though.

Some of the newer kayaks kind of blend the canoe layout with the hull of a kayak, and in my opinion, give you the best of both worlds. Big open hull to throw your stuff where you want, easily get to it, with nothing in your way. But give you the stability to stand all day if you want to.

The biggest advantage of the sit on top kayak to me is that it's self bailing. I have no fear of sinking, flipping, etc. but it would be convenient if when it starts to rain or you take a bucket of water over the rail, you don't have to stop fishing and pump or bail water.

 

[pa dave]

There are devotees to both SIS and SOT kayaks. I personally prefer SIS. I have an Old Town Loon 138 which is wide and stable with a huge cockpit. It might be a bit long for some applications, but on big water it is a blessing. Since I bought my first kayak (used and online for $350), my poor canoe has not seen the water. There's a huge difference between the two. If the wind kicks up, I can paddle the kayak into the wind, across the wind, whatever. Solo paddling a canoe in the wind is, well, a freakin' nightmare of effort.

Whatever route you go, SIS or SOT, it will be one of the best investments in fishing you will ever make, like someone else already said.

Check with local outfitters for used boats. They often sell off some of their kayaks at the end of the season.

 

[dean_mt]

I hear ya, kayakers. I am pretty strictly a river fisherman, so when I hear someone talk about standing on a sit on top kayak I immediately imagine trying to cast and surf at that same time! I plan to use my canoe to get to place otherwise inaccessible to a wade fisherman, then stop and fish. I have fished out of moving canoes as well, and it is not why I bought the boat. If I wanted a boat to fish from while floating ... obviously a Sotar or Clacka would my first choices.

 

[cpowell]

Hobie Mirage. This is an awesome kayak, either inflatable or hard. Check them out.

 

[shotgunfly]

Having just bought a really nice, used 16 FT Mad River Canoe (after looking all summer) I am admittedly biased...but all the issues you mention have always made me wonder, why not just get a canoe? You are sitting on a seat has a lot of advantages - seeing a little better, adjusting your casting position easier, and being able to bend you knees! are a few reasons I would not want to fish out of a sit on top kayak. Am I wrong?

Sorry for the late reply, work has been keeping me busy busy busy. I see what you mean and have considered a canoe. It would have all of the benefits and I'd be able to get the wife out with me (she won't get in a yak). But, the length and weight of a canoe is just a bit more than I want to handle on my own. I can't go longer than 12' (small garage) and since I car top carry I'm not gonna wrestle with a canoe—my fishing abilities give spectators enough to laugh at already.

 

[fly_guy12955]

Kayaks are a supreme river vessel. You can anchor off, fish, then move on. You can use a 'drag chain' and move slow. Can't be beat on a river.

 

[irons]

Look at the jackson coosa, very stable, you can stand and cast with ease, comfortable seat with 2 positions, high position u are up off the water a little higher, and is open where u stand, think about where your fly line is going to lay when your stripping it in.