Looking for fishing kayak recommendations

**cdm** · 04-21-2010, 07:46 PM

Anybody out there have some good or bad experiences with the various brands?

Trying to understand what works well and why.

Thanks

**jburge** · 04-22-2010, 06:12 AM

cdm,

I love my Hobie Outfitter. I got the tandem so the wife and I can go out together. The best deal is when she sits in the back, does all the uh, er, um, paddling/pedaling and I get to fish.

It's a sit on top, so it's easy to get in and out. It has loads of storage room, both on top, and in three storage hatches, and I can go in some pretty skinny water without a problem. The one drawback--it's heavy. I have gone plenty of places loading and unloading it by myself (on my little Accord), but you do have to learn a lesson in leverage.

There are several guys on this board who use kayaks. I know some of the favorite options include inflatables. Be sure to check out your local kayak shop. Many offer "on-the-water" days where you can try out several 'yaks, and some will also rent them too.

John

**DFrink** · 04-22-2010, 06:59 AM

I have an Ocean kayak and it's great. Some things to think about; the biggest draw back is keeping it in place when trying to fish still water, I haven't used the Hobie kayak before but it has pedals which allow you to turn the boat with your feet while you are fishing? I just hooked up a trolly anchor system on my boat (search for instructions on Youtube), haven't tried it out yet but it looks like it should help to eliminate most of the "drifting" problem. Float tubes are another option, but you can't go as far. Kayak fishing is a lot of fun and can open up a lot of new places for fishing.

**Grampa Spey** · 04-22-2010, 07:53 AM

I plan to buy a Hobie Mirage for two in May/June. My wife will finally come close to retiring and only work one day aweek. She said that she is interested in a tandem Hobie Mirage.

We had heard complaints about the Outfitter being slower than the Oasis with two on board and with the new warnings from Hobie about weight distribution, the Hobie Oasis sounds like a better option for us.

I like your concept of having the wife peddle so you can fish. We can both peddle to where I want to fish, and then she can handle the kayak while I cast. She likes being a back seat driver and would probably prefer that role in a yak.

Do you use Switch Rods in your yak or spinning rods? I have several shorter switch rods from 5/6 to 9/10 weights.

Did you buy your Hobie in Sac? We want to try one before we buy it.

Thanks, I will pm you an option to load your kayak easier. I'm doing this in two stages. I have the basic rack to install on my Honda Ridgeline. I will be ordering what the doctor ordered to get the Yak on top without killing me or both of us.

Thanks
Dave

Originally Posted by jburge

cdm,

I love my Hobie Outfitter. I got the tandem so the wife and I can go out together. The best deal is when she sits in the back, does all the uh, er, um, paddling/pedaling and I get to fish.

It's a sit on top, so it's easy to get in and out. It has loads of storage room, both on top, and in three storage hatches, and I can go in some pretty skinny water without a problem. The one drawback--it's heavy. I have gone plenty of places loading and unloading it by myself (on my little Accord), but you do have to learn a lesson in leverage.

There are several guys on this board who use kayaks. I know some of the favorite options include inflatables. Be sure to check out your local kayak shop. Many offer "on-the-water" days where you can try out several 'yaks, and some will also rent them too.

John

**Grampa Spey** · 04-22-2010, 08:06 AM

The link below will take you to the best price and free shipping on a great device to get our Yaks on top of our vehicles including big SUVs.

You need the basic Yakima or Thule racks on top. I will be installing the Yakima rack in a few days. Then I will order the Thule Hullavator to install it.

I have seen a woman, who is not that big load a big yak on her Suburban. That sold me.

http://www.prolineracks.com/thule-89...ayak-rack.html

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 04-22-2010, 08:17 AM

I see more kayaks in fly fishing all the time.

I am not really wild about fishing out of one but I think they are very nice to get around.

I think top water fly fishing is probably best out of a kayak where fishing deep with a fly rod from one might not be too good.

I am only guessing about this.

Have mostly test drove some kayaks but have had several canoes.

**CapitalFishr** · 04-22-2010, 11:21 AM

Some of the best on the market are Wilderness Systems kayaks like the Tarpon, etc. Big stable boats the are priced accordingly for the serious kayak fisherman. Check out the link below, they have a great variety and know their stuff (local in Sac). Ocean Kayak makes some good simple boats, like the "frenzy".

http://www.kayakcity.com/

I own a Malibu Mini-X... very light (39lbs) and extremely stable... you can get them with rod holders, etc. I just wanted the portability and stability. The downside of the boat is that its not made of the most durable material on the market. So don't store it outside. No problems with mine, looks brand new after 2 yrs. Found mine in Truckee and paid $400 quite a deal.

http://www.malibukayaks.com/kayak_minix.asp

Here's some other good sites.

www.austinkayak.com

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com

**Hairstacker** · 04-22-2010, 12:33 PM

As someone mentioned, an inflatable kayak is another option. That’s what I’ve fly fished with in the Delta for a number of years now. This is the one I’m currently fishing out of:

It was significantly cheaper than a hard-shell kayak, it's durable, I can haul it in the trunk of my Civic with room to spare, I can inflate it in 5 minutes with a double hand pump, it’s light enough to carry under one arm and scramble down a steep levee, I can launch it from just about anywhere, and it's very easy to just hop in. I keep a pump and paddle in the car at all times, so it’s a simple matter to toss it in the trunk when I want to go and I don’t have to worry about anyone swiping it off the top of the car. Lastly, it’s extremely stable, as I think most inflatable kayaks tend to be.

The disadvantages include the fact they’re fairly slow so your range will be limited and they can be punctured although very easy to patch.

All that said, I do like the size and light weight of that Malibu Mini-X. And although heavier, I like the “Rod Pod” on the Ocean Kayak Trident 11 that enables you to carry extra rod(s) out of the way in the hull of the kayak where they are still within easy reach.

Whatever you do, don’t give up on your search! Getting my 1st inflatable kayak literally changed my fishing life in a very big way overnight and I'm so happy I had the foresight to get that very 1st one.

**SLOwag** · 04-22-2010, 01:30 PM

Do you ever run across lake regulations that state inflatable craft must have a minimum number of air chambers, like four? A lake near me has that regulation, but I've seen float tubes on this lake and I'm pretty sure that did not have that many chambers.

For the record, I do like the pros mentioned above regarding inflatable craft.

**Hairstacker** · 04-22-2010, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by SLOwag

Do you ever run across lake regulations that state inflatable craft must have a minimum number of air chambers, like four? A lake near me has that regulation, but I've seen float tubes on this lake and I'm pretty sure that did not have that many chambers.

For the record, I do like the pros mentioned above regarding inflatable craft.

Since I use mine almost exclusively in the Delta, I don't have any information regarding lake regulations as they relate to number of air chambers. All of the inflatable kayaks I have owned to date, though, have each had at least 4 chambers. The current one pictured above has one for the floor, two for the sides, and a small inflatable chamber in the seat.