Bass Boat --> Kayak 2024

dickenscpa reply :

This may be long, but bear with me:

I have a 16-17' glass bass boat. In perfect condition, been garage kept its whole life and just upgraded electronics bow and console. I love my boat but not necessarily in love with it I guess, it's just a tool. 99% fish by myself. Wife and two kids don't care to fish.

Wife wanted to go kayaking, bad. Me and our two kids were iffy. Son is 17 and daughter is 9. We get two tandems and my wife and daughter LOVED it. Our daughter is still talking about it. Our son was meh. Me I think I would've enjoyed it much more in a single. I think my son was a bit sketchy because it was Labor Day Weekend and pleasure boaters were buzzing around EVERYWHERE. That actually gave me more confidence in the stability that we survived that with ease.

Anyway I want to buy my wife a tandem to paddle our daughter around in, but she says she doesn't feel good about going out without me. She wants me to get a fishing rig so I'll be out there if she needs me but also doing what I love.

Being realistic I own a CPA firm with 3 office locations, I don't even have the time to fish and bowhunt like I want now. No way I could or would justify a bass boat and a kayak with my time. I could have my bass boat sold this afternoon if I wanted but has anyone sold their boat for a kayak and just really had seller's remorse?

Rip_lipz reply :

I have never made the switch from bass boat to kayak, thought about it. But, in my opinion I don't think I could go without my boat. I have a kayak and my ranger. The wife likes to go out on the kayaks every once and a while. I enjoy having the two. If you have the garage space I would keep the boat.

HookInMouth reply :

I didn't sell my boat (24' pontoon rigged up for fishing) to get a kayak but when i got back into fishing I decided to go kayak and having done that I have no regrets and really have no plans to add a full size boat any time in the near future. But I expect that has a lot to do with the waters I like to fish now too (shallow rivers and creeks). Also my personality. I like the simplicity of the kayak. A lot.

dickenscpa reply :

My biggest fear is the way I see other boaters treat kayakers in my area. I fish the Cumberland River and there's also a lot of barge traffic. I dealt with a lot of traffic Saturday but it was on the lake and no barges. I don't like the wake a barge throws in my bass boat.

Kayak fishing has gotten really big here in TN and there are a lot of good waters to kayak fish, but I'm afraid with my time schedule I won't drive to them to kayak fish for the same reason I don't pull the boat to other waters now.

Thanks for the feedback, sometimes I have to type something out to get thru to myself. LOL! What I'll probably do is just get myself a fast/sleek pleasure kayak to enjoy time with my wife and daughter. Probably buy my son one and make him go. LOL!

VolFan reply :

I have a Nucanoe Frontier 12 and a Pursuit. I take my wife or kid tandem in the Frontier and go solo in the Pursuit if i go solo. The Frontier is actually fine solo as well and if i were to do it again, I would just get two Frontiers.

Choporoz reply :

Mid to better 'fishy' kayaks seem to hold their resale value extremely well first couple years in most areas. I don't think it would be a huge risk to get a decent yak and keep both it and the boat for a year to see if you really feel the need to choose.

Oh...and please try to make more time to fish....and hunt

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/4/2019 at 2:40 AM, Choporoz said:

Mid to better 'fishy' kayaks seem to hold their resale value extremely well first couple years in most areas. I don't think it would be a huge risk to get a decent yak and keep both it and the boat for a year to see if you really feel the need to choose.

Oh...and please try to make more time to fish....and hunt

I have to keep working, I can't hardly keep the 17 yr old fed!

Choporoz reply :

I've never met an old fisherman who said "I wish I'd worked more when I was younger"

Harold Scoggins reply :

Sold my bass boat 3 years after starting kayak fishing...I'll never go back.

Krux5506 reply :

I would justify having both. Sometimes fishing smaller water out of a kayak is just way more fun than dealing with a boat on bigger water. Sometimes the fishing is also way better on smaller waters via kayak or so I have found this year during the dog days of summer when my home port bass fishing becomes practically dead. At this point, I am really glad to have both.

Terrance Waters reply :

On some larger lakes I need my bass boat to get me to good spots quicker. On smaller bodies of water or those limited by motor size I use one of my kayaks. Sometimes I use the kayak to just slow down and enjoy the fishing at a more leisurely pace. I love both. The more ways to get on the water is a good thing. The more tools in the tool box the better.

Bass Whoopin' reply :

I love my Jackson Cuda HD. I got it because it's much cheaper than a bass boat. I'd like to get a Nitro someday but the Kayak is a hell of an experience for the price. I mounted a lowrance Hook2 5 HDI on it and it's a sweet little rig for some bass fishing. Gonna try some musky fishing out of it next year. Never been in a tandem kayak though. I like being in control of my own rig.

gnappi reply :

I've thought about trying out a yak and replacing my all electric bass boat.

I like having stuff with me, there isn't a yak big enough to hold it all. Add to that I don't have space for another toy and it's not going to happen.

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/4/2019 at 8:42 AM, gnappi said:

I've thought about trying out a yak and replacing my all electric bass boat.

I like having stuff with me, there isn't a yak big enough to hold it all. Add to that I don't have space for another toy and it's not going to happen.

I do want to carry my cooler with me. I don't get to go multiple days during the week but when I do i make it an ALL day affair. So I have drinks, lunch, a snack and dinner with me in a Yeti 20 qt.

Here's my deal in a long drawn out nutshell - I have a 5 car basement level garage. My wife's side is a 2 car and my side is a 3 car. She needs EVERY inch of hers not to hit the walls. LOL! On my side I have my reloading bench setup, my "bow shop" with draw board, bow press, targets etc. A touring model Harley, ATV, boat and zero turn mower plus other yard equipment.

The boat takes up the most space and every time I want to fish I have to move Congress to get it out and when I get back resituate to get it back in. I could've went fishing yesterday evening but I didn't feel like it. I could've went for a bit this morning but same deal.

I've felt this way about it for 4-5 years now. I LOVE to fish but find myself not going because I hate rearranging the garage coming and going each time, I'm tired of launching the boat in a crowd by myself each time and tired of fishing the same old dead water EVERY trip because I don't want to pull the boat any distance.

I could put a kayak in my garage and actually move around in there. Throw it in the truck and go. There are a multitude of ramps within 20 miles of me I'd like to fish but don't because I don't want to pull the boat that far and they don't have a courtesy dock.

So I just need a yak wide enough to hold my cooler, a small Plano tackle box and I wind up using the same four rods over and over anyway.

VolFan reply :

Get a Frontier and use the cooler as a seat.

Bird reply :

I've had both for many years and this is my unbiased opinion.

Kayaks have come a LONG way to accommodate the fisherman and are very convenient......just throw it on the truck and hit the river or lake.

The wife and I are very much into RVing and spend every weekend on a lake somewhere but I can't pull a bass boat and trailer so a fishing kayak it is, with trolling motor of course.

But I can never compare a kayak to a bass boat. My Skeeter was more comfortable, MUCH MUCH easier to cast more accurately standing on solid platform and sight fishing during the spawn is no comparison.....give me the bass boat.

If I lived closer to the bigger lakes I'd definitely have a bass boat again but for now, convenience wins.

Yakalong reply :

I have both and wouldn't sell either. Both have their place, the wife likes to kayak so I go out with her and I fish as we go along. I like both, if you have the space get both.

LadiMopar reply :

On 9/4/2019 at 1:54 AM, dickenscpa said:

I could have my bass boat sold this afternoon if I wanted but has anyone sold their boat for a kayak and just really had seller's remorse?

I don't know about seller's remorse, but I can tell you that I've had several serious offers from guys who wanted to trade a bass boat for my kayak. They all seemed to be interested in getting out from under the expense of a big rig.

Krux5506 reply :

On 9/4/2019 at 11:38 PM, dickenscpa said:

I've felt this way about it for 4-5 years now. I LOVE to fish but find myself not going because I hate rearranging the garage coming and going each time, I'm tired of launching the boat in a crowd by myself each time and tired of fishing the same old dead water EVERY trip because I don't want to pull the boat any distance.

Sounds like you're just burned out on the boat. I get the same feeling sometimes except I just keep mine on a hoist all season at my family's cottage. If I'm burned out, I simply just don't go out or go down there. If I didn't have that convenience/luxury I'd probably be in the same position as you.

If you can sell the boat without having any remorse, go for it.

jaimeastin reply :

I was a kayak fisherman before the boat, and I love the kayak more. Boaters are scumbags at times, which is why I am always aware of other yakers when I am in my boat. There is just nothing like fishing out of a yak if you are able to. I love the secondary benefits like exercise, closeness to water, consentrating on on apts longer, quieter, less desturbing to to fish and other people, etc.

Boating is always a ticking show. Who had the best and such. They almost as bad as pleasure boaters.

I say get both. There are places I will not kayak, period! There are places I would prefer my kayak to boat. I hooked my boat up yesterday, drove a few miles down the road, came back and threw my kayak in the truck and left the boat.

Both are great. I also float tube... I just wish we could all respect one another on the water. You don't have to go 1MPH by, but for sale, don't deliberately speed and make a wake. That stuff is not funny! That's is how people get hurt or hurt others in retaliation.

Be safe people

dickenscpa reply :

Unfortunately keeping both isn’t really an option. My wife told me to get the kayak but boat gone by Christmas. LOL!

Theres a local shop here that has been very helpful AND patient. I’ve narrowed it down to a Jackson Bite, Malibu Stealth 12 and a Pelican Catch 120.

I LOVE the Jackson Bite! I could do cartwheels on the deck but it’s slow. The Malibu is great but doesn’t feel super stable. Standing up was problematic. The Pelican kinda felt best of both worlds but it concerns me that it is also sold at Academy. I would hope the quality is there.

One note to add - the Pelican wasn’t as fast and nimble as the Malibu but felt more stable. It also wasn’t as stable as the Bite but more flickable.

Choporoz reply :

I'm not familiar with any of those three. Hopefully, they have pedals or a pedal (or TM) upgrade option.

I've fished from kayaks for a number of years now. Switching to pedals this year has made so much more improvement than I ever considered before I had them.

Additionally, I underestimated the value of the seat for a long time. The better the seat is FOR YOU.....the better the overall kayak fishing experience will be...by some multiple

jaimeastin reply :

I'm so traditional with paddles. I don't have one I can standup in either and I have 5 kayaks right now. I like speed and maneuverability over standup and stable. With that said, I tried a $4k Hobie and it was nice. You can pedal, stand, laydown, dance, invite some people on there and party... Okay, not all of that, but it was killer.

My wife doesn't complain about my kayaks because I keep 3 on the perimeter of my house in the landscaping. And the other two are in another state. Mind you my largest is a 12-foot and the others are 10 ft. I have them all rigged up, but I haven't had the money right now to pay more than $600 for a kayak. I get all the bells and whistles, but by time I rig up my kayaks and catching fish it hasn't bothered me one single bit. My pescador 120 which is the same as a tarpon 120 is my absolute favorite. Believe me I am taken a lot of gear out there with me 6 fishing poles, crate, fish finder, all other types of gear. I got started on the project to put a trolling motor on my kayak, but I just decided I didn't want to do that. I like being able to throw my kayaks in the back of the truck gets Hill lake throw whatever gear I have on it and leave. No need for kayak wheels, no need for a kayak trailer.

S Hovanec reply :

I could never sell my boat for a yak. I fish too far off shore on Erie for that.

Bird reply :

Here's another one to consider, a great fishing platform with several options.

Jonny boats Bass 100.

Won't allow me to post any pics for ya' ????

dickenscpa reply :

Well I took the day off and spent all day at three different kayak shops. Two of them were next to water and let me demo.

I paddled everything but a bathtub. I went to Hook1 in Hendersonville, TN which was very patient and helpful. I think they had every kayak made available for demo as well it seemed. 10’ from their back door was Old Hickory Lake.

I fell in in love with a Feelfree Lure 10. I thought I wanted the 11.5 or a Moken 12.5 but they were both cumbersome loading and I knew I’d be in the same funk not wanting to fool with it. Plus the seat on the Moken did not agree with me.

So im glad I went to multiple shops that carried different brands to get a taste of many. I’m happy with my decision and very thankful for all you guys advice and patience as well.

jaimeastin reply :

Glad you got test or and get want you want and need. Worse choice to get one you can load easily... You don't need any excuse not to go fishing, lol! Very nice to be able to demo on the spot, some of us have to wait for demo days.

Congrats! Now keep us informed for any rigging you do to it. That might be my most fun part. I have some new items for my kayak in the garage. I will get them on later this month, I think

Bird reply :

I have 2 Feelfree boats.

They build good stuff and stand behind them.

Good fishing.

DogBone_384 reply :

On 9/7/2019 at 7:27 PM, Bird said:

I have 2 Feelfree boats.

They build good stuff and stand behind them

dickenscpa reply :

I was in the kayak from 6:35-1:55 and all went well. Very stable, I could easily stand but I hate fishing standing up and one of the reasons I wanted to try kayak fishing. Seat was wonderful.

No worries getting into my cooler behind me. Everything actually went perfect save one thing - the top of my legs and feet are COOKED.

I caught 7 fish in these two areas I always wanted to try but couldn’t get a boat back there. So I guess she’s been slimed. I can’t even count how many dink’s had the back of my soft plastic all the way to me before letting go.

Definitely have to find something to cover my legs and feet that’s not hot and ok to get wet my feet are miserable. LOL

LadiMopar reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 5:32 AM, dickenscpa said:

I was in the kayak from 6:35-1:55 and all went well. Very stable, I could easily stand but I hate fishing standing up and one of the reasons I wanted to try kayak fishing. Seat was wonderful.

No worries getting into my cooler behind me. Everything actually went perfect save one thing - the top of my legs and feet are COOKED.

I caught 7 fish in these two areas I always wanted to try but couldn’t get a boat back there. So I guess she’s been slimed. I can’t even count how many dink’s had the back of my soft plastic all the way to me before letting go.

Definitely have to find something to cover my legs and feet that’s not hot and ok to get wet my feet are miserable. LOL

So sorry to hear about cooked limbs/feet. I wear jeans no matter what, and the toes are covered too...got seriously sun burned way back in the day and since then...well I'd rather be a little warm in the short run than fried for the long haul.

Anyway, so happy to know you are enjoying the new yak. I have a Lure 10 which I paddled for a couple seasons, it's now the "loaner" yak for my daughter and grandkids. I loved that thing, but due to physical limitations I upgraded this season to the FF Dorado....which I also love, but there are days when it would be nice to be back in the Lure.

May it bring you many, many years of fishing happiness!

Jleebesaw reply :

I have both. There is no way anybody who says they would rather fish from a kayak than a bass boat is being honest. They have either never done both or are just trying to maintain the kayak elitist mentality that has overtaken that community! The yak has its uses. It has its moments, but it is very obvious that it's not as good as a bass boat. I mean c'mon guys.

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 6:49 AM, Jleebesaw said:

I have both. There is no way anybody who says they would rather fish from a kayak than a bass boat is being honest. They have either never done both or are just trying to maintain the kayak elitist mentality that has overtaken that community! The yak has its uses. It has its moments, but it is very obvious that it's not as good as a bass boat. I mean c'mon guys.

For me I’m just literally burnt out on the hassle of pulling, launching and loading my boat. I love fishing but it got to the point that dreading dealing with my boat trumped my love of fishing.

In the last last five years I’m 3/4 into my second tank of gas. I still have my boat so if I want to fish out of it I can. I paid cash for it when I bought it, it’s not costing much in gas that’s for sure and the ramp is 7.1 miles from my house so not much truck gas either.

We’ll see I guess. If I miss it I’ll keep it and have both. If I see it’s not being used it’s gone.

kayl. reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 6:49 AM, Jleebesaw said:

I have both. There is no way anybody who says they would rather fish from a kayak than a bass boat is being honest. They have either never done both or are just trying to maintain the kayak elitist mentality that has overtaken that community! The yak has its uses. It has its moments, but it is very obvious that it's not as good as a bass boat. I mean c'mon guys.

I would 100% rather fish out of my kayak than a bass boat. No, I don't own a bass boat, but I use friends' boats and still prefer my kayak. There's something about being in a kayak on the lake that you just don't get in a boat. It's more peaceful and you tend to see more nature ime.

And when salmon fishing Lake Michigan I would 100000% rather be in my kayak. There's nothing quite like being 2 miles off shore and hooking with a salmon for a sleigh ride!

WRB reply :

A stable boat is easy to get in and out of for physically challenged or older anglers, kayaks are no longer feasible for me. What's difficult about launching a bass boat alone?

Launching a kayak requires more physical effort.

Fishing isn't a sport enjoyed under the pressure of time constraints unless you like tournament fishing.

Remember you are only here a limited time, enjoy it with your family now, later may never come.

Tom

jaimeastin reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 6:49 AM, Jleebesaw said:

I have both. There is no way anybody who says they would rather fish from a kayak than a bass boat is being honest. They have either never done both or are just trying to maintain the kayak elitist mentality that has overtaken that community! The yak has its uses. It has its moments, but it is very obvious that it's not as good as a bass boat. I mean c'mon guys.

I have both as well and taking my kayak to this honey hole is just more fun than going to the lake full of people. There is more prep time with the boat.. I can't go into spots that I would like to go if I were in my kayak... And for me, I love the exercise. I never felt more lazy than fishing out of my bass boat. But this is coming from a guy who would rather hike or bike than ride an to go hunting, a guy who likes the float tube most of all.

I love my boat and I am so happy I have the options of choice. The boat is good for taking others, covering more and bigger waters, has the most technology outfitted (livescope), which is more fun these days... But i am considering getting another one for my kayak.

I am just glad I have a choice. The boat is great, but it is just more of a hassle to drag out. The kayak is not as comfortable all the time, but they have trade offs.

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/9/2019 at 1:10 AM, WRB said:

A stable boat is easy to get in and out of for physically challenged or older anglers, kayaks are no longer feasible for me. What's difficult about launching a bass boat alone?

Launching a kayak requires more physical effort.

Fishing isn't a sport enjoyed under the pressure of time constraints unless you like tournament fishing.

Remember you are only here a limited time, enjoy it with your family now, later may never come.

Tom

To me it's not difficult, I just hated doing it. I have it down to a science but just hated fooling with it. To me it was like when I'm driving home from the office in rush hour traffic and I get that text from my wife. "We're out of toilet paper stop and get some please!" No it's not physically difficult to get off the interstate and pull into a grocery store and pick it up and then get back on and finish driving home - but I HATE doing it.

I've pulled trailers all my life and can back one up faster than some people can drive forward with nothing on the hitch. I know it's me and in my head but I'm a nervous wreck pulling my boat or my ATV on a trailer. I bought ramps that go into my hitch and pull my ATV in the bed of my truck. My kayak is in the back of my truck right now and I'm going to hit a spot I'd never pull my boat to on the way home.

The biggest kicker for me is my wife, son and daughter don't give a care about fishing, I know breaks my heart too. My wife has never stepped foot on my boat, my daughter once and my son maybe three times. We rented kayaks and they fell in love with the sport. So I bought mine on Friday and went back and bought three more on Saturday.

I fished most all Saturday morning, bought 3 more kayaks and we all went back Saturday afternoon. Went out again Sunday after church. If I miss my boat I'll keep it. If I sell it and regret it I'll buy another, it was time for an upgrade anyway.

YaknBassn reply :

I sold my boat in favor of a kayak. I miss the boat on occasion, but I don't regret my decision. Most of my annoyances with kayak fishing revolves around my inability to learn that I dont have the storage capacity of a boat. I spend more time unloading my kayak than I ever did launching my boat.

And I like the kayak tournament community so much more. Most of them are just guys that like fishing and might when some money doing it.

And if you dont already have one, please invest in a good quality PFD.

gimruis reply :

I say get rid of the kids and keep both the bass boat and kayak!!

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/10/2019 at 9:14 AM, gimruis said:

I say get rid of the kids and keep both the bass boat and kayak!!

My wife costs me way more than the kids! I can handle the kids but my wife....whew! She’s high dollar.

I haven’t listed my boat. Im gonna keep it thru the next spring. If I don’t use it I’m selling it. Unless someone just makes me a heckuva offer between now and then.

Ive already had this yak on the water more since I bought it Friday than the last three years on the boat BUT I’m not stupid I understand the yak is a new toy right now so we’ll let the goody wear off before I make a knee jerk decision.

I made a big snafu today. Took the yak to the office today and stopped at a place I always wanted to fish on the way home. I parked sideways on a hill. Set the nose of the kayak on the ground and tail end slid off tailgate. I tried to catch it but my crocs twisted on me and me and the yak rolled down the hill into the water. Luckily no rods in the holders so no breakage but I picked stuff up for a while. My wife bought me a new waterproof case for my phone - it works.

Nothing broke or hurt but some young bucks bucks jet skiing got a good laugh. When I climbed out of the water I had somebody’s nice crank bait stuck in my arm so I had that going for me. So I got a free lure outta the deal.

OperationEagle reply :

Had a kayak. Loved it and do miss it. Sounds like you have a pickup truck which can make all the difference in the world from a load and unload standpoint.

When I fish I fish for a min of 6 hours at a time. At the end of the day I would get out of my kayak and be unable to stand up straight. Followed by lifting it onto the roof of my car. Then off the car when getting home. Then lifting again to store it. A 70lb piece of plastic starts to take its toll...real fast.

Went to to see my orthopedic surgeon for a separate issue and spoke to him about my experience with the kayak. He said the kayak related issues are becoming common among patients of the orthopedic and physical therapist community. His advice to me. If I wanted to fish long term, get a boat. I now have a boat.

That being said, I understand the allure of the kayak. The exercise, being one w the water, sneaking into areas where boats can’t.

What I don’t miss...of course the pain of 70 lbs, controlling the kayak in wind, not being able to fish when winds reached 12 mph, getting swamped by other watercraft, being limited to small waters or smaller areas of large water, among others.

Each has its benefits and limitations. Just some become bigger considerations as you age.

Enjoy your kayak. And always wear your pfd. Always.

HookInMouth reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 6:49 AM, Jleebesaw said:

I have both. There is no way anybody who says they would rather fish from a kayak than a bass boat is being honest. They have either never done both or are just trying to maintain the kayak elitist mentality that has overtaken that community! The yak has its uses. It has its moments, but it is very obvious that it's not as good as a bass boat. I mean c'mon guys.

So you think my preference for kayak fishing isn't because I enjoy it more but rather I am trying to maintain an elitist mentality?

I think overall, depending on the body of water, a bass boat is certainly a more efficient tool. It's better equipment for most jobs. Where it fails is getting into some places and maybe stealth. I fish shallow rivers almost exclusively now that my boat would never have been capable of.

Enjoying fishing from a kayak more than a bass boat is a semi-common sentiment even if it's not the most efficient tool for the job. Maybe it's like that old "you drive a car but you RIDE a motorcycle" type deal? I'm not sure. And I don't think maintaining an elitist mentality (by using a cheaper and limited option?) has anything at all to do with it.

Hawkeye21 reply :

Having a fishing kayak and having friends with boats is the best way to go. Let them worry about all the costs and responsibility. The kayak allows you to go fishing whenever you want and you can fish with a buddy on their boat so you can get your fix in if needed. Perfect.

TnRiver46 reply :

On 9/8/2019 at 5:32 AM, dickenscpa said:

I was in the kayak from 6:35-1:55 and all went well. Very stable, I could easily stand but I hate fishing standing up and one of the reasons I wanted to try kayak fishing. Seat was wonderful.

No worries getting into my cooler behind me. Everything actually went perfect save one thing - the top of my legs and feet are COOKED.

I caught 7 fish in these two areas I always wanted to try but couldn’t get a boat back there. So I guess she’s been slimed. I can’t even count how many dink’s had the back of my soft plastic all the way to me before letting go.

Definitely have to find something to cover my legs and feet that’s not hot and ok to get wet my feet are miserable. LOL

Sunscreen my friend! Glad you had fun out there

On 9/8/2019 at 2:56 PM, kayl. said:

I would 100% rather fish out of my kayak than a bass boat. No, I don't own a bass boat, but I use friends' boats and still prefer my kayak. There's something about being in a kayak on the lake that you just don't get in a boat. It's more peaceful and you tend to see more nature ime.

And when salmon fishing Lake Michigan I would 100000% rather be in my kayak. There's nothing quite like being 2 miles off shore and hooking with a salmon for a sleigh ride!

2 miles into lake Michigan in a kayak??? That takes some brass ones! I don't even want to take my 18 ft center console boat onto great lakes after seeing Michigan and Erie in person

J Francho reply :

On 9/11/2019 at 1:19 AM, TnRiver46 said:

That takes some brass ones!

Not really, actually pretty common to see kayakers out on the Great Lakes. Most of the time, you get rollers, not the hellacious waves you see in pictures. Some days it can be like glass.

TnRiver46 reply :

On 9/11/2019 at 1:32 AM, J Francho said:

Not really, actually pretty common to see kayakers out on the Great Lakes. Most of the time, you get rollers, not the hellacious waves you see in pictures. Some days it can be like glass.

I saw it live and in color two weeks ago on Erie, not just a picture. I'm sure people do it, just not me. We had huge waves blasting over the front of a two story ferry full of cars and people. Seems like the storms are pretty bad up that way too, I imagine that it goes from slick to scary pretty quick on some days. I don't even paddle far from shore on my never windy reservoirs at home, I just don't like the idea of capsizing way out in the middle. I also don't sky dive or ride roller coasters so these opinions are coming from a bit of a chicken..... unfortunately people around here drown while kayaking quite often and our waters are tiny by comparison

J Francho reply :

We're about a mile from the launch:

Lake O.

TnRiver46 reply :

On 9/11/2019 at 2:00 AM, J Francho said:

We're about a mile from the launch:

Lake O.

Purty!! I have paddled 15+ miles in a day many times but never terribly far from dry land. There's an island 200 yards from my dock and swimming out there and back is exhausting so I use that as somewhat of a rule of thumb, I don't venture out further than I can swim back

dickenscpa reply :

On 9/11/2019 at 1:19 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Sunscreen my friend! Glad you had fun out there

On 9/11/2019 at 1:48 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I saw it live and in color two weeks ago on Erie, not just a picture. I'm sure people do it, just not me. We had huge waves blasting over the front of a two story ferry full of cars and people. Seems like the storms are pretty bad up that way too, I imagine that it goes from slick to scary pretty quick on some days. I don't even paddle far from shore on my never windy reservoirs at home, I just don't like the idea of capsizing way out in the middle. I also don't sky dive or ride roller coasters so these opinions are coming from a bit of a chicken..... unfortunately people around here drown while kayaking quite often and our waters are tiny by comparison

TNRiver, I bought some "fishing" pants at Academy that the legs zip off into shorts if I need to and they're SPF 50.

Talk about a chicken - I know why boats scare me so bad at speed because I was involved in an accident that nearly killed me when I tried to co-angle ONE time.

My heart attack in 2017 didn't help. There's something about being healthy as a horse and having a heart attack out of the blue 6 days after your checkup that gives you a big mortality check.

gimruis reply :

If I didn’t have a bass boat I’d for sure have a really nice fishing kayak.

kayl. reply :

On 9/11/2019 at 1:32 AM, J Francho said:

Not really, actually pretty common to see kayakers out on the Great Lakes. Most of the time, you get rollers, not the hellacious waves you see in pictures. Some days it can be like glass.

Sunrise at about 2 miles out. The rollers were a pain in the ass on this trip. To be clear, we do it right. Vhf radios, flares, pfds, GPS, etc. We check the wind, wave, and precipitation forecasts and monitor them while on the water.

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