Good Fishing Kayak For Newbie? 2024

hoosierbass07 reply :

Hi all! I recently joined the local Izaak Walton League and now have access to some very nice strip pit lakes/ponds. They are a fishing canoe/kayaker's heaven.

I have a two person canoe but I've been watching videos of fishing kayaks and they look really fun.

So I have a few questions:

What is more versatile - a one person fishing kayak or one person canoe?

If you had to recommend a one person craft to a newbie - would it be a one person kayak or one person canoe?

Can I pick up a new and good fishing kayak for under eight hundred dollars? If I do get a fishing kayak I would like to eventually put one of those battery powered

motors on it.

Thanks!

flyfisher reply :

I fished in canoes for years as a kid and they have their place but since i have started fishing from a kayak it is a no brainer. Kayaks are faster, don't get affected by wind as much and are generally safer, assuming it is a sit on top.

You can absolutely get a good kayak for under $800 but also keep in mind the added expense of a paddle and PFD which can be as little or as much as you would like to spend really. You also have to take into account how are you going to transport the thing around. Do you have a truck or wil you need a roof top rack system to haul it to the lake? This also plays into a specific boat because of the weight factor of lifting it on the roof is a lot different then getting it into a truck bed or on a trailer.

I also recommend staying away from the angler packages. You can generally righ tme for cheaper yourself and it will bw how you want it set up for your style of fishing and you won't knwo what you really want until you get out there a few times anyways.

There is also a very good used market for boats so keep your eyes peeled on craigslist to see what's out there. As far as models go, well there a ton of good boats to choose from by quite a few major manufacturers.

One of my favorites, and was my first boat, is the now native (formerly heritage) redfish 12. Great boat, plenty stable, i used to stand in mine but your results may vary based on your balance, and in a good price point. The seat is not the greatest but it worked for me at the time. Other options would be the WIlderness Systems tarpon or commander which is a hybrind and not technically a sit on top but is what i use for my flatwater fishing.

If there are any shops around that sell boats go take a look and even better a demo of a few boats. It is going to be different than a canoe but it isn't drastic enough that you will feel out of sorts.

I know bass pro has also come out with some new models that are getting good reviews as well.

Bottom line is take a look at a bunch of boats sit in them, paddle them and if there is a model that you like but is out of your price range, save up and get it when you can because you will end up getting it eventually anyways

buzzed bait reply :

I would answer the question by saying kayak, hands down. Always had a canoe as a kid and thought it was great, until i tried a kayak. I have an Ascend 10' from Bass Pro. I highly suggest you check out that line at Bass Pro, they are good quality and cheaper price than others in the same class. I would suggest you try a few models and try out a sit in VS sit on top, they are fairly different and to each his own. Good luck, and as a warning it will be addicting.....

Marty reply :

Quote

Kayaks are faster, don't get affected by wind as much and are generally safer, assuming it is a sit on top.

I have never set foot in a kayak of any kind, but I still know that the above statement is true, although I'm not sure about the safety thing.

I have a 14' tandem canoe which I use solo. It's wide and relatively flat-bottomed so it's not efficient to paddle. But I tend to bring a lot of stuff with me and it's all laid out right in front of me for easy access. My point is that one needs to buy the boat which best suits one's wants and needs and you have to take the bad with the good.

flyfisher reply :

On 9/19/2013 at 8:06 AM, Marty said:

I have never set foot in a kayak of any kind, but I still know that the above statement is true, although I'm not sure about the safety thing.

I have a 14' tandem canoe which I use solo. It's wide and relatively flat-bottomed so it's not efficient to paddle. But I tend to bring a lot of stuff with me and it's all laid out right in front of me for easy access. My point is that one needs to buy the boat which best suits one's wants and needs and you have to take the bad with the good.

The reason i say a sit on top is safer is because they are self draining. Sure if you get a bunch of water inside the hull via the hatches it is bad news but your normal use and going out in rough water the scuppers will do their job. There is also the consideration of doing a deep water re-entry into your kayak. If you have to re-enter a canoe it is not easy but on a sit on top it is relatively easy, assuming you practiced a time or two before.

Rigging for a canoe or kayak are pretty much the same except a canoe will have a little more freeboard to work with and also a little easier to run any wiring for electronics, lights etc....as it is all open.

jsc4324 reply :

Wilderness ride 115. There's a new 115 x coming out that I would wait and see the price for. Extremely versatile SOT kayak that can be rigged and stood in to fish. A bit heavy but still manageable. Fair warning. Kayak fishing is addictive and can be costly. I would suggest taking it out a few times to see where you want things rigged based on you fishing habits.

moguy1973 reply :

While the Ascend kayaks that BPS has are nice and they work well, they tend to be a lot heavier than other brands because they use a high density polyethylene plastic where other companies use medium density. My buddy has one of the Ascend 12' SOT kayaks and it is HEAVY and very awkward even for 2 of us to put on top of a car. I can throw my 11.5' Ocean Kayak on top of my car by myself pretty easily.

There are a lot of good brands out there though, Wilderness Systems, Native, Ocean, Jackson ($$$ but awesome fishing kayaks), Perception, etc.

Like said above, make sure you budget in a decent paddle (Mine was like $40 on amazon), and GOOD pfd (I went all out and got a good fishing one that has pockets and a high back kayaks specific one, was usually $100 got it for $75, it can save your life after all)

flyfisher reply :

On 9/19/2013 at 9:54 PM, jsc4324 said:
Wilderness ride 115. There's a new 115 x coming out that I would wait and see the price for. Extremely versatile SOT kayak that can be rigged and stood in to fish. A bit heavy but still manageable. Fair warning. Kayak fishing is addictive and can be costly. I would suggest taking it out a few times to see where you want things rigged based on you fishing habits.

the X version definitely looks cool and i think they were planning on using the technology on multiple boats in their line.

Marty reply :

Quote

The reason i say a sit on top is safer is because they are self draining

I'll take your word since, as I mentioned, I never set foot in a kayak. I feel very safe in my canoe but have no way of knowing if it's less safe than a SOT kayak.

hoosierbass07 reply :

Are there any decent fishing kayaks in the $300 to $400 range? I want one that is light enough so one person (me) can load it and unload it. I can lift heavy weight but I don't want to use all my strength up loading and unloading a kayak. Also, I want one were I can put a trolley motor on.

hoosierbass07 reply :

Would a kayak like this be any good for bass fishing?

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21525966&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832.4417969

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21426366&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832.4417969

buzzed bait reply :

As some have already said, no matter what you find BE CERTAIN to budget a good paddle and a good PFD. You never know how crucial they are til you find out the hard way.... I had a cheapy $20 paddle when I began and one BAD day on the river when one of the blades snapped off and I had half a paddle for the remainder of the day.

Lastly, try the thing out a good bit before rigging things up on it. you do not want to rig something in a bad place and be stuck with it or have to move things around.... That said, I recently rigged up a way to put a trolling motor on my Ascend FS10 sit in kayak. 30lb thrust minn kota and used the deep cycle battery i already had, WORST idea ever. one bad day on the lake when the battery fell out of my kayak and nearly drowned me on lake oconee. just be mindful of the weight capacity and the load you put on it, this said from experience.... a really bad experience!

buzzed bait reply :

On 9/20/2013 at 10:13 AM, hoosierbass07 said:

Would a kayak like this be any good for bass fishing?

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21525966&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832.4417969

or

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21426366&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832.4417969

Both of these will "work" and will likely be good in some situations, but for the money they're asking for these you can do better. I would urge you not to rush into it and try as many kayaks out as you can before purchasing one. Craigslist has so many good deals pop up there and this time of year (end of summer) you will find more and more kayaks popping up for sale.

flyfisher reply :

I see a lot of people wanting a trolling motor right away and i would say if that is the case then a kayak may not be your best option unless you are looking at a torqueedo which is very lightweight. I am not saying you can't but unless you are travelling extremely long distances you will find that paddling isn't that bad. I routinely fish a lake that i will paddle 4+ miles one way to reach a particular area and while it is a long paddle it is more than manageable.

Not to mention the trolling motor adds a lot of weight and usually will require you to register the boat but that depends on the state.

hoosierbass07 reply :

I've been watching some of this guys videos. His kayaks look cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65fR6LFfkio

hoosierbass07 reply :

On 9/20/2013 at 10:36 AM, flyfisher said:
I see a lot of people wanting a trolling motor right away and i would say if that is the case then a kayak may not be your best option unless you are looking at a torqueedo which is very lightweight.

Would a trolling motor be better suited for a canoe?

hoosierbass07 reply :

On 9/20/2013 at 10:36 AM, flyfisher said:

I see a lot of people wanting a trolling motor right away and i would say if that is the case then a kayak may not be your best option unless you are looking at a torqueedo which is very lightweight. I am not saying you can't but unless you are travelling extremely long distances you will find that paddling isn't that bad. I routinely fish a lake that i will paddle 4+ miles one way to reach a particular area and while it is a long paddle it is more than manageable.

If a trolling motor is not a great option for a fishing kayak then what about one of those standing kayaks that let you sit or stand up and fish? Is a kayak that lets you stand up worth the money?

hoosierbass07 reply :

I keep coming up with questions. lol.

I was watching a couple of kayak fishing videos and they showed kayaks being drug up hills/through woods/etc... Are fishing kayaks strong enough to do that without damaging them? I joined the local Izaak Walton League and now have access to two nice sized lakes/ponds and three or four decent sized smaller ponds. Some of them are more in the woods and there are trails to them I would have to drag a kayak to them. They would be great for kayaks though, I bet.

flyfisher reply :

I am not saying it isn't an option all I am saying is give paddling a shot. If you really want a trolling motor boat then a Jon boat may be better

As far as standing up goes, absolutely. I have a commander 120 and stand probably 70% of the time I am fishing. The other great thing about standing is it allows you to stretch out a little and change positions.

And yeah it can handle dragging through woods no problem. I drag mine everywhere including concrete boat ramps at times and haven't spring a leak yet.

hoosierbass07 reply :

Wow. Dragging kayaks through woods to small ponds sounds like awesome fun! I'm definitely going to check out fishing kayaks.

hoosierbass07 reply :

I would probably use a fishing kayak (if I buy one) mostly on smooth ponds and lakes. The club I belong to only allows battery powered trolling motors and nothing larger. If I do buy one what size should I go for and what weight

would be best? I was looking at some Wilderness Systems Ride 115 and it weighs 76 pounds. Their 135 weighs 82 pounds. My sixteen foot mad river canoe weighs 72 pounds.

jsc4324 reply :

Just my opinion but size depends on a few factors. . How much gear do you plan on bringing etc. more room is usually better than less room however if you plan on going through the woods than smaller may be better. Also do a few searches for transport carts. Makes a huge difference when moving across land with a 75 pound boat. Also if you decide to buy a cart rather than build one don't skimp on that either buy a good quality one. Nothing worse than being a mile in the woods with the boat ablbd the cart craps out on you.

BrianSnat reply :

I'm gonna go against the grain, I've fished from kayaks and canoes and much prefer the canoe. In kayaks you're pretty much stuck in one position the whole time. In a canoe I can stand, sit, kneel, move around and turn around without turning the whole boat around. I can carry a lot more stuff and it's way easier to access.

As far as kayaks being faster, that's not necessarily true. There are slow canoes designed for stability, fast ones meant for paddling long distances and some in between. same for kayaks. A fast canoe will be faster than rec kayaks. Even a middle of the road canoe can also be faster. My canoe is in the middle of the pack speed wise, yet when I paddle with people in rec kayaks, most can't keep up with me, then again I can't keep up with the long touring kayaks either, but touring kayaks are poor choices for fishing. Most kayaks designed for fishing are even slower than rec boats use they are primarily designed for stability, not speed.

The only major advantage I ever saw in a kayak was that they fare a lot better in the wind and SINKs are dryer in a chop.

flyfisher reply :

Hmmmm not sure i can buy any of what you stated really.

I have fished out of both canoes and kayaks for a while now. I have never seen a canoe that was faster than just about any kayak unless you are comparing some racing canoe to a super stable kayak.

Accessibility to gear is totally a preference as i have no trouble carrying all my gear and accessing anything i need and that can include up to 5 conventional rods or at times 3 fly rods and all the accompanying gear. You also have to factor in the safety factor of a SOT over a canoe. A canoe can get swamped and is not the easiest thing to re-enter should something happen and you need to doe a deepwater entry. In a SOT this is much much easier and since the boat is self draining it also is safer.

Middle of the road canoe to middle of the road kayak the kayak will win 99% of the time assuming paddler skill is comparable.

In the kayak world there are actually very few kayaks that are designed solely for fishing as the majority are rec boats. Maybe 10 years ago you couldn't find a kayak that you can change positions in but those days are long gone. I can name 5-10 different boats right off the top of my head that are stable enough for standing, changing positions and most have a higher seat position that is helpful for those with bad backs.

I am not writing all this to rip canoes as i know plenty of people love their canoes and have them set up pretty sweet for river and for flatwater style of fishing but the generalizations that were made were comparing apples to oranges as far as boat styles go.

Darren. reply :

On 9/20/2013 at 11:10 AM, hoosierbass07 said:
If a trolling motor is not a great option for a fishing kayak then what about one of those standing kayaks that let you sit or stand up and fish? Is a kayak that lets you stand up worth the money?

I run a MinnKota Endura C30 on the back of my Native Ultimate and have a 56 lb battery that sits behind me. Mine is similar to a BassYaks system, but was much less expensive. Before I went to kayaking, I used a trolling motor on my 16' aluminum Grumman.

The Endura pushes me along just fine, saves my arms/elbows from repetitive stress on the joints for one thing. And I can move around keeping hands free to fish, not hold a paddle.

I don't use it all the time, but enough to tool around to areas I don't fish often.

aquaholic reply :

How necessary are kayaks in pay lakes?

hoosierbass07 reply :

I just got back using my 16 foot canoe at a nice lake/pond. Me and my brother went. I'm pretty sure I want a one person fishing kayak now. The thing is I need something light enough so I can load it and unload it all by myself.

The local dicks sporting goods store as some Perception kayaks. Are Perceptions good fishing kayaks?

Master Bait'r reply :

On 9/19/2013 at 9:54 PM, jsc4324 said:
There's a new 115 x coming out that I would wait and see the price for.

So much this. Hands down my favorite fishing yak for so many reasons. Just such a well thought out boat. Gotta love that center housing for the fishfinder and the pass-thru transducer well that protects the mechanism as well.

I originally got a sit-in kayak but I'm pretty much convinced I will be making the switch to a Ride 115x next summer.

hoosierbass07 reply :

The Ride 115 looks nice. Can one person load it on top of a truck or car with racks by himself/herself?

488

Good Fishing Kayak For Newbie? 2024

related Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic