Looking To Purchase My First Kayak 2024

IAY reply :

Hello Bassresource,

I am looking to advance from only bank fishing, but I don't own a car that can tow large boats, so I am looking to purchase my first kayak. I want to purchase one that I will be perfectly happy with as entry model, without losing out on too much quality. In other words, what is the Curado I or Tatula for Kayaks? Thanks in advance for the help gents!

Darren. reply :

Wow. The Curado I or Tatula of kayaks, eh?

That's quite the loaded question as there are

no definitive Curados that are agreed upon.

That said, I'd say those reels are Above entry

level.... As for kayaks in that range, you may

be looking in the $700-900 range. Maybe...

So give us a price range of what you want to

spend on a yak and that'll help us help you more.

J Francho reply :

Pick your poison.....

Coosa

Ride 115/135

Feel Free Lure

Prowler

There's a more out there. For a general rec, the Ride 115 is hard to beat. It's not the prettiest, but it's one the best built, and feature packed crafts. I'm paddling a Coosa right now, and it's not my favorite boat, but for first timer, it would work well. The seat is like a La-Z-boy, lol.

IAY reply :

Price really isn't the issue, but I don't want to go overboard and buy the best kayak out there. I just want a solid product that I won't regret buying. Based on the results listed so far, I am guessing I should spend at least 700+ on it?

J Francho reply :

Think around $1k. Otherwise, skip the mid level boats and grab a Pelican or something inexpensive until you start to get a feel for what you want/like.

IAY reply :

Man... 1k is really really hard for me to save up for my fishing fund with all of the shiny reels and rods that catches my eye all of the time. Losing my Deps SS 175 to stump has made consider getting a boat though xD.

J Francho reply :

Don't rule out used boats either. If that isn't for you, these are great boats to "get your feet wet": http://www.pelicansport.com/en/products/kayaks/sit-top-kayaks/strike-120x-angler

flyfisher reply :

there are some good deals on quality boats right now for 2014 inventory as 2015 is coming in. In my opinion the jump from entry level to a higher level boat is pretty large and comes a lot in the form of a quality seat. One of the best boats for the money out there is the jackson Cruise 12. It isn't rigged up for fishing so you can do what you want but it comes with a good hull design and the super comfy Jackson seat....you can get one shipped from appomattox river company for under $900.

xxmurrxx reply :

Any opinions on Bass Pro's Ascend models? they have pretty good reviews for a low price yak.. I'm also looking into getting my first kayak for fishing.

Darren. reply :

On 10/16/2014 at 11:43 PM, xxmurrxx said:
Any opinions on Bass Pro's Ascend models? they have pretty good reviews for a low price yak.. I'm also looking into getting my first kayak for fishing.

You want to make sure to give a good look-over of

the BPS models if you go that route. Some of them

are warped as I've been told due to thinner plastics

used for hull molding.

But some really like their yaks, so definitely worth a

look if you're interested.

Darren. reply :

On 10/16/2014 at 11:19 PM, flyfisher said:
there are some good deals on quality boats right now for 2014 inventory as 2015 is coming in. In my opinion the jump from entry level to a higher level boat is pretty large and comes a lot in the form of a quality seat. One of the best boats for the money out there is the jackson Cruise 12. It isn't rigged up for fishing so you can do what you want but it comes with a good hull design and the super comfy Jackson seat....you can get one shipped from appomattox river company for under $900.

Agreed with previous year inventory price drops. I was

going to suggest the same thing once the price range

came into view.

Darren. reply :

On 10/16/2014 at 11:13 PM, IAY said:
Man... 1k is really really hard for me to save up for my fishing fund with all of the shiny reels and rods that catches my eye all of the time. Losing my Deps SS 175 to stump has made consider getting a boat though xD.

John's suggestion is spot-on. I actually went with a Pelican

which I bought for $300 at BJ's Wholesale Club - as my first

kayak.

It was rigged with rod holders, and it got my creative juices

flowing as to what I really wanted in a fishing kayak. From

there I moved up to a Native Ultimate 12, not pre-rigged

for fishing and have made that boat my "ultimate" fishing

rig.

It is a blast to rig a kayak just for your preferences.

I actually bought my Ultimate at the end of season for several

hundred $ under full price.

On 10/16/2014 at 11:18 PM, J Francho said:
Don't rule out used boats either. If that isn't for you, these are great boats to "get your feet wet": http://www.pelicansport.com/en/products/kayaks/sit-top-kayaks/strike-120x-angler

Choporoz reply :

http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/product/index/products/angling_/pescador_12_0_angler/

Anyone have experience with this? I've seen a few reviews - all favorable. $600 seems a pretty good price point...for me. I've had this one in a shopping cart for a couple of months now while I debate it with myself...lol

Hanover_Yakker reply :

This is also the time of year to start watching Craigslist as well. Plenty of folks had the same approach as you earlier in the year when it was warmer, but now that the weather is starting to turn colder are looking to free up space in the garage. Whatever you decide, make sure you can get some seat time on the waterwith it first to see if it is a good fit.

Hanover_Yakker reply :

On 10/17/2014 at 12:13 AM, Choporoz said:

http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/product/index/products/angling_/pescador_12_0_angler/

Anyone have experience with this? I've seen a few reviews - all favorable. $600 seems a pretty good price point...for me. I've had this one in a shopping cart for a couple of months now while I debate it with myself...lol

It's the pre-2008 Wilderness mold from Confluence - good platform to start out with.

J Francho reply :

Yep, Perception is a good starter boat as well. Forgot about that brand. My buddy had one, and I was surprised at how nice it was.

kikstand454 reply :

The perception is a remake of my kayak- an old WS tarpon.

Love my kayak.

desmobob reply :

Check out the Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 and 140. They are available with a fishing package and are also great general-use kayaks that offer about the best hull performance you can get in the class. I've had the Pungo 140 for several years and I'm really happy with it.

I guess a lot of guys prefer the sit-on-top kayaks these days, but I like the old-school types. The Pungo has a huge cockpit, plenty of dry storage and a very comfortable seat system. One of my fishing buddies tried out all the kayaks his fishing friends have and ended up picking a Pungo 120.

I think they're a little over $1K. I've used it on small ponds, large lakes, and in Cape Cod Bay. It will handle whatever you want it to.

Tight lines,

Bob

atcoha reply :

I bought a couple jackson "cruise" models early this year. Got 2013 models, and a nice discount. It's basically the same hull as the cuda model, less rear hatch and a few other things, but it comes "nutserts" for accessories. I use them for ram ball mounts for rod holders. The jackson seats are comfy. Just keep in mind, you will need $ for a paddle, life jacket, rod holders, and all the other stuff you don't think about. Anchor, anchor trolley...it can be a long list. I have enjoyed using the kayaks, from nw florida to key west. Have not had them on the water since july, by then, it's pretty hot in florida...and fishing in the bays gets tough, not to mention dreadfully hot/humid, not much fun. Check the online retailers, you will find the best pricing...I tried to buy local, but they wanted to charge premium $ and premium shipping, no thanks.

Check craigslist, depending on your area, sometimes there are some really good deals and quality used kayaks.

Good luck! It is a lot of fun.

IAY reply :

Thanks for all of the information everyone. I was looking took particular interest to Ride 115, and Coosa. I was also looking at the Nucanoe Frontier with the solo bass angler package, anyone have experience on those? It doesn't look like the kayak it self have any super special features inside, but my god does that thing look stable.

flyfisher reply :

i have heard good things about the nucanoe frontier but isn't that boat pretty pricey as in over 1k?

IAY reply :

Yeah its a bit over 1k for just the boat, and another 350 ish for the "fishing package" to be added, but I dont mind investing a lot of money into something that I want to be doing very frequently.

J Francho reply :

NuCanoe is an interesting boat. A friend of mine has one, and loves it. There's a TON of boats that are every bit as stable, that may not "look the part."

We can have a detailed convo about the Coosa, offline if you'd like.

buzzed bait reply :

i have a ride 135 and love it. but i will admit it's a bit bigger than most kayaks so keep that in mind.

my buddy has a coosa and it's a nice little yak, and like jfrancho says the seat is really nice. but so is the seat on my ride....

keep in mind the additional costs such as paddle, quality pfd, and any accessories like fishfinder, etc.

if you want a stable boat, the ride is incredible. i can stand and fish all day with no worries of tipping.

kikstand454 reply :

Really consider each and every part of a "fishing package". You may find that you're paying for things you don't want/need- when you don't realize you don't want/need them.

For instance, those slanted back rod holders behind the seat? Completely useless to ME. If I had paid for them to be there as a "fishing" kayak, I'd be ticked. I use the one I have to hold my net- which it does well. Buy I could've rigged up something to hold my net. .... I sure have no desire to put a rod in there.

Rod holders and other rigging can be added after the fact and put where you want it. That sometimes makes it more cost effective to buy the " non fishing" version and just add your own stuff.

Things like the slide track system though are alot harder to add, and you may want to research that.

Just some thoughts.

Not_Here reply :

i have some experience with the NuCanoe Frontier 12 (girlfriends yak)...crazy stable even with 2 people in it & 2 people standing in it...recently did a float down a river with her for example and i could stand/fish solidly with no worries while she paddled, even while going down mellow rapids...Frontier has the transom for a TM as well...its a heavy dog but stable as all hell and i personally like the open deck layout...

only thing i'll say if you were to get the frontier, the only thing outside of the vessel i'd get as an extra is the quick release bracket for putting on a swivel seat...everything else you can buy else where for cheaper...she also has the 275cm paddle since the frontier is pretty wide...

J Francho reply :

I've always gotten mine with "some rigging." My Prowler Big Game was an angler package, and some was installed. I saved over $800 buying it this way. What's funny, I ended up putting the many of the accessories where they're usually installed anyway, but that was a pretty well thought out boat. The FreedomHawk 12, 12 UL, and 14 all had a couple recessed rod colders, and they were out of the way and useful. I rigged the Moken 13 myself, and the smaller one I used (a 12?) was loaded with recessed holders, lol. The Jackson Coosa I'm using right now has a couple of recessed rod holders. I actually line recessed holders, and prefer to have a few unused around the boat. It helps when landing a fish - lip the fish, and put the rod in a free holder while you get the fish unbuttoned. Otherwise, they are flush mount, so they're out of the way, unlike RAM, Scotty, and rocket launcher styles. Things like anchor trolleys, sonar/GPS units, battery boxes, paddle holders, and random pad eyes you install for whatever accessory you want "attached" to the boat, are best installed by you.

IAY reply :

Hi John,

I would definitely like to have a conversation about Coosa. I am a neophyte in kayaking so I definitely want to know what are some of the features that's important to anglers.

Jim Mac reply :

I've had the Frontier 12' since June and I really like it. BUT it is tippy when using the rigid seat base and a boat seat. It's due to the high center of gravity. The top of my seat is 13" above the floor. It took me 5 or 6 times out to get used to the tippyness. I needed the elevated seat for my mistake back, and the motor ready transom. If I didn't need those 2 features, I would have bought something else. It tracks very well, but it is heavy. I sometimes use a 40 lb. Endura Max on it(depends on the size of the lake I'm fishing).

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