Best kayak for fishing

[oldcrowcall]

When I er'd I started fishing from my kayak. Unheard of then, now everybody's doin it, doin it. I recently bought a Pungo 120 angler. (Not so hot modify it yourself). Any body have any experiences in this sport? I want to take it to Florida's "nature coast" this winter and try it down there or should I rent one down there? This is all I need for a happy retirement.

 

[John Galt]

Oddly, I just read an article in the local paper today
about fishing from a kayak and how popular it's become.
It looks terribly uncomfortable to me.

John Galt

 

[mickeyd]

Hey oldcrowall,

I am not a kayaker but answer this Q for me if you will.

I recently participated in an archeological excavation in Menard Texas with almost 500 other archeologists (yes 500).

We had a bit of down time and I noticed that many (20-30) folks brought along kaykaks to launch on the San Saba Rvr where we were camped.

MY Q: is there an increase in the use of kayaks vs canoes recently? BTW, no one brought a canoe however the local Game Warden loaned us several to use for the week.

 

[oldcrowcall]

been Re: Best kayak for fishing

Nobody buys canoes anymore! Ha ha. Most people who have been canoeing for a while have there canoes down cellar or hanging in the garage. Easier to throw your yak on the car any take off with binoculars, camera and lunch. As you age this is easier. My guess is that, in the Northeast at least, yak sales are outstripping canoe sales by 10-1. Sea kayaking is a whole another thing. Casco bay is blanketed with them-- other boaters upset- too many.

 

[oldcrowcall]

Gault- I wouldn't want to fish all day from a kayak. I would be frozed in that position for a week. Flyfishing is the hardest from a yak.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Are there 2-person kayaks? Canoe-ing always seems like such a friendly activity; the last time I was in one, so were 1 other adult, one kid, and a dog. The other canoe held a similar assortment.

I enjoy kayaking, but I've only been in the one-person variety.

Well, I tried answering my own question with Google, but the "kayaks" that were "two-man" also had mounts for motors! What gives?? Did they just change the definition of kayak? The ones I saw were open on top, so I suppose you could flex your legs occasionally without toppling.

Anne

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

There are one person and two person standard kayaks. Some are "sit in" which have an open hole in top and you put your legs inside. For the daring you can put a "skirt" on that stretches onto the opening to make it watertight. Since you can get water in it, its sinkable.

There are also "sit on tops" which are sealed and rather unsinkable. You sit on a plastic seat and stretch your feet out on top.

I used to have a pair of one person sit-ins, and a two person sit on top. The sit on top is easy to figure out and work for novices. One of my sit ins was an el cheapo, the other was 3 times the cost. I couldnt really tell any difference for paddling about but you need a specialty model for special uses. Ocean kayaks are reallly long for stability. White water ones are very short and maneuverable.

I've spent 3-4 hours in a kayak. Never felt stiff or sore afterwards. You can get pretty comfortable seats with padded backs. Sit ins have little 'pedals' you can adjust to put your feet on. Sit on tops you can stretch out, crouch up or even hang your feet over the side.

I've even seen a heavy duty inflatable model that looked like it'd be fine for light river and lake use. Wouldnt take it in rough stuff or try anything rocky, but for a hundred bucks it looks ok.

Nice upper body workout, or you can just paddle about. I've seen people in their 70's and up kayaking.

For fishing I might recommend a wide sit on top, and look for a model that you can strap a small cooler onto. The sit on top is a little more stable.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Hmm, people in their 70's. . .

Just got home from hockey, and all the French people were there tonight. Exhausted from playing opposite Pierre, Michel, and Maurice.

I've only kayaked three or four times; it was great fun, until the tide turned. Much easier on Lake Champlain where there are no tides!

Anne

 

[yelnad]

I've spent 3-4 hours in a kayak.  Never felt stiff or sore afterwards.

Haha. You must not have been in my kayak.

It's great exercise, but if you're not in tip top shape, it's going to hurt the first few times. I speak from experience.

I used to take my lab out in mine with me. I'm less than 100 lbs, so she could sit between my legs. The only bad part was when she would see a bird or a frog or something.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I thought about doing that once with my smaller dog. Changed my mind. Might have saved my life

 

[haha]

I wonder if any of you kayakers could suggest brands and models that are suitable for heavy service? There used to be a guy whose name I don't remember who ran a kayak school and guide service on the northern CA coast, I think in Humboldt County. His business was called "Force 10". He went out in monster winter weather. He thought that the safest rig was a sit-on, worn with a wet suit in northern waters.

This makes good sense to me since you can't swamp the thing unless you get holed. As long as you and your paddle are tethered to the boat, you should be skookum. And if you do get messed up, your wet suit keeps you warm and floating.

I can launch 3 minutes from my house, and with a short paddle be in salmon water most of the year. I tried an outboard skiff, but I don't seem to be temperamentally suited to power boating. The boat should be tough, since I will pull it up on the beach. Also, in winter there are lots of deadheads to deal with.

Any ideas? Thanks,

Mikey

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Just be careful about wearing a wet suit without being in the water. Unless its extremely cold out, you can quickly overheat and lose consciousness without even realizing it. As a long time diver, this gets drilled into you early on...keep your suit open and off unless you're about to get in the water.

Is this for ocean use or river use? Most ocean kayaks are very heavy duty. I saw (from a distance, mostly read about it in the paper) a great white chomp on a guys ocean kayak down in santa cruz off the wharf. He made it back to shore with only some minor damage. Fortunately the shark bit the back and he never saw a thing, just the 'bump'. His friend who was alongside said "You are lucky. I'll be having nightmares for weeks".

For a tough river kayak, many of the canoe makers also kick out a kayak. The cheap one I kept is made by "old town", also a canoe maker. Its tough enough that if it fell off the top of the truck while on the highway, I doubt it'd suffer more than scrapes.

A sit on top cant sink, and its warmer to your bottom than a sit inside, as you have just the plastic bottom between you and the water in a sit inside. But a sit inside will protect your lower half from wind and with a skirt, from getting wet.

 

[haha]

Just be careful about wearing a wet suit without being in the water.  Unless its extremely cold out, you can quickly overheat and lose consciousness without even realizing it.  As a long time diver, this gets drilled into you early on...keep your suit open and off unless you're about to get in the water.

Is this for ocean use or river use?  

TH, it's for ocean and Puget Sound. As far as getting too hot, that would be something. The only diving I have ever done is off Cape Flattery, and winter, summer spring or fall, it was freezing cold. If you weren't in the water, the wind was always blowing. It isn't so cold in the Sound, so that may be a problem for me to be aware of. Passing out wouldn't be very good, would it?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Passing out wouldn't be very good, would it?

I have a few favorable memories. I few unfavorable ones too.

I think if it happened in a plastic boat in the ocean, unfavorable would be it.

I found a lot of references to NOT fishing in the ocean from a kayak, or kayaking near people who are fishing in the ocean. Principally sharks, orcas, walrus, and/or whatever thing you'd rather not meet in a plastic boat 12" off the waters surface while waving a bleeding fish about.

On the other hand, some people naysayed, claiming 20 years fishing from kayaks in great white territory off the california cost.

But whose to say. I like watching fish the size of small school busses loaded with serrated teeth the size of your palm from shore.

 

[yelnad]

Lots of sporting good companies have kayak days where they bring a bunch of different ones to a local water source and you can try them out. I know that Subaru cosponsors some.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Check the used market too. As far as kayaks go as long as they arent bashed to crap a used one is every bit as good as a new one and you dont have to worry about smacking into anything. Spend your money on a good lightweight and strong paddle. Nothing sucks more than hoisting a heavy paddle for hours, or having one break off on you a mile and a half away from your car.

I paid about $180 for my old town four years ago. I imagine you could buy it used for about $100. I'd put it in any non-whitewater fresh water river or lake without reserve.

 

[Sheryl]

I wonder if any of you kayakers could suggest brands and models that are suitable for heavy service?
Any ideas?

Mikey, I have had an Eddyline Raven for about 10 yrs and love it. They are made here in NW WA. Very nice stable steerable touring boat. I'm not sure if they still make that model, but I'm sure there's something similar.

I tend to think of the sit on top boats as best for playing around in very warm weather and warm, calm water. A sit-inside type feels much safer and secure to me.

As to the earlier discussion on canoe vs kayak, kayaks sure have become popular, almost a fad. When I bought mine it was still sort of exotic and westcoast-y.

We also own a 2-person canoe, though and for a 3-4 day camping trip it sure hauls a lot of "nice-to-have" gear, food and beverages, that a kayak wouldn't.

We also take the dog in the canoe at times. But never the dog and the camping gear on the same trip. Too risky!

Lost a good boom box once when we were listening to a ball game and fishing out in the middle of a lake - dog got excited about the fish dangling on the line, the radio was sitting on top of the cooler, as the dog tipped the boat the radio slid right on off into the lake. Lost the fish, too. But I never laughed so hard in all my life.

 

[haha]

Sheryl, thanks for your ideas. I will start looking around. Still time for a lot of good salmon fishing

Mikey

 

[yakers]

I suppose I should chime in here, I actually know a lot about kayaking, my favorite sport. I made a wood kayak (Pygmy Osprey) have two Folbot folding kayaks, a single & a double, I had two plastic sit on tops and a plastic double and a fiber glass surf ski. Paddled a lot of other boats. If you stay in calm waters just about anything will do. I actually recommend you rent initially as it will be a boat appropriate to your area and if you are not going to paddle a lot a boat just becomes more "stuff". Then if you get more interested you will have a good idea of what to look for. Plastic is generally a good idea for price and durability but if it has been in the sun a lot (like used rentals) the plastic can break down. I really like folding kayaks, they cost a bit more but transport and store easily and are good for fishing, sailing and the like. They are very seaworthy and have been taken accross the Atlantic ocean a couple times.
Like good tools or professional equipment, if you get serious you should get a good boat (and paddle & other gear) and it is worth it. But if you only want to play around a used plastic boat (sit on top or open design like the Keowee II) is a good way to go since they are cheap and can be sold for about what you pay for them. But best of all rent a few times, it may save you money on buying and managing "stuff" and will be educational in determining what you want for the future. Please post a report on you adventures, it might send more people into retirement.

 

[oldcrowcall]

As far as places to go, I do mostly swamps, creeks and other out of the way places here in New England. But I want to check out the Florida places this winter hopefully!!
http://www.clubkayak.com/cfkt/index.shtml

 

[John Galt]

You know, I was thinking "kayak" is pretty close to the sound made by an "old crow call" BTW, I like those
"swamps, creeks and out of the way places" too.

John Galt

 

[oldcrowcall]

It does sound a little like that! Many years ago I slipped out of the house in early evening and got in the bushes nearby. I worked my crow call and without exaggeration, soon hundreds and hundreds of crows swooping and diving aroung the house making an incredible raucous racket. I'll never forget seeing my wife holding the door open looking up with a puzzled look and the two kids running in circles doing the same. I fell out of the bushes laughing.