Ocean Kayak for Fishing

Deb and Ed M wrote:
Jackson Kayaks makes some fantastic fishing kayaks that are designed for stand-up fishing! www.jacksonkayaks.com

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If you go to the beaches where people launch their kayaks and go fishing you will find people with local knowledge as to what works best in the area.

For example an inflatable is a pain if you need to inflate and deflate it each time you use it. They are a last resort if you have not way to transport a regular kayak.

Some of the stand on types are fine for protected lakes but terrible out in the ocean. Short boats are also good for ponds and creeks but track poorly out in the ocean. A rudder can make a huge difference out on large lakes or the ocean in being able to easily maintain a heading even when there is a strong wind (more than 10 MPH) blowing.

There are boats designed specifically for fishing and they will have lots of features provides right at the start as with the mod-pod on the Ocean Kayak Trident Angler boats and some are designed to make it much easier to attach a fish finder with minimal or no drilling of holes in the boat.

Kayaks designed for fishing can weigh from 45 lbs. up to 110 lbs. and this makes a difference in what you can lift up onto a roof rack or what you can carry down to the water.

If you check the Texas kayak fishing forums and the fishing forums with a kayak sub forum you can get useful advice and there are often used kayaks for sale that have been fully equipped by their owners and ready to put in the water and start fishing.

We recently bought a special kayak trailer and will be using it at least half the time instead of the roof rack on the truck. It makes it easier to load and unload the kayaks and the smallest car can easily tow the total trailer and two kayak weight of under 500 pounds. It is also the easiest way to haul kayaks with a motorhome or truck camper.

Jackson Kayaks makes some fantastic fishing kayaks that are designed for stand-up fishing! www.jacksonkayaks.com

Maybe take a look at an inflatable.
Inflatable kayak

Cummins12V98 wrote:
We would like to get a two person kayak but not sure about hauling it? The one mentioned just above is 12' 4" in length.

The Crescent is actually hauled inside my parent's 5th wheel. It fits perfectly inside it with the slide in.

As for weight and hauling, we use a beach kayak cart that makes hauling very easy.

Beach Cart

http://www.nucanoe.com/

Weight is one of the most important criteria when selecting . We have had six yaks and they get shorter and lighter each time we trade . Wilderness System Tarpon Ten is where we are at and I will never go larger . We can carry these on top of our pickup or they are short enough to stand upright on the rear of our trailer on the bumper . We fish in the Gulf many times each month and friends have Hobie brand yaks , way , way to heavy , to complicated . Are you a fisherman or a handyman ?
Keep it simple , keep it small .

Check online for Texas Kayak Fishing Forums - they exist as Texas is a very popular place along the gulf and at the lakes for kayak fishing. Go to where you can rent and or demo a kayak before you buy it. Especially important in terms of pedal as with Hobie, versus paddle with anything else.

I had always had kayaks I paddled until this year when we bought two Hobie Mirage drive boats. The difference was amazing. I could pedal the Hobie effortlessly at speeds that would have required a lot of exertion with a paddle. We went 10 miles on your first outing and that included 4 miles going against the wind and an incoming tidal flow of 2-3 knots.

The other advantage of the boat that you pedal is that you have your hands free 100% of the time for fishing. Out in the ocean I would spend at most 50% of my time fishing and the other 50% paddling.

Whatever boat you get there will be trade-offs. The longer boats are faster but heavier. Wider boats are heavier and slower but more stable and have more room for gear. If you add a fish finder there are many models that are designed to make this relatively easy like the Ocean Kayak Trident Anglers, Slayer boats, Hobie Outback, Revo, Sport, Pro Angler 12 and 14.

Just be sure to demo as many boats as you can before you buy. We had to drive 220 miles round trip to find a place where the dealer had the two Hobie models on our short list to try out on the water (San Francisco Bay). It was worth the drive to try out the two boats and get exactly what we wanted.

One of the best kayak companies in the nation is Austin Kayak. Good source for items not carried by your local shops.

Try before you buy is the rule to follow. You may find out what yak-back is.

I'm an older guy in my 60's, and I find that sitting in the L position as is the usual position in a yak, makes me have a sore back(yak-back).

I was thinking of one of these unusual type of kayaks called a Wavewalk based on the reviews, but I chickened out because of the price. It sits you differently than a regular kayak.

We would like to get a two person kayak but not sure about hauling it? The one mentioned just above is 12' 4" in length.