Kayak Advice

[PRED-ATOR]

Hey Raiders,

Would love to start getting into Yak fishing but dont really know where to start.

Ive seen the kayaks with props and the common pedal kayaks.

how do you steer a kayak with a prop if you dont have a pedal? also sit in or sit on top? im in really early stages right now and really know enough about them.

Is there somewhere I can try both of them? what are the pros and cons of both. ive googled some stuff but would like to get raiders infromed opinions.

Any help appreciated,

Cheers, Stan

[A.dawg]

Hey mate sit on is more stable but you will get more wet whilst sit ins are more likely to roll but stay more dry most fishing kayaks are sit ons occasionally people use sit ins in the fresh for things Like bass and ep's I myself have a malibu 2xl which is a 2 person kayak which I have now decked out. I would love to get a peddal kayak though as those days where I need to out myself on the kayak makes it very fatigue paddling the right way when on a fish.

[sean221]

Hey mate irecently just baught a kayak for 250 sit in.

I wanted a sit on top but the old man ( whom i was sharing the yak with) wanted a sit in so since he way paying for it i let this one pass.

Im just in the middle of thinging of idead to customise it to suit it for fishing. Gonna put rod holders and fit a milk crate on the back.

There was a sit on top kayak for 300 which is a bargin but had no fishing accessories fitted which you would have to fit on yourself, but its not hard at all to do that.

This deal was just unmissable so if your keen on getting a cheap kayak sit on top for fishing id go for it now as 300 bucks is affordable for a firt timer kayaker.

Pm me as to where i found this bargin but its no secret as the store name is some thing of one of the biggest snakes in the world located in the a shop region. Hint hint.

Ontop of the 300 u have to include pdf and paddle wich would be an extra 100 at cheapest, but i found a real cheap fishing vest pdf on online shop with all the compartments n that which is way more convenient

Cheers,

Sean221

[LungFai]

Annaconda Auburn lets you test Kayaks in their water feature out front, they stock both the sit in and sit on.

Outdoors and Beyond...well now known as Sailing Scene or something down in Caringbah has a range of the Hobie Kayaks (Pedal) which you were able to arrange a test run...not sure if they still offer the test runs now with the name change.

[Mr Squidy]

Hi Mate,

There is a lot that goes into choosing the right kayak for your purpose. I've done a lot of paddling over the years on a few different surf ski's and kayaks and recently bought my first "fishing" kayak a Prowler 4.5m Elite. The best advice is try and do some test paddles on a few different kayaks and get a feel for what you are after and what factors affect how a kayak handles/paddles/etc. Any good kayak shop should be able to arrange test paddles. If you are down south I know there is a store at Bundeena that are right down near the water.

A list of a few key questions to think about before deciding on your kayak would be as follows:

Usage? You've started this answer with the fishing purpose. Your best bet for this is without a doubt a sit on top as they are far easier to use in terms of stability, storage, kitting out etc. If fishing is the only reason for the kayak then without a doubt hobbie pedal kayaks are the best (but pricey) as you can maneuver hands free while using a rod. Personally i bought a normal paddle kayak as i enjoy the exercise of paddling. Other considerations in usage come down to things like deck layout, storage etc. A great example of this sort of thing are the Malibu Stealth kayaks which have a moulded compartment set up between where your legs go that are all set up for you to add a bilge pump and use as a live well (I very nearly bought one of these kayaks for just this feature).

Where do you want to fish? If you are happy that you are going to fish very close to where you launch then things like speed and tracking are not too important. If you need to cover a couple of km's to get to the locations you want to fish then its really worth looking at either a hobbie style kayak with a foot pedal system or a kayak suitable for paddling good distances. These sort of paddle kayaks are generally quite long (4+m), not too wide (around 70-75cm is good) and with a good shape for cutting through chop etc. As a general rule the longer and thinner a kayak is the faster she will go. The downside of being skinny is obviously stability and the downside of length is that turning gets harder. For any kayak 4.5m or more you really should get a rudder as these make turning a breeze and are very simple to use once you get used to it. Personally i would not buy a paddle kayak less than 4m as they are to slow for what i want to do.

Stability? This isn't as big an issue as you may think as once you get a few trips under your belt you will very quickly get used to the balance side of things. As mentioned i've been paddling for many years but i would really have to do something pretty silly to fall off my current kayak. That said, fishing does make the need for reasonable stability important so best bet is the test paddle. Also,keep in mind that some kayaks these days are designed for you to be able to stand up on and fish from in calm waters so if that's your thing it may be a consideration.

Weight Capacity? If you're a bigger guy this can be a problem on some kayaks. Also keep in mind what gear you may want to take ie: Would you ever try and take it on overnight camping trips? Would you ever want to use it as a dive platform?

Weight of the Kayak/Transport? My kayak weighs around 30kg all up and I have to lift it solo on and off the top of my 4x4, this is no a simple exercise and certainly if you're not reasonably strong it would present problems for some.

Comfort? If you're tall like me then some kayaks can be quite uncomfortable. Make sure you have sufficient leg room etc.

Cost? This is obviously a big factor. Keep in mind though that if you are really serious about doing this sort of fishing regularly it can be really frustrating if you end up with a kayak that doesn't meet your needs. There are an awful lot of people who buy themselves a brand new $300 kayak, use it once or twice, find it slow/unstable/hard to use then never again does it see water. If cost is an issue save money by looking for what you want second hand, i recently saw a Prowler 13, a fantastic general purpose yak, sell for around $800. This may be $500 more than the "bargains" out there but i promise it will make the difference between a great kayak you would use for many many years and one that will quite probably frustrate you immensely and end up cluttering up your garage.

Anyway, as for some personal recommendations I reckon you'd struggle to go wrong with any of the following:

Hobbie Kayaks, either the Outback or Revolution: Hobbies are expensive but they are fishing machines and everyone that uses them swears by them and the foot pedal system.

Ocean Kayaks, prowler series: I bought a Prowler Elite 4.5m and love it. Prowlers are generally recognised as being the best paddle kayak on the market for those serious about fishing. All the kayaks in this range have good stability and speed. The smaller 4.1m is great for estuary and river work and the longer models are great once you start to cover some extra km's. Watch any footage on you tube of people fighting Marlin etc and nine times out of ten they are on Prowlers.

Malibu Stealth range: As mentioned i LOVE their set up on the live tank and as such this was the only sit on top that i seriously considered instead of a Prowler. Otherwise they are slower than the equivalent prowler and i have read some review of people using them off shore having issues with water getting through the seals so probably only worth looking at for use inside the esturies.

None of the above are really "cheap" options but again if you keep your eye on the second hand sales for a few months you may well find one at the right price.

A bit rambling but hope some of that helps a little.

Cheers,

Rich

Edited September 14, 2012 by Mr Squidy

[rjc123]

Hey Raiders,

Would love to start getting into Yak fishing but dont really know where to start.

Ive seen the kayaks with props and the common pedal kayaks.

how do you steer a kayak with a prop if you dont have a pedal? also sit in or sit on top? im in really early stages right now and really know enough about them.

Is there somewhere I can try both of them? what are the pros and cons of both. ive googled some stuff but would like to get raiders infromed opinions.

Any help appreciated,

Cheers, Stan

A hobie dealer in mona vale (which i have recently bought a pro angler 12 from) allow you t test their yaks out. Mainly in pittwater around Bayview but it gives you a good opportunity to test them out!

[Harbour Hauler]

So mac attack have you been playing with your new toy. I wanna hear your verdict , also if its made you catch more fish.?

[rjc123]

So mac attack have you been playing with your new toy. I wanna hear your verdict , also if its made you catch more fish.?

Haven't actually had the chance to use it yet believe it or not! Should this weekend sometime so will let you know how it is!

[PRED-ATOR]

Hi Mate,

There is a lot that goes into choosing the right kayak for your purpose. I've done a lot of paddling over the years on a few different surf ski's and kayaks and recently bought my first "fishing" kayak a Prowler 4.5m Elite. The best advice is try and do some test paddles on a few different kayaks and get a feel for what you are after and what factors affect how a kayak handles/paddles/etc. Any good kayak shop should be able to arrange test paddles. If you are down south I know there is a store at Bundeena that are right down near the water.

A list of a few key questions to think about before deciding on your kayak would be as follows:

Usage? You've started this answer with the fishing purpose. Your best bet for this is without a doubt a sit on top as they are far easier to use in terms of stability, storage, kitting out etc. If fishing is the only reason for the kayak then without a doubt hobbie pedal kayaks are the best (but pricey) as you can maneuver hands free while using a rod. Personally i bought a normal paddle kayak as i enjoy the exercise of paddling. Other considerations in usage come down to things like deck layout, storage etc. A great example of this sort of thing are the Malibu Stealth kayaks which have a moulded compartment set up between where your legs go that are all set up for you to add a bilge pump and use as a live well (I very nearly bought one of these kayaks for just this feature).

Where do you want to fish? If you are happy that you are going to fish very close to where you launch then things like speed and tracking are not too important. If you need to cover a couple of km's to get to the locations you want to fish then its really worth looking at either a hobbie style kayak with a foot pedal system or a kayak suitable for paddling good distances. These sort of paddle kayaks are generally quite long (4+m), not too wide (around 70-75cm is good) and with a good shape for cutting through chop etc. As a general rule the longer and thinner a kayak is the faster she will go. The downside of being skinny is obviously stability and the downside of length is that turning gets harder. For any kayak 4.5m or more you really should get a rudder as these make turning a breeze and are very simple to use once you get used to it. Personally i would not buy a paddle kayak less than 4m as they are to slow for what i want to do.

Stability? This isn't as big an issue as you may think as once you get a few trips under your belt you will very quickly get used to the balance side of things. As mentioned i've been paddling for many years but i would really have to do something pretty silly to fall off my current kayak. That said, fishing does make the need for reasonable stability important so best bet is the test paddle. Also,keep in mind that some kayaks these days are designed for you to be able to stand up on and fish from in calm waters so if that's your thing it may be a consideration.

Weight Capacity? If you're a bigger guy this can be a problem on some kayaks. Also keep in mind what gear you may want to take ie: Would you ever try and take it on overnight camping trips? Would you ever want to use it as a dive platform?

Weight of the Kayak/Transport? My kayak weighs around 30kg all up and I have to lift it solo on and off the top of my 4x4, this is no a simple exercise and certainly if you're not reasonably strong it would present problems for some.

Comfort? If you're tall like me then some kayaks can be quite uncomfortable. Make sure you have sufficient leg room etc.

Cost? This is obviously a big factor. Keep in mind though that if you are really serious about doing this sort of fishing regularly it can be really frustrating if you end up with a kayak that doesn't meet your needs. There are an awful lot of people who buy themselves a brand new $300 kayak, use it once or twice, find it slow/unstable/hard to use then never again does it see water. If cost is an issue save money by looking for what you want second hand, i recently saw a Prowler 13, a fantastic general purpose yak, sell for around $800. This may be $500 more than the "bargains" out there but i promise it will make the difference between a great kayak you would use for many many years and one that will quite probably frustrate you immensely and end up cluttering up your garage.

Anyway, as for some personal recommendations I reckon you'd struggle to go wrong with any of the following:

Hobbie Kayaks, either the Outback or Revolution: Hobbies are expensive but they are fishing machines and everyone that uses them swears by them and the foot pedal system.

Ocean Kayaks, prowler series: I bought a Prowler Elite 4.5m and love it. Prowlers are generally recognised as being the best paddle kayak on the market for those serious about fishing. All the kayaks in this range have good stability and speed. The smaller 4.1m is great for estuary and river work and the longer models are great once you start to cover some extra km's. Watch any footage on you tube of people fighting Marlin etc and nine times out of ten they are on Prowlers.

Malibu Stealth range: As mentioned i LOVE their set up on the live tank and as such this was the only sit on top that i seriously considered instead of a Prowler. Otherwise they are slower than the equivalent prowler and i have read some review of people using them off shore having issues with water getting through the seals so probably only worth looking at for use inside the esturies.

None of the above are really "cheap" options but again if you keep your eye on the second hand sales for a few months you may well find one at the right price.

A bit rambling but hope some of that helps a little.

Cheers,

Rich

Rich, thanks so much for your info mate you've given me alot to think about and also answers alot of my questions.

I guess the next step is to try some out.

Thanks again everyone : )