Kayak considerations

[apb]

... chase my little striped friends, lol.....

I knew you would finally come around

Andrew

[ironhead70]

id check in to a hobie cat the one that hank parker talks about all the time then u aint got to mess with the paddles

[Boat Bums]

Hey You might call Quest outdoors they used to put on canoe and yak try out at one of the local lake you could try them out. BPS just had a pool out front with yaks in it.

[GeoFisher]

Hey You might call Quest outdoors they used to put on canoe and yak try out at one of the local lake you could try them out. BPS just had a pool out front with yaks in it.

Hey........I just remembered.......

DEFINITELY give them a call............they had a DEMO of that Native Watercraft Fisherman............it retails for something like 1800, and they had it marked to 750......

Don't know if it still exists, but MAN...........talk about a GREAT DEAL.

later,

Geo

[MrSplitshot]

mhall,

Having done the creekin thing quite a bit in a variety of vessels, I'm just about convinced that none of them are the perfect fit...there are always gives and takes and pros and cons and what not.

I started in a float tube. That was decent in creeks, but lack of steering or propulsion became a problem. (flippers just don't work in creeks where you've got to get out alot and walk, and when you can't steer through a rapid you have a tendency to get swept into trees and stuff - LOL)

I graduated to an inflatable pontoon, a Creek Company ODC816. That was nice for propulsion (rowing frame/oars) and whitewater capability, but assembling the thing and pumping it up and carrying a pump was a bit of a pain. Also, the fabric pontoon covers can tear. And, there is a lot of drag, so paddling upstream against current just doesn't work.

SO, I graduated again to a Hobie FloatCat 75. It's a pontoon boat with a rowing frame, but the pontoons are hard kevlar. It's light, tough as Ajax, paddles pretty good, and can be rowed a fair amount upstream. Slide it in the back of my truck, slide it out when you get there, and it's ready to fish. No setup. However, it doesn't handle riffles/rapids very well because it sits low in the water and has no "bounce" like an inflatable. It just plugs up. I find myself only wanting to use it on flatwater.

THUS, I'm thinking about a kayak as well. Like you, I don't know a great deal about them and want to try some out...see if I can get in and out, keep balance, and be confortable enough to fish. The pontoon boats have spoiled me there, because they are like fishing from a Lazy Boy Recliner. I will say that if you were going to paddle on the Ohio anywhere, you need a good yak that is stable and FAST. You need to be able to paddle and get out of the way if need be, upstream or down, and it can be harder than it looks.

I will likely go with a sit-in model, just not sure what. Wilderness Systems (google them) makes some good stuff that I have seen. They have some angler-specific yaks that are nice. A buddy has one of their Pamlico 100 models that he's going to let me paddle over below Cave Run to see if I like it.

[kc]

I have been seriously thinking of a kayak too and although have no direct experience with kayaks I have spent a fair amount of time on the internet researching options. First off I agree with Geo's thought that the only way to go is with a kayak designed for fishing. I don't know what to think about the sit-in or sit-on-top but I have kind of become fixated on a Native Ultimate (which is a sit-in). As Geo said they are a bit pricey but I think they would work exceptionaly well. They are more like a solo canoe but the hull design is kind of like a pontoon which gives the boat good stability in the water. They claim you can even stand up and fish from them they are that stable. Plus they sport a comfortable seat that appeals to me to. I also learned that Canoe Ky carries them and you can rent one to try them out. That has been on my todo list for some time now but I can't find a day to get down there when my schedule and the water levels have cooperated...

kc

[mhall]

Mark, go to Sea Eagle.com and look at their boats. I bought one recently and just got back from a trip 28 miles down the Green River they are really stable and one man can handle them with no problem.

Thanks Jimbo.

[mhall]

I knew you would finally come around

Andrew

LOL, You are a bad influence on me.

[mhall]

Looked at a Quest last night at D.I.C.K.S. Sporting goods. It is on sale and may fit my needs. My wife is giving birth though and thinks I'm going to the Ohio to drown and never be seen again, lol. I'm in the process of (trying) to convince her I'll be alright but she ain't buying it just yet, lol. The one I looked at was 9.5 feet in length weighed 45lbs and was a sit in model. Width was 26 inches, and was one piece construction, seemed like it would be fairly stable. I'm not as athletic as ten plus years ago, I eat too much, lol.

[Denver1911]

WS Tarpon 120.

SOT, stable, can be rigged easily for fishing.

Denver

[nonamesleft47]

I would be leary about taking a sit in on the Ohio. There isn't anywhere for the water to go if it comes in over the sides (boat wake). If you get enough water in you are going to need something to bail with. Also if you get tossed (which you will eventually) there is no way to reenter a sit in while on the water (not to mention being stuck in a kayak upside down in the water). If you are on a sit on top you can flip and reenter and go right back to fishing. Another thing to think about is that if you are a "big boy" like me
5'10 250lbs a sit on top is going to be more comfortable with a good seat and you'll be able to get in and out without the help of several bistanders.

Go to kayakfishingstuff dot com and look at the forum and articles there. They are a bunch of saltwater guys who take theirs out in the surf all the time. I've tried both sit in and sit on tops the sit on tops were to me more stable and I wasn't worried about flipping it all the time (I was using it in the ocean). To me, if you can use it on the ocean it will be good enough for the Ohio.

Only looking for models made for fishing is just about useless in the kayak world because with most models all that means that it has rod holders installed. You are going to pay an extra hundred dollars for two 15 dollar rod holders. If you get a standard model you can rig it the way you want. If you are close to my size look for one in the 13-14 foot range, it will be faster than short wide models.

I'd really like a Wilderness System T14 but I'm also looking at the Ocean Kayak brand. My absolute choice would be Hobie Revo but I don't have $1800.00 to sink in one. You might check Craigslist or ebay for used ones. If I can't get the cash up for the one I want I'm going to wait until fall for people to start cleaning out their garage.

[Cheese]

I had a kayak over 30 years ago. It was great for small lakes and ponds but it was not high speed and low drag like the current crop. Mine was home made from a kit out of wood and canvas. However it was light, small, and easy to fish from. I usually kneeled in it (younger knees) but sat in it as well. If money is of concern, I would scour the internet looking for a kit again. My main memory is that even a big bluegill would pull you around and you always had a little water get you from the paddle or something.

Note: The most important suggestion I can give you is to let a 10 foot rope trail along behind you as you paddle. If you fall out in a good breeze that kayak will be gone in seconds.