Kayak considerations

[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.

[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.