# Anyone got a fishing kayak?



## Bean_counter (Sep 24, 2020)

I’m on the market for one (if they can be found with the pandemic) going. I am leaning more towards a pedal one than anything. What do you got and what do you love/hate about it?


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## Ray D (Sep 24, 2020)

I have a Wilderness Tarpon 120. Tracks great and does everything we want it to do.

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## Ray D (Sep 24, 2020)

My hunting buddy swears by the Perception models.... he has two of the Pescadors. I think I spelled that correctly.

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## Lou Currier (Sep 24, 2020)



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## Eric Rorabaugh (Sep 24, 2020)

We have Tarpon 120's and Perception Pescador's for work. Like em both. They both weigh about the same. Seats are different. I like the seat on the pescador a little better. Both track really well and are stable. When we first got them, I was the guinea pig to test them out to see if we should buy more. I took them on the river and took them through class 2 rapids sideways to see how stable they are. Fairly reasonably priced compared to some. The pedal kayak would work for you but can't really use them here. Rivers are too rocky. I've never been on one so I can't review them. I have 7 personal kayaks. Getting rid of all but 2 and buying me a new fishing yak. Still researching what I want. Let us know what you get and how you like it!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Bean_counter (Sep 24, 2020)

Not many rivers here so I will likely just use on some of the small lakes around. I’m a skinny dude with pipe cleaner arms and I think pedal will be the way for me. Plus it also opens up both hands for fishing. Only drawback on them are the money. On my short list is the pelican hydrive 2, pescador, and Old town. They are the most affordable ones with good reviews.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Bean_counter (Sep 24, 2020)

Ray D said:


> I have a Wilderness Tarpon 120. Tracks great and does everything we want it to do.


Ray do you stand in it at all?


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## Bean_counter (Sep 24, 2020)

Lou Currier said:


> View attachment 193916


Lou do you stand?


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## Bean_counter (Sep 24, 2020)

@Eric Rorabaugh I know you can’t stand haha

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Ray D (Sep 24, 2020)

Bean_counter said:


> Ray do you stand in it at all?


 I have stood in it when fishing the flats but usually just use it while sitting. Before we purchased the Tarpon 120 we tried out a bunch of different kayaks..... I mean a bunch! In my opinion, the seats are the most important things. Make sure it is comfortable for you and have multiple adjustments. We tried some of the wider kayaks and while they were more stable for fishing, they didn’t paddle very good. My son has an older Perception model that is great for fishing but it’s like paddling a barge around.


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## Gdurfey (Sep 24, 2020)

There is an outdoor store in Clearwater Florida my BIL turned me onto, I love the looks of the Jackson brand. They also carry Hobies; but jee, Hobie is really proud of their products; Jackson not much better.

When I first learned about open water kayaks (30 years ago); length was key to easy paddling. I see all of these sold at Bass Pro and Cabelas and they are only 10 or 12 feet long. That has always "concerned" me. I want something that is going to paddle well, track (as mentioned above), and still stable. Then I tied into that 28 inch snook last Sunday and it has me rethinking some things. Not that I will ever land a fish that large again, i would like to think I could. Interested in seeing what folks recommend and come up with Michael. Best wishes on this!!!! I'm going to go look up the Tarpon 120 right now!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Ray D (Sep 24, 2020)

Gdurfey said:


> There is an outdoor store in Clearwater Florida my BIL turned me onto, I love the looks of the Jackson brand. They also carry Hobies; but jee, Hobie is really proud of their products; Jackson not much better.
> 
> When I first learned about open water kayaks (30 years ago); length was key to easy paddling. I see all of these sold at Bass Pro and Cabelas and they are only 10 or 12 feet long. That has always "concerned" me. I want something that is going to paddle well, track (as mentioned above), and still stable. Then I tied into that 28 inch snook last Sunday and it has me rethinking some things. Not that I will ever land a fish that large again, i would like to think I could. Interested in seeing what folks recommend and come up with Michael. Best wishes on this!!!! I'm going to go look up the Tarpon 120 right now!!


They are Very proud of their products. Lol. I like the store and have purchased a few things from them over the years so I decided to check out the kayaks a couple years ago. Very nice stuff but very expensive. We ended up with a Tarpon 120 from another dealer in Clearwater.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ray D (Sep 24, 2020)

@Gdurfey, being your already in the Clearwater area, check out Canoe Country Outfitter in Saint Pete. Good folks to work with and they carry a bunch of brands. For a small fee, they will tote some out to the inter coastal waterways So you can try them out. I can’t recall the price but it was very reasonable.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Sep 24, 2020)

Yea, open water kayaks are longer and great tracking. The shorter kayaks are for better maneuverability through rapids.


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## ripjack13 (Sep 24, 2020)

I have the tamarack sit on top kind. I found that pair on amazon for $600. A while back. They're back up to a Grand now. Still not a bad price.
I had been borrowing my brothers and my nieces 2 perception sit in kayaks all summer. They're great, but not for old guys with bad knees. Getting in and out was a pita.
The advantage to sit on tops are that they are easy to get on and off, they dont fill up with water if you flip over. And if you do flip, they're easy to flip over from in the water and drain out the water. (And easy to get back on too)Self draining holes, called scuppers. Easy to plug em with foam golf balls.
I also upgraded to bleacher seats. It is more comfortable than the stock seats they come with.
It takes a little modding to add them, but certainly worth it. Found em used on amazon for 20bucks for 2.
I did upgrade to better longer paddles too. The ones they came with are crap.
Got me good life vests too.

Check craigslist for em too. But if you go looking at em, bring a buddy with you. It'll be safer.
Any other questions, just ask. I'm followin this one...

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Sep 24, 2020)

Heres one for 300

Reactions: Like 1


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## DLJeffs (Sep 24, 2020)

I have a Future Beach Trophy 126 sit-inside kayak. I have a friend who is a world-class white water kayaker and he recommended the Future Beach line. When I was doing my research here's the things I decided were most important in my decision.
1. How often will you use it? This impacts how much you want to invest. Ask any boat owner and most of them call their boat "a hole in the water they pour money into". Kayaks are pretty maintenance free but you still don't want a ton of money hanging from hooks in the garage or sheltering raccoons under the deck.
2. What do you plan to use it for? If all you want to do is fish, the paddle kind might make sense, provided the water you want to fish is deep enough. I planned to use my for regular floating in addition to fishing so the foot-paddle kind would have been restrictive. I know a couple guys who have foot powered kayaks and they've had trouble with fish getting tangled in the paddles and other gear. If you're fly fishing obviously you want to minimize stuff in the cockpit that can tangle the fly line.
3. Maneuverability vs speed vs stability: Check out the specs on tracking. Having to constantly correct your path is a pain. Stability was more important to me than speed. I went with the slightly wider kayak with dihedral chimes because it's probably the most stable sit inside you can find without putting on outriggers. My buddy bought an inflatable because he thought the transportability was key. He hated it because it won't track.
4. Make sure it has an adjustable seat (your back will kill you if you can't fit it to your posture, etc. And make sure it has adjustable foot rest to fit your legs / height. Same issue as above plus your paddling efficiency improves tremendously if you can properly brace your feet.
5. Storage: make sure it adequate storage space for your planned use. It doesn't necessarily have to be waterproof storage because there are plenty of waterproof heavy duty bags out there.
6. Do you plan to get in and out often? For example, on the flats you might paddle to an area and then get out to wade skinny. If that's the case a sit-on-top might be better because it's easier to get in and out. Sit inside are drier.
7. Last, make sure you can sit in it to check fit for your body. Some kayaks have higher gunnels and you'll be whacking your arms and knuckles. Some the sides don't fit your leg and you rub raw spots on your knees. Ditto for the seat except the raw spots aren't on your knees. Get a paddle and sit in the kayak and act like your paddling. Some kayaks are too narrow, others too wide. Like Goldilocks you want the one that's just right.

Future Beach 126

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## Lou Currier (Sep 25, 2020)

Bean_counter said:


> Lou do you stand?



I could but with my balance I am too chicken.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Sep 25, 2020)

one of our former members loves to fish for tarpon. He fishes from boat -his son from Kayak. Tarpon takes off and Kayak does also. sounds like a lot of fun-well if I was 40-50 years younger....

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Gdurfey (Sep 25, 2020)

I tied into that snook and was thinking exactly the same thing @Mike1950 !!! I think fishing from a kayak is the ultimate "be with the water and the fish" type of experience. No, I am not sure I want to be drug around the bay like that.....

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Mike Hill (Sep 25, 2020)

Doug gots some great points. Blessed with a time that I was able to work part time (making up time for a friend of mine who had cancer) at a fly fishing/outdoors store, I've sold and been able to test quite a few brands. All-in-all I could easily use any of them. As we are land-locked by a days drive, the boats I used/tested were for moving water. We don't have much call for blue water or flats type boats. Nor for pedal boats as those would get damaged in the rapids, gravel bars and shallows. Main differences were stability (could you stand and cast - rare) and how they tracked - which was related to length, hull shape and rocker. For grins - one day, I fished out of a play boat. Turned a lot of circles. I tended to like the Coosa Jackson - good, sturdy, stable boat (at 55-60 I was able to easily stand up in it) with good weight capacity and a good price point. Had an appointment to try out a Kaku Voodoo Hybrid SUP, but the covid hit and had to cancel. Hope to try one out this fall. Very sturdy fishing SUP that you can put a seat on. As far as pedals - the only one I know someone who has is an Old Town Predator PDL. He likes it but doesn't use it all that much because he fishes small rivers and streams. He bought it to fish lakes in the fall for the Striper surface action. Heard good things about the Hobie - but not from anybody I know. Now, if you want to go fast and got the bucks - check out a Mokai or an Aquanami!

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## DLJeffs (Sep 25, 2020)

One other factor to consider that I forgot to mention: weight and portability. Will you transport it on a rack atop your ute or will you have a trailer or some other method? If you're putting it on top of your rig, weight becomes an issue, especially if you're doing that by yourself. There are racks with a roller at the back and one person can set one end of a heavy kayak, canoe, even a pram on the roller and then lift / push from the other end of the boat and slide it up on top. Some kayaks can be tough to manhandle by yourself, especially if they have watertight compartments and additional accoutrements such as the foot pedals.

Those Mokai's look like a lot of fun to me.

Heh, heh, I used the word "accoutrements".

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## DLJeffs (Sep 25, 2020)

Gdurfey said:


> I tied into that snook and was thinking exactly the same thing @Mike1950 !!! I think fishing from a kayak is the ultimate "be with the water and the fish" type of experience. No, I am not sure I want to be drug around the bay like that.....



The old Nantucket sleigh ride! As long as you can break him off before he pulls you and your boat under...

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Sep 25, 2020)

I carry mine (work) on top of my patrol vehicle (Chevy Tahoe). It's not too hard at 65 lbs. Mike was talking about the Jackson Coosa, that's the top of my list but $$$! Don't know if I wanna spend that much

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## Mike Hill (Sep 28, 2020)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Mike was talking about the Jackson Coosa, that's the top of my list but $$$! Don't know if I wanna spend that much


It helps muchly, when you get a retail discount!


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Sep 28, 2020)

That would be nice

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Jan 11, 2022)

Bean did you ever get a yak?


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## JR Parks (Jan 11, 2022)

On that subject- my bud has a hobbie w foot paddle and loves it. Last week he added some fish power to tow him a bit. Big black drum on artificial

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## JR Parks (Jan 11, 2022)

Would help with the pic

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## DLJeffs (Jan 11, 2022)

That's a nice black drum.


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 11, 2022)

We got 2 in April, no clue make or model. Haven't even made it to the water yet. All hard water now, single digits this week.


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## Gdurfey (Jan 12, 2022)

Mr. Peet said:


> We got 2 in April, no clue make or model. Haven't even made it to the water yet. All hard water now, single digits this week.


Well, if you tip over you won’t get wet…..

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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