Kayak fishing

[Shadelady]

not sure if this is the right spot or not- hope so. here goes...

i am thinking i would like to try kayak fishing. but i'd like the input from those in the know. it will be as always for me and my girlfriend. we are in Lincoln City and stay pretty close to home- Devils lake, Salmon river, Nestucca river, Ocean, Town lake are our main spots. i am pretty sure we want sit on tops.

here are a few of the questions i have...

at first i was thinking in a limited manner- get 2 singles or one tandem- this mornings epiphany was to get one of each. thoughts on any combination- easy of use / storage / loading etc

what is a good length?

is one brand really better than another?

i will most likely buy used- what sort of wear and tear should i look for / avoid?

all help is appreciated as always

 

[kayakkid]

Check this place out. These guys know what they doing!

NorthWest Kayak Anglers - How To

 

[The Nothing]

Sit on Tops are definitely the way to go. While they do leave you more exposed to the weather, in the inevitable chance you end up overboard, you can more easily get back into the yak.

Brands don't matter all that much, but each brand has its own little following. What is important is Length vs width (in regards to speed vs stability), useability, and personal preference.

With the variety of fishing you're looking at doing, I'd suggest a kayak thats about 13-14' long. IMO I'd have to suggest the Ocean Kayak Prowler Trident 13 and the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140. Both of these kayaks are proven ocean worthy kayaks and are small enough to be great on the lakes as well. The Ocean Kayak Malibu II would fit into this range as well, and it is a tandem kayak that tends to work decently as a solo as well. All of these can be found brand new for less than $1000, and significantly less when used (40-60% of retail).

Wear and tear is a tough one. The first things I look for is sun fading. If theres a noticible difference in color between the top and bottom, or in the scuppers that look like it can be caused by being left in the sun, pass it up and move on. UV damage can make plastic brittle and cause it to crack. Look around the scupper holes, top and bottom for cracks. These are a common failure point and very difficult to repair.

Its also important to test out kayaks. Try a few brands and see what you think. There's a dive shop in Astoria that sells Cobra kayaks (plenty suitable for you too!) and should be able to demo those for you. There are many shops in the Portland area that can demo Hobies, Ocean Kayaks and Wilderness Systems kayaks. I think the surf shop on the north end of Depot Bay also rents kayaks. Oh yeah! The lil bait shop in Lincoln City has a rental fleet of non-peddle powered Hobies parked on the 'tucca. They used to be a Hobie dealer and when I was in there the other week they had a KILLER deal on a tandem.

Hope that helps for a start! The link to NWKA is a great tool. I was a member of their site for about 6 months before I got a kayak. I learned a lot and even got to meet up with people and try out some of their kayaks.

 

[Shadelady]

Issac- thank you!!! i that is a lot of what i needed to know. i have been over to the NWKA- but there is sooooo much info to wade through and not even knowing where to start. your answer is exactly what i needed. in fact i was over there and there is a woman who is selling a pair of them and while i have some interest i think you are right in that i should try a few before i buy anything. can i ask what kind you have and what you like / dont like about it?

thank you!!!!!!

 

[The Nothing]

Sorry its taken so long to get back to you. Spent the weekend in the mountains with very little electricity, let alone cell/internet coverage...

I paddle an Ocean Kayak Prowler Trident 15 w/ factory rudder. Its a BIG boat. With the rudder it's 16' long and the 28" width gives a good amount of stability. The length:width ratio means that it has a good amount of speed and glide without too much paddle effort. That length:width ratio is what traditional sit-inside-kayak (SInK/SIK) faster than sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks. But, since SIKs are narrower, they're also less stable.

Things I like about the T15 that I have... hummmm... Its faster than most other SOT (only two or three that i kan think of that are faster, but also more expensive), it can handle some big surf, it glides effortlessly to long distance fishing grounds, the Rod Pod gives great internal access for gear storage (though i've made a custom lid)... there's a lot I like about it.

What I don't like about it. Its a big boat. I fished a tournament back in Sept that was supposed to be a saltwater event. Unfortunately 13' swells moved us inland and onto a small lake. It was hard to manuver (length issue) and seemed like I was driving a Hummer Limo in downtown during rushhour on Black Friday.

Ultimately I think 13' kayaks are the best all-around kayak in the PacNW. This gives you a kayak that's small enough to drift coastal rivers for nooks/steel and big enough to tackle upto 6' surf in the calmer months for lings, rocks, halibut, and even Bouy 10 for coho!

Fortunately, I won the tournament I mentioned. I'll be getting an Ocean Kayak Trident 11 here soon. I'll be outfitting the T11 as a drift boat and small water fishing. The T15 will be my big water yak.

 

[Bennicus]

This summer I purchased a 12' NuCanoe. It is incredibly stable as it has a 42" wide beam (32-36 at waterline). This allows you to stand and cast when you start to feel cramped, also one is much more likely to fall out of the boat than actually flip/roll it. It has a sealed hull (floats & paddles when completely swamped) that is incredibly tough and as a result is a little bit on the heavy side of the kayak/canoe market. Mine is a 2008 and 82lbs while the new 12's are 77lbs and the 10' is 59lbs. It makes up for the added heft with a large weight capacity 12' - 525lbs and 10'-450lbs.

Paddling is not the only option though as it has a transom that accepts electric trolling motors. Aside from letting me be lazy when appropriate, it handles very accurately and allows me to maintain a steady troll with hands free to do fishing type stuff. They are super easy to rigged up however you like - outriggers, duck blinds, or any other thing you can dream up and DIY.

NuCanoe - Versatile, Stable, & Fun Hybrid Canoes for Fishing, Paddling, Hunting, Rowing, & More

Made in Bellingham, WA and the company head honcho is the founder of Ocean Kayak.

 

[The Nothing]

I can't considder a NuCanoe a kayak by any means. It's definitely just a rotomolded canoe that competes with the Native Ultimate. You wouldn't see me trying to surf launch, or even use it in the big blue.

 

[Bennicus]

oops forgot the video
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bUFUd1Hl4[/YOUTUBE]


not sure why video is not working right

here is the link - YouTube - Enter & Exit NuCanoe from Water

 

[Shadelady]

resurrecting an old thread here- i can't find the email or post, but someone had told me about a super smokin deal on a kayak over in Pacific City- it was a Hobie tandem peddle /paddle. we happened to be over there a few days ago and my girlfriend fell in love with it. and it fits in our van.... we took it right out on Town lake and got our limit of tiny little stockers and had a fantastic time. our other 2 boat will be listed for sale soon. we need to find a deal on the peddles, those werent included. we love it!!! and now for so much more to learn!!

 

[The Nothing]

That was me via PM

Surprised they still had it! But now that I know that the Mirage drives were not included, I'm no longer surprised by the price. Its still a great deal though.

Glad you guys liked it!

I just got home from a kayak fishing tournament in Georgia. I came in at 7th out of 50, which I consider excellent considering I had never fished anywhere near that part of the country before...

 

[Shadelady]

just got done reading about your invite to the tournament this morning. congrats on the placement!! yep, he still had it and wanted it gone bad- not sure if he just misremembered or fibbed about the price of the peddles... they are not what he said. but we're going to head over there tomorrow and talk to him and see about maybe getting some of his that just maybe need some work. if you happen to hear of anyone who has broken ones or ones that are going cheap please let me know!! and when you are down our way if you'd like to hit the water together, give a hollar. thanks again for the info!!