S.O.T. Kayaks

[wonderrod]

OK,Here goes, I have been a lurker on this forum for a while and enjoy the posts very much, my question I feel, is worthy enough to ask of such a broad vessel of knowledge. I have a 16'fiberglass freighter style canoe and also a Classic brand backpacker 8'pontoon boat(used twice so far) and have had success with warm water fishing from both. I have also experienced some problems with each craft, especially on rivers. What would be the win if I scrapped both units and upgraded to a SOT kayak? Will I be able to paddle upstream with relative ease? Can I get on and off in the water without dumping the whole deal? Can I stand up in said kayak? I live in S.W. PA and mostly fish large rivers and some stillwater. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. JA

[rizeye]

hi wonderrod

any time you get a new toy it's a win situation. as for the paddling up stream, it is relatively easy to paddle up stream with a kayak. i have SIK and do this all the time. like the beaver river, clarion, french cr. and allegheny i can do with ease. even in riffle section it can be doe with effort, but a rapid section like the yough above ohiopyle, oh boy you better be in shape.

as for standing, depends on your balance. SOT's are more stable than that SIK and can be done. getting in an out is easier in the SOT but I have no problems with my SIK. check out wind and water near butler, they have a very nice selection and sponser demos in the spring. if you want to try one out, give me a shout, i currently have 4 with 2 being for sale.

[jsmartt]

I use a sit in kayak for fishing the White river here in Arkansas. When they are running anything more than 2 generators below the dams the river has a lot of water and current. I can paddle against the current for several miles at a time by reading the river, staying in the back eddies, on the insides of bends and close to shore if all else fails. I find I don't have to stand to cast, but I have made a set of retractable pontoons that I can deploy if I need to stand. Sit on tops are good fishing boats. especially if you get out and in alot to wade fish like I do.

[wonderrod]

I've been doing alot of research over the last several days and have decided on either an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 or a Wilderness brand of similar proportions. Both are SOT and it's said that the shorter length is more manuverable in smaller rivers and in general easier to negotiate obstacles. Sportsman's Wharehouse has a few to look at and I plan on running over there to check them out. Thanks for the advice, it was helpfull.

JA

[Thwack]

Just FYI...for kayaks, shorter means slower. If you're planning to battle current, a longer (and thus faster) kayak may be a better choice.

More important though is to try before you buy. Lots of places rent 'yaks for the hour/day/weekend/etc. Try a few models and spend at least 30 minutes in the seat out on the water. You won't find the places it starts to get uncomfortable unless you spend some real seat-time in each model you're considering.

Good luck.

[old geezer]

http://www.canoegear.com/html/ check out the pontoons for a kayak. I don't stand in mine, but installing a set of these for the same reason stabilty when standing and moving around the yak.

They say 35" from the rear of the back seat and I am getting a new hatch put in in the rear to accomadate the bases for the bar. Its a neat system and you can put the same unit on your canoe.

Hobie Quest Fisherman is the yak I have and Hobie does a great job of backing up the product. I recieved a new yak for a small defect in the one I had. The reps work well together so getting it replaced 1200 miles away was possible.

Have a good one

Philip

[wonderrod]

Some good tips here for sure, I do plan on test riding some 'yaks come spring, there are several that I am interested in and Wind & Water has a demo day and I also plan on attending a beginners paddling class.

[jkilroy]

Pelican came out with a nice SOT fishing kayak this year for around $450. That's a good price. Iwas thinking of selling my SIK and getting that one. My problem with a kayak is when I flyfish after a while my back hurts. I have a hard time sight fishing also. I'd like to get one that I can stand on.

[old geezer]

I can stand and even hang my butt over the side if need be. They will also adapt to a canoe and you can do a dance in the canoe. www.springcreek.com

I finally caught fish in Fla. grouper, grunts, snook and Barracuda. The toons made a big difference crossing channels and in winds and waves for this rookie in a jak. I have an anchor trolley setup,gps/fishfinder and rod holder.

Loading it on a ford suv is a snap with extnded bar and yak cradle. I wished I got the cradle last year.

Good luck

Philip

[dunfly]

For fishing a sit on top is superior to a SIK for stability and layout. A SIK may be drier, however, you would usually be wearing waders in cooler weather anyway, so that should not be an issue. It is much easier to get into and out of a SOT.

As far as paddling upsteam, you should be able to paddle upstream with a kayak as well or better than in a canoe. Standing up is another issue. Its one of those situations in which you either can or you can't, depending on you size and balance. I can't do it on still water in a Prowler 15, while I know a lot of people who can stand in a less stable kayak in rough water. Pontoons can help you stand and fish, but they create a lot of drag and will slow you down to a crawl.

The three best fishing kayaks, IMHO, are the Prowler 13, Tarpon 140 and Heritage Redfisher 14. If you want more speed and better tracking, the choices would be the Prowler 15 and the Tarpon 160, but given your situation, I don't think the gain would be worth it.