Kayak fishing

[Jim Sentell]

....great article by a friend of mine....

Food for thought if you're contemplating taking the yak plunge.
[url=http://www.hatchesmagazine.com/page/march2006/142:b7c5e]http://www.hatchesmagazine.com/page/march2006/142[/url:b7c5e]

[BigFlatBrook]

I *am* contemplating the yak plunge. In fact, I'm going to look at Kayaks this morning!

Do you have any experience with yaks in the salt?

[dudley]

Kayak fishing in the salt is about as much fun as you can have sitting down
Kayaks are very stable and you will be suprised how secure you feel in choppy seas.
I've used one for a good number of years and it's still a thrill every time I go out.

------------------
fishing will do a lot for a man, but it won't make him truthful

[Thwack]

I love fishing out of my 'yak. Haven't taken it out in the salt yet. Hobie has a new model coming out this Fall intended for salt:

[url=http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/models_adventurefisherman.html:b189a]http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/models_adventurefisherman.html[/url:b189a]

I have their older "Outback" model which plenty of folks have taken out into the salt but it's short and wide (both of which translate into slower vs. the new model which is longer and slightly narrower).

It should be a lot of fun in the water. I paddle mine if I have to but prefer to peddle since that leaves my hands free for fishing.

[BigFlatBrook]

I did look over kayaks this morning as I said. The Hobie Mirage Adventure in the link looks great, but I'm not sure I need a touring kayak at this point. Probably I will fish in protected areas such as Raritan Bay or Jamaica Bay. However, I am starting to feel jealous of you guys that discovered this years earlier.

Right now, I'm considering the

(1) Tarpon 120

(2) Prowler 13

(3) Hobie Quest

equipped with a ruddering system. To my inexperienced eye, these are roughly equivalent kayaks, except that it seemed a little more comfortable sitting in the Tarpon 120 with my awkward frame and 215 lbs.

Don't know exactly when I'll do this, but it's an experience I definitely want to have.

Advice on kayaking in general or on these three kayaks in specific will be appreciated.

Thanks!


[This message has been edited by BigFlatBrook (edited 04 March 2006).]

[D. Micus]

Bigger is better. the longer the kayak the better it tracks, which will make a big difference when paddling against tide, wind, current or all three. I'd say go 14 feet or more if you can. Kayaks are amazingly stable, so, unless you're a big guy, don't think you need a boat real wide in the beam. It will slow you down. A rudder or skeg is a big help--if you don't buy a boat with one at least consider a boat that you can add one to later. If you get a sit in kayak, make sure it has water tight bulkheads. This will keep things dry, as well as keep the kayak from sinking if you should tip it (an extemely rare occurance--in 10 years of yak fishing i've never come close to tipping it). Make sure your boat is made of a durable material like polyprothelene (sp?). fiberglass boats look nice and are fast, but you'll be dragging your boat over mussel beds and rocks so you want it to be able to take a beating. don't hesitate to buy a used yak--they are nearly indestructible. if you have a local kayak rental place, check with them to see if they have any used boats--they often will sell them off at the end of a season. most importantly--have fun!

[This message has been edited by D. Micus (edited 04 March 2006).]

[Thwack]

BigFlatBrook,

You're about ten miles away from a big-time kayak fishing store! The folks behind the Kayak Fishing Stuff web site are in Mine Hills, NJ which MapQuest says is about ten miles away from where your profile says you live. I suggest a road trip!

They do plenty of demo days if I'm not mistaken. I'm on the other coast from them but have used their web site's forum for info and advice. You can look them up at:

[url=http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/default.asp:d6565]http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/default.asp[/url:d6565]

I'm bigger than you are by more pounds than I care to admit. I fit great in a Hobie Outback but would probably be squished in a Hobie Sport. I really like pedaling when fishing since I don't have to put my rod down to manuever. It's not for everybody though.

I have buddies with sit-in yaks and they fish just fine too. Figure out how you'll mount rod holders (Hobie's moulded-in rod holders are designed for spin rods, not fly rods...I'm modifying my Outback this weekend to correct that oversight).,

You can find some info here on FAOL for getting started in yak fishing (typical gear you'll want to bring like a personal floatation device, VHF radio if going in the salt, top notch whistle for signalling, tow rope, etc). You can also find good info on the KFS site I listed above.

Given how close they are to you, if you haven't already dropped in on them, it's probably a good thing to do before deciding on which model is best. They should have demo days, or some other way for you to try some of the models out (possibly already rigged for fishing).

They'll have info on rigging for fishing as well (most kayak shops I've been in just start at you when you ask about that).

Good luck

[Jed]

Sit In Kayaks (SIK) vs. Sit On Top (SOT) kayaks. For me I find the SOT kayaks not nearly as comfortable (I have a weak back). I also like the dry SIK. WIth the cooler Northeast waters the SOT gets you wet and therefore cold way too easy. As for Dave's comment on size, he is right about everything except the issue of where you will kayak. If you are in smaller lakes, ponds or winding rivers the extra length increases your turning radius and makes it harder to manoever. For the ocean, 14' is a great size. I do all types, from ponds and wetlands to the Salt. I settled on a 12' Wilderness Systems Pungo SIK and have added a rod holder and anchor system.

jed

[BobC]

Hi Jim! I agree with the above link to check out kayakfishingstuff.com. I don't think you will find a more comprehensive site that discusses fishing from a kayak. You will find a wealth of info there.
Bob

[D. Micus]

Jed, buddy, the question was about kayaking in the salt. work with me here...