NDR-fishing kayaks

Dwight Harley

Dwight Harley

Well-known member
I am interested in hearing from any of you who fish from a kayak. I fish mostly on medium size rivers in Montana but also some ponds and large lakes. Thanks for any comments or suggestions on selecting a kayak.
 
Last edited:
Dwight,

I have two kayaks which I fish from.

(A) 12 foot roto molded poly made by Old Town. Large cockpit opening sit-in style. Weighs 55lbs This kayak is on the wider side at around 28-29 inches wide. I can paddle it at a sustained speed of about 2.5-2.8 mph for several miles.

(B) 14 foot plastic blend material seems almost like fiberglass but isn't fiberglass. Medium size cockpit opening sit-in style. Weighs about 40 lbs This kayak is a bit narrower at 26 inches wide and is more efficient to paddle at 3.5-4.0 mph. Max for me is 5mph and sustained, I'll say 4.0 if I need to for a few miles.

The wider kayak is plenty stable as a fishing platform and the narrow one works well also but does not have as much forgiveness in throwing yourself around off centerline. I have not dumped but had a couple what felt like close calls. Personally I don't see many fishermen using anything narrower than a 26 inch width for fishing.

I fish smaller rivers, ponds, small and large lakes. I've made a couple of BWCAW trips with both kayaks. The BWCAW in case you are unfamiliar is a wilderness area along the Canada/Minnesota border. It has many small lakes, all the way up to and including rather large open lakes with several river systems connecting many of them.

If I were to choose a kayak today, strickly for fishing, it most likely would be a sit-on-top style. The biggest advantage to a sit-on-top is ease of getting in and out or in this case on or off the kayak. The other advantage is if you swamp or take a wave over the deck, the sit on top does not fill with water, the water just drains away. That and there are models all factory set up for the fisherman. The biggest disadvantage is you do sit above the water higher than a traditional sit-in kayak and thus will catch more wind. Sit-on-top styles are generally heavier too which may be a factor for you, especially if you plan to car top.

Keep in mind, I have never owned or used a sit on top. My comments are based on the information I read and hear from others.

Hope this helps, ask away if you have specific questions.
 
I have limited experience with kayaks, but have used one intensely a few times. I used a sit in and liked it a lot. The problem I had, was the one I used was a little small for me. It was a 10 footer, and at 6'-1", 200#, it was just a little tight.


My Son however, is quite the accomplished Yak fisherman. He has a fancy dancy, all decked out, sit on top, 11 foot kayak. He probably uses his 4-5 times a week, literally.


When he was looking to buy, he was talked into a SOT. After using it extensively though, he has admitted he wished he bought a roomy sit in. The SOT yaks are very wet and can be very cold in the spring and fall. Also, they do sit a little higher as Dave described.


My wife used an 11 foot, extra wide, (sorta tri-hulled), blow molded model and fell in love with it. It was very wide at probably 30-31 inches for stability. Not quite as fast as the long, narrow, round bottom boats, but in kayaks, thosed details are give and take. The long, narrow ones are sleek and fast, but don't turn as quickly, and can be a little tipsy, whereas the wider boats don't move as fast, but they are considerably more stable.


Hope that helps...


Jon
 
Dave and Jon,
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I have spent a few hours on-line reviewing fishing kayaks. I plan to trailer it so weight is not an issue. The SOT specialty fishing kayaks seem to dominate the field. Plenty of guys on YouTube going off shore in the salt in those kinds of boats. It appears that longer boats track better and are faster and wider=more stability....and long and wide is even more stable. I like to stand when casting. Dave, I do know the BWCAW and Quetico. I have lived in eastern SD and in Minnesota and have been up there a few times.
 
Last edited:
Dwight: Personally I've never fished from a kayak. Coincidentally, I received in the mail today, my June-July issue of Outdoor Life. There is a 4 page article about fishing the Midwest Great Lakes from kayaks. You can access the article on their website titled " 16 best small boat fishing spots on the Great Lakes " by Dave Mall.




Ken Zaborski
 
I use a Hobie Outback. Wide and stable, and the Mirage Drive is perfect for hands free propulsion. You can bottom the peddles out and the flippers fold up almost flat against the bottom for a surprisingly shallow draft. I love mine and fish from it in everything from small municipal lakes to Lake Table Rock in SW MO.
 
I fished from kayaks a lot for about 10 years. The last couple years not so much. I did lots of small to medium sized river fishing and some lake fishing. I have owned sit on and sit in kayaks. For my fishing, paddling and hunting I prefer sit in kayaks with big open cockpits. Tandem kayaks are the easiest way to get the hulls I prefer. Old Town Tandem Otter or Loon, the 14' Predator is built on a tandem hull as a solo boat. Wilderness System Pamlico Tandem kayaks. My boats are all 14' long and very stable. I can haul poles, tackle box, a cooler, and a lab. The only time I ever dumped was in very fast water, fighting a fish, and trying to float backwards thru down trees in the river. I did manage to land the fish. I can not post pictures but if you email me at: noweil@yahoo.com I have a lots of pictures of boats and fishing. My boats are all a bit dated now. Lots of people now really like the hybrid canoe/kayak crosses. I am told they are very comfortable. Mike
 
I like native watercraft. I have a ultimate 14.5 which is really comfortable and more for protected calmer waters.Really pay attention to the seats also.My wife uses the 12 ' manta ray which is a sit on top and is self draining if u take a wave.We have a 12 Jackson cuda which is nice also its a sit on top and is wide and stable .
 
My only advice is don't do the beginner thing and go for "stability." I did that in 2002 with a SOT WS Ride (still have it) and the thing is a BEAST to paddle. Of course you don't realize that until you get a chance to paddle a faster boat.

There's no law that says this of course, but kayaks tend to already be more stable than say, a canoe, or a 10' jon. I had a 16' WS Tarpon for a while that was a joy to paddle, it would continue to drift quite a bit after I stopped paddling. People going any distance in kayaks always opt for longer and skinnier.

All that being said, my battle tank Ride has been through the surf many times to chase sharks while other people are flipping theirs. That is the ONLY place the stability is an advantage-- the surf. If you're not going to be in surf opt for less "stable." A boat that is claimed to be less stable feels a lot more tippy, but you're rarely if ever going to roll it.
 
I second a hobie product it is very easy to troll or do anything and move at the same time. The one set up for fishing are sweet. But they are wicked expensive. You never know what you can find on Craigslist though.
 
Here are a couple pictures from yesterday. Both fish were caught on the same crankbait.

IMG_20150523_103511806_HDR_zpsgqjskjrc.jpg


IMG_20150523_114411567_HDR_zpsmrtfgodp.jpg

 
Interesting enough we are shopping Yaks as well. My FL fishing partner has a bigger bank book than me a will be getting a 13.5 Native SOT @ $2400. I have pretty much decided on the Bass Pro Ascend 13.4 SOT @ $800. Besides our FL trip I thought it would be fun to fish the little lakes that do not have a launch - cranberry ponds etc. Good Luck
 
I prefer the ocean kayak myself, never have to worry about getting swamped in one and if it rolls it will right itself.
Spent many years fishing the Delaware bay in them.
They work great out here in Montana too.

A pick of mine.








 
Doug,

Why is your boat all slimy?????? :>) :>) slimy is a good thing!

BTW I see the sonar unit, where is your transducer located? Does it shoot thru the hull or is there a spot where it can shoot directly thru the water?
 
Doug,

Why is your boat all slimy?????? :>) :>) slimy is a good thing!

BTW I see the sonar unit, where is your transducer located? Does it shoot thru the hull or is there a spot where it can shoot directly thru the water?
Click to expand...


Hi Dave

A slimy boat is a happy boat. LOL

I tried to epoxy the transducer to the inside of the hull but I can't find anything that will stick to the plastic.
The hull would flex and the epoxy would pop off.
So now I just hang the transducer over the side and it works great that way.
 
Doug and Dave,

Years ago I cut out the top of a bathroom plunger and glued it to the bottom of my aluminum jon boat. Filled it with water before putting the transducer in it and it worked great with no apparent loss of signal strength. Rotomolded boats are predominately polypropylene and just about nothing sticks to it. You might try silicon bathroom caulk or maybe 5200.
 
I too have been thinking about a fishing kayak but along the lines of building one instead of buying. I have 8 sheets of 4mm Okume in the rafters ready for a project and this might be it.

So, for you experienced yakers, is there an ideal length and width to give good speed, maneuverability and stability?
 
There isn't a design that provides all 3- just like duck boats, it's a compromise. Longer= faster, shorter= better turning, wider= more stable, narrower=faster, assuming the same hull profile. Several companies build tunnel hull profiles to increase stability too. For what it's worth, I fish and do a little hunting out of a 13' solo canoe. I fish small shallow rivers and shallow reservoirs. I need to be able to get in and out easily in the river, so a sit in kayak was out for me. Weight was also a consideration since I go solo more often than not. I ended up with a Mohawk Solo 13. It weighs in ~44#. Most poly kayaks of the same length weigh at least 65#, and kevlar or carbon fiber aren't in my budget. A canoe can haul a load that a kayak of the same size can't.

If building, check out jemwatercraft's website. They have a ton of plans for S&G kayaks and canoes and have a forum for their builders. Don't overlook a strip build either. I work with a gentleman that built a 12' solo canoe that weighs less than 30#.
 
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]
So, for you experienced yakers, is there an ideal length and width to give good speed, maneuverability and stability?
Click to expand...


Pete,

Everything is always a compromise but I've been very happy with one of my present boats. That one being a Current Designs Kestrel 140 It paddels well and glides a long ways after the last stroke, so much so I need a back stoke to stop where I want to for fishing. It is NOT stable enough to stand up and cast but plenty stable to fish from as long as you aren't careless.

I almost sent for a kit from these folks http://www.pygmyboats.com/boats/pinguino-sport-kayak-kit.html This model has almost identical specs as the Kestrel I ended up buying. Only reason I purchased the Kestrel was because my local dealer had a killer price just before Christmas one year. I bought the Kestrel for less the the kit for the Pugmy Pinguino would have cost.

As the good length to width ratio for general use; IMHO I'd say 26.0 width by 14.0-15.5 length. You can go longer and still have manuverability if the is enough rocker built into the design. Of course the rocker comes at the price of top end speed and glide.
[/font]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top