I’m 5’9" and about 165. Probably going to put it in top of my sequoia. Mainly going to fish pond and lake. No salt water.

Perception Swifty
Sit On Tops are usually better for fishing, but if you’re just going to go on small lakes and ponds, and your budget is that small, then I recommend a Perception Swifty. It is a venerable design. They are available on the used market sometimes (check your local Craig’s list). They are affordable and durable and easy to learn in.



My recommendation is to paddle the boat around a few times without fishing tackle until you feel comfortable in it and have learned how to control it. Then add the fishing stuff.



Good luck. Stay safe. Have fun.

First kayak
Thanks for getting back to me…

What are your thoughts on the Malibu mini - x & the Cobra fish n dive/ explorer? I didn’t see any perceptions on Craigslist.

Thanks !

Haven’t paddled either.
Cobra fish n dive was a very popular model in the esrly days of kayak fishing, but mostly for deep water. For shallow water, like creeks and some rivers it scraped bottom. For the slow moving rivers, lakes, and ponds you describe it would probably be OK. It’s probably pretty old, so if it was stored outside that could be a problem.



Malibu Mini-x is a newer model and had a big following for a while. I’ve only ever heard good things about it.



Both are SOT’s, and so probably better suited to fishing than the Swifty I mentioned.



Check the paddling.net review section for each model and you’ll get a lot more information.

Right on…/
Thank you !