Angler Kayak Help

Folks,



First wanted to say thanks for the help - a topic I posted earlier this year helped me buy my first canoe (OT Camper 16’) and get it mounted to the roof properly. Much family fun had because of your help!



Now… my dad wants a kayak for his birthday - big fisherman, so I want to get an angler kayak. I’m an old town fan (for no reason other than it seems like a great brand and I like mine), so I’ve been looking at three options -



Vapor 10 (great reviews)

Trip 10 (no reviews - seems to be the Vapor with a different well)

Dirigo 106 (few reviews)



My dad is 70 but still very active, able to handle the weight, etc. He’ll use it for mostly open water fishing, but also river/stream fishing and I wouldn’t mind taking it out just to paddle on some local rivers. Does anyone have any insight on the above, for storage, comfort, features, etc?



Thanks in advance!

Small Boats
Those are all 10 foot kayaks I believe. Not good for open water in my opinion.

He must think minimal tackle. I fish from kayaks and have a yakclip to secure either my paddle or my pole. Use a backpack between my legs for tackle boxes ect. Use a portable fishfinder. I keep everything to a minimun.

I fish mostly from a CD Whistler with a rudder. The rudder is essential to me for positioning the boat while drifting. I position myself so I do not have to use my paddle much.

Angler Kayak Help
I have a FeelFree Moken Lite and really like it for fishing the ICW in Florida. It’s only 10’4" but quite wide (31") and very stable. There’s a small wheel located at the back of the yak that works well for moving it around on hard surfaces. It has hard molded-in side handles that make it easy to pick up. The only negative is that water sometimes splashes up through the scupper holes under the seat but adding plugs took care of that issue.

TRY THE KAYAK FISHING BOARD HERE AT PNET
That crew can directly answer your questions -and give you insight into some you might not not even think to ask at this point in your -and your father’s -nascent yakfishing career. They’re the specialists here.



A word of advice and a caution: with relatively few exceptions, kayak anglers are not paddlers who like to fish, they’re anglers who happen to need, or want, to use a shallow water, stealthy, relatively inexpensive boat: a kayak! -to pursue their fun. The usual paddler perspectives tend not to apply in kayak fishing circles -speed and slick handling take a back seat to stability, carrying capacity, and ample acreage to mount piscatorial pursuit paraphernalia.



So head on over there, check the various threads -yours is a most common inquiry -and see what you can find out on your way to recommending a boat your dad can fish from as well as literally



PADDLE ON!



-Frank in Miami


As an ‘older’ paddler, I have both
sit inside and sit on top SOT kayaks, so one other aspect you may want to consider is how agile your dad is. When I fish shallow waters I use my Ocean Kayak Prowler 13. I find it very stable for this purpose, it has a small hatch right in front of the seat. One can even turn sideways and allow your feet to hang over the side. It’s that stable. I do tend to use scupper plugs unless I take it out on Lake Michigan as no matter what it is a wet ride when there are more and higher waves. My son and friends, being much younger, like our OT Loon 111’s for fishing. For safety, I use at least a bow or stern bag just in case I happen to end up in the drink. Haven’t done that in years, but I wasn’t fishing then either. :slight_smile: Then again, our 13 grandson prefers the Prowler.

Find a local group, if possible, that may have a variety of boats and have your dad try some. Most paddlers are willing to let you try out their boats.