I’ve got an Ocean kayaks “Aegean” double. I have not been out fishing for a long time but was thinking about getting a lic this year (waiting for January) and doing some fishing in the shallow rock gardens of the Calif coast. I only use the Aegean when the girlfriend insists that she wants to paddle a local lake together in the summer, otherwise I usually paddle sit inside kayaks (both WW and Sea) so I am familiar with the conditions that I will be fishing.
Anyway, my question is whether it would be practical to outfit this kayak for fishing or if a person is better off just buying a dedicated SOT that’s been designed for fishing? How much can I expect to spend converting the 14’ double to a decent fishing platform?
Thanks,
Bob
Platform
– Last Updated: Nov-30-07 10:35 AM EST –
You can fish from any kayak but the SOTs are more user friendly. The double can be rigged for $100-$300 or more depending on what level you want but they are usually awkward to paddle solo and heavier than a single. They do afford lots of room for stuff if you are a gear hog. A good dedicated plastic fishing SOT in the 13' range will cost approximately $700. A thermoformed Hurricane Phoenix will cost about $300 more but will be 10 lbs lighter for a given size, be a little quicker and look like a comp boat. There are quite a few boats available so you have lots to choose from. It is a fast growing sport and all the mfgs are getting into it. Most have tankwells for gear or coolers. Make sure you have somewhere readily accessible to put your fish and remember No Blood in the water.
I have a 16' and a 12.5'. Both have a lot of rocker and are ruddered. Both are suitable for ocean use. The 16' gets the most use but the 12.5' is more maneuverable. If you opt for a rudder, get toe controls.
The Aegean will work, it is an SOT,
but, even though it has a lot of room left over when paddled solo, its not well arranged for fishing. As the seats are in a stationary position, at least I don’t recall there being a way to move a seat to a better position for solo paddling, it may handle poorly solo. The OK Malibu II used to be a popular solo fishing kayak. If you want to try using the Aegean, you may want to look on some of he west coast kayak fishing websites and you find pictures of a Malibu rigged out, those should help.
As for cost, conversion is not expensive. A couple of rod holders and maybe a milk crate should do it. You can spend more, but those are some basics. Just like any sport, the specialized equipment those dedicated to it use works best, but kayak fishing is not so specialized that a tandem SOT will not work. Given the funds, and with knowledge that I’d use it on a regular basis, though, I’d look at getting an SOT solo kayak for the fishing you describe.
Thank you both for the feedback
I appreciate it.
Bob