I’m in the process of selecting a kayak or two. Please share your advice on what you recommend for smaller rivers near me in the Missouri ozarks. I plan to do a lot of traveling to other areas to also fish/camp for a few days at a time.
Storage is important for camping gear. Knowing that I plan to fish a variety of rivers, I would like a pair that complement each other but also give me flexibility when going on a solo trip.
I am a midwest paddler, I have spent a lot of time in Ks Mo, and Ark. I have found that my favorite small river boat is my Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 in poly. It is very maneuverable and carries a more than you would think. It is efficient enough to go up river as well as down river. With some practice limited WW is do-able. It also is a great boat to take out on the lakes in windy conditions that are common in the midwest. Another boat to try on is the Dagger Alchemy.
Both come in 2 sizes to get a better fit for comfort.
Love my Wilderness for canoe camping - plenty of storage. Also love my pyranha for light storage (1 overnight) and it’s versatility for whitewater/flatwater.
Just got a dagger axis 120 at the end of last season. Haven’t tried it out for camping yet but seems to have enough room for a basic camping kit and is great on smaller quick rivers near me as well as lakes
For our rivers, which can be shallow and filled with obstructions, I have a Pungo 140. Fairly maneuverable, fairly quick, can carry a bunch of gear and tough.