good fishing kayaks

i’m new to the kayak fishing expreience and would like advise on which brands/kayaks are good for this. i don’t want to spend an arm and a leg for a kayak i might not use, so… is there any axcessories that would go well with said kayak for fishing. i would be fishing mostly lakes that can be very windy, and possibly fish a river like the yough in slower water. i have kayaked on the clarion river before

POST SUBJECT
Try the fiching board and do a google search for kayak fishing and it will pull up a whole lot of fishing web sites that might be helpfull

go to
www.kayakfishingstuff.com look at the forumns.

Beware!
This board is full of guys who bought a kayak for fishing and ending up being kayakers instead of fishermen!

Prowler 15

– Last Updated: Mar-10-06 1:28 PM EST –

Barracuda is right, but I'm kind of a transition, I mean, I'm still a fisherman, although I kayak much more than I fish nowadays.

My fishing kayak is an Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Great boat, I love it, I would not change it for anything when it comes to fishing.

OK also came out with a 13' version of this boat. I've paddled both and like the 15 better - I sometimes paddle long distances to fish, and the longer boat tracks better.

Good luck in your search

JB

Beware
I second that one

and
I had the prowler 15 for a while for fishing. It was pretty good. Go to kayakfishingstuff.com and look at the kayak user reviews to see my review of it.



Another fishing kayak id recommend is the tarpon 160, not the current one but the prior model. That model is just my own preference.



There are a few more good kayak SOT yaks, just paruse kayakfishingstuff and youll see.



Just dont get a barge like the malibu extreme.

fishing kayaks
I fish a lot from kayaks and find I prefer a more sleek sit in kayak since I travel up stream almost as often as I drift downstream when fishing. You don’t need to shuttle cars if you travel upstream first and then drift back. I have seen a few SOTs that look sleek enough to travel against a current though. I use a perception sundance 12 footer. It performs well as a fishing kayak. There are lots of good kayaks out there for fishing and most people like whatever they bought.

get one for what you’ll do
Kayakfishingstuff.com is a great resource. They are mostly skedwed toward SOT rather than sit insides so take that into consideration.



It just depends on what you value and what you’ll do with it. If you need big-water safety or you’ll be getting in and out of the boat a lot, then SOT me be the way to go.



If you want a dry ride and protection from the wind without needing expensive wet suite clothing, then consider a sit inside.



There’s a many, many more pros and cons.



If you want more advice from this board, you’ll have to explain more the type of fishing you want to do, water you’ll paddle in, paddling experience, body size, etc etc.

IMHO , you cannot do better than
a Tarpon 160i , but I am highly prejudiced.

I Agree String

What’s wrong with sea kayaks…

– Last Updated: Mar-10-06 11:54 PM EST –

We do a lot of fishing on camping trips and an expedition boat works great for trolling and casting. We are only interested in catching enough for dinner but a loaded touring boat makes a great platform.

http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pavilionfishe6xg.jpg

can catch from any boat
issues start arrise when you need to have gear stored but easily accessable on the water, have a place to put your fish when you catch them, wiggle room if you’re out for hours, etc, etc.



This is where SOTs have the advantage. I sat in the Heritage line yesterday. Their SOT is very nice. The Feather Lite 12 and 14 didn’t even come close to fitting me.



I couldn’t imagine doing the style of fising I do in a touring boat.

Arkansas
According to your profile you are from central Arkansas and will be fishing fresh water. You need to get a boat that suits your water. Unless you plan on paddling long distances, a 14’ boat is probably your max but I would not go less than 12’. The longer boats are faster and possibly track better but the shorter boats will maneuver better and get you into tighter places. They are usually lighter too. The Tarpon 140 is a popular boat. The new Hurricane Phoenix 140 SOT has had some good comments and is 52 lbs. Dont overlook the Phoenix 120 at 38 lbs if you can use a shorter boat. There are many more. The Pungos are popular with the people who prefer SINKs

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com

http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com

The above are 2 good websites with forums that will show you how to rig and what boats are being used. Personally, I have fished every kayak I own or have owned both SOT and SINK. I prefer to fish from SOTs. It gets colder where you are then here in Arizona so buy what will suit your need. You can fish from anything that floats but IMHO lighter is better.

texaskayakfisherman.com is a great
resource. Pungos are ok, but the Old Town Loon and Dirigo are better suited for fishing. I’ve a Loon 138 I picked up cheap that I’m oufitting for fishing. Lots of room and tracks well. The Loon 111 is a nice fishing craft. My other fishing kayak is a 9.6 Necky Sky. I started with it, usually carried too 7ft rods and an ultrlight rig. It worked well and was especially good in tight place. One small fishing kayak you may want to look at is the sit-in made by Heritage. It comes in 9.6 ft, also they make a larger one, a 12 footer. There are lots of good fishing kayaks out there. For sit on tops, look at the Ocean Kayak, Wilderness Systems, Heritage, Cobra, Malibu, and the Hurricane Phoenix. There are others, those are just the ones I’m familiar with.

kayak fishing
Try the WS pamlico 145T. Its a tandem kayak, but with the front seat moved backwards to the middle there is plenty of room in it for your fishing gear. I use it on the river for smallmouth fishing. very stable and tracks great. You could also take your wife out for an evening ride.