I posted this question on another forum and just found this one. Recently moved to the keys. Love to fish. Have kayaked once in my life, but I’m really getting pumped about the idea of fishing from a kayak. Any suggestions on kayak models I should consider as well as accessories would be much appreciated.
Oh, I have a chevy S10 with a fiberglass camper shell and I’m 5’ 8", 140 lbs. Any thoughts about trolling motor?
Thanks!
in the back or front
Are you fishing out front at the edge of the reef (longer faster boat for covering lots of ground. Under the bridges for 100 lb tarpon (something very stable and wide. Or are you fishing the backcountry (a quit yak that doesnt scare fish out of shallow water with hull slap)
I would use my hobie because it does it all. A cobra explorer would be a good lower price alternate that is easy to rig up,fast,stable with practice,and fairly quite.
Barrell
ps- what key are you on? I am building a house on lower matecumbe.
well, marathon, sort of . . .
Thanks for the info. Actually I posted these questions for my brother who moved to Marathon last fall. He lives for fishing. I love to kayak, and have been encouraging him to get one. Now I want to help him get the right one. I have had a WS Ride for four or five years. Love it. But it looks like there are better models out there now for fishing.
I’m guessing he’d like to be able to fish all areas. Don’t think he’s done any of the flats stuff yet, but that’s got to be a blast.
So, do you have one of the Hobie Peddlers?? I haven’t actually heard directly from anyone who had one yet??
Thoughts on a Keys kayak
– Last Updated: Mar-28-04 8:04 AM EST –
Living in the Fabulous Florida Keys is awesome. I lived there several years ago and fished regularly out of a small skiff. Lots of kayak models will work for you, however I would stay with a sit on top in the Keys. Much too warm most of the year to get into a sit inside. Of the sit on tops there are a lot to choose from. Longer and narrower equals easier to paddle and faster if you like to cover a lot of water. Shorter and wider equals a more manueverable and stable boat. Ocean Kayak, Cobra and Wilderness Systems all make decent kayaks for touring/fishing.
I have a friend in Key West that fishes out of a Scupper Pro TW. I use a Scupper Pro TW for fishing the Texas coast. I've owned other kayaks, but the Scupper Pro has been the one that worked the best for me as a fishing/touring kayak. Stable, easy to paddle, relatively fast and it holds a ton of gear. I like to take touring/fishing/camping expeditions into the back country here and found the Scupper to fit my needs quite nicely.
WELL, WADE, WHAT’D I TELL YA?
Those S-Pro TWs are favored Keys angling yaks. Randy -Randruns -in KW uses one, has picked up some VERY nice fish around KW, etc.
Barrel knows his stuff -and Lower Matecumbe is a GREAT place -I’m surprised he got a slot to build a place down there -AND the bread to do it, LOL! Houses are expensive down there as they now need to be some eqivalent of 2-storeys, to escape surge tides raised by hurricanes and bad TSs.
Another friend of mine who lives just north of KW on Geiger Key has a Cobra FnD that he likes.
But lose the Ride. I wave slaps horrifically in a small schop, death on the flats, friend, where I expect you’ll do a bit of fishing.
And don’t bother with a trolling motor-it’s really not needed. DO, however, get yourself a good anchoring system. Fishing channels as the tide turns will put you in moving water, and unless you want to drift fish, anchoring will ‘bring the fish to you’.
And by ALL means, conduct a search of the archives, there’s a lot of VERY good angling yak rigging info out there, from baskets to rod holders, depth guages/fish finders to anchors, rudders to rods’n’reels.
And you and your brother will absolutely LOVE it as you get out there and
Paddle on!
-Frank in Miami
thanks
Thanks for all the good info. It’s looking like the Prowler. Will be needing help rigging it out. Amazing how many decisions there are in buying a *** kayak! I think I make everything complicated!
Lots of Choices
The Scupper is always popular. The Tarpon is faster, but heavier. The Prowler is faster than a Scupper, but lighter than a Tarpon.
I used to spearfish off Marathon, but I hear Nassau Grouper are endangered these days…
I also hear the Coral Grill is closed. I used to stop by there to eat a few thousand calories at the buffet…
keys fishing hobie mirage
my wife has a mirage and loves it though she does not fish it, I found I can peddle 4 knots steady, so i have my hands free for trolling,stable ,fast, has plenty of room to mount gear , the rear hatch is kind of small but she has an older model.The new models are geared more towards fishing and have some improvements.the one thing i don’t care for is the control knobs for the rudder which require a lot of attention and make getting in and out a swimsuit snagger,and hurt when bumped so you have to use the port side side. cost a bundle though, read my review it’ll attest to thier longevity. Hurricane tested. I feel other boats may be more versitale. Lees