I know you’ve all been asked a dozen times. I’ve narrowed it down to 4 that I’ve looked at. i live in a small town so I don’t get opportunity to test drive 'yaks. so your input would be much appreciated. I pan to use the craft to fish from primarily. And to do a little recreational paddling. I’m 5’8" and about 220. the boats I’ve narrowed it down to are the wilderness Tarpon 120, the Liquid Logic Manta Ray 12, the heritage redfish12 or the Mad River Canoe.
Go here
They are the experts on the sit on top kayaks
http://kfs.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=418607442
These are also experts for SOT’s:
texaskayakfisherman.com. A lot depends on where you will be fishing. If its cold water, a sit inside or canoe is going to be a better choice. The Manta Ray is probably going to be a better kayak for a person your size, though you might want to think about the 14. Other kayaks to look at are the new WS Ride (07 model) and the Perception Search. I’d say you might be better off with the Tarpon 140, but its a wet butt boat.
I’ve two sit inside kayaks, a 9.5 ft Necky Sky and an Old Town Loon 138, two canoes…tandem Mohawk Blaze and a Wenonah Sandpiper. I’m in your weight range. Right now, I’m enjoying the hell out of my Sandpiper…13.5 ft, but also like my Loon. Depending on the water you fish, a solo canoe may be a good choice.
Not a bad choice among them
In that you’ve got a tandem canoe being compared to fairly comparable SOT kayaks, the first thing you may want to do is learn about the pros/cons of each type of boat in the conditions and locations you intend to fish. That will allow you to narrow down to either one or three options.
If you choose SOT kayaks, Tarpons have a long-standing pedigree for fishing you may want to consider. Nothing against the other boats, but the Tarpons are tried and true. That said, I’ve read any number of reviews stating that the LL Manta Ray is comparable to the Tarpon in every way, so it may just come down to a price and convenience shootout between those two.
- Big D
what is best boat
I vote mad river canoe. If its fishing then salt/fresh water. There are fish out there that bite back.
It was late and after a day of hard
fishing when I first read your post. After rereading, I’d nix the canoe if you primarily fish saltwater. It’ll work, but you will be happier with a SOT. The Liquid Logic Manta Ray, WS Ride (07), Perception Search, Heritage Redfish, and the Hurricane Phoenix would be my favored options. I’d go with the 13-14’ boats for comfort, a bit added speed, carrying capacity, and because of your size. If you really want a canoe, take a look at the Native Watercraft boats. The Ultimate series is getting a lot of play. It comes in a 12, 14, and soon, a 16. The 14 and the 16 can be paddled tandem. The tunnel hull provides a very good fishing platform.