New Kayak Advice

[Kilowatt]

Thank you for the advice and the invite. I was at BPS L'ville today.
They had the pool assembled and filled.

I have looked at a dozen different kayaks over the past week.
It started with 10'boats, but the 12' boats have caught my attention.
Most of the 12' boats offer more options for almost the same money.

So far, I am leaning heavily toward the Tarpon 120. Although, I did see a Future Beach Angler 144(12')
that was similar to the Tarpons. It looked well made with heavy plastic.

I would like to see the new kayak. It sounds interesting.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[FishingAddict]

Yup, if you can wait for Drew's kayak to come out, wait for it. It looks amazing from what I have seen, and you will have some extra time to save up for it. His goal was to fix all the problems that current kayaks have- from what I understand, it's super stable, lightweight, not too long (easy to navigate,) and has a great deal of upgrades we've never seen with previous upgrades....

I did say that a 10 foot yak is not long enough for someone over 200#s...but that's based on what I've used before. I have an ascend that I won, and it's a great yak, but it's problematic to stand in, and I have well above average balance for someone at 200#s. Some of the newer versions may be different.

 

[Grimes25]

Your not supposed to post about selling stuff so hope Im not in trouble but new product so not many other ways to get word out. Crescent Kayak makes spash (recreation) and fisher SOT models. SeanMay has a splash. The manufacture sells direct but we have better pricing.

Kilowatt or any others we have a few in inventory and a pond to try them out in if you wnat to see them. Not sure where your located we are in Ball Ground. The price range is awesome I feel splash singles $300 doubles $350(actually three seats for two kids) fisher $375/$475. The seats are very comfortable with a four point connection to keep them from creeping down. The weight capacity is 500 lbs on double. Ok enough said it just seems since fairly new and not at big box store this little yak made locally is overlooked. Good luck in your hunt killowatt.

 

[deerhunter09]

Drew, how about a little more info on the new boat? Any idea as to what the price is going to be?
Is it a hybrid like the Commander? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[BasserDrew]

I don't want to derail this thread so the best thing I can do is send you to a link where I explained as much as I was "allowed" to about the kayak because I was getting bombarded with PMs about it.

http://riverbassin.com/forum/showth...etting-bombarded-with-s-about-the-new-boat-so

Kilowatt, I think you're on the right track and the good news is that any kayak will get you on the water and catching fish - you won't be disappointed. However, the more you do it and get into it, you will likely upgrade to one that has better fishing features, or just buy a second so beware of the addiction!!!

 

[Randy]

I posted this on another thread but........the important stuff is still applicable here.

For both you guys, I would put you in an Ocean Kayak Trident 13 for a great all around kayak. Remember I always recommend Ocean Kayaks because........I am on their ProStaff.

But if you want to look at other yaks, similar kayaks by other manufacturers in the 13-14 range are also good like the Tarpon 120 or 140, Native Manta Ray 14.

At your weight (220) you want to be looking for a kayak wiht nearly twice your weight capacity so look for one at 350-400 lbs. If you get a yak with less capacity it will get to capacity quick as you add tackle, coolers etc and even though it will float with you, more water will come in the scupper holes causing a wet ride and performance of the yak suffers the lower it rides in the water.

A lot of people think they want a short kayak for portability but longer kayaks track better and are faster. Now you are saying fast is not important. Well fast translates to paddling efficiency which means ease of paddleing. Now the down side to tracking and speed is usually harder to turn which becomes important in a river. There, a shorter more manuverable kayak might be better. If you are only fishing rivers I would suggest a different yak but if most of your fishing is flat water like lakes and inshore I recommend a longer faster better tracking kayak. At leats to a certain point. Real long kayaks can be unmanageable when used on the occasional river. I have a 15 foot fishing yak (Trident 15) it is very fast but I only use it on long inshore/ocean/big reservior treks where I am paddling a long way and speed and paddling efficiency is of most importance. It is too long for inshore creeks and certainly for rivers.

First on most peoples list is usually stability, at least for beginners. And while that is very imporant, most SOT kayaks for exceed SINK kayaks in stability. Stability comes from hull width and design. Obviously the wider the kayak the more stable it will be (assuming a decent hull design). And that is where stability and paddling efficiency run in to each other. Long narrow kayaks are generally faster and track better while wide kayaks are more stable. At some point one begins to conflict with the other which is why, as of yet, there is no perfect kayak. It is hard to design a narrow fast wide stable kayak.

Speaking of stability there are two types of stability when talking about kayaks, primary stability and secondary stability. Both of these have to do with hull design and width. Primary stability is what the yak feels like when you just sit in it upright and the secondary stability comes in when you actually lean it to one side or the other. A kayak with good secondary stability should "catch" again before rolling over. Secondary stability is very important especially when it comes to fishing. Sometimes you want to throw your feet over to one side and sit side saddle or even stand up. Good secondary stabilty allows ease of doing both.

Let's talk about standing in a kayak a minute. Standing IMO, is not the most important feature in a kayak but it is nice. There are times, like fishing for tailing reds in the grass, when it is most important but for the most part it is behind paddling efficiency for me. Drew has made standing while river fishing a real art. He is very talented and even I have started to stand more but..........when a kayak is moving with the current and hits a rock you can hardly keep from going out. It is just plain physics. Standing raises your center of gravity and when that kayak stops on a rock it is not easy to stay in the kayak no matter how stable that kayak is. The kayak may not turn over but you will probably go out. For most people, especially larger people, it is just not practical to expect to be able to stand in current or boat wakes. I can tell you that I recently lost 40 lbs due to a heart attack and my center of gravity has improved greatly. But if you are a large person don't expect to be able to stand in a kayak. And if you can you will be in one that is not very efficient when it comes to paddling. It will feel like you are paddling a barge.

Another kayak design issue that comes in to play on paddling efficiency is does the kayak allow you to get the right stoke. The more you sit "down in" a SOT kayak the harder it is for you to use your whole body to get the right stroke. You begin having to use the upper shoulders and a low angle stroke which is not as efficient as a high angle stroke and using your whole body and therefore more tireing. You are beter off sitting "on top" of the SOT kayak as much as you can to allow you to get a good "catch" forward anda long stroke coming rearward using your whole body (abs, back and legs) rather than a low angle stroke using just your upper body and shoulders. Also the further you sit "down in" s SOT kayak the harder it is to sit side saddle when you want to. Your rear will be down and your knees will be up and in your face. Not a very comfortable sitting position for very long.

Another kayak design issue is deck space. Does the kayak have enought deck space to allow you to istall rod holders, Sonars, anchor trolleys and other things you may need. Some manufacturers provide rod holders already molded in. That i fine if that is where you wnat them. Personally I prefer to install mine where I want them. I like lots of deck space to install accessories.

That all being said the Trident 13 I mentioned in the begining is as close as I have paddled to being perfect. It has lots of storage including a hatch between your legs that is easily accessible and will hold several rods if you want to get them off the deck. It has a "sonar shield" and a palce to mout the sonar to get it out of your way and protect it during transport. It has a scupper hole made for the Hummingbird transducer to fit up ina "pocket" so it does not get knocked off and does not have to be mounted inside the hull where you lose your temp sensor. It is stable enough that with much balance at all you can stand and fish yet it is fast enough and tracks well enough to handle most trips.

I know this got long but I have tried to share some issues that can come in to play when choosing a fishing kayak. Yes it can get complicated an ther are lots of good yaks out ther to choose from. There are also some that call themselves fishing kayaks that will leave you wanting more. Again, I offer my services to do a seminar if you gusy want to get together and discuss kayaks and kayak fishing. I can bring severl different kayak designs so you can experience first hand the pros and cons.

 

[Kilowatt]

One last update:
Thanks to a member here, I purchased a new to me, kayak.
It is a WS Tarpon 120. I am very pleased with the purchase.
I would like to thank GONoob for a great transaction.
Almost feels like christmas morning. I took it of the truck straight into the pool. It is a nice ride.

Guys, Thanks again for all of the great advice. Hope to see you on the water.

 

[FishingAddict]

One last update:
Thanks to a member here, I purchased a new to me, kayak.
It is a WS Tarpon 120. I am very pleased with the purchase.
I would like to thank GONoob for a great transaction.
Almost feels like christmas morning. I took it of the truck straight into the pool. It is a nice ride.

Guys, Thanks again for all of the great advice. Hope to see you on the water.

A tarpon 120 is a great boat...a classic that you can't go wrong with. Very versatile.

 

[Randy]

A tarpon 120 is a great boat...a classic that you can't go wrong with. Very versatile.

Ditto.

 

[MTMiller]

Congrats Kilowatt that is a great boat.

 

[GONoob]

One last update:
Thanks to a member here, I purchased a new to me, kayak.
It is a WS Tarpon 120. I am very pleased with the purchase.
I would like to thank GONoob for a great transaction.
Almost feels like christmas morning. I took it of the truck straight into the pool. It is a nice ride.

Guys, Thanks again for all of the great advice. Hope to see you on the water.

I couldn't have sold it to a nicer family! Enjoy

 

[Kilowatt]

Thanks again, I do appreciate it.

I took the Tarpon out for it's maiden voyage this weekend.
We tried the Tugalo river above Lake Hartwell. Went to Yonah park but the bank was too steep.
Traveled a mile downstream and found a put in. We paddled about an hour to Walker Creek ramp.

It was a short trip but well worth it. Did not fish this time.
The boat performed extremely well. I was impressed with the
stability and tracking. I was surprised with how little effort it required
to paddle the boat. So much easier than the smaller yak.

 

[crackerdave]

That long "glide" after you stop paddling is one of the things I really like about kayakin'.

 

[Kilowatt]

Hey Guys,
Went up to the Toccoa river this weekend. The river was up and the Tarpon performed great.
I secured shuttle service with the folks at Aska store. The trip was three hours long, and worth it.

We picked up a Hobie Quest for may Dad last week. It's a great boat
with wheel kit. After the river trip,he prefers the Tarpon. So,now we are looking for another Tarpon 120.

 

[MTMiller]

Good deal buddy. Thanks for the update. Glad you enjoy that Tarpon. It is an excellent kayak!

 

[DEERFU]

That long "glide" after you stop paddling is one of the things I really like about kayakin'.

me too- even up stream sometimes!

Hey Guys,
Went up to the Toccoa river this weekend. The river was up and the Tarpon performed great.
I secured shuttle service with the folks at Aska store. The trip was three hours long, and worth it.

We picked up a Hobie Quest for may Dad last week. It's a great boat
with wheel kit. After the river trip,he prefers the Tarpon. So,now we are looking for another Tarpon 120.

Good deal! How much was the shuttle and did you catch any fish?

 

[Kilowatt]

me too- even up stream sometimes!

Good deal! How much was the shuttle and did you catch any fish?

We got a great deal. It was $10 for three boats. We put in about a mile upstream from Vanzandts store,
then we floated back to the truck at Aska store. The water was up so the flow was great.
There was five or six mild shoals and one tricky rapid. It was within sight of Shallowford bridge at the store.


We didn't get a chance to fish this time. It was a scouting trip. We did see many trout popping flies at the surface.

 

[FX Jenkins]

Not to steal Randy's thunder about Ocean Kayak, but Wilderness systems makes an excellent product as well. I've been fishing a Ripper for a couple years now...Ocean, rivers, and creeks...Getting ready to go to the beach soon and I just bought a used Emotion Co-motion tandem SOT so me and my boy can get after them together. While not an ideal fishing yak, the co-motion should be fun for the whole family...and at 12' and 58 lbs, I can load this on the top of the Tahoe by myself.

here is a good link for on-line accessories. I've bought a fair share of stuff from Tom and he is spot on with his personal service.

http://topkayaker.net/TopKayakerShop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11


BTW, I was looking for either an Ocean Kayak malibu two or co-motion and this deal just happened to come up first...