Standing Kayak

James12

Senior Member
Any suggestions on a high seater that handles standing well? Asking here for opinions of those who use one for/like this.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
There's a pile of them out on the market now. What's your budget, what's your primary water, and what other features are you wanting?
 

Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
Coenen is spot on. I used to stand in my ocean kayak big game, it’s very stable. It has a strap to help you pull up to a stance. I’m getting too old and fat these days for that. It’s not as nibble as some but more than adequate for stream fishing up through Class II. I’ve done long floats in it comfortably.
 

Semi-Pro

Full-Pro
I have a wilderness systems ride 135. Very nice very stable to stand up in.
I am now looking at a vibe sea ghost 110
 

James12

Senior Member
I fish little ponds and the fast river... I’ll pay for the right one. There are definitely so many now that it’s tough to narrow it down.
 

fish hawk

Bass Master
I fish little ponds and the fast river... I’ll pay for the right one. There are definitely so many now that it’s tough to narrow it down.
You definitely need to get out and visit some shops and demo different brands.Theres two different elements at play when it comes to the standing up in a kayak,one is the kayak and the other is the ability of the one standing.What is the purpose of standing?Standing up to stretch your back or actually trying to fish effectively? I'll be honest with you I see guys recommending kayaks and I'm thinking I've paddled that boat and theres no way I could efficiently fish standing up in it,but thats me I'm 54 years old and not quite as agile as I use to be,if you catch my drift;),some of these young guys can walk from the front to back on theirs.Your not going to be standing too much on a fast moving river anyways.Truthfully I'm more worried with how comfortable is the seat?So thats why I say demo as many brands as you can a good starting point is Native,Jackson,Nucanoe or any of the other top American made brands.If you want to come down to West Point I can hook you up with some demos on the Hooch,Westbrook Supply Co. is a really good shop in your area.
 
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Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
You definitely need to get out and visit some shops and demo different brands.Theres two different elements at play when it comes to the standing up in a kayak,one is the kayak and the other is the ability of the one standing.What is the purpose of standing?Standing up to stretch your back or actually trying to fish effectively? I'll be honest with you I see guys recommending kayaks and I'm thinking I've paddled that boat and theres no way I could efficiently fish standing up in it,but thats me I'm 54 and not quite as agile as I use to be,if you catch my drift;),some of these young guys can walk from the front to back on theirs.Truthfully I'm more worried with how comfortable is the seat?So thats why I say demo as many brands as you can a good starting point is Native,Jackson,Nucanoe or any of the other top American made brands.If you want to come down to West Point I can hook you up with some demos on the Hooch.

Great advice here, I love the seat in my yak, sit for hours. You should paddle before you buy.
 

fish hawk

Bass Master
I love the seat in my yak, sit for hours.
Same here I can fish all day in mine.My first kayak didnt really have a seat you basically just sat on the deck with a little padded back rest for support,at the end of a 8 hour float your back would be screaming,you'd be about to cry.
 
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Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
Same here I can fish all day in mine.My first kayak didnt really have a seat you basically just sat in the deck with a little padded back rest for support,at the end of a 8 hour float your back would be screaming,you'd be about to cry.

Yep, my first were like that, an air cushion was mandatory to survive over a couple hours. The BG has a hi/lo seat. Stays up most of the time but it can be lowered to deck level if your going through heavier rapids.
 

Shrimpngrits

Senior Member
Check out the Kaku Voodoo. I bought it to stand up for fly fishing. The seat is amazing, you can even stand on it.

It’s limitations would be it’s a bit hefty and prefers flat water.
 

Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
A small yak you can toss out of a pickup is less likely to be stable. A hefty wide yak is more likely to be stable but less nibble. I’ve done long floats on mine through sizable rapids and it’s nibble enough for stream fishing. There is many out there in this category. I’m pushing 70 so I trailer mine to water and dolly it where there is no ramp.
 

James12

Senior Member
Thanks FH! I want to stand of course pond fishing, especially at night for seeing purposes. I’ve used a couple in the past that weren’t that great.
 

weagle

Senior Member
When I bought my first Kayak, I spent a lot of time evaluating which models would be the most stable for standing. I ended up buying a Pelican Catch 100
and if you can't stand in it, you can't stand in a fishing Kayak. What I discovered is my almost 60 year old self was fine when I was standing, but I struggled getting up and sitting down from such a low position and that's when I was likely to get wet. I also discovered that I have no real reason to stand since the seat sits up plenty high and is comfortable enough to fish all day.
 
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HarryO45

Mag dump Dirty Harry
Any suggestions on a high seater that handles standing well? Asking here for opinions of those who use one for/like this.
Why do you want to stand?

I Flyfish from a yak, and I like to stand. With a flyrod you have the potential for a further and possibly more accurate cast. But, In my mind, the biggest advantage to standing is the visual angle to see underwater structure and depth of water.

The disadvantages while standing are maneuvering and fishing at the same time - many. Even in still water you will figuare out there is likely some current on top of the water. Your body while standing is basically a sail and wind is gonna push you. This means you are gonna be interruptEd from fishin to paddle. Back and forth... compounded with moving water it is harder to control the yak when standing. Obviously it is not impossible because it can be mastered. Some kayaks have racks that stand in front of you that allow you to balance and set your paddle in easy reach. I don’t like em. But many people will use them. The bottomline is you aren’t gonna know what your gonna like until you use several different models. your fitness level is gonna be a big factor on what is gonna be comfortable, especially moving from seating and standing.

I personally believe the most important feature on a fishing kayak is the seat. You want a comfortable one. I use a factory rudder mounted on the rear to help with attack approach angle. Dealers who have Jackson, Nucanoe, “Hobie fishing“ are kinds of shops you want to shop at. They are gonna be expensive. Or you can go to Academy and start with a cheap one to learn the basics. You can stand in almost any kayak.

wait till you see all the features a fishing Kayak can $$$ cost you!
 

James12

Senior Member
I like to Stand mainly at night. For visual purposes. I also like to stand to be able to flip and pitch. I actually got a Pelican Catch 100. It’s got a great seat and balance and didn’t break the bank. I saw some much nicer ones in my search, but also had to use some saved up gift cards to my advantage.
 
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