Kayak fishing

[Dhoey07]

Anybody around here have one?

[broadhead]

I have two kayaks. Most all of my fishing is from a kayak. It's a great way to get away from people and experience some solitude.

The two boats I have are significantly different from each other. One is great for the ocean and the other is better for lake fishing. Nearly everyone in the kayak fishing world seems to tell you that you're better off fishing with a sit on top versus a sit inside kayak. I found this to be questionable. First of all a sit on top kayak is roughly going to be good on class 2 rivers and ocean swells up to 3-5 feet and smaller wind waves. Sit on top kayaks are less efficient than the hull design of a sea kayak. This becomes more obvious with experience and exposure to rough water. I can turn in the rivers and rough wind waves in the sea kayak much more efficiently than a sit on top. It's really night and day. My sea kayak can go roughly twice the speed of my sit on top kayak. Most sit on top kayaks cannot perform as well in strong currents usually found in the Puget Sound. Overall a sea kayak is the most versatile and it will open up more opportunities. There is also a myth that it is more difficult to learn how to use a sea kayak. A sea kayak tends to cost more... I'll leave out the rotomolded versus fiberglass discussion for now...

I have a Current Designs Storm GT which is 17' long and 24 inches wide with a rudder.  Made in the USA. If buying a sea kayak for fishing I recommend the 24 inch wide boat. Also the myth that a sea kayak is not suited for rivers is untrue. In fact they are well suited for rivers... Another boat I have and recommend is a sit on top Ocean Kayak Trident 13. I highly recommend a rudder to deal with current and more importantly windy conditions.

[Dhoey07]

Thanks for the reply. I like the look of the open kayaks but I've never sat in a kayak before. I originally got turned on to the idea from watching a fishing show where they were using hobiecats.

[broadhead]

The Hobie system most people are attracted to is because of the Mirage Drive where you can pedal much like a bicycle. Although this system definitely merits attention it is worth knowing that I have seen a lot of reports where hulls crack where the Mirage Drive fits into the hull. Most likely due to pressure/stress from pedaling. Last summer I was on the beach out on the coast and a guy had to be rescued because of this exact issue. He was about a mile from shore and my friends towed him in. Additionally I have read reports where the fins fall off or even worse the arm on the drive snaps in two. Hobie has a good reputation for warrantying the boats but I believe most people don't want to warrantee their boats. They just want them to work for years to come. The selling points on the Hobie are that you can fish hands free from the paddle and hover over a fishing hole. However my first hand experience tells me that the paddle really doesn't get in the way or prevent such a thing. Think about that Mirage Drive smacking into a rock in the river too. Those boats have some advantages but they will also limit you. The sit on top kayaks are fine. But once again the more you use them over the course of time, you may find that they have their limits as well. If I was going to start all over again with what I know now, I'd buy that sea kayak first.

[TheHunt]

You can call the Hobie store on Lake Washington and take a Hobie out for a test drive. 

[jeepster]

Kayak fishing seems interesting....

Different would be a better word....

I had an eddyline I was going to use for fishing/duck hunts but I took it out and the dynamics didn't work out for me.... I sold the boat recently and plan on building a 16' rowing dory when the weather gets nicer for saltwater fly fishing. I'd imagine a SOT yak would change the dynamics of it again, but I gotta hand it to the guys who go out in the salt in a kayak to fish. The only question I had is how are you supposed to troll if you are occupied with a paddle? Do you paddle backwards?

[Holg3107]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,125533.msg1661443.html#msg1661443

Here's a link from last year and my first kayak fishing experience. They are addicting and can be a ton of fun. No waits at the boat ramp, easy access to any water no matter how shallow or deep and there's nothing like fighting a big fish in a YAK!!! I am currently running a pretty cheap kayak but have had little to no issues. I'm cautious but the kayak I have can handle pretty decent water. I agree with Broadhead that I personally like the sit in YAK in the salt. I stay much dryer and warmer than a sit on top. If you pick one up let me know. I would be more than happy to take you out on the sound and break it in! Ling season is just around the corner.

[Okanagan]

I have a sit inside Sun Velocity and love it.  (Not sure what model corresponds now, if any).   It is a cross over boat part way between a sea kayak and a more maneuverable river kayak. 

You don't get in a kayak.  You put it on.  You feel every breath you take, move the boat with your hips etc. and either love that oneness with the boat or hate it.

I use mine mostly in big rivers and have caught salmon, kelp fish and bottom fish from it in the Straits.  When salmon are chasing baitfish in the kelp being in there among them is a rush.  I've fished the Fraser River in BC a lot in that kayak and usually get out and fish gravel bars for salmon rather than fish from the boat there.

In kelp, I use jumper cable jaws to clip myself to kelp if I don't want to drift.  After fighting a salmon backwards I learned to tie the clip to the kayak well behind the cockpit so that when the fish pulls the boat in line with the anchor point,  which it will do, you are still facing the fight rather than having the fish behind you. 

Use lanyards to tie EVERYTHING to the kayak.  The small size caribiners and spaghetti cord are good for that.  I made a bottomless cedar box that clips onto the deck ahead of the cockpit and has many holes, clips and notches in it to secure gear while allowing access to the bungee cords in the bottom of it.  With releasable cable ties (Home Depot) I can attach or detach the box corners to bungee corners in less than a minute.

If I lived in Florida fishing gentle currents in warm water, I'd have a sit on top.  Fishing cold water, often in cold rain, I love the sit inside with spray skirt attached.  As said it is fast, maneuverable and fun plus much lighter weight to cartop.

Most fun toy I ever bought.

[Dhoey07]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,125533.msg1661443.html#msg1661443

Here's a link from last year and my first kayak fishing experience. They are addicting and can be a ton of fun. No waits at the boat ramp, easy access to any water no matter how shallow or deep and there's nothing like fighting a big fish in a YAK!!! I am currently running a pretty cheap kayak but have had little to no issues. I'm cautious but the kayak I have can handle pretty decent water. I agree with Broadhead that I personally like the sit in YAK in the salt. I stay much dryer and warmer than a sit on top. If you pick one up let me know. I would be more than happy to take you out on the sound and break it in! Ling season is just around the corner.

That was  good read! I'll keep my eye on craigslist.  I think that for 500 bucks i could get set up pretty well.  I need to get my 14' aluminum fixed and sold around springtime then use that money to buy a yak. 

[Holg3107]

I'll keep my eyes out and send any good deals your way. Below is another great local site dedicated to kayak fishing. Most of these guys are a lot more hardcore than I am but they are open to sharing info and getting people into the sport. $500 you should be able to find something decent for!!!

More or less the HuntWashington for kayak anglers.
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php

[Holg3107]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/spo/4306360112.html

This ones not bad and all ready to go! 12.5' is a good length that would be manageable for one person to move and load. Its been on craigslist for a while now so you may be able to get him down a bit but even at $450 with all of the extras its a pretty good deal.

Looks like they retail new for $599 as a bare boat.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=420899

[Dhoey07]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/spo/4306360112.html

This ones not bad and all ready to go! 12.5' is a good length that would be manageable for one person to move and load. Its been on craigslist for a while now so you may be able to get him down a bit but even at $450 with all of the extras its a pretty good deal.

Looks like they retail new for $599 as a bare boat.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=420899

I looked at that one today too, pretty good setup I think. I could see myself fishing out of it. Just gotta get my Starcraft fixed and sold!