Kayak?

[kiro]

Hey guys...

Need some advice please.. cant afford a boat, so i'm looking at kayaks!

i have my eyes on either the Mission kayak catch 390, the new viking Pro fish , or ocean kayak prowler elite 4.5...

anyone have any of these or recommend any others??

enough room is important for me to store tackle, landed fish and live bait if possible... also would like a fish finder installed... not too fussed about putting a little motor on the back but would like the have the option if i wanted to at a later stage...

any recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated...

cheers

P.S not sure if this is the right section.. sorry mods

kiro

Edited March 4, 2009 by kiro

[high_speed_metal]

Hey guys...

Need some advice please.. cant afford a boat, so i'm looking at kayaks!

i have my eyes on either the Mission kayak catch 390, the new viking Pro fish , or ocean kayak prowler elite 4.5...

anyone have any of these or recommend any others??

enough room is important for me to store tackle, landed fish and live bait if possible... also would like a fish finder installed... not too fussed about putting a little motor on the back but would like the have the option if i wanted to at a later stage...

any recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated...

cheers

P.S not sure if this is the right section.. sorry mods

kiro

The only advise I can give is

keep the set-up simple..

Get a Yak you can easy put on your car roof and launch on your own.

Looking at some yaks that people have decked out I can help but laugh, Their Yak I know... But I watched this guy trying to launch a Viking one morning that had sooooo much gear on it you would think he was heading out for a month, but in reality he was only out to catch a few Bream.

Takes me 5min max to start paddling from when I pull up in my car.

Mine is an OLD TOWN "loon" and I think they are about $1200 new.. and only 20kg or under.

It still catches fish without the gear!!

[pelican]

Think about storage and also transport as they are pretty big and heavy so include price for good roof racks and straps. A decent paddle will make a huge difference to your enjoyment in a yak so try a few out and get a good one. Just started to get very expensive and a solo only experience. Sometimes a small tiny on a trailer seems a whole lot easier and if no storage at all I have friends with inflatables who hate the pack up hassle but in units without extra parking have little choice.

Motors on kayaks, seen lots with the space for them but don't see many get used like that , would be good trolling in a lake. You can seriosly paddle miles with little effort if you keep a constant speen and have the advantage to put in close to structure you want to fish and go up and down with the tide in the system I do like the idea of the pedal hobie ones as they are hands free so you can actually flick a bait out and not have to worry about your drift as much. Aren't as expensive as they first seem once you start buying expensive paddles and storage on another kayak.

I can only suggest that you try a few kayaks before you buy and think about a small tinny if you have a storage option but add in price of towbar as well if you don't already have one.

The keep it simple as above is good and as much as I like the pimped up Kayaks I have a basic set up on a plastic like above.

Edited March 5, 2009 by pelican

[spongy]

Hi Kiro,

I have a Viking ProFish.

I have made a simple motor mount for it, but yet to give it a go with the motor. Have always just used the paddle.

The Profish has plenty of storage and for its size I think its pretty quick thru the water. Its also very stable and you can stand up on it in calm water. I have also made a rudder which helps a lot during fishing.

Storage and transport is something you should think about before you decide on a purchase.

I have made up a simple wooden rack/rails that sits on normal roof racks that works very well for me to load/unload and transport.

If you want to check out my set up, PM me.

Jeff

[kiro]

Thanks for your reply guys... very helpful!

some good points there that i hadn't thought of..! much appreciated

kiro

[arpie]

Hi Kiro

It also depends on what sort of water you are planning on fishing. If going offshore, you'd need a longer, stable yak that can handle rough conditions. They are usually about 4m or longer.

If fishing inshore (like me) you can get away with a 3m craft (like the Loon or Perception Minnow or acadia 280)

which are a lot easier to manoeuvre in tight situations (small creeks, oyster racks etc) than the longer ones. Be prepared to get a few scratches on your yak too ...... it goes with the territory!

Factor in the price of a good PFD as well - about $100 for most good ones. Some have more pockets & zipped areas for putting tackle etc in. ALso a 'night light' is a good idea for when fishing from dusk to dawn. The light must be higher than your head and show clearly for 360 degrees from 2km away.

Make sure you try a real variety of yaks ...... on the water ....... never buy one without doing that - and don't just go for the cheapest you see.

Since getting my Hobie Mirage Drive SPORT a couple of years back, I just don't really use my 'sit in' yak any more. THe Hobies are 'Hands Free' fishing from as soon as you launch. WOrth their weight in gold!

Get out & ask any yakker that you see, lots of questions about their setup - see if they'll let you 'try' it! Most are only too pleased to have someone to skite to about their craft!!

Roberta

Which ever yak you end up with, just make sure it 'tracks' straight! ie when you paddle, left, right, left, right ........ you don't want your yak going left, right, left, right!! A well designed yak will go straight, so long as you are not doing a 'turning' stroke (which is when the paddle basically goes past your hips.) A few lessons with a savvy yakker should be on your list too!

Edited March 9, 2009 by Roberta