Kayak recomendations

[jcav...@gmail.com]

Hello Everyone!

I am looking to get a fishing kayak to take out mostly on small lakes/ponds/rivers to fly fish and potentiually the Potomac for shad one day. I have zero experience in the matter and am wondering if anyone would share some input.  I would mainly like to get something that I can transport on my own ( I have a Tahoe) , including loading and unloading, and the most stability possible for standing and casting. I have read up on a few but again, I just don't know enough about it to make a decision.  I don't want to break the bank but also want to get something that will last and fits what I'm looking to do. I have looked at the bass pro ascend, cabelas advanced angler, as well as the nucanoe frontier line and free lure. all seem nice but would love some input. Any other suggestions are welcome!!

Thanks!!

Joe

[HeaveToo]

Check out Vibe Kayaks.  The closest dealer is a few hours away but you get a lot of bang for your buck with Vibe.  The customer service is great too.  I have the Sea Ghost 130 and I love it.  I put a lot of hours in the kayak and it has been a game changer for me.  At $900 with a paddle you get a 13' kayak that you can actually stand in, a high low seat, and a rudder!

[Flyrodva]

Check out malibukayaks.com
They have several fishing kayaks that are quality-made without breaking the bank. I have had the Stealth 10 since 2012. The website will have a place to search for a dealer nearest you. I live in No Va and went to southern MD to get mine. Solid investment.

[Scott Stankus]

Fletcher's currently rents Old Town Predator kayaks. It might be worth renting one of those to see how you like it. I've never used one, but the fact that it has pedals for "paddling" is both intriguing and worrisome. Intriguing for the convenience of moving withing putting your rod down, but worrisome for the extra stuff for your fly line to catch on. 

--Scott

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 9:51 PM, Flyrodva <mfil...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Check out malibukayaks.com
They have several fishing kayaks that are quality-made without breaking the bank.  I have had the Stealth 10 since 2012.  The website will have a place to search for a dealer nearest you.  I live in No Va and went to southern MD to get mine.  Solid investment.

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[Ryan DiAndrea]

I have an NRS Pike and I love it. Stores nicely, you can stand, room for a cooler.

On the pricey side though

On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 7:25 AM, Scott Stankus <ssta...@gmail.com> wrote:

Fletcher's currently rents Old Town Predator kayaks. It might be worth renting one of those to see how you like it. I've never used one, but the fact that it has pedals for "paddling" is both intriguing and worrisome. Intriguing for the convenience of moving withing putting your rod down, but worrisome for the extra stuff for your fly line to catch on. 

--Scott

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 9:51 PM, Flyrodva <mfil...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Check out malibukayaks.com
They have several fishing kayaks that are quality-made without breaking the bank.  I have had the Stealth 10 since 2012.  The website will have a place to search for a dealer nearest you.  I live in No Va and went to southern MD to get mine.  Solid investment.

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[TurbineBlade]

I've posted my opinion on this topic many times before --

Fly fishing poses unique challenges to fishing from watercraft ("fly fishing ain't spin fishing" is probably never more applicable than it is when you're talking about fishing from a boat).  In my opinion, the best kayak for fly fishing is one that is as similar to a solo canoe as possible.  An "empty shell" is what you want.  Any protuberances on the vessel or your person WILL snag your fly line, period.  I've done a lot of fly fishing from canoes and kayaks and my suggestion is to identify one you can comfortably stand up and cast in, since I find this far more effective than casting from a seated position. 

After those 2 considerations, try to find one that is 50 pounds or less.  When you start getting up into the 70+ pound range, you will be far less motivated to car-top it and therefore less likely to use it over time.  Trust me on this --

Finally, be careful of some of the "fishing kayak" models, which again are targeted to spin fishermen primarily.  They can be heavy as hell (some are 100 pounds or better) and include a lot of line snaggers.  Those are about useless for my needs. 

TB

On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 8:16:36 AM UTC-4, Ryan D wrote:

I have an NRS Pike and I love it. Stores nicely, you can stand, room for a cooler.

On the pricey side though

On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 7:25 AM, Scott Stankus <ssta...@gmail.com> wrote:

Fletcher's currently rents Old Town Predator kayaks. It might be worth renting one of those to see how you like it. I've never used one, but the fact that it has pedals for "paddling" is both intriguing and worrisome. Intriguing for the convenience of moving withing putting your rod down, but worrisome for the extra stuff for your fly line to catch on. 

--Scott

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 9:51 PM, Flyrodva <mfil...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Check out malibukayaks.com
They have several fishing kayaks that are quality-made without breaking the bank.  I have had the Stealth 10 since 2012.  The website will have a place to search for a dealer nearest you.  I live in No Va and went to southern MD to get mine.  Solid investment.

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[Andrew Sarcinello]

Hi Flyrodva,

I am checking out this website and I can't find prices or the page where you actually buy the kayaks.  I want to check the price on one model for a friend but I can't find the price anywhere.  Can you help me out?

[Charlie Church]

I would take a look at Ocean Kayak Prowlers. I know that you didn't mention Saltwater at all within any of your post but honestly, OK prowlers are great boats for all environments. I have done numerous float trips in mine as well as taken it to fletchers a few times so it fits the bill for everything suggested. 

It's also a light boat and is 100% sea worthy if you ever hit the coast. I got my OK prowler around 2007 or 2008 and it's still going strong. The only downside to a prowler is that at times, it can be a bit tougher to stand in. That being said, I can't think of a single situation in the mid Atlantic region in which you would be required to stand up to cast to a fish.

I did end up getting another kayak last year -- an old town predator. I hated it. I ended up trading it with a buddy for an ATAK (which I like a lot more) but it's a much heavier boat and not the cheapest one. My biggest complaint with the predator was that it paddled terribly, would often get caught in wind and at times felt like I was taking the local tugboat out for a paddle. 

[namfos]

I bought a Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 secondhand a couple of year ago..New ones are on the pricey side.  I love it, but I won't stand up in it in moving water for reasons of age, balance, etc. It's pretty barebones, and TurbinBlade is TOTALLY on point about snagging your line, though I will confess that if you keep your lap clear you can cast in a sitting position. Big pluses of my boat are that it weighs 52 lbs without the seat and the seat is very comfortable.

If you are not in a rush, rent for now, then visit Appomattox River Company down in Farmville, VA for their annual Demo Day in mid-June.  You'll be able to try a whole bunch of different boats.

Mark

[Greggory DiSalvo]

I took Mark's suggestion of Demo day this past June and loved it!  The only downside was I became enamored with a boat that wasn't on my radar prior.  That being said, I am now planning on purchasing that boat at the end of the summer because I realized how much better suited to fly fishing it was in comparison to the intended purchase. I also took out the pedal-powered predator kayak and enjoyed shooting around sans paddle, but it was a windy day and tracking was terribly thrown off by the high sides catching so much wind.  The pred has a higher profile than many other fishing yaks, so it catches a lot of wind.  

Gregg

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:37:12 PM UTC-4, jcav...@gmail.com wrote:

[Aden]

I was at west marine yesterday and they had a Pelican Catch 120. Looks like an amazing fly fishing platform and only $700. Anyone have any experience with that boat?

[Brad]

I'm with TB on this one. I have both canoes and kayaks. If you will be single handing in moving water, you want a canoe. And a light one. I have a Wenonah Angler 15 and it is sub 50 pound royalex type boat. Indestructible and I wouldn't think twice about carrying it a mile on my shoulders. I have had heavy boats and you simply won't use them if you can't comfortably load and unload one by yourself. This particular boat is perfect for moving water as it has no keel and if you flip the boat around or kneel in the center it single hands better than a kayak on moving water IMHO. If you learn all your strokes, you can single hand with a canoe paddle or cheat and use a kayak paddle. It fishes two people with gear really well, but it won't handle too much weight (like I wouldn't plan on a multi-night overnight with 2 people using this boat). You won't find a kayak that can take 2 people that is as easy to single hand. It is really designed for fishing in mind. Beamy and great secondary stability. You can lean the gunnel clear down to the water with no trouble. It's initial stability is a little twitchy and takes some getting used to, but that is what makes it responsive on the water.  It also performs nearly as good as a whitewater boat. I couldn't think of a better craft for the the rivers in the area. 

I also own a Hobie Pro-Angler 12. I absolutely love it. I once thought pedals were a gimmick, but now I won't own a kayak without them. But I only use it in saltwater and only spin fish out of it. It weighs way too much to be car topped. I mean I have, but since we have 4 of them in the family, I now have a trailer that holds all 4 for our Mexico trips. I would not fly fish out of it. You sit too low to the water and, as TB said, it is super hangy/snaggy particularly because of the pedals. I absolutely love it for ocean fishing though with conventional tackle. I will regularly do 10-15 miles a day in Mexico and there is no easier way to cover miles and keep your hands free. I've landed some huge fish out of that boat and have been hooked to massive things I never saw. But it is well over 100 pounds and, even with two people, it is incredibly difficult to put on top of a full size truck. 

[mbr...@gmail.com]

Hi Joe--I've got a Pamlico 100 that I want to sell and would let it go for a great price. It's got a skirt and rod holder. I'd also throw in a life vest, anchor and foam pads and straps for transport. Let me know if you're interested. Mike

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:37:12 PM UTC-4, jcav...@gmail.com wrote:

[Art Friedlander]

One more possibility.

I have a poke boat which is a very light [28 lb] and stable cross between kayak and canoe.

Here is the website.  

If interested let me know.

Art

The Poke Boat

The Poke Boat

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From: "mbr...@gmail.com" <mbr...@gmail.com>
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2017 11:57 AM
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Kayak recomendations

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