advice on a yak? [Archive] - RiverBassin.com Forums

turkey

10-14-2009, 12:38 PM

k....need all ya\'ll\'s expert opinions here. lookin to maybe get a yak for christmas:lol: maybe...have no idea what to get though and not sure of the price range i\'m shooting for either..preferably something on a budget though. smaller the better but i\'d like to be able to stand up to fish...so i\'m not sure about stability on the smaller ones. where\'s a good place to get one? i live bout 45 minutes north of atl. the more suggestions the better...cause i know ya\'ll have a ton of experience and i can benfit from the mistakes already made:lol: a big fat \'thank you\' in advance.

blake

10-14-2009, 04:04 PM

turkeycreek,
I am about 1 hr north of you and I have a used kayak and canoe for sale. <a href="http://www.riverbassin.com/site/forum/classifieds/multiple-river-boats-and-gear-for-sale/" rel="nofollow">http://www.riverbassin.com/sit.....-for-sale/</a>  Your welcome to come try them out.
I can stand in the canoe, but don't care to fish from it standing as it makes too many waves. (I am 230 lbs).  I think you need a 14+ ft kayak before you get into a standing model (except for twin-hulled Native ultimate and WS ride).  For standing I prefer a pontoon boat. I do enjoy sitting side saddle in the kayak, with my feet dangling in the water.  As it is great way to "hop" down the river working the structure slowly.  Much easier to get in and out of the kayak than a canoe.  The canoe has advantage of having better storage for rods.  
Demo/rent several boats, as that will tell you a lot.  Also try to demo on streams that you plan to fish.  what works well on a pond may not work well in a river.
I know there are several kayak retailers in the Atlanta area, but I have never used any.  My last couple of boats have been bought at Appomattox River Company, fantastic people with great prices even with shipping. But as a beginner you don't really know what you want so stick with your local paddle shops.  
I believe their is a kayak club that pretty much just fishes Lanier,  you might be able to check some of those guys boats out too.

turkey

10-14-2009, 04:45 PM

awesome. thanks for the advice. i was gonna contact you about the 11\' manta ray. you got any pics? sounds like a good starting price also.

turkey

10-16-2009, 08:38 PM

pawpaw? waderjon? bruiser? SSF? anybody? Anyone know anything about Perception kayaks? Particularly the Caster 12.5 and the Search 13?

ol' Feller

10-16-2009, 11:22 PM

My 2 cents on the Ultimate 12....
it's a very good fishing boat for calmer flows, it's not made for any big or rough water. I weigh 200 lbs, add gear and my U12 rides kinda low. But with the flows I usually fish, that's fine because they're quite calm and I'm not going to jump into any big waves anyway. Drew has a bow skirt on his U12 to help keep wave water out, I use the bow space to carry too much stuff. I've taken water over the bow a few times with no problems, but avoid any really rough water. It's very stable, being able to stand up and fish is a big plus for me (I need all the advantages and help I can get), and it's very open and has lots of room for rods and stuff (not nearly as much as similar size canoe though). Overall, I really like my U12, it's a good boat for fishing.
I'm watching for a deal on an Ocean Kayak Drifter for a 2nd boat. Considering it because word has it that one can stand in it and I could use it on flows with rougher water.
Worth noting: Boyscout, TygerRiverWalker and redfishguide; all have similar sized canoes (like 12 feet or so), and I've been really impressed with the performance of their boats. Plus they've got some super set-ups on rigging because their boats are so open and offer a LOT of space to work with.

turkey

10-17-2009, 10:39 AM

thanks for the advice ol feller.

waderjon

10-17-2009, 02:14 PM

I cant comment on any other boats out there because I have only fished from a Ocean Drifter for the past three or four years now.I would highly recommend a Drifter to anyone.I weigh about 190 and I can easily stand in mine..It is very stable..It handles very well in rough water and paddles well in calm water...There is plenty of room for all of my stuff and the boat seems to be very durable..Mine has taken a real beating and I have yet to get a leek.You will see more drifters on the water than just about any other boat.I have access to a extra Drifter if you would like to join us some time on a float and try one out.
 
I would suggest you get out on the river with some different folks and and try out a few boats and see what you like.Dont be hasty in your decision..Take your time and check out a few before you buy.Good luck.

turkey

10-17-2009, 04:34 PM

WJ....i figured i\'d have to call you out by name to get you off the water for some advice:lol: i appreciate it...seems like i need to try some out. if you don\'t mind....i may have to take you up on that float offer sometime:lol:

waderjon

10-17-2009, 05:44 PM

<blockquote>turkeycreek said:
WJ....i figured i'd have to call you out by name to get you off the water for some advice:lol: i appreciate it...seems like i need to try some out. if you don't mind....i may have to take you up on that float offer sometime:lol:
</blockquote>
<hr />
No Problem...Hopefully we get some good weather and you can join us on a float soon.I will let you know.

turkey

10-17-2009, 06:28 PM

sounds awesome. how long is your ocean drifter?

Bruiser

10-17-2009, 06:37 PM

Turk–what are your measurements? Yes, I just asked that…
What type of water will you be using this kayak for? Small flow, big flow, lake, ocean, etc.?

Fishing Fanatic

10-18-2009, 06:43 AM

waderjon gave you some good advice.  The Drifter is a great river kayak.  You can stand in it, its not very expensive, and its not too long (12'7″).  The only real disadvantage about a Drifter is the tracking.  It has a flat bottom… so if you're fishing in the wind you will find yourself "drifting" around quite abit and it paddles a little slow compared to some.  But, the flat bottom has advantages as well.  If you're fishing on a river, you can turn very quickly to avoid rocks/stumps etc…  Like wj said, the best thing to do is to try it out.  Good Luck in your search.

sumtershoaliefan

10-18-2009, 07:13 AM

Just saw this thread. Don\'t know anything about the perception kayaks. My experience is pretty much limited to Ocean Kayaks and the Ultimate 12, as well as canoes. I really like the U12 but it\'s not a beginners boat on anything but the calmest of flows. I like it because it\'s comfortable, easy to stand in, keeps your rods dry, is manueverable. Of course it has one major flow, it will swamp. That\'s why I don\'t recommend it to novice kayakers. The OK drifter and caper models are more forgiving in the rapids, but not near as comfortable and your rods tend to get wet. I think it takes longer to learn to stand in the Drifter/caper as well but others might disagree with that.

SSF

turkey

10-18-2009, 01:29 PM

bruiser….5?11? 185 lbs. i\'m pretty sure i can pick up the basics of kayaking in a fair amount of time. don\'t think standing will be that big of a problem after sometime either. not being cocky or over-confident…but i\'m fairly athletic (played 4 yrs college baseball), big snowboarder, wake boarder…stuff like that. so, i feel like i\'ll be able to catch on sooner than later. (now would be a good time for someone to tell me that all that doesn\'t matter and kayak fishing is the hardest thing ever:eek:) 
i just know one thing, i MUST be able to stand up to fish. just can\'t stand sittin down and fishin.i\'ll be mainly fishin the upper hooch from Duncan bridge down. don\'t think it\'s too rough….not sure though since i\'ve not fished it in a boat before…i know of a few falls that i fish around now but i can (and would!) go around those. probably doin a fair bit of lake fishin too…but got other boats for that. \'preciate all the advice. i\'m a fanatic about researching before i buy something and since i don\'t personally know anyone who is a kayak fisherman or that owns a kayak….it\'s kinda hard getting sound advice when the internet is your only source….so, thank ya\'ll fellas for takin the time to help.