Fishing kayaks

[rev]

On another post, Littoral suggested starting a fishing kayak post, so here we go.

I fish out of a WS Tarpon 160. A few years ago, it was the "it" boat for fishing--it is a very fast sit-on-top boat. It is also surprisingly stable--I can swim up to it in deep water and board it with no problem. I can also stand up in it, but I'm short and have decent balance.

Here are a couple pictures of my current boat--





And here is a picture of my prize catch from my kayak.



Since I caught this fish, I've also caught a 90 lb. tarpon from the kayak off Cocoa Beach. There is a small army of folks who fish for tarpon out of kayaks in the Tampa area. There is little that can match the thrill of sitting at water level while a 6' fish shakes and rattles in the air literally above you.

One of my buddies with a yak poon—



I used to fish from a sit-inside kayak. Here is a picture of my old boat.



The sit-inside had numerous drawbacks. It was hot. It was impossible to enter and exit the boat in water above thigh-deep. Additionally, they sink much more easily than a SOT, as the sit-in will fill with water if waves breach the cockpit whereas a SOT is essentially a sealed flotation device. Due to this, I had a good friend & tarpon fishing buddy from Sarasota sell his sit-inside boat because it filled up on him during a botched surf landing--he had to wait while his friends lifted his filled boat up. Finally, you don't give up speed in one of the newer SOT's as compared to a sit-inside unless the sit-inside is a racy touring model that really isn't suitable for fishing anyway.

The current "it" boats for yak fishing include the WS Tarpon 120, Tarpon 140, and the OK Prowler. These boats have supplanted the old favorites like the Tarpon 160 largely due to the presence of a tank well, which allows easier storage compared to the hatches (or my solution, a milk crate). Additionally, their smaller size makes them less cumbersome to handle out of the water without giving up much in the performance department.

Rigging options on both sit-insides and SOTs are limited only by the imagination, although I dare say there are more rigging options on a SOT because of the larger flat surfaces compared to most sit-insides. You can find lots of examples of rigged boats at http://www.paddle-fishing.com (there are also a lot of cool tarpon pictures at p-f.com) and http://www.paddlezone.net.

[Chalk]

What about the Perception Bimini?

I like the Pungo 140 myself for cold weather fishing and am looking at either Bimini or Tarpon 160/140 for summer fun....

Nice red, how many miles did you have to paddle back

[rev]

Chalk,

I've never paddled the Bimini. I know Nathan from this board has one, so maybe he'll chime in. Ebbtide over on Paddlezone.net has one, and he has it decked out with accessories--you can do a lot with that boat. As I recall, it is in the same class as the T160 in the paddling department.

If I ever get another boat, it will be a T140. I got to paddle one this past weekend--it is a nice boat. You give up very little on speed and the tankwell makes storing fishing junk so easy. Additionally, it has a hard chine that holds the water and slows the boat on a drift. We were fishing in a bit of a breeze and it was remarkable how much faster I drifted than the guys in the 140's. They could really work the flat we were fishing without deploying a drift anchor or using their stake-out poles, even in the 10-15 breeze.

The Pungo is such a nice boat for a sit-inside. If I'd had one of those instead of that old touring yak, I might have not switched. The large open cockpit makes it less hot.

That red pulled me the better part of 1/2 mile. The best sleigh ride I've ever had, though, was given to me by a big blacktip over around Lanark.

[Aucilla]

Some inspiring posts and great pix here! For me, I have to wonder whether I can handle a good sized kayak alone, as far as getting it up on top of my 4-Runner. I did a little "googlin'" on the subject, and saw a reference to using the "standard two person kayak lift" method, but I am just one person with a shoulder issue.

But I did just come accross this page about a Thule-made decvice, called an outrigger, that looks good:

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/br ... 4,435.html

Here are some claims:

Extend your rack to help load your canoe or kayak from the side of your vehicle for those times when you don't have a paddling partner. 6 lbs. Thule #547


AND

The Thule Outrigger makes it super easy to load a canoe into a Canoe Carrier [THU0023] all by your lonesome. A retractable bar holds one end of the canoe while you hump the other one atop the car. Retract the bar and you’re ready to roll to your put-in. The Outrigger attaches only to Thule square bars.



Here is a link to a cool article, with pix, on making your own solo loading device.

http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/articl ... rticles=37

So, maybe it is doable!

[qoutrage]

'Sit In' versus 'Sit On Top'.
Ref my post in the "Wakulla Beach 10-12" thread-
First off, I am pretty new to saltwater kayak fishing, having only a couple of years experience. I don't claim to be an authority on either configuration.
As I stated, I haven't tried fishing from our SOT, because of the limited space for 'stuff'. And, I agree with you on the problem no floatation built into most SI's. I do take a small bucket for bailing purposes, if needed.. A large margarine tub works pretty good just to scoop out small amounts which accumulates from fishing and/or an occasional rogue wave. I think, you can expect to get wet in either.
Cameras, phone, and less then waterproof items, I place a water tight bag, and generally remember to put my wallet in a ziploc and keep it in my pocket so as to identify the body- just jokin'.
The boat, I have been using lately, is an Old Town twin Otter. I stated it, was 13' long. It actually measures 14', and it weighs 68lbs, so it's a handful to handle alone. I try not to have to carry it far between the pickup and the water, but have wheels, if needed. On the water it scoots. I like it, because of the super large two place cockpit with adjustable seats, which is more than enough room for one person's gear. It has no floatation. I'm thinking of adding a couple of blocks of styrofoam in each end, or possibly aerosol foam might do the trick. I pretty much tie everthing in the boat. The cooler alone would probably keep it from sinking. I will say, there are those who have taken a dunking, and those who will. It's just a matter of time, not if, but when. I expect my time will come.
Both SOT and SI have good and bad points. I would encourage anyone with kayak interest to rent one or both, check out other fisherman's boats before spending a lot of money. A good place to rent, is on Hwy 98 at the Wakulla river. For sure, I wouldn't try to sway anyone to do it my way. I can only tell them what works best for me, and I am open to anything new or better.
Either way, for those who haven't tried it; it's a fairly simple and fun way to fish.

[Billy Miller]

Enjoyed the recent post on kayak fishing, I fish out of a 12 foot Walden Scout kayak. Fishing out of Bald Point on Sunday, looking for some people to possibly fish with in the future. Will post report Sunday night.

Billy

[qoutrage]

Just figured out adding a image file.

You can get an idea as to room in the boat. The manufactors capacity is 450lbs.
review- http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showRev ... l?prod=736
pricing example- http://www.sonomaoutfitters.com/pad_kaya/ot_otter2.html
Ours was ordered thru the kayak/canoe rental at the Hwy 98 bridge on the Wakulla River. My wife won a single at the Manatee Festival, and we decided to pay the difference for the double.

For those who don't recognize it , the background is the shoals(islands)and shoreline of Lanark.
The shot was taken with the still feature of a Panosonic DV recorder, so the resolution is not that good.

[Nathan]

Looks like I need to pay closer attention to topic titles. Slow to chime in, but yeah I fish from a Perception Bimini 15. I bought it back at the beginning of the summer and have only been able to get about a dozen trips out on it due to being too busy. It is probably a tad slower than the Tarpon 160 and weighs a ton, but is a great fishing kayak. I love having both loads of hatch space and a tankwell. The hatch space doesn't see a whole lot of use on day trips, but one day I want to do some kayak excursions over several days. Still haven't been able to bring my kayak over to Tallahassee from home, rained the whole time I was home last, but next time I definately will. My old kayak, used it for five years before I got my Bimini, is an Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. It is a good kayak and was great to learn on, but didn't have the speed and distance I wanted for inshore use. I have quite a few pictures on my site if anyone is interested in how I have my Bimini rigged for fishing. I've modified one or two things since those pictures were taken, but not much. Here's a couple pictures:





Nathan

[Nathan]

On loading and carrying kayaks bulk is the main problem with them. The base weight of my Bimini was over 70# and after installing rod holder bases, gps holder, and other fixed accessories I suspect it weighs well over 80#. My rack at home for my two kayaks is lengths of 2x6 nailed up on exposed studs in our shop. It isn't easy loading my Bimini by myself, but I do it alone most of the time and get it done. Launching when I get to the water is always alone, and some places I have a decent walk to the water from my truck. I'm 21 and in decent shape, but definately not a large guy at 140#. Loading back up after a long day of paddling can be fun at times though. The main problem I see with the roller racks for SUV's is flipping the yak when you get to the truck. I carry my kayaks upside down on top of my head and flipping them can be a challenge. Other than that I like the looks of the roller systems, price is another thing all together though.

Nathan

[Littoral]

Rev, thanks for starting this topic.
Discussing the attributes of different kayaks gets complicated. Before I finally chose one I found myself getting a little frustrated. What I think is essential is prioritizing what you know you’ll do with it. Decide and rank and cross off what is incompatible. I finally chose a Pungo because a priority for me was that I wanted to comfortably fish creeks in the winter. As I write this I realize that my choice added up to a 27â€

[videodog]

Thinking about Building one just to see if I can. Any thoughts on the idea?