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New Kayak

panhndlpoke

Heisman Candidate
Sep 6, 2006
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So I've had the least expensive fishing kayak I have found for almost two years now and felt like I knew enough about what I liked and wanted in a kayak to upgrade.

what i've been using:
https://www.sundolphin.com/fishing-kayaks/journey-10-ss/

cost $275.

Likes: 1. cheap. 2. Three different rod holders already part of the package. 3) very maneuverable. 4. very light for a kayak. 5. pretty durable because it is so simple and plain. 6. pretty stable after you figure it out.

Dislikes: 1. Feels unstable at times. 2. Directional tracking sucks 3. Seat is non-existent so my ass and back gets sore quickly. 4. It's cheap and it is apparent it is cheap. 5. No real storage. 6. Not a very fast boat. If you're on anything bigger than a pond, it is annoyingly slow to cross distances. 7. You get wetter than I'd prefer. This is as much of a function of the sit-on-top design and the molded in seat. If you had a seat that was raised, I think this would not be a problem.

New boat:

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/kayak/kilroy/

cost: $1200 (demo model), $1700 for all the crap I bought (paddle, pfd, bilge pump, anchor system, rack for car) plus the rod holders won't hold a fly rod so I ordered fly rod holders too. Total probably close to $2,000 for everything to get on the water. It was a big jump but I felt I knew enough of what I wanted to make a good decision on all the gear.

I've only paddled it a little but am going fly fishing in two weeks so I'll know more then. It is more stable, much faster, MUCH more comfy, and I can fit at least one of my kids in with me. I'm pretty excited about it.

If you would like to try kayak fishing on a moderate budget, I would try the Sun Dolphin Journey 12. It is a little more expensive than the 10 but should offer a more stable/faster platform than the 10.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ing-kayak-with-paddle-gray-swirl?cm_vc=-10005

If you just want to see if it is for you, go as cheap as possible. It really is a pleasurable way to fish and I enjoy paddling just for fun. Often, when I tire of fishing, I'll just cruise around looking at the water.

I'll report more on the Kilroy when I get back from my trip. I bought it in OKC.

http://www.oklahomakayak.com/

They have a nice selection of gear but the folks I spoke with were not fisherman per se. They just enjoyed kayaking. You'll need to have an idea of what you want in a fishing kayak before you go in.
 
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Sadly, the place I went fishing was not allowing outside boats to be used on the water due to concerns with disease spread. I did put my boat on the water for a short bit before being told I couldn't do that so I did sort of manage to get a little paddling and fishing done while in it. Sadly, I really have nothing more than first impressions.

The boat is nice and paddles pretty well. I didn't catch any fish in the short time I was in the water, and the lake was small with a lot of wind. Hopefully I'll get up to Angel Fire later in the summer and take the boat.
 
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