Fishing Kayak

The Ride is nice but a little slow. If you want to stand or kneel, the Ride is great. Since I only use the yak as a mode of transportation, I prefer a faster yak such as the Tarpon.
 
I agree on the hybrids (and the Ride) being slower, but isnt the point of a fishing kayak so that you can fish from it? and in this case, fly fish from it? If you are just using it as transportation (moving water?) then I guess it doesnt matter but I think for most (or at least for me) speed is just one minor consideration. I personally don't want anything I can't stand in.
 
I'll toss out my opinion on the speed and standing...just an opinion.
If you are using the yak in rivers and streams, you can read the current and really don't need to stand to see where structure is. Standing in any yak in moving water will eventually catch up to you. You will bump a rock or get pulled into an eddy and spin around...neither needs to be a violent event, but just enough to cause the loss of balance for a second and you will take a swim. If you are fishing lakes, Standing is nice to get those long casts, but the yak will let you get very close to fish since the profile on the water is very low. So you rarely need to stand. This is where the speed factor will come in...on lakes, it is better to have a boat that tracks well and has a bit of speed too. You will often cover a lot of distance on a lake to get from spot to spot.
More importantly in my opinion is the weight associated with the yaks that tout the ability to stand. The best part of having a yak is that you can toss it on the roof of your car and hit just about any water you want in short order. The stand up type yaks are normally a lot heavier and that means much more of a chore to get on/off the roof. More of a chore to drag through the brush to the spot you want to launch. This will eventually get old and you will use it less often.
Standing is nice but there is a "Heavy" price to pay sometimes.
Like I said...just my opinions.
 
I find that my commander 140 tracks extremely well and its not too shabby with the speed .It also has the captains chair so I can sit higher above the water to get a better vantage point and cast a little farther when needed .
 
Standing in any yak in moving water will eventually catch up to you.
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Those native watercraft are unbelievably stable. I've taken it down class II-III rapids standing up. Honestly, for me the risk of hitting a rock and falling out is outweighed by the fact that I can see the rocks so much better when I'm standing. If you're in fast water, you have to manage your speed carefully but you can definitely do it.

The other, potentially safer strategy is that you can sit down anytime you like. There is no rule that you have to remain standing just because it is possible to stand. The seats are comfortable.

The biggest risk is when you get big a standing wave that comes over the side of the boat. That happens pretty much every time I go down class III, at least to some extent. I usually have to stop and bail the boat out. Sitting/standing won't change anything there. The choice for that situation is that you bail the boat, buy a kayak, or buy those inserts that whitewater canoeists use.

Avoid class III whitewater is probably not a bad policy if your goal is to catch fish. You cannot simultaneously manage both.

The stand up type yaks are normally a lot heavier and that means much more of a chore to get on/off the roof. More of a chore to drag through the brush to the spot you want to launch. This will eventually get old and you will use it less often.
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This may be true. What I really wanted was a canoe that I could stand in, which is basically what those native watercraft are. Mine weighs about 75 lbs. I worried early on that the boat would be too much trouble and I'd find myself wade fishing, but it's actually gone the other way. I use it a lot, and its become my preferred way to fish for trout and bass.

My dad has one of those hobie pedal kayaks, which I forgot to mention in my first post. Those are nice, but you do have to be careful with the flappers on streams with low water. It is ideal on a lake since you can cruise the shoreline with your hands free for casting. Switching between paddles and fly rods is definitely not a skill that people are born knowing how to do.

 
I should have been more specific..I wouldn't stand all the time (although some of the Stand Up Paddleboards have caught my eye)..just when sightfishing on still water or slower pools.
 
 
Have a ocean trident angler 13 and love it i would not make it a habit of standing up but it is possible.Have also had time in a wilderness tarpon and i love the seat but still wouldnt stand on it as a habit i dont like getting that wet when you set the hook to hard.see a nice hole and just put your foot out and stand up.As for toughness my ocean is called the rock hopper and 3 years and still hooping rocks.
 
The Ocean Trident 13 Angler is what I am looking at. I will have 1 before spring.

Rick
 
OMG,

Fredrick, that video of Jeff Little in Perdix is "exactly" where I used to catch >100 smallmouth when I went wade fishing with my 6wt and a Olive Woolybugger! I think I know every rock in the river there!

and Wgmiller, that pic in Wrightsville is "exactly" where I used to catch lots of bass and twice as many channel cats with my 6wt!

I remember Jeff Little from "River Smallies" back in the day! Is he still at Blue Ridge? I'll have to stop at Blue Ridge with some cash in my pocket this spring. I'm sick of float tubes....... I need a yak!

I don't really care if the Susquehanna is dying now........... this boy will be back at em in a Yak pretty soon!
 
I want something to take the dog in too. any suggestions and no I can't leave him home !!
 
Question: How are the SIT's for paddling back upstream to where you began fishing?
I usually am fishing alone and don't have the option of shuttling between the put-in and take-out points. I imagine it will work alright, since the Ocean Kayaks are paddling against the currents almost 1/2 of the time they're in the water.
 
I just picked up an Ocean Trident 13Angler in camo. Cannot wait to try it out.
Rick
 
Paddling upstream, regardless of craft, is a chore in and of itself. I'd have to imagine that a "Sit-in" would be more efficient due to being closer to the water, but with either craft it's work. When fishing alone, I try to hit static bodies of water or find slower sections of river to fish.
 
Rick your going to have a blast,Just dont get sideways in a current those rocks hidden just under the surface will get you wet(Been there but only once)
 
Dear sandfly,

If your dog will sit relatively still most canoes will work for transporting yourself and the pooch down a river or creek.

The key to a dog in any small boat is keeping them relatively still. I know a guy on a canoeing website that often takes 2 boxers with him when he paddles his canoe, so far no one has been harmed. ;-)

If I remember correctly though you have a lab. Having owned one, getting them to sit still in the confines of a boat when things are happening all around them can be a bit of a chore. "Oh look a fish jumped, Hey is that a deer? ducks, wooohooo" accurately describes the attention span of your average lab.

Still, I think a canoe would work for you but you'd better practice travelling with the dog in warm water for starters.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)

 
With a lab, you may have to learn how to lean.
 
I like Jackson kayaks. They are fairly new and are built here in Tennessee. I have been very pleased with mine and customer service is superb. I included a link to their site. I am not affiliated with them. Just a satisfied customer.

http://jacksonkayak.com/
 
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