Pontoon vs fishing kayak

[joesnuffy]

Well hell, I sold my boat.... at least it went to a friend that will get tons of use out of it.

So now I'm thinking about getting a fishing kayak. I've already got a pontoon.

The reason I'm thinking of getting a kayak is for mobility. The pontoon is pretty sluggish and takes a lot of energy to move any distance, but works great for small lakes. I'd like to be able to have mobility up to a mile if possilbe.

am i right to think that I'd be able to cover more water in a kayak with less effort?

I'm on a "tighter then I want" budget so I'm looking under $750.

thanks in advance! btw, my pontoon is a 9ft Creek Company and I'd be looking for a SOT kayak.

 

[Noahk]

It’s really hard to beat the speed and versatility of a kayak. I routinely paddle a mile or more upstream without too much effort of the Willamette. You can troll for springers on the Willamette or Columbia, fish for Sturgeon in the winter, fish a small lake or river, or take a kayak into the ocean. Although you shouldn’t attempt this on your own at first. I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 (12 foot) which I picked up used for $350 fully rigged including a fish finder, which was a steal. I can’t access those boats at work but I’m sure all of them would work. To be able to handle the Willamette, Columbia or the Ocean you want a boat that is over 11’. In general the longer the boat the faster it’s going to be on flat water but at the cost of maneuverability. Probably the most popular boat for the area is the Ocean Kayak Prowler series. There is an 11 foot and a 13 foot version. Most people get one of the Trident series (T11 or T13), which offer additional storage and adjustable foot pegs, although I’m not sure I would spend the extra cash on the Trident upgrade if I was buying one new. I love the Tarpon and for me I feel it’s the perfect compromise between speed and maneuverability. Other models you might consider

Ocean Kayak Scrambler 11-this boat is a bit wider and slower than the prowlers, but it should also be more stable. I know some of the guys on the coast really like this boat. Note it does not come with a seat or rod holders so you will need to do a good amount of drilling and cutting.

Ocean Kayak Scrambler 11 Sit-On-Top Kayak at REI.com

Malibu Kayaks-Also a bit wider and slower but really stable
Malibu Kayaks Stealth 12 Sit-On-Top Kayak at REI.com
Ocean Kayak Frenzy- Also a bit wider and slower but really stable

Prowler T11
Ocean Kayak Prowler 11T Angler Sit-On-Top Kayak at REI.com
Prowler T13
Ocean Kayak Prowler 13T Angler Sit-On-Top Kayak at REI.com
Prowler (non-Trident)
OCEAN KAYAK Prowler 13 Fishing Kayak at West Marine
Tarpon 120
Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 Sit-On-Top Kayak at REI.com

The best resource you will find is here. I'd post a wanted to buy in the classifieds, there are a lot of guys who have extra boats or who are sponsored and get a new boat every year or every other year.
Northwest Kayak Anglers

 

[koboabe]

Hey there,
you should PM The_Nothing or take a look at his blog.
also check out Northwest Kayak Anglers and NorCal Kayak Anglers
Outdoor Blogger Network also has a list of Kayak Fishing blogs.

I have a 10.5' toon and love it for floating small streams, but it is a pain in the a$$ to deal with on lakes, bays or our larger rivers.
recently i purchased an Ocean Kayak Trident 13 and I love it.
the Hobie Kayaks are very nice too... hand free to fish while you troll.

I have no plans to ditch the toon, but the kayak has opened up a whole new world

 

[C_Run]

I went through the toon Vs. kayak debate myself this past year and settled on a kayak. In my case, after watching videos , people in the field and the above websites, it looked like my style and muscling around a big piece of equipment was not for me. Then I almost tweaked my back out of joint in the kayak shop moving around a 15' kayak and ended up getting the smallest one available that I liked, a Trident 11. Just got it two weeks ago but haven't even got it wet yet. Maybe for you young guys with big muscles it doesn't matter but for me, small and efficient was the way to go plus I can lay it in the bed of my truck with no rack and just be off. Listen to the above two fellows, they know.

 

[sherman]

Hey Noah Is there anyway to put a trolling motor on a kayak? I don't remember if you had one or not. I like my toon but if I could figure out how to get a kayak on top of my Bigfoot camper & tie it down I would like to have a kayak.

 

[Noahk]

I'm sure there is a way, but I've never seen one in person. I think there are some kayaks that actually have full on electric engines built in, but I think they're like 4 grand. The Hobie kayaks are really nice boats and are powered by a pedal drive system. They are incredibly fast and if I had the money I'd certainly consider one. It would be great to be able to hold the rod and propel and steer with your feet.
Hobie Cat Company - Fishing

Here are some motors I found with google, but don't really know anything about.
Electric Kayak Motors for Fishing and Fun.

Kayak Trolling Motor

 

[koboabe]

I would highly suggest you demo some boats... I thought I would like the T15, but when I saw it in the store I knew it was too much for my needs.
the T13 is still a big boat, but it is getting easier and easier to handle solo. I am finding better hand holds to balance the load.
I car top it on to a Saab 900 with J-cradles and it is still kind of a pain.

if money is not an issue I would really consider a hobie.
I ended up with the T13, werner paddle and a dry suit for the price of a hobie... but man they are awesome boats.

 

[joesnuffy]

Well unfortunatly money IS a concern. I can't spend too much on an inital investment, especilly if I'm not 100% sure thta I'll be fishing this way for a long time. As for demoing one.... not going to happen on this side of the state

I will continue to check the kayak forums and blogs.....

 

[koboabe]

keep an eye on craigslist too.
I like my T13, but in hindsight a little money could have been saved with a cheaper model and I would have had to do the modifications myself.

PM me if you want more links.
I spent about a year researching toon vs yak
ended up with a toon and continued research for a boat big enough to take on the Big C and the Deep Blue as needed...
I have lots of info saved

 

[joesnuffy]

i've been watching Craigslist for a couple weeks, not many SOT yaks, most are whitewater over here.

 

[Noahk]

Well unfortunatly money IS a concern. I can't spend too much on an inital investment, especilly if I'm not 100% sure thta I'll be fishing this way for a long time. As for demoing one.... not going to happen on this side of the state

I will continue to check the kayak forums and blogs.....

So what's your budget? Are you mostly looking to lake fish?

 

[joesnuffy]

I'm trying to stay under $750. Mostly lake fishing is the plan for the time being.

 

[Noahk]

You have a Dick's out there? This boat actually looks like a rebranded Tarpon. I know that Dicks will just rebrand other products. Like their field and stream rods are actually made by Berkeley and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the same deal.

Field & Stream Eagle Talon Kayak - Dick's Sporting Goods

 

[Noahk]

Actually it looks like it would only be 512 shipped and it even comes with an anchor set up. Hard to beat that. Plus you could probably sell it for what you paid for it if you didn't like it.

 

[joesnuffy]

I'm checking it out now. Looks like a nice yak. I'd sure like to sit in one instead of ordering online..... I'll see if i can find the closest store to me.

Edit: I really like the Eagle Talon. It's heavy but can support a lot of weight.

One thing that i haven't thought about is a paddle...... any ideas?

 

[Noahk]

Cool. Make sure yo call ahead and make sure they have that one in stock. Good luck either way. Just don't buy your paddle from Dicks. They're terrible.

 

[koboabe]

the paddle is the one place I would not skimp... you get what you pay for and the mid range paddles have a noticeable difference at the end of the day.

I have a Werner Camano (230CM carbon shaft and fiberglass blades) and I love it, it was a little spendy, but it is worth every penny. it is very light and very strong.
the swing weight is very low on their carbon model (I wouldnt even look at the performance core blade, they are 2x the cost of the carbon line), its hard to hold and swing a heavy paddle for hours at time.
I had Alum. Oars on my toon and hated them, once I switched to a fiberglass/carbon blend I was no longer fatigued when getting off the water.

 

[joesnuffy]

I ordered the Yak The closest Dicks didn't have one in stock to go test out so i just pulled the trigger online.

Like somebody mentioned, if i don't like it, i can most likely sell if for the purchase price.

For a nice paddle, what is the price range i'm looking at? I don't to get robbed without knowing it

I'm probably headed to Cabela's/Sportsmans/Dicks within the next week.

 

[JT653]

REI has some decent paddles as well. I like the Broken Branches - Whisper. It's light and only about $60 at REI and better than anything at Dick's for the same money. Carlisle Daytripper is another reasonably priced paddle that a lot of people like.

 

[Noahk]

REI has some decent paddles as well. I like the Broken Branches - Whisper. It's light and only about $60 at REI and better than anything at Dick's for the same money. Carlisle Daytripper is another reasonably priced paddle that a lot of people like.

you can spend an almost unlimited amount of money on a paddle, but to be honest I've been using the same 50 carlisle paddle for 15 years. I've beat the hell out of it and it's still in great shape. If you find yourself paddling a lot I can understand investing in a nicer paddle but I'm cheap. I might check out the whisper though.