Posted by jas on August 13, 2002 at 18:38:40:
In Reply to: getting started posted by grizz on August 13, 2002 at 18:11:20:
: My son and I tried kayak fishing In the mammoth area a few weeks back. We are popping our float tubes, and are now looking for a pair of kayaks. We would like to get something for both salt and fresh water, does anyone have any suggestions.
: Cheers
: Grizz
Purchase an SOT (Sit-on-top) kayak. Research some of the manufactures online. I recommend Ocean Kayak, Cobra, Necky, Malibu and Wilderness Systems. The dimensions of your kayak is probably something you should narrow down. Some kayaks are wider than others, some longer, etc; If you post your height/weight, we can probably narrow some of the kayaks down for you.
Ocean Kayak has the Drifter, Scrambler XT, Scupper Pro TW and the Malibu II. These are good fishing kayaks. How much storage inside the kayak will you want? Do you want to stow your rods away inside for surf launches and re entries? Get a large front hatch if so. Another great asset for the kayak angler is the rear tankwell that some kayaks offer. It's a depression in the mold/shape just behind the seat. Fish can be placed there as well as top deck items. Check out rigged kayaks section.
We just recently demo'd Malibu Kayaks new fishing kayak "Pro Explorer". You can find their link as well as Ocean Kayaks in our "links" section. That kayak has a huge front hatch, lots of deck space. It's a great kayak for fishing but is slower than a touring style kayak like the Scupper TW.
Just some examples of how to stir your research towards the right kayak for you. It's a good idea to test drive the kayak before you purchase one, but that's not always possible.
jas-