fishing kayak advice/recommendation

Wilderness Systems makes good boats. The outfitter I used to work for was a dealer and I've paddled a bunch of them. One of the most comfortable/adjustable seats available on a production yak. You can probably buy the standard model and fix it up the for the way you fish cheaper than buying the fishing model.Getting one of the small ,fat wheel units that strap on the bottom makes it much easier to get to the water.--KV
 
thanks! yeah, i was wondering if i could bye the 'standard model' and then rig it myself to the 'angler model' specs.
any ideals on how they are in mild whitewater, such as class I and rarely class II. most rivers i would float around here have at least a class I somewhere during a floating stretch of several miles.
btw; im a pretty experienced canoeist. and float rivers quite a bit with rafts...
 
I have a W.S. Pungo 120 and it's a nice boat. The Ride looks like it would be pretty stable, a nice feature for a fishing boat. Does seem a little heavy at 75 pounds though. The Pungo is 50 and that is plenty to haul around, especially when when you also have a bunch of gear. Something to think about if the launch is not close by.
 
I use a Wilderness Systems 12 foot Tarpon that I rigged up for fishing. You can even mount a fish finder in them which can be real handy on flat water. You might consider an anchor and perhaps their rudder. The rudder is handy on flat water.

Added: It takes some getting used to casting when you are so close to the water surface. I find myself getting out along the bank and fishing at times.
 
I have a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 tandem. I've looked at the Wilderness Systems and liked them. I just like the accessories for the Native better.

[video=youtube;vatFYrujiZo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vatFYrujiZo[/video]
 
thanks for all the advice fellows...

arson, thanks for the vid. im going to look into the native watercraft boats...
 
I have a native watercraft 14.5 ultimate propel/volt. It is a great boat and a hybrid of a Canoe/Kayak. The best thing about it is the first class seat.
 
If you dont plan on long distance then it would be a good kayak. But if you plan to cover 10+ miles you might find that a longer kayak would work better. Something like the ride 135. But a longer kayak is more a hassle to carry around. As for the weight i swear they use a diffrent scale then us mortals do.. I have a Malibu stealth 14 and it says 64lb. But when i carry it around to the launch or lift it on top of the car it feel more like 80.
 
I have a WS tarpon 120. To me the ride looks way to wide to be fun to paddle. Even if it 16 ft long I would still think that is too wide. The tarpon is fast for a 12 footer and is plenty stable. It can handle small rapids without much problem. It tracks really well but this makes it not want to turn in rapids. When turning sharp in fast water the stern of the yak gets pushed. This was only a problem in more hectic waters. I bought the stock model and installed my own rod holders. It has been a very versatile boat. I have done some over night camping out of it on rivers and it has plenty of room if you pack reasonably light. I have surfed it, fished it, hunted it, dove it and took it on rapids that were completely unreasonable for the design. It is a very versatile design. Plus they have dramatically improved the seats since I bought mine. I wish I had bought a 140 because I mainly paddle the ocean with mine and the length translates into distance. Thats why I just bought an OK Prowler T 15.

Some post of trips in the T120.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/891651-Hunting-by-Kayak-on-the-Eel-River

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/871192-Kayak-fishing-and-crabbing

Good luck.

Matt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top