HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[Jon Mahan]

Gentlemen,

I need some advice on purchasing a sit on top kayak. What is the best one to buy for fishing the flats? Where is the best place to purchase one? I want one that has plenty of room for storage and rod holders are a must. Also, I want the shallowest draft kayak made and I weight about 200 lbs. and one that is the lightest in weight and paddles the most effortless. I decided to post this message because I want opinions from the field (actual users). The only place here in Rockport to buy on is from Captain Sally Moffet, it this a good place to buy one? Also, it needs to be good for a four year old boy to paddle around Little Bay in Rockport.

Jon Mahan
_________________
Remember to practice CF&R.

Catch, Fillet, and Release.

[Big John]

Tis looks like a question for GoinCoastal if I ever heard one!
_________________
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke and hungry the rest of his life!

John Sullivan
Native Corpus Christian
Currently Displaced in San Antonio

[tyler]

Captain Sally no longer sells yaks Jon but there is Aransas Pass Kayak works in your area and of course our Sponsor Wind and Wave. I suggest you try some before you buy. One for your son would probably not fit you.
Will you want to ever use it in the surf? etc. How shallow do you want to go.
I have several Perception kayaks that are nice in the bay. The Bimini is my favorite but I weigh more than you. It is quite fast.
I have now been playing with a Hobie Mirage Outback. Your son might be able to pedal it with the pedals adjusted. No kidding this thing hauls in water 18" or deeper. It will go faster than my Bimini. It is also wider by about 5 inches. It is not a fast boat at all if you have to paddle it rather than pedal it. But boy is that mirage system neat. It steers with a twist on the left hand. To raise and lower the rudder there is a small switch to your right. One of those perfect hands free type boats where you don't have to drop your paddle then grab your fishing rod.
You can go see my pal Dean and Slowride Guide Service at the Kayak Shack in Aransas Pass and rent some of the Wildnerness system kayaks another popular brand.

[Lat22]

After six months of thinking about it, I finally ordered a Hobie Outback today. Check out www.texaskayakfisherman.com for good kayak info.

[GoinCoastal]

Oh man .... those are some loaded questions!!!!!

A few basics about kayaks.....

Speed & Stability --- The faster the boat the less stable. The more stable the boat, the slower. Often this related to the lenght of the boats more than the width, but it has to do with both!

Shallow Draft --- All kayaks are shallow draft. However, this is going to be a function of your weight and the weight rating of the boat. At 6'5" and 250#, I push all kayaks down into the water and some a lot farther than others.

If your son is only four, get a solo SOT that has a higher weight rating and a large hatch or tankwell. At 4, he won't be able to effective paddle a boat big enuf for you. SO you make sure you have room for him on your yak and take him. When he hits about 7-8yo get him his own 9-10' kayak.

Definitely go rent a few or test paddle a few. Aransas Kayak Works has a good selection including Wilderness Systems. Wind and Wave has OK. Go rent a WS RIDE rigged for fishing from Slowride Guide Services in AP. Then check out a Tarpon 140 or 160 from him also. Test paddle the OK Prowlers and drifter. Then check out Malibu which some boat shop in CC is a dealer I believe. Look at their x-factor and the extreme.

Here's what you will find.....

Stable Boats that are not great for long paddles but fantastic for fishing ---
WS Ride - not too heavy, very stable, a little wet, not that slow, fairly easy to manuever for its 13.5' lenght.
OK Drifter - not too heavy, stable, very wet, slow, very easy to manuever
Malibu X-Factor - HEAVY!!!!, very stable, dry, fastest of teh stable boats, get a rudder on this one cuz it doesn't manuver at 36" wide and 15' long!!!

Faster boats ----
WS Tarpons 120/140/160 --- The 160 (16') is the king on fast fishing boats. The 140 is fast too. They track well as do most all longer boats. They are a little tippy but you are not going to be falling out either. Both are better with rudders. Not too heavy
OK Prowlers --- Very nice boats too. !5' and a 13' version. A little tippy but not going over. Fairly fast but slower than the Tarpons. Not too heavy either.
Malibu eXtreme- Again way too heavy. But it is a fast yet stable fishing platform.

SO here is my take..... I am a WIlderness Systems guy. I fish on their kayak fishing team. I however do not recieve any $$$$ from them. I have purchased all 3 of my WS kayaks. I have a RIDE that I fish out of. I believe bar none that the Ride is the best "COMPROMISE" of stability, weight, manueveribility, and speed of any other kayak for me!!!! And in that order too. And having owned mine now for 4 years, scarring it to hell on oyster, wearing a hole thru the keel from dragging it, alligator tail slaps on the hull, etc. etc. etc.....I have not found a kayak I would rather have....... The darn thing just keeps taking it and delivering me to where I want fish when I want to fish. And it accomodates the way I fish which may be different than yours.

So my point to this........... paddle some boats first and get an idea how different they feel. Make sure you do have teh deck space you need for what you want to rig. Make sure you feel comfortable in the boat!!!! Then start checking Texaskayakfisherman.com used kayak forum. Many folks end up changing kayaks after a year of fishing to a boat that better suits them. This is good! This means there are always some good boats on teh market. Also it gives you the same opportunity to get one cheaper and then buy new next year. BTW --- my first yak was my RIDE. I have never changed. I guess I got lucky.

One more thing.... don't but one and take it home and rig it!!!!! Wait before drilling holes for rod holders etc. Do a couple of trips using just a crate and minimal tackle. After a couple of trips you will have a better idea of what YOU need and where YOU need it. Trust me here!!!

Feel free to PM me specific questions. I also have pics of mine rigged to give you an idea of what can be done for the angler.

Good luck!!! You will enjoy every minute of it!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!
_________________
GoinCoastal aka Cap'nSherbet

[Big John]

Told you this was a question for GoinCoastal!
_________________
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke and hungry the rest of his life!

John Sullivan
Native Corpus Christian
Currently Displaced in San Antonio

[Lefty Ray]

Here is one of my past articles on selecting a kayak. If I were you I would go with Perception Bimini.

http://www.leftyray.com/inprint.htm#09-03
_________________
Lefty Ray

Kayak 4 Redfish Guide Service
www.kayak4redfish.com

[jerry]

I'm a Malibu guy and don't think there is anything better than the X-factor. It is stable and has all the room you will ever need. One of the best things I like about it is it holds its line in the wind. They have them at Blue water ships store on the bluff.
_________________
Broken or not fix it!
NRA Life member
CCCTKF

[maxwell]

My 2 cents. You can try out different yaks forever if you want but I would go for stable and the lightest wt over fast and long if you are going to fish the flats. I may paddle 5-6 miles on a full day but rarely is it all paddling. Mostly I paddle for a while fish paddle fish etc. I choose a Drifter and am very comfortable with that boat. Plenty of room , plenty fast for the way I use it. Light enough for me to load on an overbed rack alone , and very stable. Truth is most people recommend what they float because they like them. Find one that fits your body and don't look back. Room and stability are what I think are most important. Oh , GET A GOOD PADDLE you will never regret it.

[EdEddandEdge]

I have been hitting the flats with a 12' jon boat but end up tired. How much can I expect to spend on a decent used yak?
_________________
Most people get paid to do good. I am good
for nothing!

[RedFish Chaser]

I just have one kayak that I use. It's an LLBean Old Town Special Edition Loon 160: 16' long. I use it in inland waters. It goes VERY SHALLOW and can pack up the kids, kitchen, and a beautiful woman too. It can take the inland water waves - white caps very well. It steers great and goes VERY FAST. I often times stand in it to look for RedFish and I also cast standing up. I often yak out about 5 miles and yak a total of 15+ miles. The Loon allows me to do that. I've seen other's kayaks and they are nice too. However, I wouldn't trade my Loon for anything else!

I ended up taking my Twins to the beach today to just hang out. We didn't fish. So, here are some old pictures of my Loon and RedFish in the shallows. Good luck in choosing a yak of your own. ps: Harmony Paddles (carbon) is way to go if you yak for 15+ miles like I do. If not, then regular fiberglass/aluminum may suffice. I believe Harmony is one of the sponsors. Check them out!


[img]
[/URL]
[/img][img]
[/img][img]
[/img][img]
[/img][img][/img]
_________________
Live To Fish Tomorrow... Fish To Live Today

Mr. C. (RedFish Chaser)
Over 1 MILLION eBurgers Served
www.CorpusPadreIsland.com
www.CorpusHomeBuyers.com
www.CorpusHomeSellers.com

DON'T CLOSE Our BEACHES!