brand new to kayaking

[JohnP]

Greetings!

I'm from Texas, and I grew up fishing from piers in the gulf and shore fishing for bass on fresh water lakes. Recently, a friend took me out on a small boat fishing in the Chesapeake and I had an absolute blast. It's not practical for me to get a boat, so I've been reading up on Kayaks. I've never so much as sat in (on?) a kayak before, but I've been lurking on this site and learning as much as I can.

I'm more interested in the fishing and not so much the traditional kayak aspect, so I'm drawn to the PA 12 and Slayer Propel 13. I'm sure many of you can provide justification for which is better, but I'm more interested in hearing some perspective as to whether or not I should look more seriously into more affordable, traditional paddle kayaks. I'm torn as to whether I should get something more affordable now or go ahead and get something that will serve me for years to come as I (hopefully) grow into an experienced kayak fisherman. I'm just now learning about the MD waters, but I envision myself practicing in up and down the rivers and eventually working myself further out into the bay.

Any advice/thoughts/criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Also, do the monthly meet-ups I read about continue into the winter?

Thanks in advance!

John

[HJS]

First and foremost, figure out how you are going to transport a kayak to & from fishing destinations. That seems to be an important hurdle to address before buying a kayak... it's harder than you think.

[sparky1423]

Welcome aboard John! Advice on the actual purchase of a kayak, if you have the funds go with a more dependable manufacturer of kayaks. By all means I am not knocking yaks purchased at Dick's Sporting goods or stores alike. But if you do purchase an inexpensive kayak, you will constantly be upgrading to a better fishing platform. Like most of us, the kayak is just a fishing vessel. Yes, the scenery and pureness of paddling on the water is great....but first and foremost...it's used to catch fish.

Most prefer a Sit On Top kayak, they are more versatile and stable on the water (again, no offense to the SINKS). I have both a peddle and a paddle kayak, the only time I use my paddle kayak is when the water I fish is too shallow for my pedals or I am limited on time and rigging is much quicker with the paddle kayak. Use the search bar on the site and just enter some general phrases like "paddle vs Peddle" or "Hobie vs Propel." Many more will comment on this thread and point you in the direction you are looking for. So many factors determine the kayak that fits your needs...so enjoy your searches and youtube videos...Welcome to the Addiction!!

[Big Mike]

Concur on how to transport. I use a trailer for my PA 14 and it does limit some of the places I can fish, on the other hand it beats trying to get it on the roof. A PA 12 will have similar issues but I do see guys with innovative ways to put them on the roof or back of a truck. I really like pedal power and my paddle friends all want to convert over for the hands free fishing.

Enjoy your decision making process!

[JohnP]

Mike and Jeremy,
Thanks for the advice, I hadn't even taken that into consideration. I have a Ford Explorer, so I suppose there may be some way to get a 12 footer to ride on top.

[Yak Fish]

If you like fishing, you'll really like kayak fishing...especially around here where there's so many places to fish! I went the cheap route and then bought what I wanted the next year. Most people end up doing the same thing.

[YaknBass]

Mike and Jeremy,
Thanks for the advice, I hadn't even taken that into consideration. I have a Ford Explorer, so I suppose there may be some way to get a 12 footer to ride on top.

make sure you can do that by yourself...load and unload your yak...

[sparky1423]

Mike and Jeremy,
Thanks for the advice, I hadn't even taken that into consideration. I have a Ford Explorer, so I suppose there may be some way to get a 12 footer to ride on top.

Just like Big Mike stated, you have to be creative with your loading and strapping. Don't let your vehicle decide your kayak. I have a Durango and can get a 13 footer on top with a J-bar style carrier. I'm not a strong guy, just improvise your lifting tactics.

[J.A. Veil]

My recommendation for someone looking to get into kayak fishing is to start with a basic paddle kayak. For a given budget, you can buy a new kayak from a big-box store or you can buy a used kayak of a high-quality name brand for a similar price (I note that there are several good used paddle kayaks for sale in the snaggedline Tacklebox forum right now -- Wilderness, Native, Ocean Kayak, and Jackson models). When evaluating price, look at the price for the kayak, seat, paddle, and any other minimum level of gear you feel you will need. Sometimes the used kayak comes with those extra pieces, whereas the new one does not.

If you fish from a starter kayak for a while and realize how much fun it is, you will probably decide to upgrade to a pedal kayak or a paddle kayak with extra features. That takes money (possibly lots of money) and not everyone is able to do that. But if you bought a quality kayak the first time around, you should be able to resell it and not take too much of a drop in value.

Transportation has been mentioned -- it is critical. Most of us do not want to transport kayaks heavier than 80 lbs on roof racks if possible. Storage at your home is another consideration. Make sure you know how and where you will store the kayak and associated gear. Make sure your spouse is onboard with those plans.

You mentioned two pedal kayak models -- Hobie PA 12 and Native Slayer Propel 13. Both are excellent kayaks but they are far pricier than paddle kayaks and both are heavy. I own the Slayer Propel 13. It has a hull weight of 85 lbs. The seat and Propel drive add another 19 lbs for a total of 104 lbs. The PA 12 is somewhat heavier than that. Those boats can be cartopped if necessary, but they are awfully heavy to lift on and off the roof on every trip. I transport my Slayer Propel 13 inside my minivan to avoid most of the lifting.

There are lighter weight pedal kayaks out there. Hobie makes the Revo and Outback models. I don't know their weights, but they can be cartopped. Native just introduced a Slayer Propel 10 with a hull weight of only 58 lbs. I have one of those too and am very impressed with the capabilities of a small kayak.

Several snaggedline members developed some online educational material about kayaks and kayak fishing. It is called Kayak Fishing 101 and can be found on the Chesapeake Bay Kayak Anglers website at http://chesapeakebaykayakanglers.com...shing-101.html. There is a section there about how to choose a kayak. I recommend that you take a look there before buying.

[Pat Smith]

I just started fishing from a Kayak as well.. started early fall.
I would suggest getting a used paddle kayak first off, use that for a season or so. That will let you explore what you like. I had wanted a Hobie PA initially, decided on a cheaper paddle kayak, now I would not get the PA but would tend towards either the Outback or Propel.. if I were to go the pedal route.. I am pretty happy with the paddle kayak though and doubt I would go with a pedal anytime soon. I might toss a trolling motor on my kayak but I actually like paddling.
That is just my 2 cents.
Last I looked there is a GREAT kayak for sale in the for-sale section of this forum.

[Mark]

JohnP,

Welcome to Maryland and welcome to the forum.

There's nothing I can add of value to the good advice you've already received.

What I can assure you is that you'll enjoy kayak fishing in MD waters.

[YakCapn]

Test out whatever kayak you go with. I went to Annapolis canoe and kayak located on Third street in Annapolis. They let me take out my Old Town predator before I bought it. I really like the predator. It's very stable and is built for fishing. It has rails that you can attach rod holders to and comes ready to add certain things like a rudder (pre-drilled screw holes, etc). I went all out on my first purchase because in the long run I figured it would be cheaper. It was a little risky to take the plunge, but so far I'm happy with my choice. I have a Ford Escape and I'm able to get the 13 foot, 80 lb kayak up there on my own. It took a time or two to get the routine down, but it's pretty easy now.

[Romo]

FWIW my first kayak was a native manta ray 14. It was a really nice kayak. Fast, tracked well and had plenty of storage but I HATED fishing from it. Most of my fishing is in rivers or back bays where there's lots of current and it was just impossible to drift correctly and still fish. I had all but given up on kayak fishing and was ready to buy a boat when I fished with a guy in a hobie revo 11. Once I saw the possibilities and how it would fit my fishing style I bought a revo 13 and never looked back. There are definite advantages to getting a hobie or a native with the pedal drives and if you realllllllly know you want to fish from a kayak I'd say skip spending $500-$1000 on a paddle yak and go right to something that allows hands free fishing. Of course, if you're gonna be fishing calm lakes or something then a paddle yak might be a good idea to start.

[JohnP]

I really appreciate all the input from everyone. I'm definitely leaning towards a peddle kayak. I'm planning on getting out to demo a couple of different models (Hobie PA, Slayer Propel, Outback). Once I decide on one, I'm going to try and find a deal on a used one with some accessories already included. I'm aware of the for sale section on this site and I'll keep an eye on it.

[DaveO]

Excellent all around John! Much the same you and others so generously provided me. YakFisher - welcome aboard! Just started myself this summer; the people here are selfless, caring, and smarter than Einstein. Put yourself in their hands - I still do, and am glad of it everytime I so much as think about my kayak and kayak fishing.
Cheers//DaveO