New to Kayak Fishing.

[tjags21]

Hello all,

I am looking for a good store to buy my first fishing kayak. I live in woodbridge, va. There is a bass pro shop near richmond, but i was hoping for something closer. Plus, any advice on what I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated. I am still researching the basics of kayak fishing.

tony

[jsquare]

I would suggest checking out REI and getting a rewards membership (costs $20 I think). You earn money back on all of your purchases and have access to discounts and such. I bought a very basic OK Trident 13 from REI and ended up with enough money in rewards dividends to buy a nice PFD.

REI prices are not the best out there, but it is a place to start looking.

[tjags21]

thank you sir. I forgot all about them

[lordofthemanor]

Have you checked out Backyard Boats in Woodbridge?

[ronaultmtd]

Craig's list has deals on used kayaks-I would highly recommend NOT buying a new kayak for your first kayak- get a good used one and then fish for a while- definitely makes a difference- bought my 2010 Hobie Outback off Craig's list from an Army Helicopter pilot getting ready to deploy overseas two years ago- and I paid a good price- $1400 for less than a year old Hobie mirage drive with Turbo fins and a sail rudder options- two years later and lots and lots of fishing trips on it, it is still a great boat that I love-

[DanMarino]

Agree with Craigslist and buying a used kayak.

If there is a Hudson Trail Outfitters near you, they also have a nice selection of kayaks.

Appomatox River Company has great prices and they will ship to you for very little money. Great people to deal with. http://www.paddleva.com/

[archeryrob]

How much do you want to spend, where do you plan to use it?

What you plan to carry, where and how you use it makes all the difference. Paddling other people kayaks is also a great way to try some out. Many of us have extra kayaks if you fish with us on a certain day.

Ask people on here how many have bought one kayak to find out they should have got a different one. (Raises Hand)

[surfdog]

check out austin canoe and kayak.com bought 2 yaks from them over the years and had no problems and they ship for 50.00 to your door. you can compare different yaks and they have a full line of accessories

[tjags21]

Thanks for all the info. I have found a couple of kayaks I really like. The Hobie revolution and outback are the two leading kayaks. They are very pricey, but they seem to be very good for a beginner. The peddles will be nice to have if ( when ) I get my self into trouble. The backyard boats lets you test drive before you buy. hopefully I can get a feel before I spend all this money. Since I do not have any experience with kayaking my plan is to fish the lakes, reservoirs, and creeks. Maybe I will be able to find one on craiglist for a little cheaper. Is there anything I should really look for when buying a used kayak? Thanks again for the help. I will hopefully have some news next week on the test drive.

tony

[ronaultmtd]

As a buyer of a used Hobie Outback, I have a bit of experience to pass on- look at the overall condition of the boat, normal scratches on the hull bottom are OK...look for structural integrity, no visible cracks, look carefully at the drive unit- best if you get one that already has the Turbo Fins and sail rudder, but those options are easily installed, look for any cracks in the plastic insulation on the drive cables, overall condition of the rubber fins, no tears, check for working condition of the fold and stow rudder assembly, closely inspect the area where the Mirage Drive locks in the peddle well for any defects, especially looking for any tiny hairline cracks- the majority of used kayaks are fine- most of the owners don't have that many trips on them and the reason they are selling is they don't get to use the kayak as much as they thought they would or they have upgraded to a better model- There isn't much you could upgrade to from an Outback or Revolution as they pretty much are the top of the line-

[tjags21]

Thanks. I always seem to jump right to the top of the line product. I found a 12ft mainstream kingfish kayak for 300. I know it does not track as well as many of the other kayaks, but I might get it this year and see how much use I get out of it. Then save up for the Hobie. Is this the type of kayak I can get a good feel for kayak fishing? I just do not want to waste three hundred if this is not useful at all . I also assume that since there is no real moving parts I will be just making sure there are no leaks or cracks in the frame. Everything else I can upgrade if needed.
thanks
tony

[ronaultmtd]

It is a low end, entry-level kayak carried by a lot of big box sporting goods stores that usually is a sale price leader- lots of critical reviews on line- seems like quality control issues and pin hole leak issues- the one about the hull flexing was enough for me...

[tjags21]

thank you all for the advice. After looking on craigslist and going to multiple stores. I decided to spend the money and get the hobie outback. I tested it out and loved the security it gave me as a beginger. I going to try it out on the 5th at occoquan reservoir.

[ronaultmtd]

You will not be disappointed-