hi all, first post

Hello, my name's Dan and i'm a fishaholic. I've been interested in getting into your all's way of fishing for quite sometime now, but this is the season. I would love to attend the M&G this weekend, being that its the closest to me and one of my favorite spots throughout the years, but I have yet to buy a yak. Mainly because whatever I buy I would like to not have to replace for a couple of years. Can anyone recommend dealers anywhere remotely close to Balto. co. area that might have a selection of some Jacksons, Oceans or such on hand? It's probably a long shot, but if i'm still without a vessel this weekend and someone has a second they would be willing to rent, I would definitely make worth the trouble.

thanks

[Pc4sun]

Hi Dan,
I am new to yak fishing too. After careful consideration and exhaustive research on yaks and yak dealers, I ended up ordering a Native Slayer Propel from Chris Dollar at CD Outdoors ( http://www.cdollaroutdoors.com/). I met him at the Frederick fishing show and he introduced me ot he Native Slayer propel, which I had never heard of. CD OUtdoors is in Kent Island. Another dealer who was willing to give me a great deal was Annapolis Canoe and Kayak. Great people there as well. Good luck on finding just the right yak for you.

[Dan Goddard]

Thanks, I actually just discovered the propel today after talking to a guy at hudson trail in Annapolis who said they had one in stock. The demo video looked pretty cool being able to peddle in reverse and all. I'm really just feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to decide between one of the Jacksons, a peddle propeled yak or possibly one that can easily be rigged with a trolling motor.

[buzz]

Hi Dan. Welcome aboard.

You will want a yak that will suit your fishing needs. There is no yak perfect for all conditions, so consider one that will suit most of your needs.
The first yak I bought was a Ocean Kayak Frenzy. Basically a toy to play in the surf at the beach. But being at the beach only a couple weeks at year I started strapping a milk crate to it and fishing some calm bodies of water with it.

When I finally got the "all clear" to trade up to a new kayak, I knew I wanted a boat that would paddle quickly and smoothly. I wanted foot pegs instead of the built-in foot slots. I wanted one that could easily punch through breakers at the beach. And of course it had to be in my budget.

The next thing was to try them out. I sample 4 boats before deciding I wanted an Ocean Kayak Trident 13. Funny thing was... while shopping around for a good deal on the Trident I stumbled upon an even better deal on the Ocean Kayak Torque. Very very similar to the Trident but with a built-in MinnKota trolling motor.

I wasn't a yakker before. Canoe? Yes. Kayak? No.
So since I was getting a kayak primarily for fishing I thought this was a big plus. With the motor I have so much more time to spend fishing. The boat steers with the footpegs so my hands are free to tie up baits and leaders while I'm heading out. The only downside I see is the Group 24 battery I have to haul around for it.

But back to your yak.... definitely try some out. If you can, for an hour or two at a time. Most yaks are comfortable for 15 minutes but some will kill your ass in about an hour or more after sitting there.

[Dan Goddard]

Thanks a lot for all the input, I've definitely had my eye on the Torque a bit. Just seems like the transition from boat to yak would easier. Not that I don't want to use it to help stay in shape, but fishing is the main goal. About what you said first, I would like an all around kayak to fish a little of everything as I plan on going to OBX this summer and would like to launch off the beach but besides that and maybe a once a year trip to ocean city, I'll be mainly fishing the Susky probably going out of Lapidum, Coniwingo above the dam and around the Honga down the shore. I do know I want one at least 12', Sit on top, with a decent amount of room. So I got it narrowed down a little.

[J.A. Veil]

You should try to attend the March 1 kayak fishing flea market at the Lake Shore Vol Fire Dept in Pasadena. There will be at least two dealers there with some kayak models on display (Native, Hobie, Jackson). This will give you a chance to look at different models and talk to lots of experienced kayak anglers about which kayaks they bought and why.

[Dan Goddard]

That would be nice to be able check out a bunch of 'em and talk to some experienced yak anglers. I'll see if I can hold out that long. These balmy temps got me itching!

[Yak Fish]

Welcome Dan. There's lots of great fisherman here and lots with a lot of knowledge of the cool toys. Even if you don't have a yak this weekend you should come out to watch everyone launch, see their rigs, and have lunch later. It'll give you a good idea of what it's all about. I do have a spare yak, but it's a small sit inside and I consider it too dangerous to be out in the cold weather so I won't offer it. If it were spring or summer, no problem. It was my first yak and I'll tell ya, it didn't take but one season to go out and buy a hobie. There's other pedal kayaks now so there's more options, but for fishing, I personally would never go back to a paddle. I emphasize, that's just me and how I fish. Everyone has different goals when they go out and there's an infinite number of ways to customize your ride. I don't think I've seen any two that are the same. No one keeps theirs stock.

I would say put some thought into what you think is important and chat it over with the group at lunch. We can offer a lot of insight. Then, buy what you actually want because you'll eventually buy what you want anyway. Even if you don't like it, you can sell high quality kayaks really easily. Too bad you just missed out on a couple offered here lately. Don't worry, there will be more. My first Hobie was pre owned. When you get it, don't go drilling holes right away. Fish for a little while to see what you actually want. For example, a lot of people want to go out and put an anchor trolley on immediately...you may never even use it so don't waste the time or money. Think about where you want to mount rod holders, where you want to store your gear, etc.

And put aside extra money for your hobby. It's not too expensive if you keep it simple, but the sky is the limit these days with the electronics and such.

[Dan Goddard]

thanks, thats definitely some good insight. I do believe no matter what I'll be up there on Saturday to at least check things out. I did speak with Rich from Valley mills a little bit ago, and have plans to demo some Jacksons on Thursday. So after I do that it's really just a matter of me figuring out whether I go peddle or paddle.

[Nitefly]

Dan,

In addition to what everyone else has said, unless you fish shallow, rocky water or lily pad and weed filled water most of the time, take the time to demo a peddle yak!

[Dan Goddard]

I definitely will

Dan,

In addition to what everyone else has said, unless you fish shallow, rocky water or lily pad and weed filled water most of the time, take the time to demo a peddle yak!

[moc]

Welcome Dan. There's lots of great fisherman here and lots with a lot of knowledge of the cool toys. Even if you don't have a yak this weekend you should come out to watch everyone launch, see their rigs, and have lunch later. It'll give you a good idea of what it's all about. I do have a spare yak, but it's a small sit inside and I consider it too dangerous to be out in the cold weather so I won't offer it. If it were spring or summer, no problem. It was my first yak and I'll tell ya, it didn't take but one season to go out and buy a hobie. There's other pedal kayaks now so there's more options, but for fishing, I personally would never go back to a paddle. I emphasize, that's just me and how I fish. Everyone has different goals when they go out and there's an infinite number of ways to customize your ride. I don't think I've seen any two that are the same. No one keeps theirs stock.

I would say put some thought into what you think is important and chat it over with the group at lunch. We can offer a lot of insight. Then, buy what you actually want because you'll eventually buy what you want anyway. Even if you don't like it, you can sell high quality kayaks really easily. Too bad you just missed out on a couple offered here lately. Don't worry, there will be more. My first Hobie was pre owned. When you get it, don't go drilling holes right away. Fish for a little while to see what you actually want. For example, a lot of people want to go out and put an anchor trolley on immediately...you may never even use it so don't waste the time or money. Think about where you want to mount rod holders, where you want to store your gear, etc.

And put aside extra money for your hobby. It's not too expensive if you keep it simple, but the sky is the limit these days with the electronics and such.

I second Yakfish's sentiments. Even if you cannot fish on Saturday, It would always be good to stop by the launch or during the day when everyone is returning to shore and some are getting ready for lunch. you can see their riggs and ask a lot of questions to help you out. You can even come on to lunch and get more info.

Also, many of us here will be manning a kayak display the first two weekends of March at Bass Pro Shop in MD. You can stop by and ask questions to your heart's content on kayaks and kayak fishing.