kayak fishing

[chriscosta]

my gf wants a kayak im wanting a inflatable pontoon does anyone here have experience on fishing from a kayak? and if so can ya share some pros n cons on the issue she doesnt wanna make a bad choice thx in advance

[RavYak]

I have had a canoe, inflatable pontoon, fished out of cheap short kayaks a couple times and recently bought a new fishing kayak.

Out of all these the pontoon was my least favourite. It is the least mobile and although they break down easily are a pain to transport since they are still wet. I think fly fishing may be easier out of a pontoon since you sit up higher but I am not much of a fly fisherman so was no real advantage for me.

The canoe was nice, my favourite thing about the canoe was that I could sprawl right out in it if fishing was slow. Having the canoe is what made me decide to get my new fishing kayak even though I have a small boat now. I thought about buying a small solo canoe but couldn't find one for reasonable price and found my kayak first.

The kayaks were the best for mobility but they were just cheap recreation models which made it hard to have gear with me and land fish as they weren't very stable. I am yet to try my new fishing kayak but I think it will be great since it has rod holders, fish finder and tons of storage and looks very stable.

[chriscosta]

is the kayak hard to get a hang of id hate to see her fall in lol

[RavYak]

The only tricky part I had was landing a fish, didn't have any sort of net and was in a short tippy kayak though.

I would go with kayaks, she will enjoy it a lot more especially if she isn't a huge fishing fan as she can just cruise around on the kayak. Unless she fly fishes I almost guarantee she will use a kayak a lot more then she would an inflatable pontoon boat.

[Northern Yaker]

I was thinking about a pontoon until i actually tried a kayak. Kayaks nowadays are super stable. I have yet to end up in the water in either my Canadian tire sit inside or my proper fishing yak & I love playing around in boats wakes and stand in it all the time. Fishing kayak all the way.

[HuyFishin]

i'm not gonna read all the above posts, i'll just post my own experience with our double fishing kayak we recently purchased.

Jackson big tuna kayak has a livewell in the middle, so that was kinda cool, comes with 2 built in rod holders in the back and an extra ram rod holder to mount anywhere else. I can stand on the kayak with no problems while my fiancé is sitting in it. We fish sitting on the side with our feet hanging down in the water which is a sweet bonus!
really nice on a hot sunny day.

[Drsuzuki]

I have been useing a v type float tube , a fish cat 9 pnotoon boat and have a Wilderness Ride 135 fishing kayak as well as a boat and the all have their place . the float tube is great for intimate lakes where you need to be able to finess the flyrod or the lake is pot hole size the only issue is you are in the water either in waders or not. The fish cat is a heck of a unit that i have not figured out how to use . the oars are always in the way and you do not sit low enough to use flippers plus it is big. you do feel safe in it though, if you add a electric motor it may be better but what a production. The wilderness ride 135 angler kayak is really a treat when it comes to exploring a larger body of water stable, lots of storage , takes no water to float , can handle ocean type waves , and you for the most part sit high and dry and a decent seat. the only downfall is the size it it 13 feet long and almost 40" wide and takes two people to safely move , and you always have apaddle to deal with but you learn how to move the kayak with the paddle in one hand while landing of fighting a fish with the other . And did i say it is stable .... I can sit on the side and not life the other side out of the water. There is not a fresh water fish that I would not atempt to land from my kayak except a large Sturgeon. The 16' Aluminum deep v fishing boat with a 20hp outboard. Was good enough for the outfitter i bought it from at port albernie so it is great for me. but to big for small lakes and with only one person is affected by the wind untill you get 500 lb in the bow.


For fishing Get the kayaks and all the proper gear and enjoy even fishing for the smallest fish , be able to sneak up on beaver, loons ,ducks and moose carry a waterproof camera and have a ball. If you are ever near Medicine Hat give me a call I will go with you.

[Mikezilk]

I have fished from canoes, belly boats, pontoon and kayaks..
Hands down I have to say kayaks are the best . The sit on top kayaks designed for fishing are stable and depending on how much you want to spend and what you want it for the possibilities are endless.

If you want to get into a little more feel free to pm me. I am a sponsored kayak angler and can guide you towards kayaks that would fit your needs and be comfortable for you both to paddle.

[CamoDerrick]

I have fished from a sit-inside kayak for a couple of years now. As mentioned above there are a lot of great benefits from using kayaks. But there are some difficulties as well. I guess it is up to the individual to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives.

Pros over other floating devices (tubes, "toons", aluminum):
- Ability to sit low on water to approach skittish fish. Which is better than the other 3 because you aren't disturbing the water below you by kicking around the water 4 feet down.
- One man, easy set up, durable, the list goes on.

Cons:
- Tippy. Not extremely (after practice), but the concern is always there. More so than a pontoon for sure.
- Biggest con for me -> Having to always use the paddle to readjust which way the boat is facing. If you want your fly rod out the bow, and you start drifting to the side, you have to let go of your rod or line with at least one hand to straighten yourself back out by grabbing the paddle again. I have definitely missed a fish strike multiple times because of this.


Always up to the individual as to what is the best (and what they can afford).

[chriscosta]

right on guys thank you all so very much this is all great feedback im sure shell buy a kayak she really likes em and from what i can tell from you guys its the right choice

[KWDK]

I've used a hobie mirage kayak with flippers and a rudder while fishing and it was phenomenal! There are pedals that you pump with your feet in order to move flippers under the kayak instead of paddling it (you still strap a paddle to the side of the kayak just in case though) and there is a lever beside you to move the rudder and steer. This left both hands free to fish with and just the odd adjustment to the rudder when you want to turn. They are very stable and you can add on a set of outriggers if you want to be able to stand up while fishing. I fished in 3-4 foot waves on the Pacific Ocean with the outriggers and felt very safe (I didn't stand up though) These units are great but a little pricey. A used one seems to sell for about $1500 depending on how many accesories are with it (you can get a mast and sail and use it like a little sail boat). Even if you don't buy one you should take a look at them online, they are pretty cool.

[NorthernAbGuy]

Glad someone posted about the Hobies. I have a hobie outback, and I LOVE it ! I put the turbo fins and large sailing rudder on mine and the thing just flies along with very little effort. I have it set up now with a fish finder, spot on the front for a Gopro camera, rod holder in front of me, and an anchor trolley. Moving the boat with your feet by pedalling with a rod in my hand, making adjustments with the other hand to the rudder just seemed the only way to move a kayak that made sense to me for fishing. They are a bit pricey, but keep your eyes open on kijiji and you will likely see something come up. I bought my 2009 off kijiji in edmonton last June because the previous owner wanted to move up to a tandem. I have taken my wife fishing in a canoe, and then towed her around in the canoe behind me with the hobie. The stuff that is out there for the Hobies is amazing as well. You can add an electric motor, outriggers, sail, a cover for your legs, an overhead shade, a cart to get to the water, all kinds of things, and those are from the manufacturer! There are lots of other things out there as well. I plan to pick up a pro angler in the next year or two, and set it up as well, look at the Glenmore paddle sports website, they have demo days a couple times a year if you want to try one out.

[wildwoods]

Kayaks are great fun to fish out of. If it has a rod holder, you can easily troll by manpower. You are right at water level making it a closer experience when fish are splashing around. Maybe not as comfy as a canoe but a great experience non the less. Make sure you bring a net though....

[Nait Hadya]

Great choice and they are much more versatile than a pontoon. No cons.