I was wanting a boat for fishing, and i don’t want to go for a jonboat since i don’t have a truck at the moment but i got a SUV. So i’ll be able to buy a kayak, but what should i consider when buying one and has anyone fished with a kayak, oh and im fishing in a river and maybe i’ll take it to a few lakes. but mostly river
Yes buy one ,they are great to travel rivers in and fish out of. As far as needs on one for fishing ,Well you need storage space on it for tackle / bait , drinks and snacks. Rod holders would be nice and an anchor
Definitely buy a kayak for fishing. One thing to consider is whether you want a traditional kayak (one you sit in) or one you sit on top of. The former is the way to go if you are fishing rivers and lakes. IMHO, the latter would be ok for lakes. I have a 9’6″ Stealth by Mainstream. It’s not fancy, relatively cheap but takes a beating. She’s not very fast on open water, but she is very stable and floats well in very limited water.
Several manufactueres make kayaks with built in places for drinks and such – kinda like a dashboard or tray. Definitely add a rod holder and a way to retain your paddle.
A note about paddle retention. Some methods such as clips and bungee cord paddle retainers don’t work on all kayaks because the hardware will get in the way of your stroke with the paddle. I broke a set of clips off my Stealth after digging up my knuckles on them several times.
Good luck and have fun.
Check out the kayaks at the Old Town Canoe web site. They have a wide variety of kayaks and are sold in stores all over the country.
http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/
As for being in a river to fish, that all depends on the strength of the river, how fast it is running and such. You can get into trouble really easy in fast water and have to devote all of your time to maneuvering the boat, hence no fishing time. You would then only use the kayak as a taxi moving from one spot to another to get out and wade fish. But, if it is a slow river then it is a great platform for fishing.
Larry
Yes, I just got mine yesterday (one of the best birthday presents ever, if I’m allowed to mention that.) I’ve been fishing out of my aunt’s kayak on several occasions. Of course, I’m on flatwater with no current other than wind driven. I’d go to a local kayak dealer or talk to anyone you see who has a kayak about what features and sizes are best for local uses. All I know is that I love fishing out of my aunt’s, and I’m gonna love fishing out of my own even more, because I won’t have to drive 20 minutes to go get it. Now if only this wind would stop…
You may want to consider a quality inflatable boat. They are quite durable and can be stored in the trunk of your car. I use a 1 seat infaltable pontoon boat and love it!
http://www.jrwfishing.com/boats.html
Yes, kayaks are great and becoming increasingly popular for fishing. The best kayak for fishing is a sea kayak, especially if you want to be able to travel to the other end of the lake or river. These things can move fast and track straight even in high winds. They also come with a system for righting and bailing yourself if you dumped, and you don’t have to know your eskimo roll. Open kayaks are just toys, that are about as nice to paddle as a bucket of as**oles, but will work if you just want to put-in, float around and start fishing. Personally, I prefer my canoe, but would choose a kayak for big, rough bodies of water.
I’d like to add though, that there’s no reason why you can’t put a “jon boat” on your roof of your SUV or buy a tralier for it. But really it’s way more ‘hardcore” to put whatever boat you choose on the roof, because traliers can’t make it down rough roads. But don’t get me wrong, I love to paddle and I find I get more satisfaction + excercise out of a successful day of fishing from a canoe or kayak than a motorboat. It can be limiting in terms of distance you can cover, but give you the advantage if there is no boat launch, creek access, shallow sections, and even if there is no trail…
Enjoy!