Tag Archives: perception kayaks

Perception Kayak

There are a lot of manufacturers of fishing and angling kayaks, but one really separates themselves from the competition. Perception Kayak began building fishing boats in the mid 1970’s using fiberglass for their primary means of construction. They released a few models that sold incredibly well, and ended up making quite the name for themselves with anglers across the world. Today, Perception kayaks are being built in three factories located in the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Their research and development team works tirelessly to ensure that they are fitting in the features that anglers are looking for, and they tend to do a very good job at it. We are going to discuss a few of their more popular models that have been selling well for years, and will probably remain that way for a long time to come. The Catch 390, Sierra Angler, and Freedom Angler have made their way into fishermen’s hearts for very good reasons.

The Catch 390 comes in at a healthy 12 and a half feet long, and this provides incredible tracking, as well as stability with the 33.5″ beam. Sit on top kayaks are known for their stability, but the specs on this boat mean that you are going to be hard pressed to flip it. I am an angler that enjoys hanging my feet over the side of the boat, often times on the same side which would cause most kayaks, especially sit insides, to flip over pretty rapidly. Perception included a flat area in the front of the cockpit because of the stability of this boat just for being able to stand up and make casts. This is great for the fly fishermen out there, and those who like to get up to stretch their legs from time to time. They also included a few huge storage hatches, a center bait well, as well as a large recess in the rear where you can store a nice fishing crate. They included a couple rod holders, while they aren’t in the best positions, they do work, and you can store spare rods inside the boat through the rear storage hatch. All in all, this is a spectacular boat with a nice entry price.

At 13 feet long, the Perception Kayaks Freedom Angler is not quite as wide as the Catch 390, but it makes up for the lack of beam, by providing a lot more speed and efficiency in paddling. If you are travelling farther distances to get to your fishing holes, you may want to consider purchasing a more streamlined kayak, such as the Freedom Angler. The boat comes rigged in pretty much the same fashion as the 390, with flush mount rod holders, a few storage hatches, and the tank well reset area. We don’t recommend standing in this boat though, as it could get kind of tippy. They did a really good job outfitting this one from the factory, and added two more rod holders in front of the cockpit to help keep them in front of you while you are paddling.

The Sierra Angler by Perception Kayaks has to be one of the funner kayaks I have used in my time. At only 11 feet long, and 28 inches wide, this boat can stow and go, throwing it into the back of the truck. Because it is a sit inside, you can put your rods down inside of the cockpit and keep them out of the way while you’re travelling, and then put them into the rod holders once you are on the water. Because this is a sit inside, you are going to get a lot more efficiency from your paddle strokes, and having the lower center of gravity means that you get a lot more power on your hooksets. This is a great pond boat, or a boat to use when you just want to get out for a couple of hours without all the rigging hassles. I plan to strap an electric motor to this one real soon.

As you can see, Perception Kayak really has gone to the extra effort to ensure that their kayaks don’t need any further modifications once you make the purchase. While the price is a bit higher than some of the other manufacturers, the quality and the customer support that you receive are bar none above the rest. I know personally that I am a long time Perception Kayaks customer for sure.