Which Kayak, Sit on or sit in

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Originally Posted by Predator130

I like the field and stream Sit inside more than the Sit on Top but both paddle pretty well. The Sit inside was quieter and weighed less which translated to a better paddle. Main questions that need to be answered before you decide on a kayak of any kind sit in or on top is what kind of water you will be fishing with it, are you taller and heavier like some of us? Do you intend to travel long distances, is stability a main desire or is speed? You can have a mix of the two or the best of one or the other, can't max out both. I've had a F&S talon, Ride 115, Ride 115x, Old Town K111, and now a Jackson Cuda and they all have strengths and weaknesses. The Ride I could recommend to almost anyone on any water, it's a great all around boat. If you fished moving water more than not you might consider a Coosa. Do you have a budget in mind?

Lots of guys will tell you to buy an expensive "name brand" boat so you're not wasting money on something you won't be happy with. I disagree, keep an eye out for a good deal and you won't loose much money on a resell and the experience of learning what is important to you can only be learned by paddling boats that teach you what's important. I though I wanted a stable boat to stand in so I demo'd a Diablo Amigo which is the most stable kayak I've ever been on, it was slow! It taught me that stability at the cost of that much speed isn't worth it, the cuda isn't stable enough for me to stand but it sure is nice paddling in the wind and across bays. Quick enough and stable enough.

Clear as mud?

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Mainly back water for crappie. Elk and sugar creek mainly. 6ft 2 and 260 want to stay around 500.00 on my first one. will be using it for summer and winter fishing. Thanks

You can pick up the Bassproshops Ascend for $350 new as a starter.

Ascend A10 Sit-In Kayak - Blue | Bass Pro Shops

Thanks to every one for all the info. I ended up getting the 12' Eagle Talon Sit-on-Top . They have it on sale for $ 449.00 at Dicks in Huntsville. can't wait to try it out.

Predator makes good points. I've had both and I prefer the SOT - BUT ....for me the key is the seat. My suggestion is to get one that is OFF the bottom of the yak, especially if you can find one that is mesh so it can breath. Mine is a LOT like a lawn chair and VERY comfortable. Another point he made is weight. SOT's are generally heavier. For me that's a problem that I live with. I find the entire concept of the vertical pole holders to be somewhat useless for the way I fish (spider rigging) - most of the folks I fish with either get one of the rigs from Callshy with 4 to 6 adjustable rod holders, or (as Ditch and I do) buy the Scotty rod holders and mount them where you want. Ditch uses the flush mount (which means you drill a hole in the yak) - I use the surface mount ones - which can tend to get in the way of paddling if you don't place them in the right place.....most people say that rigging their yaks is a constant "work in progress" - you'll always be thinking of new ways to mount your fish finder, cooler etc. etc.