Rookie Kayak Help

I have decided to hop on the kayak fishing bandwagon. Im ready for a change from primarily fishing crowded gville and wheeler to backwater streams and rivers for bass, crappie, and bream. It looks like a blast and I will get to see some scenery that only kayakers get to experience!

I have read a lot of reviews, researched styles of kayaks, ect... so now I want some opinions from you guys! I have decided I would like a sit on top style and I have been checking craigslist for used ones, but people in general just ask way too much for a used kayak. Ide rather spend a little extra and get a new one. I am looking at spending about 500 on a yak.

The one I particularly like is the Field and Stream Talon. Its at a local Dicks Sporting Goods, but they actually do not have the exact model online. This is it at another site http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/...gle-talon.html. The one at dicks is not yellow though :)

Would this be a good starter kayak? Should I look at others that are 10ft such as Pelican and Pescador? What are some other things i need to consider when purchasing a kayak? I like the fact that it comes with a pre-rigged anchor setup and a 1.5 lb anchor, a couple storage compartments, 2 flush rod holders, and a rod holder mounted in the center.

Best advice right now is to find some dealers/retailers that have demo days where you can test paddle different models, etc so you can do the process of elimination of what you like and don't like. Some of the likes may not be comfy for you, and being comfy in such a small boat is very important to me.

Basically what he said,,,flush rod holders are cheap(10 bucks) and easy to install,,if fishing creeks keel and tracking not a factor,for big flat open water you want tracking else you are at the mercy of wind and waves, I personally am not putting my fishing yak in these rockpile creeks here in coosa,,,The pescador 12 has some good reviews on TKF forum for $500.Personally the edge bonded pelicans are not for me,,,, a large tankwell is a plus,,,you can get to it but not necessarily the storage compartments while on the water,,all the lil round inset dry boxes leak,,get a waterproof box for wallet,phone,cam etc,,,you can always install pvc holders on a mikcrate in the tankwell for rod storage or trolling,,

Yep! Test paddle as many as you can. Check kayak shops for trade ins too. And try reasoning fishing situations when testing. I liked the ride 135 but hope to do some offshore stuff in the near future so I wanted a lower center of gravity and a slicier front for waves and ended with a Trident 13. Check for local kayak clubs in your area as they usually are pretty good about letting ya take a spin in theirs.

i wish i could help more. i bought a yak 2 years ago and have not even tried another one. i have a sit inside. i will try some different ones soon so my son can go with me and use my future beach trophy. by the way i own a 165 Silver Eagle G3 with a 60hp Yamaha and a 14' flatbottom with a 9.9 rigged out to crappie fish. in the past 2 years i have had the boats out maybe 3 times. i prefer kayak fishing.

I have two kayaks now, an Old Town Dirigo 12.6 foot sit inside and a Native Ultimate 12 hybrid. I use the Old Town as my summer boat fishing skinny water. I plan to use the Ultimate as my winter boat since it's a little more roomy for additional clothes, gear and higher sides for rough water.

Any kayak will work for getting off the bank and single pole gigging laydowns in calm water. Make sure you have a comfortable seat and hit the water. Over time you will get ideas from other anglers and decide what works best for you and your way of fishing.

I can only speak for the pelican. I bought a used pelican castaway 116 from a dude on craigslist for 300 a few months ago. It is my first boat and I have enjoyed having it, but the two part design means the seam is prone to leaking over time. Some boats do not seem to have this problem, but some do. The seam in the very back scupper hole pn my yak came completely apart and many of the other scupper holes leaked some. I am in the process of fixing it and do believe that i can make it seaworthy. All in all, it is ok for my first boat and I do like the way it paddles but for 500 i would rather get the one you were looking into.

Hi - I started yak fishing w/ Ditchbasser just over 2 years ago. I'd bought a used yak and outfitted it pretty well BUT - I'm 64 years old and I will tell you that a trip w/ Ditchbasser is at LEAST a 5 hr. experience - sometimes 6 hrs. I had a sit in yak with a rather small opening to get in and out. First getting in it felt fine - after a few hours - my back was killing me etc, etc. Ditch kept telling me that there were some GREAT (as in comfortable) yaks out there and I'd go - "yeah, sure" - and gradually I found I was going less and less - just too painful. THEN - Ditch bought the Native Ultimate 12....he called me and I got to use his yak for 6 +hrs on the water ...OMG what a difference. I now have a $1400 Native Ultimate 12 FX on order (will be here June 23) ...and YES my old yak (for YOUNG fishermen) is for sale, CHEAP!) ...but the point to all of this is ....the SEAT is very important as is the ability to move around and possibly even stand up (yes, I have stood up twice in Ditch's Native Ultimate).
As far as outfitting....you've already heard from the pros. Look at what they have done - think about how that might work for you and MOST of all - don't do ANYTHING permanent. Somedays you'll be spider rigging / dragging jigs - another day you'll be tossing a mini-spinner for bream / bluegills - so keep all your mounts flexible & removable. I DO recommend a 12 ft yak over a 10 footer - it's amazing how much better the longer yaks glide and paddle. I think you're gonna LOVE it.

Check out the yaks at Bass Pro - The Ascend line is a really well made kayak, plus the prices are great.

Thanks for all of the wisdom folks!

I've had the Eagle Talon and wrote a review about it on my blog, http://backwaterkayaker.blogspot.com/. For the money it's not bad but it's not the best in my opinion, too much chop chop chop sound in the wind against the hull and the seat is terrible. If you're going to fork out an additional $50 for a seat upgrade go with the Ascend FS12T that they redesigned this year. It has an amazing seat and comes in at $550 with a nice flat deck and fairly decent reviews so far. Another option would be the perception Striker from Dicks Sporting goods. They aren't in many stores right now b/c they sold all they had, that's usually a good sign. It is basically a redesigned ride 115 with a high low seat molded in like the commander. I love my ride 115 and it is super stable and has great paddling characteristics. If you ever want to get on some big bass out of a kayak let me know. There are a ton of great spots right off the beaten path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_MSvyW07E

I know it is probably out of your budget, but I fish from the Hobie Pro Angler. Hobie has several models that utilize their Mirage pedal system. The best advice I can give you is money spent on comfort is well spent. You don't want to have to cut your trip short because your back is sore or your legs are going to sleep. I am a member of Hobie's fishing team and would love to let you try out the Pro Angler. Hit me up one afternoon and come to Guntersville and you can demo it and see what you think.