New Kayak Advice

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Clayton
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:51 am

New Kayak Advice

Post by Clayton »

Hi, new to the forum and was hoping to get some kayak advice. I mostly fish from a bay boat, but occasionally use my OK Spec edition for short trips. I would like to focus more on kayak fishing this year and upgrade my kayak. My trips will be 50% Guadalupe and 50% Aransas Pass area with an annual Devils trip. I am having difficulty finding demo kayaks so I thought I would ask for info here. I think my main requirements would be, able to stand, under 100 lbs, shallow draft and open deck with no console pod between my legs.

These are the ones that I had in mind
Jackson Yupik
Jackson Coosa HD
Crescent Light Tackle
Diablo Amigo (although, I’ve emailed them twice and called for a couple weeks with no response. Not sure if they are still in business.)

Thanks, Clayton
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Neumie
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Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:10 pm
Location: SA, Hallettsville, or Rockport

Re: New Kayak Advice

Post by Neumie »

Clayton wrote:Hi, new to the forum and was hoping to get some kayak advice. I mostly fish from a bay boat, but occasionally use my OK Spec edition for short trips. I would like to focus more on kayak fishing this year and upgrade my kayak. My trips will be 50% Guadalupe and 50% Aransas Pass area with an annual Devils trip. I am having difficulty finding demo kayaks so I thought I would ask for info here. I think my main requirements would be, able to stand, under 100 lbs, shallow draft and open deck with no console pod between my legs.

These are the ones that I had in mind
Jackson Yupik
Jackson Coosa HD
Crescent Light Tackle
Diablo Amigo (although, I’ve emailed them twice and called for a couple weeks with no response. Not sure if they are still in business.)

Thanks, Clayton
I live in SA and kayak the same waters you do more ore less; Rockport/AP, Hill Country Rivers, and occasional overnight camping trips on rivers.

IMO, if you are planning on fishing the coast for about half of your kayaking trips then I'd consider getting one which you can install a rudder. A rudder for coastal fishing is, IMO, a must have accessory and none of the kayaks you listed are capable of having a rudder installed. If you want to do occasional overnight trips I would also consider a kayak with access to the inside for storage, unless you pack ultralight/minimalistic (I carry too much stuff, so internal access is important to me).

Some new kayaks which I would consider would be the WS Radar 135 (may be too long for your needs) or ATAK 120 (front hatch is really just a front tankwell), Old Town Sportsman/Topwater 120, or Bonafide SS127 or RS117 (no internal storage). Feel Free Moken 12.5 V2 is another option.

I own a kayak for each of these applications; 2003 Wilderness The Ride for day trips on Hill Country Rivers, 2007 Perception Search 15 for fishing at the coast, and a 2011 Wilderness Ride 135 for larger rivers & camping trips. If I could only own one it would be the Ride 135. It's a great all around kayak, and it's a shame Wilderness Systems discontinued it.
Clayton
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:51 am

Re: New Kayak Advice

Post by Clayton »

Thanks for the info. I will add the Old Town to the list to try. I like the open deck in front of the chair, I think it will make getting in and out of the boat and in/out of wade gear a little easier. Is the rudder more for tracking when drifting or when you are paddling?
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Neumie
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Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:10 pm
Location: SA, Hallettsville, or Rockport

Re: New Kayak Advice

Post by Neumie »

Clayton wrote:Thanks for the info. I will add the Old Town to the list to try. I like the open deck in front of the chair, I think it will make getting in and out of the boat and in/out of wade gear a little easier. Is the rudder more for tracking when drifting or when you are paddling?
Both. When paddling a rudder will help keep the kayak pointed in the direction you want it to go regardless of which way the wind is blowing. Even without wind a rudder helps with tracking, because kayaks that are shorter or have flatter bottoms tend to "walk the dog" some with each paddle stroke. Similarly, when drifting a rudder will keep you pointed where you want to go with the wind.
imaoldmanyoungsalt
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Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 11:21 am

Re: New Kayak Advice

Post by imaoldmanyoungsalt »

In the old town family there's also the predator 132 or big water 132 ( basically same kayak, different graphics) at 13 ft 2 in and I believe around 86 lbs For the paddle version. I'm not sure if it has the same hull as the pdl (pedal) version (minus the hole for the drive) or not but it looks the same. I pedaled my buddy's pdl the other day and it is amazingly fast, stable, and with its rudder it turns on a dime. I stood up in it and felt completely balanced and stable and seemed like you would have to really work at it to fall out or flip it (and I never stand up in kayaks). I liked it so much I ordered one the next day. I did not paddle his but he has and says it paddles really well, and it's a really wide kayak. He takes it out often without the pedal drive and paddles it just for the exercise. He likes them so much, he has 2, the predator mk (motorized) version and the pdl (pedal) version. Maybe another you can add to your "try" list.
And BTW - don't let the looks of the predator fool you. When my buddy got his I never liked it because it just looked big, awkward/clumsy, and slow. I didn't like the looks or the design. After I tried it out I did a complete 180 on it. Like I said, I bought one the very next day.

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