looking into getting kayak

[_brendan_]

G'day all,

I'm considering buying a fishing kayak but wondering how stable they are to fish from and whether you guys ever tip over and lose gear or get reels filled with salt water and what not.

[plastic_paul]

also interested in this thread, any info on setups would be great, looking at mainly reiver and dam work but also a bit of outside stuff... sorry to highjack thread

[snagking]

G'day all,

I'm considering buying a fishing kayak but wondering how stable they are to fish from and whether you guys ever tip over and lose gear or get reels filled with salt water and what not.

I would think not, as long as you dont try and stand up, or rock it really hard

[Just_chips]

Mate I have a viking Profish and it is a very stable fishing platform, I can even stand up in it. You should not be able to easily tip any decent kayak over that has been designed for fishing from, as stability would have to be one of the key factors in the design of a designated fishing yak.

The only time you are really likely to come to grief would possibly whilst trying to surf launch or land. I have been out in very poor conditions on the bay with the typical ugly short bay chop. Even had a few waves break over me but still have not been tipped out yet. Your gear will get wet eventually but if you pay a little bit of extra attention to your maintenance then this should never really be an issue. I generally wash my gear down with warm soapy water before giving it a good dose of innox before storing ready for the next trip.

Kev

[_brendan_]

Oh ok. Thanks mate. Maybe I should consider hiring a yak first to see how I go before I decide to buy one. I've just never really used a kayak before and I wasn't sure if you have to constantly try to balance it to keep it stable and whether you ever tip over.

[TimiBoy]

Mate,

They are pretty easy to get into first time, if they are a stable platform. the first time I paddled (in Noosa River) a fishing kayak, I could not fall out. 100 kilos, so it might have been easy.

Go have a paddle, I'm sure any dealer out there will be happy for you to test. If they aren't, don't buy from them.

Cheers,

Tim

[Gorey1]

I agree.
I bought a Prowler Elite recently and have had no trouble with stability. I gave it a good rock when I got it to see how much it takes to tip (and to practise reentries), and you would really need to jump around a lot to tip it on flat water. They are VERY easy compared to a racing-type kayak - even for a novice. I was pleasantly surprised.

And just wash the gear down after each trip - as I always have anyway with fishing trips outside the kayak.

But I also leash everything to the kayak just in case I tip it.

[Leigh77]

www.kfdu.com.au/forum/index

and

Australian Kayak Fishing Forum

Check out those two forums...They are kayak fishing forums and have HEAPS of great information.

Leigh.

[_brendan_]

Thanks Leigh. Those two forums have heaps of info on them that has helped me. I think I might buy a yak next pay day!

[plastic_paul]

i'm still kind of stuck between a hobie quest or a profish.... grrrr

[Gigantor]

Paul,

Suggest you go and demo both yaks and make the decision from there. Kayak retailers all let you demo their range of yaks.

I have 2 Hobie yaks - an Outback (shorter of the 2) and an Adventure. Both are fitted with 2 Scotty rod holders forward of the seat, sounders and a handheld GPS. Both use the Mirage Drive (foot pedal propulsion). These are purpose designed fishing kayaks. I tend to use the Outback the most for rivers and dams.

Good luck with your decision.

Cheers,

Pete

[tunaticer]

Another thing to try and get a test of before you buy is loading one solo onto your car/4wd. Some are more comfortable than others to handle up there. Some are also deceptively unbalanced fore to aft which can make a big difference too. Handles are a big asset if they are placed in the correct position.

As for fishing from most of the popular fishing kayaks stability does not seem to be much of a problem at all for thier users. Whatever you buy you will learn to get the most from it fairly quickly.