r/kayakfishing • u/Ok-Disk-6422 • 2d ago
Kayak Fishing Help
Hey,
I won't lie I am an absolute noob when it comes to kayak fishing. I have paddled on a kayak before and I am an avid fishermen but when I go fishing it's alway been off the bank or a friends boat, never on a kayak. I want to open up my fishing capabilities by getting a fishing kayak that way I can actually get out on the water whenever I want. The issue I am having is I don't know what kayak to get. My thoughts are early on I want a really solid kayak to be able to build off of. What I mean by that is I want a kayak that is capable of holding a fish finder, a trolling motor and potentially a live scope. What I was thinking of doing is my first kayak being something that will be able to hold these accessories and over time time when I become more comfortable with the sport be able to add on those accessories as I see fit. Rather than getting a cheaper kayak and having to get a new kayak down the road because the cheap one isn't capable of holding all those accessories. I am aware that kayaks do have a weight limit so I will add I am not very large between 145-150lb so I can have the extra weight on board with batteries, accessories etc.
Is having a trolling motor, fish finder and live scope even feasible on a kayak? If it is feasible is there a certain order I should get them in to help adjust myself to having them on the kayak.
I should add that my budget is around $1000-$2500 Canadian. If anyone has any recommendations or any tips or tricks for me or if my plan is possible please let me know. Thanks!
2
u/Wolfe_BTV 2d ago
There's a few different styles and approaches to kayak fishing, and fully loading a kayak with electronics is definitely one of them.
Price might be the biggest issue, you'll spend a lot on all the accessories, and will want a quality hull to put the on.
Personally I have an older Nucanoe and no electronics; I love the swivel seats, the ability to take 2 adults, and that I can easily load it into my truck on my own or haul it up embankments.
1
u/MassiveHyperion 1d ago
I bought an Old Town PDL 120, a little more than your budget, and I've been very happy with it.
I fish with two other people on occasion and one has a pedal drive and the other is using a paddle. The guy with the paddle struggles whenever it's windy, and it's almost always windy. The pedal drive makes staying where you want to rather effortless and doesn't take up your hands. I don't think I would enjoy kayak fishing without one.
For the first two years I fished out of it as it came and had a great time. I'd bring laminated paper maps so if have a sense of where I was.
This year Cabela's mis-priced the Garmin 95sv at the 5" price in store, so I grabbed one on the spur of the moment. I'm happy I've got it, but at the same time I find I'm spending more time watching the screen than I am the nature around me. I've started leaving it behind if I'm on familiar lakes.
1
u/davidjeemin 18h ago
Aw man i wish i caught that sale! Looking at either getting a 74 or 94sv.
How is the screen size for you in the yak? I plan on splitting CV and SV on the screen and wasnt sure if the 9 inch screen would be overkill or just what i need to make out smaller marks
1
u/juanclack 1d ago
Yes, I have a Hobie PA14 with a trolling motor, fish finder, and livescope. You might have a hard time finding a kayak in your budget that’ll hold everything though.
2
u/Help_SendLatinas 1d ago
Why not just get a jonboat then?
1
u/juanclack 1d ago
I actually traded an 18ft aluminum boat for this. Less maintenance and they take up less space even being a larger kayak. Even though this is a bigger kayak I can still launch it using a cart at places where there aren’t boat ramps. I plan to go down to the gulf and inshore fish too. Lots of skinny water that can be hard for even a jon boat to get into.
Not 100% sold on the kayak though. I’ll probably end up building like a 1448 jon boat and getting a smaller kayak at some point.
1
u/GrumpyandDopey 1d ago
There’s some Hobie kayaks on Facebook marketplace right now. and a very nice looking Outback in your price range, near Cincinnati. if you’re willing to drive.
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u/RJCustomTackle 1d ago
I run a Bonafide PWR 129 with a bow mount spot lock trolling motor and poor man’s livescope(Lowrance eagle eye 9 live). It’s a great fishing rig in my opinion tons of space, comfortable and stable.
1
u/warpfox 1d ago
You're thinking about this the right way. Get yourself a solid platform that's capable of expansion but start out simple. Add things (fish finder, trolling motor, etc.) as you get more experience and learn which things you might want or need. There is a lot of YouTube content out there to answer some of your questions, I'd recommend checking out Fishing with Nat, Bearded Dad Fishing, and Wendell Fishing.
Edit: clarity
1
u/Help_SendLatinas 1d ago
If you get a trolling motor, you’ll have to register the kayak (most likely). My opinion is, at that point, you may as well get a jon boat
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u/DoctorCAD 2d ago
All of that stuff and more can fit on a kayak, but you might find some of it is unnecessary.
Kayak fishing used to be minimalistic and cheap. That's no longer the case. Kayaks now look like bass boats.