what is the best kind of kayak to buy? i’m saving up for one but i don’t know how much money i should save up to. what is the best kind for useing in a river for red drum and black drum. i would be fishing on the wando and in folly river. do you know any good kayaks for it? and what supplies should i buy? i want a medium priced one(under 400$if possible) do they have rod holders and coolers for drinks on them? and where do you have your bait at?
thanx for replying if you do.
Tight lines!
Hey Phatphish, like your moniker. Instead of running off at the mouth like I usually do, lets do this one question at a time. Do you want a sit on top or a sit inside? You might want to go to a couple of websites to find a little more info about some kayaks and then come back with some questions. Try these for starters:
www.wildernesssystems.com/kayaks/
www.oceankayak.com
www.paddling.net
Hope this helps.
“Fishing and catching are two different things. Fishing is what I love; catching is a bonus.”–Papa, 1979
That’s a tough question, phatfish. I researched fishing kayaks for over a year before I made my decision. I bought an Ocean Kayak Drifter for fishing the creeks and rivers. It’s wide and stable, relatively quick and very maneuverable. I wasn’t interested in long distance paddling or I’d have gone for something longer and narrower like an Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro TW or Wilderness Tarpon.
I strap a plastic crate on the back to hold my bait bucket and a small soft-sided cooler. I use a battery operated aerator to keep the bait alive. I’ve attached two foot-long pieces of 1.5" PVC pipe to the crate with wire ties to create rod and net holders. I also have a Scotty rod holder mounted in front of me.
Here’s some popular fishing kayaks from various manufacturers. You can do a search and find plenty of info on them.
Ocean Kayak Scrambler II
Ocean Kayak Drifter
Ocean Kayak Malibu II
Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro TW
Wilderness Systems Tarpon
Wilderness System Ride
Wilderness Systems Pungo
Wilderness Systems Pamlico
Cobra Fish n Dive
Cobra Navigator
Cobra Explorer
Malibu Pro Explorer
There are tradeoffs in weight, speed, stability and storage with almost every model. By the time you add a seat and paddle the price can get up in the $700-$800 range for a new kayak. Keep an eye on the newspaper for used kayaks and look for deals from businesses that rent out kayaks - they’ll often sell used yaks at the end of the season.
Hope that helps.
Mike Harrison
If you’re looking for a sitin model I have the Dagger Delta. I went to an on the water show a couple of years ago to buy the most stable kayak for fishing and tried them all. The Dagger Delta was by far the best one for my purpose. The cockpit is plenty large for a small cooler and there’s room in the back hatch for a smallish tacklebox. I spent considerably more than $400 for it. This past summer I have done lots of river fishing and just love it. I use it for transportation and get out and wade if the water is not too deep.
Hi. My wife is the owner of Island Kayak on Shem Creek, Cobra dealer for Charleston. She has a variety of models in stock and has a Fish N’ Dive model on order for display / trial which should be in around 11/18/02, if you are interested.
In addition, she is interested in finding a “tour guide” as she aims to start some kayak fishing tours next year and needs someone on a contract basis who knows the best spots and can help the locals and tourists have a good kayak fishing experience! Any ideas?
Island Kayak