Kayaks

[JSzymczyk 0]

nope, no offense taken. When I fish the river after work, I have one rod, my paddle, my crate with a water bottle, drag chain, some fly/lure boxes and PFD, and that's it. I remove all but one strap in the parking lot above the ramp, back down, hit it and get it. 50 seconds on a good day.

 

One of my pet peeves is the population of dumbasses who do absolutely NOTHING until they are backed down to the water, then spend half a day BSing around with their stuff before they get their hull wet. Not implying that's you. Every few times I go I seem to run into those types. It doesn't matter if there is not another vehicle around or there are 20 people waiting to launch. They think they own the place and screw-you to everyone else. Wannabe BASCAR jackasses seem to be the worst of the lot.

 

Oh, I don't have a GoPro.

[Roland58 0]

Surely that "1 minute" time does not include taking your vehicle from the ramp, parking it and walking/running back to the awaiting boat. Since you don't have a GoPro (I don't either), couldn't you use the movie setting on your smart phone? I, too, would like to see this feat completed in less than a minute.

Like Mike, I mean no offense.........I'm just curious to see how this is done, maybe I could learn something!

Oh, one more thing....thank you for your service!!

[Dave G. 0]

When I go fishing I'm just not in a rush, period. I understand getting the gear off in a timely way and getting it to the side so others can have access but heck, I could get caught up in the parking lot gabbing with someone for 10 minutes and totally blow this racing stuff. I've gone to go fishing and never fished LOL ! All that fast paced stuff was for another time and place in my life.

[mikechell 0]

nope, no offense taken. When I fish the river after work, I have one rod, my paddle, my crate with a water bottle, drag chain, some fly/lure boxes and PFD, and that's it. I remove all but one strap in the parking lot above the ramp, back down, hit it and get it. 50 seconds on a good day.

Ah ... in that case, I am like you. It takes me less than a minute to launch and clear the ramp, too.

It takes me 5 to 10 minutes in the staging area to get everything in the boat and ready to launch, but no time at the ramp.

 

I also agree, I despise the people who linger on the ramp doing all the stuff they SHOULD have done in the staging area.

[skeet3t 0]

In TN, if you power the watercraft in any way- electric, gas, diesel, steam, it must be registered with the state fish & game agency no matter the size. There is a Hobie, I believe, that you pull a lever and the back opens into a sort of outrigger so you can stand up and cast. I saw one in a fly shop but it was about $1200 if I recall. Out of my budget!

Good luck as there are a whole sackful of choices.

[Dave G. 0]

Indeed there are many choices. Incidentally, the goal was a kayak for under $500 if I recall correctly ? I forgot to add Perception Kayaks to that list. They are known for building a quality boat and have a couple of models that range from about $459-$539. 12 ft, worth a look see.

[flytire 0]

[Roland58 0]

That is cool, it a Hobie? I like the two little kayaks in the back.....you could put your dogs or kids in them!

[FlaFly 0]

It's a Freedom Hawk kayak. It's as great as it looks. Unfortunately the different models run at a thousand bucks and more.

[JSzymczyk 0]

FreedomHawks are heavy, slow, and gimmicky. There are reasons they are not popular among kayak fishermen. If you put kids in the rear outriggers, you're seriously asking for trouble.

 

No of course I didn't mean I arrive at the launch and I'm paddling away in under a minute. With my Ride135 things take a little longer, but I still can be off the ramp very quickly.

With a big fishing kayak on a roof rack, there is some stuff which needs to be done and it takes a little planning compared to backing a boat fully loaded and ready to go into the water

But, as before, either you don't mind it, or you find some other way to fish.

 

As devoted and addicted to gadgetry and hyper-complicating things as most fly fishermen are, I'd think spending 3/4 of a fishing trip BSing around with rigging would be a natural fit.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Here's a pic of my son in the Ride 135 with a nice trout today. Not sure why he left the cooler lid open, but oh well. No problem at all standing and fly fishing in this kayak (even though we were mostly trolling with spinning tackle today).

[troutguy 0]

I was fishing in the Catawba below Lake Wylie and saw one of those Freedom Hawks I thought wow they look cool.

 

Talked with the owner. He said he did a lot of online research about how stable and good they were, then he asked if I knew anyone who wanted one.

 

They paddle like a brick. He said he wished he had water tested it. It seemed gimmicky.

 

I have a Heron 17, a Sante Cruz 12.5 and I had a Dagger Blackwater 11.5 (some one stole it last month). The Heron is the best ocean, inlet or saltwater marsh boat. Very fast from point A to B and quite stable.

 

I don't mind casting while sitting. I like the cockpit feel rather than a sit on top because I use a skirt and duck hunt and winter fish.

 

If you want to stand in a kayak, I have seen several people add outriggers with pool noodle floats and pvc. Youtube has dozens.

[Bimini15 0]

I would suggest going with a tried and true fishing model. Do your research, as there are lots of designs for different kinds of fishing. Then check Craigslist for something that fits your budget.

Save yourself some money by listening to the old hands in here. You really don't need half the crap you will see in some kayak pictures on the web, and what you really need you can DIY for cheap. A couple or rod holders, a milk crate and a cleat for an anchor/sock go a loooong way. And, of course, make your own cart out of PVC.

[FlaFly 0]

Bimini is right. Only thing I'd add is an anchor trolley set up for two anchors. With one anchor, you can keep blowing around with the wind keeping you from casting where you want to, and it helps to moor with an anchor at each end. A trolley makes this easy to do.

 

And one of those floatable paddle sleeves that let you makeshift an outrigger can be helpful in case you go overboard.

[FlaFly 0]

...and make sure you have tethers for all the items you carry (rods, tackle box, paddle, etc.) so they won't end up on the bottom when you accidentally drop them.