Any suggestions on a beginner Kayak for less then $1000 bucks? Any tips of the features it should have or anything that makes having and transporting a kayak easier. I've been thinking about getting one for a long time and I think I will be pulling the trigger for next season.
One of the first things you need to decide is whether you want a sit in or sit on top kayak. They both have their advantages. Another factor is size and weight. A heavy kayak is a pain in the ass to transport. Heavy ones are cumbersome and awkward to carry, unless you buy a cart to help roll it from the vehicle to the water. You can drag them across grass, but many ponds, lakes etc, don't have smooth grass to drag them on. Dragging is pretty much the same as sanding the bottom with course grit sand paper. Sit on tops are usually wetter, and sit ins are usually warmer in cold months.
Some gear you may want to think about is a crate of some sort to hold your gear. You need to figure out how many rods you want to carry too and how you plan on carrying them. Waterproof tackle boxes are a pretty key thing, rusty lures suck and expensive to replace. An anchor, stake out pole and a trolley system is a good thing to have too. Even the lightest of winds will make you drift away from your intended spot.
A fish finder of some sort is a nice thing to have. Maybe not so much for the finding fish, but to see how deep the water is and surface temp of the water. One with a GPS system is great for when you travel to multiple different bodies of water and want to remember where you caught fish or a key underwater point is.
Another thing to consider is how you want to propel your kayak. Back in the day when I started kayak fishing, the only option we had was a paddle. Today you have paddles, pedals, electric motors!! I guess you could say I am old school - I prefer paddling.
I started with a cheap sit in kayak, upgraded to a better sit in kayak and am now upgrading to sit on top kayak. One of the hardest things is determining what kayak you want. The popularity of kayak fishing has spawned numerous companies over the past 5 years and they all produce quality kayaks. Another hard thing is finding the one that you decide you want. I looked and Jackson, Feelfree, Old Town, and a whole lot more. They all have models that I would have been happy with, but there wasn't one to be found in my area or the dealers were out of stock.
Good luck in your "quest" to join the kayaking crowd - it's a great thing to do!!
Some gear you may want to think about is a crate of some sort to hold your gear. You need to figure out how many rods you want to carry too and how you plan on carrying them. Waterproof tackle boxes are a pretty key thing, rusty lures suck and expensive to replace. An anchor, stake out pole and a trolley system is a good thing to have too. Even the lightest of winds will make you drift away from your intended spot.
A fish finder of some sort is a nice thing to have. Maybe not so much for the finding fish, but to see how deep the water is and surface temp of the water. One with a GPS system is great for when you travel to multiple different bodies of water and want to remember where you caught fish or a key underwater point is.
Another thing to consider is how you want to propel your kayak. Back in the day when I started kayak fishing, the only option we had was a paddle. Today you have paddles, pedals, electric motors!! I guess you could say I am old school - I prefer paddling.
I started with a cheap sit in kayak, upgraded to a better sit in kayak and am now upgrading to sit on top kayak. One of the hardest things is determining what kayak you want. The popularity of kayak fishing has spawned numerous companies over the past 5 years and they all produce quality kayaks. Another hard thing is finding the one that you decide you want. I looked and Jackson, Feelfree, Old Town, and a whole lot more. They all have models that I would have been happy with, but there wasn't one to be found in my area or the dealers were out of stock.
Good luck in your "quest" to join the kayaking crowd - it's a great thing to do!!
The sit on are wetter then the sit in kayaks? I would have thought it was the other way around. I was thinking I would like a peddle kayak for the sake of being hands free and being able to control position while reeling in fish but I hadn't really thought about the weight it adds.
Anything I should look for if I decided to get a used kayak and are their any brands you would recommend avoiding?
Anything I should look for if I decided to get a used kayak and are their any brands you would recommend avoiding?
I, personally would stay away from the Ascend line at Bass Pro Shops. The sit on top ones have a history of leaky hatches and my FS10 had a warped hull from being stored on it's end, tied down to against a 4 x 4. It doesn't track for anything and when you stop paddling, it will make a left hand turn..... ever since I got it. Sit on top ones are more wet, because the water comes up through the scupper holes. Especially if you are a heavy man and get a 10ft kayak. I read a review that a guy wrote about a kayak he bought and he was complaining about water coming up through the scupper holes. He was over 350 lbs. and the capacity of the kayak was only around 400. That weight will set them low in the water, throw in a bunch or fishing gear and you're pushing the weight limit of the kayak, not a good situation. Sit inside kayaks, you are pretty much sitting sitting in a bathtub with all the water all around, but if you take a wave over the gunnel, it will stay in there with you. In a sit on top, water taken over the gunnel will drain out the scupper holes, but until it does your feet will be wet. A pair of water shoes and waterproof socks works pretty good when it's cooler out or some people wear waders or high boots in real cold weather.
I would go with a kayak with a removable seat compared to one of the gel pad seats that are molded into the kayak. Being able to adjust the seat height is a nice option too. There are a load of videos on YouTube about any make you can dream of.
I recently bought a Brooklyn Kayak Company RA220. I haven't got it yet. One of the big complaints with that company is shipping and delivery. They make a good kayak for the money and shipping is free. Probably why it takes so long. They tell you up front that it'll be 10-20 business days + 4-6 week delay due to Covid-19. That's a good 2 1/2 months easy, but that's okay with me. I have my old kayak to keep me in water until then. I will be able to rig it out over the winter and hit the lakes and ponds in the spring. I wanted a bunch of other kayaks, I had up to a $1500 budget, but this one was sub $1000 and had free shipping, so that worked for me. I am a modifier anyway, so whatever I bought, I would be modifying it anyway.
Second hand kayaks are a little iffy to me, but may be a good way to get one. I never really considered it. I would definitely have to look it over really well before I would think about buying a used kayak.
I would go with a kayak with a removable seat compared to one of the gel pad seats that are molded into the kayak. Being able to adjust the seat height is a nice option too. There are a load of videos on YouTube about any make you can dream of.
I recently bought a Brooklyn Kayak Company RA220. I haven't got it yet. One of the big complaints with that company is shipping and delivery. They make a good kayak for the money and shipping is free. Probably why it takes so long. They tell you up front that it'll be 10-20 business days + 4-6 week delay due to Covid-19. That's a good 2 1/2 months easy, but that's okay with me. I have my old kayak to keep me in water until then. I will be able to rig it out over the winter and hit the lakes and ponds in the spring. I wanted a bunch of other kayaks, I had up to a $1500 budget, but this one was sub $1000 and had free shipping, so that worked for me. I am a modifier anyway, so whatever I bought, I would be modifying it anyway.
Second hand kayaks are a little iffy to me, but may be a good way to get one. I never really considered it. I would definitely have to look it over really well before I would think about buying a used kayak.