Off Topic Yak question

Puddle Jumper

Well-Known Member
I have been thinking about buying a kayak

I have never been in one before ...( maybe going on grand later today ? )

...so no idea what type I should be considering .

I don't think I'd ever go on great lakes like King Joe

I'm thinking more for small northern Ontario back lakes , grand river touring , and possibly for duck hunting.

I am considering the pelican 10 sit-in fisherman.... but have no idea . .... also what about the inflatable yaks ??? Any experience

Thought I'd ask the forum
 
Hey Puddle Jumper,

That's good to hear....more yak fishers! IF for fishing and/or duck hunting (I also hunt out of my big yak), I'd never advocate for a sit in....always Sit on Top. Especially if you are wearing waders...SoT are easy on of off. Add in, typical SoT fishing yaks have deck space to carry stuff as well as at least one watertight hatch. For mine, I can carry my big bag of dekes (12 duck, 4 geese), my shotgun...on the back deck...and put my hunt jacket, sweaters, and shell bag inside the yak through the big front hatch.

Also, while pond fishing may be pretty safe, for sure duck hunting has all kinds of poking hazards that exclude inflatables. Yeah, hard no to inflatables.

Also, in picking. Length equals speed, width equals stability. A fish yak, you balance what you need more. If possible also, keels help with tracking (which makes bigger water paddling easier)....and/or a rudder....both if possible.

SO, fish yak = sit on top...no inflatable....would be my call.

King Joe Outa Here!
 
Personally I think theres better options than a Kayak in most cases. I own and use a variety of small watercraft and a Kayak isnt one of them. I'll take a pontoon or small raft anyday over a kayak. If you want something light, packable and super stable check out the Saturn RD365 raft. You can use it as a kayak if desired but better yet, strap on a simple rowing frame and seat. Or ad a motor mount and you have a super comfortable and versatile craft for one or two people....
DSC_0113b.jpgFB_IMG_1589463038667.jpgSaturn-River-Rafts-RD365-09.png61zrY867kXL._AC_SX679_.jpg

Inflatable pontoons are another great option, super stable and very portable. Ive got a couple scaddens like this and they see a ton of use...
IMG_7634.JPG.jpg

These are quality boats, designed to take a beating. You wont have to worry at all about punctures.
 
What Joe said! Plus I would add think about how you are going to transport it. If you have a truck you have more options. If you have a car you can rooftop it or trailer it. Just remember when shopping to look at the weight, you won't be throwing a 100lb yak on top of the car too often. Also of course you have to set your budget, that's where the Pelican line comes in, they are well built and affordable. As pointed out inflatables have their place as well but only if motorized IMO. The problem is wind, if your on any lake or even the Grand and a good breeze comes up your going to be working big time if it's not blowing in the direction you want to go. I'm on my 4th kayak ( actually I have 2 currently) with one for paddling smaller water and a peddle drive that is super stable and set up (almost) perfectly for fishing. Good luck and keep up the research until you're really confused :). TC
 
Personally I think theres better options than a Kayak in most cases. I own and use a variety of small watercraft and a Kayak isnt one of them. I'll take a pontoon or small raft anyday over a kayak. If you want something light, packable and super stable check out the Saturn RD365 raft. You can use it as a kayak if desired but better yet, strap on a simple rowing frame and seat. Or ad a motor mount and you have a super comfortable and versatile craft for one or two people....
View attachment 26731View attachment 26732View attachment 26733View attachment 26734

Inflatable pontoons are another great option, super stable and very portable. Ive got a couple scaddens like this and they see a ton of use...
View attachment 26735

These are quality boats, designed to take a beating. You wont have to worry at all about punctures.
Thanks for the reply....I think those boats are great, but I have couple lakes I can't get a 12 ' cartopper with little kicker into , so I think kayak is my best option for now. Also one lake fore sure has a beaver dam to get over , so I think I'll avoid inflatables
 
Thanks for the replys .

I have a rack onto of my truck and usually haul a 12' tiny onto so hauling yak isnt much concern to me .

I just have to be able to load and unload solo, so weight is a consideration.

Most spots I intend on using yak ...I can get truck with in 20 yards ...and I have a lake I want to try ...is 100 yards off logging road.... so carry or drag ???
 
Is there any makes or models I should stay away from ????

I am leaning on the Pelican Sentinel sit on models
And undecided on the 100 or 120 size

Any thoughts or wisdom ???
 
Pelican is a good make. Personally I would lean towards the 12ft over the 10. When fishing you will find that more space is better unless you are VERY organized. TC
 
Thanks for the reply....I think those boats are great, but I have couple lakes I can't get a 12 ' cartopper with little kicker into , so I think kayak is my best option for now. Also one lake fore sure has a beaver dam to get over , so I think I'll avoid inflatables

Not sure why either of those reasons would exclude an inflatable tbh? To each their own tho....hope you find something that works for you!
 
I have been thinking about buying a kayak

I have never been in one before ...( maybe going on grand later today ? )

...so no idea what type I should be considering .

I don't think I'd ever go on great lakes like King Joe

I'm thinking more for small northern Ontario back lakes , grand river touring , and possibly for duck hunting.

I am considering the pelican 10 sit-in fisherman.... but have no idea . .... also what about the inflatable yaks ??? Any experience

Thought I'd ask the forum
I would suggest a sit on top kayak if you are going to be primarily fishing.

I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100 and a Winner Volader 3 kayak. Both are equipped with Garmin Striker 4 fishfinders. Both kayaks weigh in around 55lbs and are very stable in the water.
If you bass fish and want to stand up you will need to go to a longer wider base kayak.
Saying that it will be quite a bit heavier around 85+ lbs.
Both kayaks are easily transported and fit in the box of most pickup trucks.
 

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I would recommend a good sit on top in the 12 ft range. The sentinel may not be as sturdy as you would like for duck hunting. The pelican catch 120, the ascend128t , or something similar. You don’t want to be messing around when the waters cold. And those yaks are both rated for 400 lbs
 
My majority fishing is from kayak but I have to say that nothing beats 12-14 ft solo canoe with a kayak paddle if you want to fish small lakes. It has a ton of storage space. If you go duck hunting, you can add removable outriggers and then you can even dance on that canoe if you want. Also, solo canoe will be faster and lighter than an average fishing kayak in 12 -14 ft range.
 
I have an inflatable for drifting rivers. It’s a heavier gauge one though not the cheapy cheeps. One of the best all around inflatables I’ve seen is the Saturn Kaboat. I did have a nucanoe frontier for a while. It was a great rig and was excellent for low profile waterfowling. Super stable, lots of room for fishing, easy to rig and could be loaded down with gear and a small motor for duck hunting. I just didn’t use it very often.
 
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