kayak purchase

[suzukikid97]

Hey all hope every one is haveing a wonderfull day. I am interested in purchasing a kayak for yaking bait out for shark fishing. I work at Bass Pro shops and would like to purchase one from them but do not know the first thing about kayaks and dont know if Bass pro sells anything that would handel the ocean. Any Feed back would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Cookinman]

Hey all hope every one is haveing a wonderfull day. I am interested in purchasing a kayak for yaking bait out for shark fishing. I work at Bass Pro shops and would like to purchase one from them but do not know the first thing about kayaks and dont know if Bass pro sells anything that would handel the ocean. Any Feed back would be much appreciated.

Thanks

First suggestion is to go to Kayak Jeffs in Dania ( no I do not work there...lol ) and ask him when the demo days are. Then go paddle 10 different kayaks before buying. What works for me may not for you based on lots of different things like height, weight, primary use ( lagoon VS open ocean )

There are many factors involved to get you into the right kayak !

Hope that helps !

[suzukikid97]

That would help alot if i lived in florida. I live in cincinnati, OH and only get to the coast six or seven times a year. I would ask the guys that work here with me but none of them have ever used a kayak in the ocean. I am 6' 215lbs and have little yaking expeirience. I have canoed on local rivers and lakes here but i am sure canoing and kayaking are two different animals. Especially considering what i would like to use the kayak for. I greatly appreciate your input though

[levosgien]

Agreed on trying them out. I do know that BPS has a good selection of sit on top (SIT) ocean kayaks (the one at Dolphin mall at least).

[suzukikid97]

yeah we have a good selection. but i do not know which is a good one. we carry Ocean Kayak and Old Town and carry all of there models maybe if i could have a general idea of what i should look for in a kayak then i can go from there and try a couple out. I would love to try them out i think that is a great idea if i can i will

[DeadBait]

I have had my Ocean Kayak for 4 or 5 years and can recommend their line for using in the ocean. I have fished, dived and played in the surf and I have a Malibu Two which is for two persons.

If you have any experience paddling boats like canoes then you can pick up kayak paddling with no problem. It's a little different, but definately not two different animals. I picked it up in no time and I'm no kayak river guide or anything like that.

If you are going to be paddling out in rough surf then you will want some practice before you start paddling out bait. I used to play in the surf with mine and would crash and burn and have tons of fun. Now I am very comfortable in bigger waves and know my limit if I am bringing gear on board. Its like budweiser says - know when to say when.

Check out the Ocean Kayak website. They have some nice angler editions available that are nice, as you are a fisherman. I would definately go the angler route as you have all the neat fishing things already included. If you are watching your budget then the Scrambler XT Angler at $599 is a starting point, otherwise you can go with a wider one for more stability if you are unsure, or a thinner one will cut through waves much better but needs better balance, the prices can take you up into a thousand dollars or better.

There are some other models that have pedals that I would not recommend riding into the beach in the surf as the rudders would get stuck in the sand, stick with the flat models (no pedals) for riding in and out of the surf and dragging on the beach.

Finally, I'm no expert on kayaks. I have one kayak that I've used and abused and thats all I have to say. (and I am DeadBait and I approved this message)

[Cookinman]

OK, based on size and ocean going uses - I would say #1 - Ocean Kayak Trident - top pf the line offshore fishing Kayak designed by kayak fisherman. Pricey - but hard to top IMHO. OK Big Game handles a bugger payload, stable - but heavy to load on ond off the cartop. Also paddles a bit slower, which comes into play if you are trying to paddle back to the launch point against wind and current after drifting 5 miles down the coast while jigging or whatever....Definately a BIG GUY Kayak.

Check out also OK Prowler 15 or 13 - basically the same design as the trident less bells and whistles - BEST Compromise of fast and stable out there IMHO.

I would also look seriously at a Heritage Redfish as well, but not sure if it will accomodate youir dimensions - prolly would though...

Kayaking is FAR esier than canoeing - it is so much more stable and easy to propel !

If you only come here a few times a year, why not just rent one?

[krash]

Its hard to go wrong with a Prowler 13/15, ( or the Trident is its big brother), Redfish, or Tarpon. The BPS down here sometinkes carries Prowlers but I've not see the others there.

BUT my guess is up your way they do not carry Sit-On-Top kayaks as they do here. Most of us here use SOT's for fishing.
Id suggest you check out local kayak clubs in your area and see whats the hot ticket there.

[levosgien]

Yes I guess a good place to start is by seeing how much you'd be looking to spend, and also how much storage space you have. A 13ft seems like a good candidate, but I went with a 11ft since I don't do any long paddles and I wanted to make sure I could store it easily.

If you are watching your budget then the Scrambler XT Angler at $599 is a starting point

It is actually $499, http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... rchResults. That's the one I have and it's great.

[Cookinman]

Did you just change your initial post?

Maybe I am blind...sorry.
If all yu are doin is yakin out shark bait, get some used cheap tub - it does not matter that much - go used and go cheap - If you want to Game-fish against wind and current 2 miles out in the open ocean, that is different.

hope that helps

[suzukikid97]

thanks guys that is all good information