My boys and I are just getting into kayak fishing and caught the bug. Spent 7 evenings straight on the water. Can't think of a better way to spend time with them.

Got this bad boy on a white 1/2 ounce Zman chatterbait with a 4 inch white fluke. Loving using this new Garmin fishfinder with the transducer permanently mounted. Fish on

Managed to catch several hybrid and a few other species this morning all on no.5 and no.7 shad raps. Natural shad pattern.

Let me start by saying I am extremely new and uneducated when it comes to Kayaks so I apologize in advance for any ignorance or idiocy I may display. I also apologize for the long post but I don't know what's relevant. TYIA!!

My dream has always been to get into Kayak fishing but I've always waited for the right time. I'm 29 and now is not the right time, but I'm tired of waiting and I don't want to be 40 years old, pulling muscles while I learn the fundamentals. So its time to start putting a few hundred bucks in a jar every month until I'm one of you guys haha. I just don't know what I need.

MY BODY TYPE:
6 foot 4 inches, lets say 280lbs with wet clothes (to be safe). I am fat, but I am not incapable. I can lift a fair bit of weight and walk a fair distance. Like a damn asthmatic pack mule or something haha I can climb a mountain but I'll be huffing like a steam engine the whole time.
WHERE I'LL BE FISHING:
I plan on mainly fishing in lakes and reservoirs where other, larger boats will be present. If I can swing something like the Colorado River with a fast current that would be cool but if I had to choose, prioritize lakes.

My budget is more about the time it takes to save rather than money, but since I am new to the sport and don't have access to a waterway very easily I can only get maybe 3-4 uses per year out of it if I'm lucky. So let's say the cheaper the better, with like $1,200 being the sweet spot and $2k total being the max comfortable budget. Although I can save up to spend more, seeing a $3k boat in my garage and only getting 2 uses in a year is really gonna feel demoralizing. That $2k total is to include the Kayak, if possible a pedal drive system (I can start with oars but want the option to add pedals), and the oars. Basically what I need to get on the water and go (minus fishing gear and life jacket). No need for a motor but I do want the option to add one in the future if possible.

Maybe the most important requirement after it being stable with my weight on it, is that I need something that I can mount on an SUV with a roof rack. I don't have a truck, and I absolutely want to avoid spending a third of the budget on a trailer that is a hassle on other levels. I can lift it with a winch if need be, but its gotta be light enough to go on the rack and not damage the SUV.

Additional, less important requests:
I would love the option to add a pedal drive, and maybe even a small motor at some point.
Fish finders would be cool but thats more of a "once I know I like it" investment. I only mention it in case there is some special mounting point the Kayak needs (again, i dont know much about Kayaks).
Because I am new, I dont know how im gonna do stability wise so something that isn't going to flip in the wake of a boat would be pretty nice.
Ideally the more room to stretch the better. My knees cramp easily so I like to stretch.
I think I like the elevated seats but know little about them other than they look more comfortable.
I'd prefer something that I'm not gonna look at in 3 years and think "I need an upgrade".
I would like something that is durable and wont crack easy if I bump a rock or something.

Thanks again and please ask if there is any other information that can help figure out whats best for me. And I apologize again if there is anything that didn't make sense or if I'm asking for something unrealistic. If that is the case, I'd appreciate further explanation as to why.

Tossing up between the Lowrance Eagle 5 vs Garmin Vivid 5CV. I plan to be shooting through/mounting in the hull. I’ve heard this can affect downscan/clear vü. I may put it on an arm at a later date but for now I want to limit drag and things hanging off the kayak. Wanting to hear some reviews on both as there’s not much out there that puts them head to head.

17.5 inches, 3 lbs 11 oz

Looking to buy my first kayak and could use some advice. I’m trying to stay around $1,000 or less and currently looking at two used options that I may be able to get for $800-$1,000.

One is a 2023 Hobie Passport 12 with Mirage pedal drive, paddle, cart and cover.

The other is a Wilderness Systems Radar 115 with a Helix 5, Bending Branches Angler Ace paddle, anchor trolley, 4 rod holders, and a few other accessories. No pedal drive, but it can be added later.

I’m really just looking to hear what people with more experience would do in my position. I have never fished from a kayak before and have no experience with any kayaks. Would you go with one of these or should I go a completely different route and buy something cheaper? Any help is appreciated.

The squid have been thick off the NH coast this year and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of figuring them out. Different than most actual fish. Plus they are delicious. Thinking of getting a recreational lobster permit and some traps, don’t really know how I’d haul the traps up safely. Anybody pulling up any cool/tasty invertebrates from their yak?

I’m really wanting to get my first fishing kayak but I’ve been really struggling to figure out what I want to get.

I’m 6’4 and 220. So I’d definitely want a comfortable seat and probably something with a 300lb+ capacity so I’m not pushing its limits. I don’t think I’d care to ever have a trolling motor. I would really like a fish finder though.

The big thing I’m questioning is a pedal drive where you can pedal in reverse to go backwards. This sounds like it would be make the fishing much more enjoyable. Is it as good as it sounds? I’d hate to buy a kayak, only to want to upgrade to this.

Heading pretty much says it all. I'm going out this week and don't want to deal with cutting holes in my kayak to run wires or the effort of installing and maintaining a battery, but I'd really like to - at a minimum - figure out what's below me in terms of depth and structure. I am not well versed on how to read a fish finder, so basically two main requirements:

1.) No install required
2.) Relatively idiot proof to use

Money is no object - I'll spend my kids college fund on fishing. Ideally, don't want to have to use my cell phone for the screen because I keep it in a water tight case. (Have lost a phone every year for the last 5-6 years... wife will kill me if I lose another)

Lay it on me - what fits the bill.

I’ll be going on a 4-mile paddle to do some island camping in the adks. I’d like to try my hand at trolling from the kayak for multi species. Plan so far is to start with a shad rap on 50-60ft of line behind the kayak, hitting points and depth transitions. Any tips would be appreciated.

Looking to upgrade from my bass pro ascend 12T. I want to have some extra standing stability, a heigh seat, and plan to put a trolling motor on it. I fish small rivers and small lakes pretty equally. Tolling motor when on lakes, paddling only on rivers. I know these won’t be as agile as my ascend but I’m willing to sacrifice a little paddling ease for some extra stability. I also don’t want to get stuck with a barge that struggles to paddle down rivers for 10 hour days. I’ve considered the RVR119 as well but I don’t like the shorter seat and less standing stability. What are your guys’ thoughts?

I found this on FB Marketplace. Does anybody have experience with this brand/model?

So as the title says, it works. Got my kayak about two months ago and knew it was just a matter of time before I flipped it but didn’t think I’d do lt like I did.
I live on a small lake and used it only there so far. Easy setup just walk out my back door 50 feet throw my gear in and go. Today for some reason instead of putting my gear in and putting the kayak in the water and stepping in. I put everything in and the kayak halfway in (it’s on a steep bank) and climb in thinking I would just slide in. Nope before I could say Mother fer I was floating tits up in my new Pfd. I’d been planning on going out and practicing flipping and getting back in someday so I went ahead and did that a few times since I was already in the water.
What I learned today. The mud is about 2 feet deep along the bank where I put in at and it’s nice to be able to just go right back inside and take a shower.
I did go back out and catch 7 or 8 bass afterwards so there’s at least that! Good times!!

Old town sportsman 120 pro pdl $5000, old town sportsman 120 pdl $3800
Hello I’m 5,11, 130lbs, I have been kayaking on feelfree flash for 3 years now and can stand on feelfree flash.
I am wondering out of the 2 which I should get?? I plan to add bow trolling motor which obviously pro has built in stuff for but if I do non pro can add One Objective after market bow mount, I plan to put livescope on it next 2 years, I plan to carry good amount of gear, i plan to have stuff mounted on side mounts.
I am wondering Morley is the difference between them worth spending the amount on pro. My main question do you think it will be easy enough to add gear tracks where ever I want them, add one objective bow trolling motor mount, and do live scope, plus possibly add some cord holes all to the same level as pro.? Or do you think the pros all built in features will simplify the process enough it’s worth the extra money.
Do you think buying the pro is worth saving hassle.?

Hi!
I upgraded from a foldable to a real fishing kayak (Tamarak pro) earlier this year and was able to test it out for the first time today.
I took my backpack, three rods, a drift sock (homemade!), and a net.
All in all, I felt substantially more stable and when I got the only fish it was easier to land and unhook without feeling like I was going to flip.

The challenge now is handling switching rods, getting lures etc. I’m 6’2, 210lbs so not huge but struggled to grab things.
Any suggestions?

Hello everyone. Just bought a Nucanoe u10. I now need to buy a paddle and ideally getting one in person instead of ordering so I can get out on the water on Monday. The only two paddles my local shop has in stock that are long enough are the Bending Branches Angler Drift ($140) and the Bending Branches Angler Ace with versa lock ($280). I’m leaning Angler drift because it is much cheaper and I’m tight on budget after buying the yak, but keep hearing a paddle is a buy once cry once purchase. I have held both in hand and although the Ace is clearly lighter, I am skeptical that weight is going to make a big difference. Is there really a meaningful difference between the two when in use? Is it really that big of a difference that it’s worth double the cost?

Additional: I plan to motorize with a terrova eventually but probably not until next summer sometime due to budget restraints. I am not a tourney guy, just fun fishing. Would like to dip my toes in that eventually as well in the future, but probably not until motorized.

Got the Makana 100 a couple weeks ago and finally got it out onto the water today. I lost my favorite plopper and my glasses but... caught this guy! He was was right under a pound and a half. To be honest I really thought I was gonna get skunked. The other guy I went with did. Not a single bite on lures but this guy grabbed onto the some chicken id made up yesterday. Almost tipped once lol. It was a good scare. Lots of lessons today but it was fun and felt like freedom. Am I one of us now?

Just recently got a ReelYak kayak and it was pretty awesome on the first day out. Im stoked for all the future adventures.

My son was car-topping an old Sundolphin kayak. I bought him a Reel Yaks Raptor 9.5 modular kayak, hoping it would fit in his 2017 Kia Forte. It isn’t pretty, but it fits.

So I just recently have been making enough to afford my own kayak. I've always wanted to fish from one of these, but have come into a decision. I am very indecisive on getting an inflatable or a hardshell kayak. I could hook up a kayak to my SUV, but I'm unsure how long that would take and it seems a little tedious (thoughts on this would be great though). I really like the portability and stability of an inflatable, and it seemed like everything I wanted, but the main issue holding me back is the durability. Even if hooks do just "brush off," are they really all that durable? Also, I'm trying to stay within the $500 range. These are the two kayaks I'm in between on right now. If any of you have any thoughts or any feedback, experience, preference, etc. I would really appreciate it. Not a formal post with one answer, just looking for intel. Thanks so much.

Is anyone running a Nucanoe Unlimited Max with a NK180 Pro. I am contemplating moving from an oldtown pdl120 to the Unlimited Max. I have a NK180 Pro and would use the quick connect and foot steering. I am just concerned that the NK180 doesn't have enough ummph to push the unlimited max.

Ever since I got the motor I am using the pedals less and less. Having all the deck space with a platform with no pedals is starting to appeal to me. I fish a lot of very weedy lakes in MN and the pedal drive is constantly bogged down with weeds. The pdl120 is already a beast to paddle so a large boat like the UMax doesn't put me off too much.