[Hoplite]

Hi,
Ive been living on the island for most of my teenb years up until now. Due to lack of funds i have been fishing mainyl from shore, magnolia pier, surf fishing long beach, and various places on the south shore. I want to get into kayaking but have some questions first. First off how much is a kayak going to cost me to get ourfitted with everything i need for safety and to fish? I would be looking for one of the most stable models as i dont feel like taking a dunk. Where do you store your equipment on these things? IS there as baggage compartment or something? Also where do the rods go? Are custom mounts needed to be created? How far does one travel from his launch site? Are you guys paddling out several miles or staying in the general vicinity of the place you launch? I would mostly fish reynolds channel. probably the back swampy areas using light tackle with bucktails or a fly fishing setup, not sure yet. Also, any tips you could provide to me in addition to the questions i have posted would be greatly appreciated. I have read posts from the last few weeks and i can see this is the next step for me to enhance the fish i catch and to make the day more fun. Also Where are the dealers? I am in Franklin Square by the way so is here any close to me, in the long beack, island park area? Please email me or post pics of your setups as well. I can be reached by replying here or emailing me at [email protected]

Regards,
Tom

 

[616271]

Tom, I recently wrote an article "Choosing a Kayak" which is over at our site www.kayakfishingstuff.com that addresses these and many other factors. IF you do your homework you can purchase a kayak hull from any dealer however if you want advice and accessories you'll be hard pressed to get any usefull info or accessories from the majority of kayak dealers. They don't understand fishing from a kayak and basically their advice is not based on knowledge. Its the reason I started the business kayakfishingstuff. Too many guys were buying the wrong stuff and then they wouldn't fish. All we do is deal in kayaks that fish well and the accessories that turn a kayak into a fishing kayak. Joey and I have logged a lot of time in kayaks and I fish out of 6 models and am regularly adding to the fleet. I do this because I wish to speak from a postition of experience and not conjecture. I'm infinately familar with the 4 cobra models and the WS Tarpon.

As to stable kayaks. Look at models like the Cobra Fish in Dive, Ocean Kayak Drifter, Wilderness Systems Ride, etc. Of these 3 the Cobra is the most expensive. As to accessories, storage, etc. some depends upon what you put on and some on kayak design. Of the 3 mentioned the Cobra has by far the most storage and is the easiest to access on the water.

We're here to help so do a little more homework and firs away with questions.

Also there's a great book, "The Kayakfishing Revoltuion" which we sell on the site, that will provide a lot of great info. I highly reccomend it to all considering the sport.

 

[616271]

Factory Fishing Kayaks

One other item that I want to discuss that's important. Stay away from manufacturers fishing models. Mnay companies, wishing to capililize on the growing market of kayak fisherman have come out with fishing models. some are good fishing kayaks with the addition of accessories and some are wolves in sheeps clothing. On the one you you'll end up paying more for accessories when you would have done better getting the hull and accessories separate and in some cases you'll end up with an expensive mistake. So if you go to a kayak shop dn't let them sell you. If the person you're dealing with doesn't fish, let alone fish from a kayak, you already know a lot more than they do about the subject.

 

[614469]

Hoplite

I bought my kayak at Empire in Island Park. They uasually park a an SUV with a kayak on top on Autin BLVD.
I am a by no means very experienced in Kayak fishing. I picked up a Scupper pro kayak, Life vest, paddle, dry bag, couple of leashes, rod holder, paddle straps for about $850.

Not too many fish to report though I try.
The issue i have is with the Lok tite rod holder I bought. There is a specail washer they use that easily falls into the water when taking the holder off. The manufacter had to mail me another.

Hope this helps.

Angus

 

[Hoplite]

Gus are you happy with your scupper or is there a model you wish you had gotten? also how frequently do you take your kayak out? I would be looking to go out with someone my first few times to sort of show me the ropes, I will most likely make a purchase by this weekend, as i will check out empire thursday afternoon.

Another general question, is $200 to store a kayak for a year too much money? I called ted's in point lookout and that is the price he quoted me. Are there any places in island park or Long beach that have a better deal? Im also a bit concerned because the boat traffic right near ted's is horrific on the weekends.

 

[614469]

Empire charges the same I keep mine in a cannel off hewleet harbor. I usually go out after work in the evenings or on the weekends. Had the kayak for a few weeks now. So far I am happy with it and have heard good things.
You can email directly at [email protected]

 

[614078]

I bought my Ocean Kayak Drifter from Empire Kayak at a real low price because it was in the fall season. At this time of year it will be very hard for you to get a good bargain on any kayak. Its prime kayak season now. So expect to pay between 700-1000$ on a kayak with all the safety and fishing accessories you'll need. Things you'll need to get with the kayak are: paddle,paddle leash,STS fishing seat(best kayak seat around),PFD(a must),kayak carrier(for the car),dry bag and a first aid kit. Then you could include or add these on at latter time: Kayak cart,paddle clips,drift sock,anchor 3lb,rod holders,fish finder,cold weather wear and you can make your own rod/reel and gear leashes. Theres a whole lot more I could add but thats another story.
But before you go out and buy a kayak try a few of them out before you make a decision. Heres a small list of some to try before you buy.

Cobra Fish n Dive
OK Scupper Pro TW
OK Scrambler XT
OK Drifter
WS Tarpon
WS Ride

Good luck with your search.

[email protected]

 

[614536]

I picked up my Cobra explorer for under 600 at atlantic beach surf shop.I didn't go for the fishndive because it weighs more.Also, I did a little bit of research and I liked the way some of the posters on here had set up rod holders and storage using a removable plastic milk crate.I also picked up from the same shop a paddle leash,high back seat,feathered paddle and lifejacket,
all at a reasonable price.Went back just this past weekend and picked up the cart made specifically to fit in the scupper holes on sit-on-tops.
As an aside, I've been trying out using the rod holders for trolling, but I found it a little bit of a pain to keep turning around to grab the rod when I would hook a fish, so now what I do is put the reel down between my knees with the rod slung over my shoulder and the flyline trailing behind me.Works great as I can instantly pick up the rod and set the hook without having to turn behind me.Doesn't seem to affect my ability to paddle as I spent most of Sunday trying out this method while fishing with craig.I still use the rod holders,but just for holding the rod.
Regards,
Flypaint

 

[Hoplite]

I like the way the cobra diven fish look and also the explorer. Was surfing the internet for a few hours today and came across a vast amount of info on kayaking, and cobras in specific. Also found a site that sells kayaks cheaper then anyone locally http://www.sierraoutdoorsports.com/clearance.htm I dont feel like dealing with Old Dominion Shipping to get it though. Check out those prices though. I will be heading down thursday afternoon to atlantic beach and the shop in island park to check out what they have. I will hopefully have one by the end of the day so i can begin fishing friday morning with it. Anyone else fishing Reynolds channel area this weekend that i can link up with?

 

[618563]

make sure the model u get from sierra outdoor sports is new...they usually only clear demos