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Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye

Topic: No boat yet  (Read 1256 times)

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cored

  • Plankton
  • *
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2022
  • Posts: 2
I have decided to forgo the Porsche or mistress and get a fishing kayak for my midlife crisis. I mainly shore fish in lakes, but would love to get more in the salt water also- would love to crab and target salmon and bottomfish in the sound eventually.

I am thinking of a pedal kayak as I have had shoulder issues and would like to explore a bit as well- could use the workouts even if I'm not fishing. Leaning towards a used Old Town Salty or Ocean Kayak Malibu.  I live in Wallingford so will probably be at Green Lake and Lake Washington at first to learn the ropes- would love to rig a bike trailer as well. I love exploring and will probably try some camping trips as well.


kredden

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: North Bend, WA
  • Date Registered: Feb 2018
  • Posts: 170
Have you thought about a Hobie?  I run the Hobie dept at Outdoor Emporium in Seattle and would be more than happy to walk you through the lineup and figure out which one might work best for you.

Kevin


BentRod

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Issaquah
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 135
If you've got shoulder issues, couple things to consider.

1) Paddle kayaks (Malibu) tend to put quite a workout on your shoulders and wrists.  I developed tendonitis in my wrists after years of paddling/trolling.  Switching to a peddle kayak was awesome.  No more wrist pain. 

2) Peddle kayaks are heavy!  Unless you have a trailer it requires a lot of lifting and even in a truck bed they're a cumbersome load to lift up and down. 

That being said, getting off the bank is am amazing experience and opens up a whole new world, so depending your budget or desires, anything is better than being bank bound.  I started with a cheap Lifetime fishing kayak and successfully used that for years before upgrading to a pedal kayak, a OT Sportsman 120 PDL.  The only cons are expense and weight, but I still don't regret the decision as it's a phenomenal fishing platform and the pedal drive is a breath of fresh air after years of paddling. 

Good luck with your decision. 


YakHunter

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Retired!
  • Location: Wyoming
  • Date Registered: Jun 2020
  • Posts: 513
Welcome to the NWKA cored.  You might want to stick with the Porche and the Mistress.  Might be cheaper in the long run.  ;)  I definitely like my Hobies but have heard good things about the old town line.  Try to get a test drive before you buy.  Helps narrow down your choices.
Hobie PA14
Hobie Outback
Hobie Adventure Island
Hobie Tandem Island
Jackson CudaHD
BlueSky 360 Angler


Tinker

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3304
You might want to try to PM uplandsandpiper here, on NWKA, to ask about the Old Town kayaks.  I believe that guy has owned or tested just about everything they make - and he's a great teacher.

Kevin (kredden) is also a great resource, but for Hobie kayaks, not Old Town.
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


pmmpete

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Missoula, Montana
  • Date Registered: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 1989
Cored, for fishing, I think that sit-on-top pedal kayaks are far better than sit-on-top paddle kayaks, because you have both hands free to fish, eat lunch, put on suntan lotion, etc., you can point your bow into the wind and/or current and pedal to hold yourself stationary over the bottom while jigging, and if you aren't used to paddling a kayak, you may find pedaling to be less effort than paddling.  I think that any sit-on-top kayak is far better than any sit-inside kayak for fishing, because you can easily mount rod holders, a fish finder, a cooler, a downrigger, and other gear on a sit-on-top kayak, and can turn sideways in your seat to get access to gear in your rear cargo area.  And I think that any sit-on-top kayak is safer than any sit-inside kayak for fishing, because if you flip a sit-on-top kayak, you can easily right it and climb back on it in 20 seconds or so. If you flip a sit-inside kayak, and you aren't wearing a spray skirt and don't know how to roll it back upright, you won't be able to drain the water out of it and get back inside it unless you have help from a couple of experienced kayakers or a power boater.

Here's my basis for these opinions: I know how to paddle a kayak, because I've been a very active whitewater kayaker since 1985.  When I started kayak fishing some years ago, I bought a 13' Ocean Kayak "Trident," which is an excellent sit-on-top paddle kayak, and used it for some years.  Then I tried out a friend's Hobie Outback, and was instantly persuaded of the advantages of pedal kayaks for fishing.  I now do all my fishing from a 13' Hobie Revolution and a 12' Hobie Pro Angler 360, and my Trident languishes in my garage.  I only use my Trident occasionally for fishing in shallow moving water, where I would risk damaging the drive of a pedal drive kayak.

A lot of manufacturers now produce pedal drive kayaks. Unfortunately, a lot of the pedal kayaks on the market are large, heavy, and slow.   I suggest that you look particularly at Hobie and Old Town pedal kayaks, and that you look particularly at the lighter, narrower, and faster models.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2022, 03:00:53 PM by pmmpete »


cored

  • Plankton
  • *
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2022
  • Posts: 2
Thanks all.

I think I’m definitely going to get a pedal kayak rather than paddle. I’d love to try out the Hobie and Old Town models to compare- are there demo days or anything like that?

I am a bit budget conscious especially if I’m going to be kitting it out for fishing, so I was thinking used and Old Town- the Salty seems to be one of the quicker pedal models and fits where I’d want to take it I think.


BentRod

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Issaquah
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 135
Thanks all.

I think I’m definitely going to get a pedal kayak rather than paddle. I’d love to try out the Hobie and Old Town models to compare- are there demo days or anything like that?

I am a bit budget conscious especially if I’m going to be kitting it out for fishing, so I was thinking used and Old Town- the Salty seems to be one of the quicker pedal models and fits where I’d want to take it I think.

Contact Kevin about setting up a demo for a Hobie. 
Olympic Outdoors Center in Port Townsend I think still offers demos on the OT. 

You might be able to find someone local who'll let you give theirs a quick spin too.  I was never able to demo the OT like I wanted due to the pandemic, but don't regret the purchase at all.