New-ish to Washington and new to kayak fishing

I relocated to Washington from Wisconsin two years ago and finally feel settled in enough to get back into fishing as well as exploring the freshwater opportunities around me.

I primarily fished for bass, crappie, panfish, carp, and catfish in the past, but look forward to expanding my horizons to trout and perhaps even salmon and steelhead someday.

I never owned any sort of boat and had to rely on others or mostly fish from shore, so I am excited about how a kayak will open me up to way more fishing possibilities. I took my kayak out for a test drive this weekend and can't wait to take it out fishing. I think this is going to become an extremely addictive hobby!

I plan on fishing mostly small lakes, at least until I feel more comfortable and/or have a more suitable kayak for larger bodies of water.

I've been lurking on here for a few days and it seems like there's a lot of good knowledge and information on here and I look forward to learning from and talking with you all.

Welcome to the madness... it only gets better as you upgrade, expensive but better!

What kayak did you get???
What upgrades are you planning???
Details... spill it.   

Hi Alyssa!  I did the same thing as you're doing, starting small and whipping small-ish lakes to a froth - and that's still just as much fun now as it was the first day.

You're going to love it.  Welcome (back) to the Northwest and to the forum.

Thank you all for the welcome! 

I picked myself up a Pelican Bounty 100x Angler based largely on affordability, weight, and that it should suit my purposes (both fishing and recreation) fine even if it is basic. I'm only 5'3'' and 130ish pounds, so I know I wouldn't be able to lift the heavier SOTs onto the racks on top of my Subaru. I didn't want a heavy kayak deterring me from actually going out and fishing, so this should be a great way to get introduced to the sport.

The only modifications made so far is an anchor trolley and I'll add a paddle holder. I figure I'll make more modifications as I get some experience out on the water.

Most of what I've done hasn't been modifying the kayak, but consolidating an assortment of tackle into one smallish box in order to travel light while still having a bit of everything. I'd like to add a depth finder down the line, but for now I've printed off and sealed up some hydrographic maps in page protectors to take with me.

Had to Google that Bounty...  It looks good, has some nice features, and since it's made with RAM-X material, it's not only light, it'll be mighty durable, too.

My first was a Tarpon 100 10-footer.  I ran around in that Tarpon for three years without adding anything to it except a pad eye for attaching a paddle leash.  Basic can be fun - and easier to load-and-go.

Sounds like you're off to a good start.  I expect to see some fish photos soon.   

Had to Google that Bounty...  It looks good, has some mighty nice features, and since it's made with RAM-X material, it's not only light, it'll be mighty durable, too.

For only like $300, I think it was pretty good value for the money. Especially, given the alternative, which would be probably no kayak at all for me given my budget and lifting limitations.

 

My first was a Tarpon 100 10-footer.  I ran around in that Tarpon for three years without adding anything to it except a pad eye for attaching a paddle leash.  Basic can be fun - and easier to load-and-go.

I remember looking at the Tarpon when I was researching kayaks. I thought they looked pretty cool. I've liked what I've seen of Wilderness Systems. I definitely would like to get a SOT down the line.

What are you using these days? And what do you like about it?

I expect to see some fish photos soon.

Hopefully, soon! I'm actually kind of disappointed I'm out-of-state for the next several days because now I just want to be out fishing. I'm thinking of hitting up Silver Lake in Cowlitz Co. when I'm back though. 

I remember looking at the Tarpon when I was researching kayaks. I thought they looked pretty cool. I've liked what I've seen of Wilderness Systems. I definitely would like to get a SOT down the line.

What are you using these days? And what do you like about it?

I have two: a Hobie Revolution 13 and an Ocean Kayak Trident 11.  The Hobie is for saltwater and the Trident is for freshwater (so was the Tarpon).  What I like most about the Hobie is how stable it is.  What I like least about it is that I can't use all the real estate between the seat and the pedals for storage or add-ons.

What I like most about the Trident is how good it is for fishing.  What I like least about it is that the wind pushes it around more than I expected.

What I liked most about the Tarpon is that it was both a good fishing platform and the most comfortable of the three for fooling around and touring.  What I liked least about it is the color - it turns out that the orange-camouflage "Mango" color is just as easily seen from below as it is from above (I claim it spooks the fish).

If I had to pick just one, I'd pick the Hobie - and that was my plan when I bought it - but the lakes and rivers down here are small and not really a good match for the Hobie.  The Trident is great in the freshwater and it's as long as a boat can get and still allow me to toss it in the back of the truck and go, without fussing with the racks I need to use with the Hobie.

The Tridents are great in saltwater, but mine is too small (for me) to take into the ocean. Intentionally.

Of course those are just my excuses for having two kayaks, and I'm sticking to them.

I remember looking at the Tarpon when I was researching kayaks. I thought they looked pretty cool. I've liked what I've seen of Wilderness Systems. I definitely would like to get a SOT down the line.

What are you using these days? And what do you like about it?

I have two: a Hobie Revolution 13 and an Ocean Kayak Trident 11.  The Hobie is for saltwater and the Trident is for freshwater (so was the Tarpon).  What I like most about the Hobie is how stable it is.  What I like least about it is that I can't use all the real estate between the seat and the pedals for storage or add-ons.

What I like most about the Trident is how good it is for fishing.  What I like least about it is that the wind pushes it around more than I expected.

What I liked most about the Tarpon is that it was both a good fishing platform and the most comfortable of the three for fooling around and touring.  What I liked least about it is the color - it turns out that the orange-camouflage "Mango" color is just as easily seen from below as it is from above (I claim it spooks the fish).

If I had to pick just one, I'd pick the Hobie - and that was my plan when I bought it - but the lakes and rivers down here are small and not really a good match for the Hobie.  The Trident is great in the freshwater and it's as long as a boat can get and still allow me to toss it in the back of the truck and go, without fussing with the racks I need to use with the Hobie.

The Tridents are great in saltwater, but mine is too small (for me) to take into the ocean. Intentionally.

Thanks so much for giving me your pros and cons on each of these kayaks. I've read a lot of positive things about Hobies in general, but their large size seems disadvantageous in some respects (though I can see why it would be suitable for taking out in the ocean--but, for someone only doing small lakes, at what point does it make more sense to just get a small aluminum boat if you have to mess with trailers or racks?). 

I have to say, I wondered that myself regarding some of the brightly colored kayaks--if the colors would spook fish. That's one concern I have with my bright orange kayak, but I'm hoping that since it's so low to the water (and has a white underside) that the orange will be obscured by refraction.

Of course those are just my excuses for having two kayaks, and I'm sticking to them.

Seems perfectly fair to me! 

I'm not sure I'd question using a pedal-drive kayak in a small or smallish lake.  We may get branded as heretics.

I'll chance it.

We can fish in the lakes and rivers more often than we can get out in the ocean, and in my experience, a smaller, lighter paddle-powered kayak gives me the greatest control over position and drift in smaller lakes and rivers, and that's what's most important.

But hey!  Hobie makes an 11-foot Revolution that wouldn't need a rack to haul around.  Just saying.  I could use a paddle to control a Hobie, but if I'm using a paddle anyway...

And in the rivers, when I have to jump out to drag the kayak over gravel in ankle deep water, I'm happier dragging a kayak that costs 1/4 of what a Hobie costs.

The Tarpon pattern is bright orange and bright yellow splotches, and I believe it's the strong contrasts that spook fish. I came up with my theory when a bright yellow kayak, then a bright lime green kayak drifted over a school of fish without disturbing them, but when I drifted over, the fish panicked and darted off in every direction.  Not terribly scientific, but it gave me an excuse for why folks were out-fishing me four-to-one.