Does a Sit In have no place being out on the salt water ?

The Pescador 12 looks like a good starter boat.  As it is only 12 ft, you can probably get away without a rudder. 

I second that a rudder is not necessary. If anything it will force you to be a better paddler. I have two 13 foot boats and neither have rudders.

 kardinal_84 , 

 Very Very cool video.  Great camera work and it only has me more and more excited to get to hit the salt.   I picked up the Perception today and can see how one really needs to plan on additional funds as soon as they get their first Kayak.  I am now shopping for a Drysuit and Drytop.     
   I also picked up a 12' sit in for use on the lakes and perhaps VERY flat parts of the sound after a good bit of water time to gain experience.   I will be hitting tapps this weekend to get a feel for paddling and get in a bit of fishing.   We have some big Tiger Muskies that will be a good challenge in a Kayak.


Angler Roger Davis
       

   Hey  CraigVM62,
 Glad to hear you got a couple of kayaks.Now ,go get 'em wet.Have fun out there,be safe,and report back on here, your adventures.You'll be hooked forever now.
 I used to fish in a sink off the jetty at  both Westport and Ocean Shores,so it definitely can be done.Used to hang ling cod,cabezon,sea bass,kelp greenling,and salmon.Had a lot of good times out there.
 Here is a picture of me on the Swanson River (just north of Sterling,Alaska) in my wife's boat.A buddy is in my camo yak.Great river for silvers,dolly varden,and rainbows from a kayak.Sorry,I don't have any shots from Grays Harbor Jetties.I'll have to go make some.Wife and  I should arrive September 1st.Looking forward to some serious rain...........among other things.

LOL Mark, just because you survived fishing the Jetty in that floating coffin doesn't mean its a sane way to go.  Yes it can be done. I see flat and glassy morning when I could safely saunter out there in my Ultimate 12. If I put on all the spray skirts and added extra flotation, I wouldn't worry as much about taking in water.

Now, for some opinions

But I won't take it out there. Although I'd have to be standing to fall out of it on flatter water (nearly impossible to fall out of a U-12 while seated), getting swamped or capsized by a sneaker wave out there in the harbor entrance would be a hassle and a bummer in my U-12. They are no fun to try to bail when fully swamped in the waves. With it swamped to the rails, water can keep coming back in due to the relentless waves, almost faster than you can bail. 
Or what if a large sea lion tried to climb on board to get my fish? Fighting it off could capsize me. (Yes there'd be fight. I don't believe in feeding the wildlife).
 
None of the above would be problems in an SOT. So although usually I'd much rather be flyfishing for cutthroat back in the relatively protected waters of some estuary or tidal creek from my U-12, I went out and bought an SOT (Tarpon 140) mainly for fishing for bottomfish in the ocean. So far I've just fished the South Jetty here at the entrance to Grays Harbor a few times. I haven't even had it out this summer, I've been so busy.

The Tarpon 140 hull weighs 30 lbs more than my U-12, and the U-12 is about a heavy as I can carry any distance. I have to wrestle the Tarpon around, and need a cart to carry it. (Good reason to get a smaller, lighter SOT).  I have to install the yak saddles to my bar every time I want to use it (I take them off when I'm not hauling the Tarpon) and that is an extra (although minor) hassle. And I would be crazy not to wear my full wetsuit (would rather have a drysuit, but don't have the $600) when heading out on cold water in the Tarpon. If its cool and drizzly I also like a spray jacket or wind breaker to wear over my wetsuit, due to the evaporation chilling. On calm hot summer days, the wetsuit gets to be uncomfortable.

So my Tarpon requires that I have a wetsuit and spray jacket or a drysuit, a beach cart, yak saddles, and maybe I should have a gps (in case of fog). For now, I have a good compass, and I can follow the jetty in, paddling alongside it, in case I get socked in by some sneaker fog.  Compared to taking out my U-12, the Tarpon is a lot more time and work just to load and get to and from the water.  But so far I put up with all the hassle, because The Tarpon is much more seaworthy for the ocean.

I've been thinking of selling the Tarpon and getting a smaller and lighter SOT, just because I'm a skinny old man and not getting any younger. Did I say that its a heavy beast?  Solid, though. The plastic is thick and hard...that must be where the weight comes from. I need to take it out again before I decide, though. I've only had it in the water about 6 times. I got a yak sail and installed sail mounting hardware, and I still need to go take it for a test sail.

I don't need a rudder. For one thing, a rudder is just one more hang-up on which to snag a fly line, and one more thing that can break or malfunction. I like a clean and simple boat! I wish they came with pop-down/retractable skegs though.  Its really a sweet feature on my U-12, and I use it all the time when I want to track in a straight course, except when I'm paddling downstream and need to maneuver more quickly.  I can't imagine having to depend on a rudder to steer, if I'm paddling.  You have to know how to paddle and maneuver in wind, waves and current without a rudder (even in a Hobie Mirage drive yak, if the rudder pin fails).

OK, After typing all this, I think I finally got my late dinner digested enuff to hit the rack.

... I like a clean and simple boat! I wish they came with pop-down/retractable skegs though.  Its really a sweet feature on my U-12, and I use it all the time when I want to track in a straight course, except when I'm paddling downstream and need to maneuver more quickly.  I can't imagine having to depend on a rudder to steer, if I'm paddling.  You have to know how to paddle and maneuver in wind, waves and current without a rudder (even in a Hobie Mirage drive yak, if the rudder pin fails).

The mirage drive works very well as a skeg.  I carry 2 spare rudder pins (of the newer, mo' better design).

   Hey ConeHeadMudler,
  You have made some valid points.Safety has to be a persons 1st consideration when on the water.
  I don't care for your "floating coffin" description,but I can see how that could be how someone else determines a crafts "sea-worthiness.But at that time , that was the kayak I had and I made it work.Kayaks have evolved a lot in the last few years to be sure.Mine is a very ancient Inuit design that has worked for centuries,and I have made it work for me.
  I do see upgrades in the future.Not only for safety but convenience  while fishing as well.As you know ,there are many places around Grays Harbor that are flat,calm,out of the wind,and that have very little boat traffic.And still have plenty of fish too.If a person uses a little bit of brain power,they should be able to make the best of any situation. That is what I have done.
  Okay,no more defensive stand............... : >:(That part is done.........
   On to better topics.
   My truck won't be getting off the barge at Tacoma til Sept 3rd,so no yakking for me til then.Hopefully there will still be a few kings running in the Willapa at that time.I'm pretty sure there will be.The upper river around Wilson (or is it Ward) creek is very do-able in an Ultimate 12 or my little Inuit style boat so I will be out there hanging fish.I invite you to join me and show me how to do it properly.To me it's all about getting out and having fun.And seeing as how we are almost neighbors--getting together on the Willapa,Smith Creek,North River,and several more creeks is certainly an option that I'm all for.Let's make it happen soon.
   Thanks for your input.All good stuff............

Mark, The "floating coffin" remark was just a friendly jab...looks like you made it work out well for you. I'll pm you my phone and e-mail info so we can get together and go fishing once you're back.
As I recall, the Willapa Bay fishery usually keeps running thru mid-Sept, so I might be fishing the Bay on calmer days as long as its happening.
There should be some fish upstream by then, too, Nookies first, then the Ho's. The cutthroat fishing should be decent (if you know where to look for 'em) in most of the streams near and below the head of tidewater until the monsoons hit and they all run upstream. And then in late Sept and early Oct I must hit a certain lake that I like a couple of times, once the water starts to cool down a little and the trout fishing improves.
I am hoping we can explore the Humptulips, too. I don't know that river very well, just a few walk-in spots. It is still one of the better streams out here. For starters, I want to paddle upstream to the head of tidewater and float back down. (I think the only reason I haven't done that yet is that I have other streams a lot closer, where I don't have to drive all the way around the Harbor thru Aberdeen and Hoquiam to get there). There's a couple of drifts on the Hump we can do in our mini-drifters. (Once I get a trailer...mine won't fit in the bed of my Mazda truck).
There's a lot of less crowded options to choose from around here if you don't have to always be in the "alpha-hot-spot thick-of-it-all."
Now all I have to do is stay organized so my fishing time doesn't get cut into!

Update: WDFW is closing the King season on the coast after this Sunday, Aug 28th. That includes Willapa Bay. Sunday is the last day to harvest a King on the coast or in the Bay. Will be closed on Monday the 29th. Coho still open.