Pulling the trigger

Howdy yakkers I have been lingering around here for a while, and decided I need to get me one of those fancy boats. I have paddled SINKs and canoes alot, and have always enjoyed fishing from them. Been thinking about a good fishing yak for a while, and well with the price of fuel, I'm all in! Going with the Ocean Kayak Prowler. can't wait to learn from this site and maybe fish with a few of you. Thanks for the cool site, hope I can contribute something in return.

Randy Skiba......Kenai Peninsula, AK

Welcome Randy,
You'll find a good and growing community of kayak fishers up there who have really been making names for themselves.  Hopefully they'll soon chime in and take you under their wings..

I've got a Prowler too.  I like it.  Though, if I could afford it I'd love to step up to a Hobie, but used they start at 2-3x what I paid for my (used) P13.  Hands free propulsion would be really nice.  Other than that I have zero complaints about the OK.  And I've found it be definitely faster than some Hobies (Outback and PA), similar speed or slower than others (Revo).

Yeah i was looking at the Hobies and the Jacksons. Very nice, but the price was much more than I could justify and tough to find them up here without shelling out serious dough for shipping. Not only that, but the K-I-S-S factor of kayak fishing is a bonus. Rudders, mirage drive and all the bells and whistles seem to add more complication. I want to keep it basic so I don't need a trailer and five deckhands to launch my boat. Also considered the WS Tarpon, any thoughts on that boat? Thanks guys and gals.

The folks with Hobies seem to REALLY like them, and not have too many issues with reliability and durability.  And they're not THAT much heavier and while slightly more difficult to launch, recover and transport, from what I've witnessed it's really not a show stopper, even with the PA.

That said, the cost was my major hang-up with considering a Revo or Outback. 

Never tried any of the WS yaks, so I'll have to let others chime in on them.  From what I've read they're good yaks though.   

What paddle did you get to go with your Prowler?  I'm using a Werner Camano that I picked up off Craigslist.  It's an older model that only has 2 feathering positions available, and not as light as the current production, but so far I'm quite happy with it.

Have you got your immersion gear yet?  I went with a Kokatat SuperNova Angler suit.   Not Gore-Tex, but it's kept me dry and is breathable enough.  It's quite popular around here, though I've heard good things about the Stohlquist and OS suits too.

welcome to the site.
Nice to see you pulled the trigger on your first kayak. Each brand and or type have their +/-. You could not go wrong with any of the ones you checked out.

The Prowler is a flat out awesome fishing vessel for bigger water. I have taken mine in some pretty "sporty" water and never felt uneasy. I have not played with the WS boats but have played with both the Jackson boats and I think the Prowler is a far better big water boat.
Have fun and be safe!

Hey, Randy -- great to see another Alaskan on the board! Welcome, and congratulations on that Prowler. Where are you going to launch it for its inaugural float? So many great places to fish on the Kenai... I'd say there's a pretty good chance we 'll cross paths before the season is done. Just look for an aging Boomer in a gray-and-red dry suit atop a yellowish Revo -- the whole package just screams "newbie".  I'm here to learn too.

Simple is beautiful...

Simple is beautiful...

I agree!  That's me being "simple' right next to you

No inaugaral float yet, but soon! Thanks for the replies and the warm welcome. See you AK folks on the water very soon no doubt!