Newbie from SW Washington

Hey all!

Very glad I found this site! I got into recreational kayaking 3 years ago. My first kayak was a 13' Dagger Cypress. I still have and like it, but I upgraded a WS Tsunami 140 the following year. This has been a great boat, too. I've had the kayaks out at Merwin, Yale, NFL, EFL, Vancouver Lake, Lake River, Netarts Bay, Yaquina Bay, Trillium Lake, and Timothy Lake ... but never for fishing.

Alas, I have been an avid steelhead/salmon/kokanee fisherman for 15+ years, mostly fishing in SW Washington. So the next step for me was very logical ... kayak + fishing. I must admit that the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks have appealed to me for several years, but I wasn't sure about forking over the $2,000 to get one. Well, I noticed a used 2013 Outback on Craigslist two weeks ago for $1,200. I offered the gentleman $1,000 cash and he accepted! From my research, this was a fantastic deal. The only downside was that I had to drive down to Medford to get it. The kayak was completely stock, but it was used only a handful of times. So I began outfitting it with the Yakattack 8" rails, Ram mounts, etc. Based on the advice of several board members, I think I will soon upgrade to turbo fins and a sailing rudder. Also, I am going to begin a milk crate/rod holder project this week.

I can't wait to get the kayak out! I think I'll make my maiden voyage at Merwin Reservoir, as I am very familiar with the lake and kokanee techniques there. Looks like I'll probably need to invest in a good dry suit. Wow, those can be expensive. Any advice on this?

I look forward to being an active member here, learning a lot from you all, and sharing my experiences (failures and successes).

Heatmiser

Welcome aboard heatmiser. I'm in Vancouver, specifically Hazel Dell or will be back in a few days. Currently in Salt Lake City, UT and can't wait to get out of this area.

Welcome to the group.

Looks like I'll probably need to invest in a good dry suit. Wow, those can be expensive. Any advice on this?

Welcome......sounds like your well on your way.

I just recenty purchased the kokatat Hrdrus 3L and love it! We were out at Sunset bay a couple weeks ago, I had a base layer with a fleece layer and was plenty warm maybe a little too warm. I think it was around $600 at the kayakshed. I have seen and looked into cheaper ones out there but stuck with "you get what you pay for" moto.