Another new guy

Hello everyone,
  So I am an avid salmon and steelhead fisherman, and fish many of the rivers in Washington. Some include the Cowlitz, Skykomish, Snohomish, the Snoqualmie, Bogie, etc, etc. I am super interested in fishing from a kayak. I would love to learn the world of the sound, and being able to get into spots that boats cannot is hugely interesting to me. Even if you do not catch fish, at least you have a great kayak trip! It seems all win/win except for one thing. In my pontoon I really hate the fact that I have to depend on another person to be able to get myself and my boat back to my vehicle.  I would love to know if the experienced guys/gals can paddle up river in the slow moving water? Say like from monroe up to the mouth of the wallace on the sky? If I can do that I will be invested like tomorrow! I also understand that the trident 11 foot is a little bit harder to paddle in the salt but would it be a breaking point if I got the 13 for the river? Thanks ahead for some advice! I do appreciate it!

Welcome Fishincraze. Don't have much advice for the river fishing yaks but there are tons of guys that could help you(and have helped me tremendously) get the info you need. Just be patient for responses. Where do you live? guys are always looking for yakkers to hookup with on trips(safer). LET'S GIVE THE NEWBIE A HAND
in his quest. Good luck getting sucked in and stuff your wallet.
Rich

Rich,
 I live in Everett. I don't mind traveling either. I see that everyone here is really cool about talking to one another. You don't see that very often, especially in the fishing world! Its always about the secret spot, and the fish are always biting somewhere else! Well thanks for the reply, and I will see you out there!   John

Welcome new guy!  I have a T13a that I use mostly in Puget Sound and occasionally on lakes.  I'm a newby too, April 2009, but I'd be happy to answer whatever questions I can.  I've also been know to hold strong opinion.  I am not particularly interested in rivers, so I can't give any help there.

Welcome aboard fishincraze!

If you're looking for a good all around boat, I'd suggest the T13.  It will handle on the gentler rivers.  I have a 12.5" Cobra Fish-n-Dive that I used on coastal streams a lot in 08/09.  If you're looking for something exclusively for drifting rivers, I'd steer you toward a smaller boat like the T11 or the inflatable Hobie I9.
Paddling up slow rivers isn't a problem.  You can even power thru some of the faster sections on a lot of rivers if you know how to read the current.

I look forward to the coming reports and fish porn!

-Spot-

Grettings, fishincraze.  I regularly paddle upstream in slower moving rivers. If the current is flowing at approx "walking speed," it isn't hard at all to paddle upstream. Yaks ride pretty high on the water, and I have found wind to be more of a problem in rivers than current. Your body becomes a pretty effective sail.
I fish tidal creeks and lower rivers here on the coast, and my usual M.O. is to launch at the lower ramp and paddle upstream (usually with the incoming tide, but often I'm launching late and end up paddling upstream against some opposing current.
I have been blown upstream against a "walking speed" current by only a 10mph breeze.
When I'm trolling for salmon in my yak on the lower rivers here, I can easily work a good stretch of slow moving water both directions.
You could make tolerable headway upstream against a 2-3 mph current, and if the wind was blowing upstream, you'd fly!

I usually have to paddle against the wind here if I launch early am (offshore winds in morning, funneling out of the river valleys) and head up across an estuary and/or up a tidal creek, and must again fight it returning in the pm, as the wind has often switched to onshore by then.

I'm new to the kayak thing but I have fished the Sky for more than 30 years.  From Monroe to the mouth of the Wallace is more than 5 miles and there is some pretty fast water in between.  I would be greatly surprised if anyone could do that in a yak.  Now from Sultan to the mouth of the Wallace is pretty short and in the lower flows the water isn't that fast most of the way.  I think a strong paddler may be able to do that.

Having said that, the Sky does not have much of what I would call slow water.  Lower in the Snohomish River, the water is slower and influenced by the tides.  By the time you get into the Sky proper where the river moves faster I would think paddling upstream would be difficult for much of any distance.

I have a pontoon too and in the lower flows of the Sky in the summer I don't row upstream much, I do push upstream up to half a mile or so sometimes.

Hey Bill welcome. My regular float on the Sky is from high bridge to Sultan. If the flows are good it's nice on the yak. You've got the right idea about access and especially about a skunk kayak fishing. It's always a nice paddle/pedal on the water.

Z 

Thanks for all the info! I'm sold!
 I have been wanting to learn to fish the sound (other than fighting the edmonds pier) for a while now! This will get me out there, and I can still do my thing on the river! All at a fraction of the price of a sled! Thanks again, and hopefully I will see all of you out there!   John

I have been wanting to learn to fish the sound (other than fighting the edmonds pier) for a while now!

I fish this area regularly as it's close to home. If you want to get out there let me know.

Z

Thanks for all the info! I'm sold!
 I have been wanting to learn to fish the sound (other than fighting the edmonds pier) for a while now! This will get me out there, and I can still do my thing on the river! All at a fraction of the price of a sled! Thanks again, and hopefully I will see all of you out there!   John

John, I'll be home on Sunday working on a house project.  I live in Shoreline near the King/Snohomish county line, and have a T13 angler.  I don't know if you have seen one first hand, and if you are interested you could see one with a few mods and get an idea of what you may be getting into.  I'll probably not be able to let you demo the boat, as I won't have the time on Sunday.  I have an anchor system, crab traps, and FF/GPS.  PM me if you are interested.  I'm thinking noonish (early afternoon).