New guy

Hopefully I haven't made the wrong decision on my entry level yak. Been boating and fishing in Western Washington all my life. With the ever increasing pressure on boat launches, lack of access, closing of boat houses and general depletion of fish I decided to buy a kayak to open a few more doors for myself. I used a friends kayak last year and was impressed with its tracking and stealthy attitude in the water, it was a 10ft sit in style. So today I purchased a PAYETTE 116, I well know that Ill find out about its short comings and lack of storage being a sit in model. But for the $229 it almost seamed like I was getting a little more than I was paying for for once. I live very close to Picinic Point near Edmonds, and I really miss inner tidal zone fishing. I'm confident that on decent days this kayak will fit the bill for sea run cutthroat and local bay silvers. Give me your thoughts, I've got my rain gear on for the inevitable rotten fruit toss lol.

Welcome to the wonderful world of kayak fishing.
This is the place to learn and find other to fish with.

If you plan on going out in the salt water you might consider more than rain gear for taking a swim.

I started with a sit in about 7 or 8 years ago. Last year in got my first sit on top.

willbd 

Here in Marysville. You'll probably need a cart to get your yak to the water at Picnic Pt. Also, a skirt for your yak which means you need to be proficient at that Eskimo Roll to not drown.
A dry suit or at minimum, waders/dry top. PFD/MANDATORY. VHF most beneficial. Welcome
aboard.

Really, a skirt? Guess I got lucky last year. But I was in a sit down at Picnic Point in the summer last year, conditions good at the times I was fishing.

Have neoprene waders & belt /dry top & a PFD vest. My new sit in is a sinker I know that. Any suggestions of methods or materials to fill the  rear bulkhead so it wont sink if swamped? Foam and fill, styrofoam inner tube, lol....... Don't freak guys, I'm not taking this out on anything but a favorable tide and flat. I'm talking 100 yards off shore for cuts and local silvers.

You can use dry bags to fill the rear space.

Thanks guys, just got done with my order from Cabelas and got the bag for the rear

You can fish from anything that floats.  The key is to do it safely.  Dress for immersion not the weather.

There are a few sticky threads in Product Discussions.  "What do you wear for the salt/freshwater?" is a very important one to read.  I rarely see SINK drivers wearing what I consider sufficient protection.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=2559.0

Welcome! You should be fine as you are, on calm days.

Its good to be prepared. That said, the only time I have ever fallen out of a yak is when I did it on purpose, testing my secondary stability in my first go-out on my Tarpon 140. I haven't tried taking out in the surf, yet, though. I usually go out when the conditions are leaning toward "user-friendly".

The only other time I have fallen out of any other boat is when some friends and I were playing in the surf near North Cove at Washaway Beach in a 14' Zodiac with a 50 hp Merc. My buddy was attempting to set up for an "off the lip" by pulling a "square" bottom turn. When he jerked the wheel unexpectedly, I wasn't hanging on to anything and got ejected! I went into the surf in jeans, wool sweater, and parka. Probably wearing cotton underneath all that. The water was cold, but only waist deep, so I just hopped back into the Zod. It was late Sept or early Oct, and the water temp wasn't too bad...maybe in the low 50's, but it was the wind chill during the ride back to the marina that gave me mild hypothermia.

Have neoprene waders & belt /dry top & a PFD vest. My new sit in is a sinker I know that. Any suggestions of methods or materials to fill the  rear bulkhead so it wont sink if swamped? Foam and fill, styrofoam inner tube, lol....... Don't freak guys, I'm not taking this out on anything but a favorable tide and flat. I'm talking 100 yards off shore for cuts and local silvers.

Foam works too, as well as some packaging materials, you can bag those packaging bags and stuff them in nooks and crannies or spend your hard earned money.  Your sit in will work but if you get serious, you'll likely want I sure favor my sit on, more access to my stuff, net poles etc, and easy to get back on.

You guys are great  Thanks for the safety suggestions and heads up. Think its gonna be ok, with all the procautions taken and understanding spring tides and growing up in the edmonds area I can smell the bad weather coming in. Ill keep it close to the shore and clinch up that neoprene belt tight lol.