So many choices, So little time.

All you seasoned NW saltwater kayak anglers, help me out. 

I'm as green as a kayaker gets, but ready to get fish'n.  Next time I see a used kayak for a good deal I'm gonna get it, but which one?  Help me narrow down my search.

Me: 5'11" 185lbs.

Fish'n: Puget Sound, Straits of Juan de Fuca primarily for Salmon

I want to be able to paddle a handful of miles to a spot to fish (mostly for the fun of it)

I'm currently looking 13 ft+ SOTs: OK Prowler 13, Hobie Revolution, Malibu X-13, Necky Vector 13 etc.


Advice and Suggestions Appreciated.

Thanks.

Revo 13...

And my work here's done. Thank you and good night! Don't forget to tip your waitress!

Fred "True" Trujillo

I love my revo but an OC T13, T11, ultra 4.3, tarpon 120 are all super solid boats, to name a few.

Two votes for the Revo 13.  That brings up a question, peddle power.  Are there other things about the Revo 13 that make it awesome?  How big a difference does freeing your hands make?

Any people out there who don't have a peddle drive and wouldn't want one?  Other than price, what's the benefit of keeping it simple with just paddling?

It depends on the type of fishing you do. The hobies are really nice for the ocean when dealing with some wind, they allow you to hold your position and continue to fish. Most of us get more power, speed and range with a revo/hobie. If you're a refined, experienced paddler you may not see a huge difference but most of us will. The main down side I see is they're more complicated, more things to pack and break.

Two votes for the Revo 13.  That brings up a question, peddle power.  Are there other things about the Revo 13 that make it awesome?  How big a difference does freeing your hands make?

Any people out there who don't have a peddle drive and wouldn't want one?  Other than price, what's the benefit of keeping it simple with just paddling?

I have been doing this for two years now and have OK Tridents. Advantage of paddling- keeps me from getting fat in my old age, workout for the upper body. There you go. Disadvantage- you have zero hands free when the rod goes down vs. two hands free with a Hobie. One more advantage I found is being able to keep going in very shallow water. Also, no moving parts to worry about. Of course, having a Hobie would be nice but I've committed to paddling, it seems.

Greenhorn to Greenhorn........ Hobie is the way to go if you like hands free fishing for sure!!! I actually used an outback on my first kayak fishing trip which was in Depoe bay, the conditions were not the greatest (actually they sucked) which made fishing much easier not having to paddle. Although I have also got try out a OK trident 13 on one of our local lakes and to my surprise it was much more stable than I thought it would be and seemed like it would be a bit easier to fish out of because you sit lower in the water, also is much easier to straddle when just bobing around in the swells......the outback sits much higher which makes straddling it difficult. For me I am going with a Hobie until I get some salt time under my belt and master paddling in the ocean......trust me....it's not as easy as one would think.

I paddle, though more because the price of entry into pedaling is too steep for my wallet right now.  If I only ever fished lakes and rivers I'd probably be satisfied with sticking with a paddle.  But in the salt where you have more issues with wind and currents (you can at least anchor in a river) pedal power would be a real bonus.

I paddle because it provides a better upper body workout,  it follows the long tradition that kayaking is founded on, Eskimo Chicks Dig It  ....... and I have denial issues   

I have fished a good bit for Tiger Muskies up here on Tapps.  They are much like Muskies known as "The fish of a Thousand Casts" as it may take that many to get onto a fish.  At that rate it will take me a hundred years since the paddle is in my hands as much as my fishing rod.   The thought of being able to be continually casting as I am moving is what fills my dreams often.   

A Hobie or, dare I say it,  a Mariner Propel kayak is on my To Me, From Me list for Christmas.  For the occasions / conditions that allow paddlers to have some advantage,  I will keep at least 2 of my paddle kayaks.

Thanks for the info.  I decided to go with the paddle and go cheap for my first kayak.  I found my self a 15' SOT in good condition for $200.  That'll get me started.  It's made by "On The Edge."   From what I can tell they were only in business out of Bellevue from 1994-96.  Anybody heard of them?