SOT for Rivers?

I have a Malibu Stealth 12 and I'm wondering if that'll work for river fishing.  I'm moving to the Portland area so I'm trying to figure out if my kayak will work for the rivers in the area or if I should start looking for a replacement.  It seems like most using SOT kayaks are fishing the coast (which is what the Malibu was purchased for).  I see myself having much more time for the local rivers than running to the coast.  Any input will be greatly appreciated.

  Your kayak will work fine. Just stay aware of the ever changing conditions ahead of you .

That's a solid boat, you'll be good.

Great news, thanks! 

I'm cautious on the water until I've had a few trips to the same spot.  It'll definitely be something new to be in a river versus the ocean.

I happened upon information on a new SOT kayak by Dagger called the ROAM. It is supposed to be out in January and looks like a great solution for some of the rivers of Oregon. Here are a couple links:       
Web Site: http://www.dagger.com/

So many boats, so little time...

Including thigh straps as original equipment on a sit-on-top kayak is a great idea.  Thigh straps greatly increase your control over a paddle kayak.  I have outfitted my 13' Trident with thigh straps, and intend to set up my 13' Revolution for thigh straps as well.  If conditions get rambunctious when I'm out in my Revolution, I want to be able to pull out the Mirage Drive, clip in the thigh straps, and start paddling, so I can brace, side surf, and front surf as necessary.  Because I come from a whitewater kayaking background, when I'm pedaling my Revolution in big waves, I feel kind of like a marble rolling around on a plate.  I feel way more in control when I'm paddling with thigh straps.

I'd love to try out this boat.  The bottom looks like it would slip across currents much easier.  The skeg would rock in the surf too.

-Mark-

I'll repeat previous thoughts.. The sea kayak cuts those waves much better due to hull design. They are a great platform for rivers up to class III. Don't believe the myths that they are not ideal or suitable for fishing. When you are bobbing around the whitewater like a helpless cork, think about cutting through that and hitting the eddy much easier on a sea kayak. Trust me, one trip next to me on the river and you'd be a believer, if not jealous. I sold off my Trident once I saw the difference. Best of luck fishing

A lot of boats will work well for up to class 2, if you want to go beyond that I would be looking at more whitewater specific rigs. But when you go that route you start to get really moving water specific. The torrent from dagger is a true whitewater SOT, it handles whitewater great, but is going to be super squirrely in flat water

 The predator MX is a fishing boat designed for moving water but still tracks well, it's not made for big whitewater but has some rocker on the bow that's going to make maneuvering  and eddying out a lot easier.  The Thresher 140 is up on my list for most of the water around  here, the volume and rocker makes it get over waves and chop, but it still tracks well especially with a rudder.

The question of what's the best kayak for the river comes up a lot, especially this time of year. In fact, I've dedicated my January column in NW Sportsman to this subject.

Most of us that feel comfortable on a SOT can do just fine down a class 1/2 river if your objective is just to make it down the middle of the river, hit a few of the big eddies and step off on an sandbar to bank fish. In class 3 or even a class 2 rivers at high winter flow rates (think good steelhead conditions) the SOT won't be the best choice. Beyond the danger aspect of going for a swim or loosing gear (seen both happen to SOTs) you need to think about how to move around a river to get into the best holes. Cutting in an out of small eddies along the banks takes solid edging and bracing techniques. That's where a lower CG, thigh bracing and performance hull comes into play. The small white water kayaks are ideal for river play but load your net on the back and your steelhead rod on the front and you'd better avoid any overhanging branches, steep banks or downed trees in the eddies or rod snaps and net snags will end your day.

I try not to tell someone what boat they should use when I get asked but I do ask them to consider a few key points:
1)will your boat get you into the areas of the river you want to fish
2)will your boat protect you and your gear when you are in these areas
3)will you feel safe and comfortable in your boat for the entire day
If you answer 'yes' to the above then you're in the correct boat.

The question of what's the best kayak for the river comes up a lot, especially this time of year. In fact, I've dedicated my January column in NW Sportsman to this subject.

Most of us that feel comfortable on a SOT can do just fine down a class 1/2 river if your objective is just to make it down the middle of the river, hit a few of the big eddies and step off on an sandbar to bank fish. In class 3 or even a class 2 rivers at high winter flow rates (think good steelhead conditions) the SOT won't be the best choice. Beyond the danger aspect of going for a swim or loosing gear (seen both happen to SOTs) you need to think about how to move around a river to get into the best holes. Cutting in an out of small eddies along the banks takes solid edging and bracing techniques. That's where a lower CG, thigh bracing and performance hull comes into play. The small white water kayaks are ideal for river play but load your net on the back and your steelhead rod on the front and you'd better avoid any overhanging branches, steep banks or downed trees in the eddies or rod snaps and net snags will end your day.

I try not to tell someone what boat they should use when I get asked but I do ask them to consider a few key points:
1)will your boat get you into the areas of the river you want to fish
2)will your boat protect you and your gear when you are in these areas
3)will you feel safe and comfortable in your boat for the entire day
If you answer 'yes' to the above then you're in the correct boat.

+1 from experiencing this almost word for word. Ha! Wish I would have read this last year.

The Stealth should be fine in the rivers.

I have a Tarpon 100 for the small coastal streams down here and have run through low-flow Class III sections several times.  I'd like to have a longer hull, because adding a couple of 9-foot rods starts to make a 10-foot kayak feel a bit cluttered... but I really like the looks of that new Dagger and am definitely going to keep my eye out for it.

If you learn the rivers, know your limits, and are clever enough to recognize when to portage, the Stealth will work just fine.

P.S. I came from a whitewater background and that makes a difference in my pucker factor in fast water.

The Roam is an awesome little boat.  When I saw it at OR my original intent was to grab one for running the Kern and Owens since I was living in SD.  Little did I know I would be relocating up to Portland.  Now I really need to pick one up and when i do folks interested are more than welcome to borrow it and try for themselves.

Most of us that feel comfortable on a SOT can do just fine down a class 1/2 river if your objective is just to make it down the middle of the river, hit a few of the big eddies and step off on an sandbar to bank fish.

The choice words.. A few of the big eddies.. Some of the best fishing is in tight spaces. I had to blaze past a lot of good fishing holes when I used my Trident because it just was not capable of cutting waves and crossing the eddy smoothly. In that process I also surely scared a lot of fish off because I had to work so damn hard to hit a particular spot or two when I smacked my paddle on the water crossing the eddy.

Additionally, the hull shape on the sea kayak will permit the user to sit in many eddies without much effort or even none at all. My SOT would just get swept around in many of these spots. The hull shape matters... A lot more than you might think on the fast moving river. I wouldn't run the Sol Duc with someone using a SOT. I'm sure it would be a yard sale at the very least and perhaps a rescue at the worst.

I'm surprised by how many times I have seen kayakers state on the internet that they take their Mirage Drive kayaks down shallow rivers.  These must be kayakers who haven't yet busted their Mirage Drive and rudder by hitting the bottom or other underwater obstacles.  Kayakers who haven't figured out how long it takes them to pull out their drive, lift their rudder, and grab their paddle, particularly while simultaneously maneuvering to avoid an obstacle.  Kayakers who haven't discovered that it can be difficult to tell if the water is one foot deep or two feet deep when the water is murky.  Kayakers who haven't realized how fast moving water can go from two feet deep to one foot deep.  Kayakers who are not aware that rocks and other obstructions can stick up unpredictably from the bottom of a river.