Trident 13 rudder or not

Need some opinions on whether to order the T-13 with or without rudder. I plan on fishing ocean and rivers varying from small, (Chetco, Umpqua) to mid size (Rogue, Siuslaw.)

personally not a huge fan of rudders. more weight & more parts to break down. In most situations, good paddle technique should get you where you're going just fine. Also, a rudder can always be added later if you decide you really do want one.

Brian

I'm with Alkasazi.  The only time I've every wished I had one was when I've trolled thru strong side winds and even that is manageable without a rudder.

-Mark-

 ... or if you plan on doing a a bunch of downriggin'

-Allen

I got one with my T13, but I'm a newbie.  My thought when I ordered my boat was that I am a fisherman first and a paddler second.  Anything that eases boat handling frees me up for more/better fishing.

YMMV.

I say skip it.   I have one on my T13 and like Polepole says, it's helpful when using a downrigger.  Otherwise, I never use mine, in fact I don't like the feel of it.   Besides, it costs about $250 more and requires a bit of maintenance.

When I fished with Please-Send-Rescue last fall at Hagg, I had to help him untangle his trolling line a few times. 
That was a good indicator that my T-13 won't be getting a rudder any time soon.     

If you are new to kayaking and get a rudder, I highly recommend spending time learning to paddle without one.  When it comes time to use one, you'll have a better idea why and what for.  However, once I learned without a rudder, it was too weird for me to ever learn to do it with.  That being said I can see where it would help out.

-Allen

Get the rudder.