anybody fish from a kayak?

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DirtyBear0311

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Ive been giving this some serious consideration lately. I cant afford a boat by any means, but im sick of fishing from the bank and not catching much. So I figured that I might just buy a kayak and try my luck with it. Ive fished outta one a few times and enjoyed it but that was in saltwater. Does anybody do this around here or have any suggestions on a decent yak or tips?
 
I have a Jackson Cruise 12 Angler that I got a little over a month ago. Jackson's, Wilderness Systems, and Natives are all quality yaks, but they also have a high price tag. Perception makes a fairly affordable yak that has angler specific models. I would definitely reccomend a sit on top style instead of a sit in. I would get one of the 11.5 -12 foot models for all around use. A quality seat is a must. Watch craigslist for some nicer used yaks, there are usually a few.
 
Best investment I ever made. I use a 12 foot trophy sit in style. I gave like 300 for it at dicks 5-6 years ago and it's taken a beating. You can also mount trolling motors on them if your a DIY guy. Kayak fishing gear has a web site with lots of good aftermarket add-ons
 
My best friend and I fished out of them all the time on the Holstein river had a blast and a great workout, wish he hadn't moved to Nashville for work so we could do it more often
 
Thanks guys. Im really looking forward to getting one and getting out and doing some exploring. What do yall recommend for size? I know most are 10 of 12 foot and most people say 12 but is the extra cost and weight really worth it?
 
I've never tried it, but I've considered it some. Certainly opens up possibilities on access to certain water. I just figure that, with my kids getting older (my son is 6), I probably won't get as much time to use it fishing alone as I think that I would. Plus, fishing is a social activity to me as well, and I make it a point to go with my dad and brother as often as I can. I'd hate to think that I'd miss a trip with them because I would "rather fish by myself".

Maybe one day, though...

I will say this - those guys on fishingtn.com are some kayak-loving folks. I've never seen a higher percentage of fishing forum users that use kayaks. Most of the people on that forum seem to be from middle TN, so (as a West TN guy) I feel a bit out of place :)
 
I fish out of the Wilderness Systems Ride 115. It's 11.5' long and super stable, stable enough to stand and flyfish if you want. It's a great kayak and kayak fishing is an absolute blast as well as way to throw in a bit of exercise into your fishing outing. I recommend stopping by HOOK1 in Hendersonville. They have dozens of fishing kayaks and a staff full of experienced kayak fishermen who can answer all your questions and get you in the right yak. They'll even drive over to Old Hickory and let you test out any kayak you want for a few hours. Paddle around, fish if you want, and decide for yourself how much you like it.
 
If you fish small ponds a lot have you considered fishing in a trout tube with neoprene wadders? I caught my first double digit bass in one, talk about a blast!!
 
Unicam said:
If you fish small ponds a lot have you considered fishing in a trout tube with neoprene wadders? I caught my first double digit bass in one, talk about a blast!!
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I tried a float tube before I bought a kayak. I prefer a kayak. But, I have a cheap/lightweight yak so dragging it through nasty stuff doesn't bother me. It's almost as portable as a float tube.
 
Crosshairy said:
I will say this - those guys on fishingtn.com are some kayak-loving folks. I've never seen a higher percentage of fishing forum users that use kayaks. Most of the people on that forum seem to be from middle TN, so (as a West TN guy) I feel a bit out of place :)
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Don't feel out of place. Start posting reports. Easy45 is on there, and he's a west TN guy. I fish some in West TN (wife is from Memphis).

Have you thought about buying more than one kayak? You could get two or three of them to make it more of a family activity. Despite what some people say you don't have to drop $1,000 on a kayak to have fun fishing out of one.
 
Unicam said:
If you fish small ponds a lot have you considered fishing in a trout tube with neoprene wadders? I caught my first double digit bass in one, talk about a blast!!
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I thought about it a bit but I like the variability of waters that I could get into with the kayak above a tube.
 
Rebel said:
I've thought about a kayak... Guys, tell me something, is a kayak comfortable? Seems like you sit too low to be comfortable... Seems like I would ache a lot sitting like that for a long period of time.
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It all depends on the kayak. Comfort is one thing the higher-priced kayaks have going for them. I've been told the seats on the Ascend kayaks sold at Bass Pro are really comfortable.

I'm 5'11" 185 lbs. Comfort only becomes an issue for me if fishing longer than four hours.
 
DirtyBear0311 said:
Ive been giving this some serious consideration lately. I cant afford a boat by any means, but im sick of fishing from the bank and not catching much. So I figured that I might just buy a kayak and try my luck with it. Ive fished outta one a few times and enjoyed it but that was in saltwater. Does anybody do this around here or have any suggestions on a decent yak or tips?
Click to expand...

Noticing that you are listed as being from Milan, I can think of what would be a dealbreaker for me if I was out that way. I don't think I would have the 'nads to be on the water in areas where water moccasins are thick. I have heard too many stories of their aggressive nature and swimming to boats and trying to get in. I would want a boat with some decent sides if I was fishing in WTN. Being on the same level with one of those critters doesn't seem like a good idea for some reason.
 
I highly recommend a Jackson Coosa. Super stable, tracks well, fast enough if you get on the open water and the high/lo seat on the Jackson's are awesome. Plus they are made right here in Tennessee. Kayak fishing is amazing and is growing everyday.
 
scn said:
DirtyBear0311 said:
Ive been giving this some serious consideration lately. I cant afford a boat by any means, but im sick of fishing from the bank and not catching much. So I figured that I might just buy a kayak and try my luck with it. Ive fished outta one a few times and enjoyed it but that was in saltwater. Does anybody do this around here or have any suggestions on a decent yak or tips?
Click to expand...

Noticing that you are listed as being from Milan, I can think of what would be a dealbreaker for me if I was out that way. I don't think I would have the 'nads to be on the water in areas where water moccasins are thick. I have heard too many stories of their aggressive nature and swimming to boats and trying to get in. I would want a boat with some decent sides if I was fishing in WTN. Being on the same level with one of those critters doesn't seem like a good idea for some reason.
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That's true and something that I hadnt thought about. Still though, battling off hordes of angry moccasins is better than buying a boat that I cant afford or fishing from the bank for the next long time. Im not normally a snake killer but if one of them dudes comes in my boat, either it's going out dead or my butt is swimming home.
 
Travis13 said:
I highly recommend a Jackson Coosa. Super stable, tracks well, fast enough if you get on the open water and the high/lo seat on the Jackson's are awesome. Plus they are made right here in Tennessee. Kayak fishing is amazing and is growing everyday.
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If I could afford one of them things, I would probably just go ahead and get a jon boat. Im looking at a price cap of around $500 at the most.
 
DirtyBear0311 said:
Travis13 said:
I highly recommend a Jackson Coosa. Super stable, tracks well, fast enough if you get on the open water and the high/lo seat on the Jackson's are awesome. Plus they are made right here in Tennessee. Kayak fishing is amazing and is growing everyday.
Click to expand...

If I could afford one of them things, I would probably just go ahead and get a jon boat. Im looking at a price cap of around $500 at the most.
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If you watch the classifieds on here, Craig's list, etc, you can likely find a decent jon boat in that price range. For small waters, a cheap electric trolling motor to power a little jon can put you into a bunch of fish. The $$$ usually start to add up due to the outboard motors. I've seen some boats on here over the years where you could have bought the boat, trolling motor, and battery and stayed in your price range.
 

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