Ha, you never know....
Have to have something to make the fish stop flopping around, some of them have nasty spikes.
Fishing kayaks
- Thread starter clone4life82
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Ha, you never know....
Have to have something to make the fish stop flopping around, some of them have nasty spikes.
Funny I was out yakpacking/fishing when this thread popped last year and I missed it
Anyone have any experience with this boat?
Old Town Discovery Solo Sportsman 119
I've had a regular WS Pungo 120 for 5 years which has been great but I'm thinking I'd rather get in and out of the boat easier and didn't really use the back storage space etc.
I can trade in my Pungo at the place I bought it and put it toward the Solo so could get a decent deal.
Gonna test paddle one this week and see how it feels.
Anyone have any experience with this boat?
Old Town Discovery Solo Sportsman 119
I've had a regular WS Pungo 120 for 5 years which has been great but I'm thinking I'd rather get in and out of the boat easier and didn't really use the back storage space etc.
I can trade in my Pungo at the place I bought it and put it toward the Solo so could get a decent deal.
Gonna test paddle one this week and see how it feels.
It's basically a single person canoe. They're more comfortable sitting since you're up higher, but they're less stable than your pungo. You can fit a ton of gear in them as well.
I'd even suggest a sit on top kayak. They're super comfortable and you get the benefit of being able to stand to stretch or fish. They're easy to get in and out of in any situation too. The one downside is the weight and maneuverability in the water.
I have a home built wood canoe my grandfather, my father and myself built, it is beautiful and great for two people. In any wind though, a canoe is unwieldy and hard to fish from with a single person. You'll want an anchor in a canoe. I bought an Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 this year and it is amazing. I need the exercise so went with the pedal version over the trolling motor version. I was out in 20 mph winds on Monday and was able to control where I wanted to go with the rudder and pedal system. It would have been impossible in a canoe without an anchor.
Canoes are great for calm days on lakes and rivers. After getting the sportsman PDL though, I'll never fish solo from anything else. Plus the speed. I can go 3.5 mph with no effort at all, that's the way it's geared though, you'll kill yourself to go 5 mph for any distance.
I did see a post on FB that Scheels at Jordan creek had 2 of them last week. They are oversold everywhere right now, so anyone interested may want to jump on them if they are still there.
Canoes are great for calm days on lakes and rivers. After getting the sportsman PDL though, I'll never fish solo from anything else. Plus the speed. I can go 3.5 mph with no effort at all, that's the way it's geared though, you'll kill yourself to go 5 mph for any distance.
I did see a post on FB that Scheels at Jordan creek had 2 of them last week. They are oversold everywhere right now, so anyone interested may want to jump on them if they are still there.
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Thanks.
Yeah I've paddled a couple of SOTs and it really wasn't a good fit. Felt like a human sail and oddly I enjoy casting the fly rod from a seat.
The seat being down a little lower than typical bench seat but with the open area is definitely appealing.
We'll see how it feels...wouldn't mind a bit more maneuverability as well to take on small rivers so we'll see how it turns.
I think you'll like it. They're fairly maneuverable since it's 12' and you're centered. They track really well on rivers too.
that is what I bought and it is, as you said, an okay kayak. I think I got mine for $150, so maybe a cheaper model. It was discounted quite a bit as I recall.
If you plan on fishing from rivers a lot, then a canoe may be the way to go. I would probably take my canoe over tha kayak on a river, because I would have to worry about the pedal drive catching on something, unless I knew the river well. Most smaller rivers are protected enough that you are more at the will of the current than the wind and canoes are great for rivers.
Re: less stable than the Pungo--I was a little concerned but then I realized A) Pungos/Aspire in my experience are super stable--they literally stop themselves on a lean, so a high bar to compare, and B) the Sportsman is also geared to hunters so if someone can fire a shotgun from it, casting a fly rod should be fine, haha.
I also like to get out and wade quite a bit and while even a Pungo has a huge seated area, it's still a bit of a Yoga move to get in and out, get the feet set, etc.
I'd still recommend a Pungo for anyone looking for a good rec yak to fish out of though. Served me very well mostly.
I have a kayak, but have been looking at something like this for fishing in small ponds and on rivers. There is an option for a bracket on that back that will hold a trolling motor. Just looks a lot more stable. The problem I have with my fishing kayak is that if there is any wind you are spending all your time paddling to control the boat, and not fishing. They do have some fishing kayaks with peddle options, but they are thousands of dollars.
I would love one, but storage would be a huge issue. Also, when I decide to go fishing, I throw my kayak in the back of my truck and I'm on the water in 30 minutes. My local lakes are pretty small though and the one 15 minutes from my house is electric motor or no motor only. The key with the kayak was to make it easy to get on the water fast. Also, even expensive pedal kayaks like mine are a lot cheaper than an actual fishing boat.
