Buy(ing) a kayak!

I did a lot of reading about kayaks prior to making a decision of which one to get. I visited and viewed many of the youtube reviews, blogs, and retail/manufacturer websites. Let me save you some time in this area of research, they are all the best fishing kayak. Or at least that's what they'll all lead you to believe. The best advice I received was this: The best kayak for you is the one you buy. Initially that doesn't really seem to help. But when you really spend some time thinking about it and talking with others who fish from kayaks you'll learn that every one of them is like a custom suit. Most are outfitted to best suit the person fishing from it. So what you need is a decent platform to start with. Luckily, most of the manufacturers of kayaks have put some thought into them and understand that you'll need to add your own custom touch to it, so they build that into their design. Ultimately I narrowed my choices down to three brands: Hobie Cat, Ocean Kayak, and Jackson. I did this because I know me fairly well after 38 years together (ha!). I like to have a product that is respected in the industry and that is produced by a very reputable company who will be around for several years. Also I wanted to be sure the kayak would be able to be used very well with little or no additional products/tools needed. Let's be honest, everyone has a budget and I knew I would not be able to add any new stuff to my kayak for some time. I also knew that as a beginner I probably wouldn't know what I would want until I'd fish from a kayak for some amount of time.

Before we talk about what I ended up with I want to spend a little time talking about buying a used kayak.

While I ended up with a new kayak, I will certainly not advise against getting a used kayak. But I think there are several things you need to consider before buying a used kayak. While of course the best kayak advice I received was great advice, I think you still need to look for the right things for you when you're about a drop a couple hundred to several thousand dollars on a kayak.

The first couple things you need to do:

1. You need to go rent or borrow a fishing kayak. Take it out and fish from it for a couple hours. It doesn't matter where or even if there's fish. You need decide if kayak fishing is right for you before you make any major investments. Get out there and cast from it and use it like we would normally. Make mental notes about what you dislike about it. That's right, write down what bothers you about it. This is important so you can later decide if it was something to do with that kayak you rented or borrowed or if it had more to do with just being in a kayak vs being in a boat. They are completely different. In a boat you have all the leverage you want. In a kayak, even a small fish can pull you around. That's not to mention getting snagged on the bottom or in a over hanging tree. Also, in a kayak if the place you picked isn't good, you can't just fire up the motor and run 3 miles up the lake to a better spot. You can only go as far as you're willing to paddle. You also need to know if the things you don't like about kayak fishing are things that can be fixed when its YOUR kayak. For instance, when I was in a rented kayak I struggled with the wind blowing me around. I felt like I was constantly battling the wind rather than fishing. But this is something that you can change when it's your kayak. You can add an anchor or use a stake out pole. There are several solutions to help with a wind problem. The point I'm making is that its a dislike that I could solve with my own kayak.
2. You need to spend time watching any videos you can with kayak fishing in them. Yes they will get you pumped up to go kayak fishing but you need to start looking at them in a different way. Stop watching the fishing and start looking at how they fish from a kayak. Here's what I mean: you need to observe how their kayak is setup, what add on's they have, where they keep gear and how they access it. Let's face it, if everything is behind you and you can't reach behind you because of a back problem or other issue, then right away you know kayak fishing is not for you or that you're kayak will need to address this issue. This approach will also give you an idea of how experienced kayak fisherman use the tools they have and what they choose to have mounted on their kayak not to mention where they put it.
3. If you can, look to buy a used kayak that has had zero modifications done to it. These are harder to find than you'd think. But when you do, it's sort of like having a new or virgin kayak at a cheaper price. Just what you're looking for right? But of course some of you will think just like I initially did. I thought, well since I'm new and I don't know what I want its better if I get a kayak completely outfitted so I will have all the stuff I need. While this line of thinking isn't necessarily bad, it does narrow the kayak that you can purchase greatly. Let me explain. Say you've found a great kayak that's really setup well. If the guy selling it is 6' 5" tall and you're 5'3" everything is going to be out of reach! What's worse is if this situation is reversed and you're the 6' 5" guy, now everything is in the way of your stroke when you paddle. So when buying a used kayak that has accessories already mounted to it, it's critical to ask the seller this question: How tall are you? If it's within an inch or two of your height you'll probably be a'okay. If not, continue you're search.

My 'yak

Well, I lucked out and was offered a trade for my boat. A trade for what quickly turned out to be a kayak that I was most interested in. A brand new, still in the plastic, Jackson Cuda. This kayak met all my requirements and hadn't been touched by anyone yet. No additional holes or scrapes or patches. How lucky was that! What really sold me on it was how well thought out it was and how it allowed you to keep much of your tackle either beside your seat or under it. I also fell in love with the adjustable seat and the stand/sit assist. Hey I'm a big guy 6'3" and 225lbs, not to mention I'm quickly approaching my 39th birthday in December, so I can use all the help I can get to stand up and sit down in a kayak.

This video from Jackson Kayak also really helped me make my decision:

The final words for this post are this: The best kayak for you is the kayak you buy, so don't worry. Don't let brand or options stop you from getting a kayak if you've made the decision start kayak fishing. After all, if you fall in love with it as you probably will, and if history of other kayak fishing addicts teaches us anything, you'll probably own several more kayaks over the years. So just go get one and get started!