Kayak Fishing

[Stoneroller]

Are you referring to the SOT FS12? The FS10 I bought has a seat that not only drains well but is removable so you can put it on the beach and hang out by the fire or whatever. The FS12 did not have the good reviews that the 10 footer I purchased has. For the money I'm liking this boat...with all the "hobbies" I have my budget is shrinking rapidly.

the well the seat goes in, does it have drainage? the fs10 that I saw had dents there, like they had considered putting scuppers in, but there were none. the fs12 may have a seat design that keeps you up out of the seating well.

[moguy1973]

Losing rods in the rear holders? Simple solution, rod lanyards...not that big of deal if you ask me...

[Wayne SW/MO]

Losing rods in the rear holders? Simple solution, rod lanyards...not that big of deal if you ask me...

Then what? You're going down river and you're hung up in a tree behind you, and the rods behind you also.

[ollie]

That's trial and error or as I call it wisdom.

[Stoneroller]

i've found rod floater to be the best cure. if the rod does pop out 1 of 2 things will happen. 1 it hangs in the tree. 2 it floats downstream eitherway, it's 'usually' not a big deal and it's like riding a bike, after the first few times you figure out how to avoid the mailboxes.

cheapest way to make them is to buy some of the foam pipe insulation from a hardware store. cut a length of it and zip tie it just above the reel. bottom line, everything better float or be lashed to your yak, if you do flip anything that's not will be on the river bottom.

[professioneat]

On 2/27/2012 at 11:56 PM, Stoneroller said:

Austin Canoe and Kayak is probably your best option for kayak gear. There are other places out there: yakattack, hook1, colorado whitewater, etc but i've found ACK to have the BEST customer service from ANY company i've ever dealt with.

 

I have the stohlquist fisherman's pfd. Although, admittedly I rarely wear it. I make sure to wear it in whitewater or if the water temp is below 60, especially if the air temp is too. A kayak specific PFD will have no floatation in the lower back area so you can sit against the seat. It's also going to have more range of motion in the arm areas than a normal PFD.

 

The inflatable PFD's would be a good option. I just didn't want to have to deal with buying recharging cylinders if i were to take an unplanned swim. Although, clearly a PFD doesn't work if you aren't wearing, so if you will wear an inflatable PFD, then definately get on. Frankly there doesn't look to be a huge difference in features with those, so I'd look best kayak fishing pfd for a name brand you can trust that falls within your price range.

I would guess that this question has come up before, but i'm still new and having trouble searching the forums. I recently purchased a fishing kayak and need a quality PFD. I have around $150 in gift cards to bass pro and would love if a recommendation could be to something I could purchase from there. I've done a little research and have seen prices all over the spectrum. The 'Mustang' brand, inflatable PFD looked really nice. however that $250 price tag didn't!! I like the thought of an inflatable vest due to its small size but that would be completely new to me as I have only worn the standard foam ones. Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks, and I apologize once again if this is a repeat question.

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[Gavin]

NRS is the place to go for quality paddling gear.

[grizwilson]

Paddling vest is much better, NRS is where I got mine.  If your kayak is a sit in avoid inflatable they can inflate and wedge you inside the boat.  I have inflatable in the bass boat but never the yak or canoe. 

[jdmidwest]

2 hours ago, grizwilson said:

Paddling vest is much better, NRS is where I got mine.  If your kayak is a sit in avoid inflatable they can inflate and wedge you inside the boat.  I have inflatable in the bass boat but never the yak or canoe. 

Interesting thought on the automatic inflatables.  I don't wear them in a kayak because I usually get wet and can set them off.  Paddles dripping on the trigger at the same height.

I have some manual inflatables that I have wore in the kayaks.  While I could get knocked out by a limb to the head, I would say 99% of the time I can yank the cord and pop it to inflate.  I have camo for duck boat and a waist belt one that I have even used wading alone on a swift river.  I swim like a rock.

[Quillback]

One note about some of the Mustang inflatables is that they are "hydrostatic" meaning that they have to be submerged in 4" of water to auto inflate, which means you should be OK with one in rain, humidity, and wave splash.  That's according to them.  

I have a Mustang inflatable HIT and my main complaint it that it does not have a metal clip to attach a kill switch lanyard.