New kayak questions

[MNtransplant]

Howdy OA family,

I am in the market for a newer kayak for fishing and i had a few questions for those yak fisherman out there...I currently have a Ascend A10 sit in kayak that ive fished with a handful of times and it just isn't what Im looking for...when i wear bigger boots for winter fishing my feet barely fit into the nose of the boat and tend to cramp and get uncomfortable. Also with a sit in style, the seat is so low to the water I can't see anything or work a jerkbait or topwater very well.  Ive been looking at several different models including the Ascend 10T and 12T as well as the newer Perception outlaw series. Ive seen some pretty simple seat mods on YouTube to get the seats higher on the ascend models. Wondering if anyone has experience doing these mods and if they actually help. Ideally Id like to either have a taller seat to fish from or the ability to stand up without going to a much heavier or more expensive boat. I have a roof rack on my little Hyundai sonata that id like to continue to use rather than a trailer so i think anything bigger than a 12ft is out of the question...thanks for reading this novel...send pictures of your modifications and or hiw you have other things setup on your yaks! 

[Flysmallie]

I have an older 12T and haven't done the seat mod. I grew up fishing in a float tube so sitting low doesn't bother my fishing but I feel it would be easier for my fatass to get in and out of. @Harps has one too and I do believe he did the seat mod and has liked it. The newer seats are a lot better than my older one too. 

 

[MNtransplant]

On 2/11/2021 at 10:53 AM, Flysmallie said:

I have an older 12T and haven't done the seat mod. I grew up fishing in a float tube so sitting low doesn't bother my fishing but I feel it would be easier for my fatass to get in and out of. @Harps has one too and I do believe he did the seat mod and has liked it. The newer seats are a lot better than my older one too. 

 

Thanks FlySmallie! I found a smokin deal on a lightly used 12T so once this freeze lets up Im excited to clean it up and start making it mine. Glad to know you have the same boat when I run into questions

[Gavin]

Welcome and congrats on your new boat. You will like a 12’ allot better than a 10’. Do not go wild with gizmos! Spend on a nice paddle and life jacket. Find a cooler that fits, maybe upgrade the seat.

[Bayliner]

i wouldn't recommend elevating the seat higher as its will become more tips top heavy as long as its a comfortable seat you'll be satisfied. i did add a cheap fish finder which will help you to not fish blindly and improve you success. stand up kayaks are much heavier and unless you go to the longer ones standing is still shakey. in kayaks its always a trade off in weight-stability-handling- price-add ons so pick your priorities 

[Harps]

Raising the seat on mine cured a couple of problems. Highly recommend it on these 12Ts.

[ollie]

I've been researching online as well for a new yak. I wouldn't go with the outlaw unless you want a heavier boat that will act like a sail with you on top of it! I already have a solo canoe that is almost 12' long, so I am looking at a 10 footer. I'm leaning towards the Vibe brand now. Buzz has a 12 foot Acsend that he likes, but it is a tank to load and unload. I want something lightweight since I go a lot on my own. Just my 2 cents worth.

[trythisonemv]

10 hours ago, ollie said:

I've been researching online as well for a new yak. I wouldn't go with the outlaw unless you want a heavier boat that will act like a sail with you on top of it! I already have a solo canoe that is almost 12' long, so I am looking at a 10 footer. I'm leaning towards the Vibe brand now. Buzz has a 12 foot Acsend that he likes, but it is a tank to load and unload. I want something lightweight since I go a lot on my own. Just my 2 cents worth.

I bought a Tamara angler from wally world Ollie. . . it tracks well weighs 50 lbs and is ten footer. Lots of easy upgrades you can make after market as well. Buya stadium seat from wally world being the biggest. I use the stock seat and it is fine though. Geta milk crate for the back . has good storage but runs whole length of yak. So may need to Velcro some stoppers . I have a dollar store cheap trash can that fits down in the hole. Only cost 250 of the website