CTFishTalk.com: Looking into a Kayak. - Connecticut Kayak Fishing ( CT Kayak Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Dozer02 · Joined: 29 May 2013 Posts: 37

Hello fellow fish people! I'm a longtime bass fisherman who's quite comfortable fishing from my boat's, but sometimes I don't feel up to launching a boat for just a couple hours of fishing. I've been seeing a lot of Kayaks lately and some of these guys are able to park their car and be on the water in about a minute & a half! Got me thinking about picking one up myself. I once saw a nice rig (the name eludes me) it had a motor mount, rod holders, two seats and various other "goodies" that I thought was pretty neat! It was green but not a "loud" green, kind of like a "forest" green, I don't want to be highly visible (I would only be using it on "trolling motor only" ponds & lakes). I also like the idea of a wider beam.....I know it sounds like I'm wanting a canoe but I really like some of the larger Kayaks. I don't want a boat that I have to consciously maintain my balance, I'd like a nice stable fishing platform that I could lean over without the fear of unintentionally swimming! I had a 10' Basshunter ultra pond boat from Bass pro shops that was pretty nifty for small ponds and even lakes but I sold it when I moved. Even still, it weighed over 100lbs. Not very easy to carry 20 or 30 yards! It still had the hassles of a regular boat. I'm not sure if I want a Scanoe or a Kayak, but I'd really like something I could carry myself without breaking my back. I'm going to begin researching this through the google gods, meanwhile if anyone has any ideas I'd be happy to hear them!

NorthEastFisherman · Joined: 27 May 2012 Posts: 582

Check out the NuCanoe its like half kayak half canoe, not sure about price or anything but it sounds like the one you were describing.
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wfparys · Joined: 05 Jul 2011 Posts: 22

I have a Nucanoe. I am careful about reaching over or leaning over. It is fine for fishing but my legs get stiff after about an hour and a half and then I need to stretch. I've seen the videos of people standing to fish but I will not try that. I attached a length of rope to the front as an assist to standing up. it helps a lot.I also made a sliding flat surface that holds my tackle box etc. (I push out front out of my way and pull back with twine attached to it. The optional wheels are an excellent accessory for loading / unloading into a truck. The wheels make moving it real easy. It fits kitty corner into my Nissan Frontier. I have thought about making a backrest out of some scrap wood but have not tried it, I have not been out in it for well over a year now. Always something.

Ctmrxmas · Joined: 30 Jun 2014 Posts: 30

I am new to kayak fishing also. I bought the Pelican Apex 100 from Dicks on sale for $200. It gets the job done (made many modifications already) and I am having a blast! I should have gone with the Future Beach 160 Angler from Ocean State Job lot. It is VERY similar to the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13. It is bigger than what I bought, has more storage and already has pole holders. It is normally $400 (MSRP is $899) but every few weeks they have it on sale for $359. I will probably still buy one of those this year.....so I should have just bought it to begin with. Just my $.02 http://futurebeach.com/.../sit-in-kayaks-2/anglertm-160.html

Subchaser · Joined: 15 Feb 2014 Posts: 3

Hey Dozer, recommend you take a look at these 5: Old Town Predator MX (that's what I have), Old Town Predator 13, Feelfree Lure 11.5, Jackson Big Rig, Jackson Cuda 12. All these yaks have great fishing capability, are stable and give you all kinds of rigging potential. Just gotta figure out which one is the best for you and how you fish.

Dozer02 · Joined: 29 May 2013 Posts: 37

I appreciate the replies folks! I like that Nucanoe and the Old Town MX. I noticed the Nucanoe is shown with a handlebar (of sorts) and they advertise the ability to stand, cast and fight fish, that's quite appealing to me. I don't think I would be able to sit for very long in typical kayak position. The Nucanoe seems quite versatile. I do not wish to paddle, I work a physically demanding job as a steamfitter/welder, I think I'd prefer automation after working all day. I'd be using one of two different transom mount trolling motors that are currently sitting idle in my basement. The oar would be strictly for launching and emergency use only! Laughing

wfparys · Joined: 05 Jul 2011 Posts: 22

try paddling it first, before you spend the money on a motor, paddling is real easy.

Dozer02 · Joined: 29 May 2013 Posts: 37

coastieyaker · Joined: 27 Jan 2013 Posts: 282

Dozer,
if standing is key for your purchase, and you remain interested in the nucanoe, buy the nucanoe frontier, not the classic.

i made that mustake and had a classuc for a year, and was barely able to stand uo.

the frontier deck is night and day over the classic its almostnot a close comparison

Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

I was just up at CT Outfitters today. They have several NuCanoes in stock w/ different configurations.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Although you can mount a trolling motor on the transom of a NuCanoe, they're pretty big and bulky. If you don't mind big and bulky, you'd be hard pressed to find a better powered kayak than a Hobie Pro Angler 12 with the Hobie eVolve Torqeedo Motor. However, there are less expensive options on the market. For other powered kayaks or just to get ideas, you should check out Bassyaks: http://bassyaks.com
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Dozer02 · Joined: 29 May 2013 Posts: 37

I appreciate the input fellas! I really need to get my sorry butt out to some retailers and lay eyes & hands on all the different models. I have two Motorguide short shaft (30") trolling motors that I'd like to put on something! My biggest issue now is that I'm working 7-10hr shifts per week at the Plainfield renewable energy power plant. I live in Meriden, so between the commute & the hours, I pretty much have no life right now. The good part is that I'm making a whole lot of money right now so that won't be a deciding or limiting factor in my decision! I'm a local 777 union steamfitter/welder so the pay is pretty high (when we're working). I despise working 7 days but I love/need the money. Being a "fair weather worker" sucks when your passion is largemouth or any fishing for that matter, at the same time, we fisherman have quite an expensive passtime and it needs all the funds we can pour into it. This job won't last very long so I'll get out there soon enough and check out all the models.The internet is always informative but for me, there's nothing like seeing/feeling them in real life so I'll do just that. Thank's to all you folks, I'll know right where to start.

anointed130 · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:27 pm Post subject:

Just remember if you put trolling motor on kayak, it has to be registered also. another way the state can get $$ from you.
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Dozer02 · Joined: 29 May 2013 Posts: 37

DCAJ · Joined: 04 Jun 2012 Posts: 76 Location: Berlin, CT

I have a trolling motor on my Native Ultimate 12 kayak and it works great. I built a mount out of a few pieces of wood and mounted it right behind the seat. I don't have a picture with me right now, I'll send a pic as soon as I can.