Question from a prospective newb
 

Hi all,
I have lived inland all my life and recently moved to the coast.
I have been loving the fly fishing here both off the beach and in the SD bay.

My float tube has seen better days and its time to get something new. I figured why not look at all of the options including a kayak which is what brought me here.

For me, the pros of the tube are comfort, hands free to fish while the legs do the work, portability, easy storage etc.
The main con is not being able to travel great distances due to the drag of the tube and often battling against wind and current. Despite this I have been very fortunate in the places I have fished and have caught hundreds of fish in the 7 months I have been fishing here.

I have always dreamed about one day owning a fishing kayak and heading out to sea. However I really do get sea sick. I borrowed a friends kayak, launched from Fletcher's cove and did a couple of miles towards LJ. I really started feeling ill and had to beach in a hurry!!

So, if I were to get a kayak its only use would be to fish in the bay.
My sessions in the tube last 3 to 4 hours (held to ransom by my bladder!).
I am also concerned about lower back pain with ones legs stretched forward for so long. I am 6'1" 210lbs and at 52 my body is not as supple as it once was!

Given the above would I still be a candidate for a kayak (inflatable or rigid) and if so what kind?

I will be fishing the bay on Thursday in a kayak as a guest of someone who is using a guide service after which I will have a better idea.

Thanks in advance!

couple words for ya.... Hobie Pro Angler. do it.

52 came and went a while ago for me. That being said, demo a Hobie with the mirage drive. Those are the peddle powered kayaks. You can check them out at http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/. OEX Oceanside will be glad to let you demo them.

Hell of an upgrade from a tube, a Outback may work better for ya. :D

First of all....welcome to BWE:D

There are many things to consider on your first yak purchase
money
money
money
& you guessed it, money

All kidding aside. Unless you live in an apartment and have no place to securely store your kayak there are several storage solutions out there for you. If you want to stick to the 'hands free' style of fishing my suggestion would be a Hobie. I'm not promoting it because I own one but because I've owned both paddle and peddle types. Ask most most people that have owned both style of kayaks and 9 out of 10 of them will say they regret not buying a Hobie sooner.


I've only had the urge to toss my cookies once and I held it in, I didn't peddle back to the beach, I held my ground. That's the day I landed two WSB in under an hour. If you have to toss your cookies just do it. It will make you feel a lot better and you'll be providing free chum:puke:. Perhaps, you can try some sea sick pills like dramamine or the medicated patch until you get the hang of it. I've heard of some herbal, legal herbal, solutions but have never tried them.

I'm a sexy 5'10' and 230lbs and 41yrs old. On average I'm on the water once a week and usually spend about 8hrs on the water. Yes, it does get uncomfortable after about the 6th hour but once you catch that big fish you forget all about it.

You will be carrying to many sharp objects on your kayak so I would recommend you stay away from the inflatables.

Wow. Many thanks for all of the replies.
Yes I have had my eyes on the mirage drive Hobies and have seen them in use. Really good stuff but at a huge price!

Assuming bay only usage, what's the smallest I could go that would still give enough stability and tracking. I would have to load it onto roof racks on the car, offload the other side and carry it down to the water.

From the Revolution at 11' 6" to the Pro at 13'8".

There's no way you're putting a PA on a roofrack:eek:

I carry my outback in one of three places: my truck bed, my truck rack or my yakima rack on my accord. I DO NOT use the J-hook because the outback does not sit well in them, I carry it upside down.

Well, I would'nt exactly say no way.........

Is that safe? I was basing this on the amount of weight that the racks state they should carry and the fact that he has a bad back.

I know my sedan can carry about 160lbs on the roof, the big plastic boat should be fine.....:linesnap: maybe .... lol:confused:

Completely. I've been hauling that pig around on Thule racks since March of 2010, in all kinds of conditions. They've got a published max load of 165 lbs. You're probably right about the bad back though.

If your fishing within small areas,
maybe look into one of those pontoon kick boats, youll be able to unzip and piss with ease and your legs will be extended however you need..
That being said the Hobies are incredibly well built fishing crafts without a doubt the best crafted and surprisingly hold value well...
But a bit pricey especially the PA.
If you dont need to travel far and want a kayak u may want to look into the malibu stealth, I loved the 12 (just tracvked like shit and was slow)and for a bigger dude the 14 would probably be the call, you may never use the livewell flyfishing the bays, but in a lake you can throw your rainbow trout in there and keep em alive till you leave, and most importantly the stability and catsing platform are great for the money.
And Im sure Andy (iceman) has one in stock for you to try.

I was wonderin' does the air deflector help?...lol kiddin...great picture :reel:

Yeah it helps a lot. They call it a Fairing. It's reduces wind noise big time.

Coming from someone with the back of a 80yr old man. I never have back issues in either of my kayaks. I had a High Back GTS Expedition Seat, and 4+ hours in my Stealth would not leave me feeling any pain or discomfort. Now, 8+ hours in my Hobie Pro Angler, and I feel great! No discomfort at all. All my pain is in my lower back, and the kayak does nothing to irritate or promote back pain. In fact, since having the Hobie, I have had less daily pain in my back due to the theory that "Motion is lotion"

I float tubed for many years and still miss it often.....NOT. :D Get a fat stable kayak that will not make you feel uncomfortable out there.

Even if you feel like you are going to only fish bays, YOU WILL eventually want to venture out in the open again. You will.

The doctor prescribed patches work great for avoiding sickness, however you will feel a little fuzzy or behind some fog all day. The patch also made me have dry mouth like hell. I can tell you for sure that for ME ,the more I went on the water the less I started puking. I still puke one in a while but thats only when I see George pulling out a limit of WSB.

Don't be stuck on a Hobie, buy something really cheap and later upgrade if you decide to stick with it. Hobies are great (have one) but there are many, many incredible fishermen catching huge fish from non-hobies.


Hey in a kayak you can piss any time, sometimes it might even be not all over yourself!:D

Welcome to BWE.

I carry my Hobie PA on my roofracks as well. I have a Scion XB toaster box with Yakima racks. I find loading my PA at 135lbs 100000x easier than loading my 65lb Malibu stealth into some J racks. Once someone shows you how to do it, it becomes easy. Takes 2 minutes to get it on and off, all by myself and I also have a bad back.

Thanks again.
My back is not that screwed I just have a tendency for lower back pain and if I am seated in kayak position for many hours it may give me grief. Maybe Drake has a point though!

Stinky, I like the idea of cheap to start. I dont want to buy too wrong such that it puts me off totally. What length and type (sit on , sit in, width etc.) should I be looking for?

Also, in a non hobie, how do you guys handle the current and wind wanting to turn the boat while you are fishing? Remember I will be fly fishing so there will be even more time between positioning the boat and getting the cast off.

One problem that might occur with a Hobie is that drive and the big hole sucking up your line. You'd have to paddle with any line on the deck. A regular paddle style yak will give you lots of room to strip your line without tangles.

I have a really bad back and have found some yaks better than others. I usually last about 5-6hrs before the pain is too much. If you start hurting you can always throw your legs over the side too. That makes a big difference to your body posture.

Many thanks Ed. Very good point about the line.
Now to find the one yak thats better than others on the back.
I think I will be in one of the Ocean Kayak models this week for a few hours. Lets see how it goes.

for your back, spend a liitle extra for a good seat/backrest. oex has a good selection. as far as seasickness, west marine sells a product called "motion ease" it is all natural and safe for all ages. you can apply it even after you feel sick. i have seen it work on my friends. just put a few drops on your finger and rub it in behind your ears.

you could get a trailer.... ;) :D

there are many options for yaks. the smaller ones tend to get thrown about a bit and not good for open ocean or your stomach. 11ft would be the minimum id take out. your definately not going to be able to fish the structure in the harbor from a yak like a tube. they move quick and its a constant battle to stay on structure. the peddles would help alot here or wear some fins and sit sideways.

go check out OEX or any kayak shop really to see if anything pops out. they look alot different in person than on google images. you could even pick out a few and go demo them in the local bay/pond.

I've heard of a remedy for sea sickness :canabis:

I'm a newb also. I bought a Hobie Outback and am absolutely loving it. I haven't had it in the salty stuff, yet but have been on a couple lakes for up to 8 hours with no problems. I'm 6'0' and around 250 lbs (and dropping!) and the outback is smooth and comfy. It's reasonably easy to get onto the roof of my old infiniti sedan. These guys have a ton of great advice and Iceman at OEX in Sunset Beach is really cool. Go visit him and he'll hook you up. Good Luck!

I went from pontoon boat with a casting platform to kayak pretty recently. You seem to be asking the same questions I asked myself. I love fly fishing and being able to stand up was mandatory. Several kayaks fit that bill. Then I also use gear tackle and see myself trolling at times you can troll with both paddle or peddle kayaks. Are you going to want to be able to multitask ie, change flies, lures, eat, etc while on the move then you will need hands free. Storage is important figure out how much gear you going to bring how you are going to store your rods. For me I was sold on the PA horizontal rod storage. While fishing fresh water I had my craft drift into the reeds or brush along the banks and was worried about a 9ft fly rod getting the tip busted off. I have taken it in the salt and fresh water. So in the end I got the PA and I do not regret it one bit. Yeah it was pricey but look for deals on Craigslist. I got mine at fast lane sailing in MB got a good deal. The real factor is going to be your pocket book. I had to wait a while for one to show up in my price range and persistence paid off. Good luck only you will know what yak is right for you!

No need to carry when you have the wheels to roll it down to the water.

Again, thanks all for your useful input.
I hear what you are saying about conquering my issues with motion sickness but I know me! With the type fishing and fun I have been having in the bay (virtually on my doorstep) and off the beach I really do not see myself heading out sea.

Given this I dont want to go over the top as far as a kayak is concerned.

I have my half day on the water tomorrow in a yak and will be a whole lot better informed after that (Jim does know his stuff!!)

I had a great day on the water with Jim and found the OK very comfortable. Ihad the fly rod with me but fished mostly conventional gear.

I visited the FHS on Friday and had a long chat to the OEX folks who were very helpful.
They showed me a Wilderness Ride 115 which seemed nice and stable allowing you to stand up if desired.

Remember I really do get sea sick and will probably never head out to sea so I can size my yak according to bay conditions.

Many of the folks here really do punt the mirage drive hobies over any of the other kayaks but almost all of them are conventional gear anglers. In my tube I am fishing straight out in front of me. Many of the other fly fishing kayakers sit side ways with fins on to control the position of the yak they fish out in front of them. Given this it would seem a waste to have the mirage drive as it would be tough fishing out the front of a yak with all that yak in front of you.

Would the mirage drive be a waste of money given the type of fishing I will be doing?

I will be heading to OEX in Mission bay soon to do some test runs.

Exactly!

Same... carry mine on a hybrid Ford Escape....beach loads, sidewalk-down-the-stairs, and on the ramp... factory rails with Yakima crossbars (that's it).

I've hit 80mph with it on the roof and though it totally craps the gas mileage the racks held.

Check Drakes video on PA loading...it is simple. People still ask if they can give me a hand. It is much easier alone than with help.

With the Pro Angler you can stand and cast if your getting cramped up sitting as well.

Streak,

Bring your fly rod to the OEX tournament, I'll let you fish off my PA for a trial. I also fly fish off of it and it works great.

Any way you go, welcome to the world of kayak fishing! its a great bunch of people!

Thats very kind of you specially when you will busy with a tournament.
I have quite a hectic day that Saturday but it would make sense to pop out and see all the various kayaks.

Went for a test run today in an Outback and a Revo 11.
Outback was super stable with the narrower Revo being a little twitchy.

One thing I found in both as that if you are tall or have long legs (I am 6'1") the pedal adjustment maxes out before you can get your leg straight meaning that you are pedaling with a bent knee all the time. This is a big no no when cycling as it can result in quad fatigue and knee pain. I dont know if the same applies in the recumbent type position in the Hobies as I was not out long enough.

Would be interested to hear from the longer legged folks amongst us.!!

Scopolamine Patch
 

Ask your Doctor for a few Scopolamine patches and put them on several hours before you head out. They will dry your mouth and throat out a bit, so bring lots of water. We use them on ventilated patients that have tons of oral secretions and it works very well. Fortunately I have never had a problem with motion sickness so I can't speak firsthand as to their effectiveness. I have seen some guys on party boats wear them and they swear they work great. You just need a prescription. Good luck.

On the seasickness, I don't get it but my brother gets seasick in the bathtub. No meds worked for him. Couple years ago he bought a watch type devise that shocks the wrist - adjustable strength. Now he can go out on the water. He can turn it off until he starts getting queasey then turn it on. Can even share it with others turning green

Just another option to consider.

And welcome to the madness!