Quote:
Originally Posted by ftufc
Thanks Jim for your feedback, very much appreciated; I'm 6'2", 190#, age 58. Yours is the first comment I've read about the Torque not supporting a standing fisherman. Standing for me is not a necessity but a wish. I'm getting it today, and because I won't be able to make a beach/harbor until next Sat. I'm going to drop it in my pool and play on it (80F v 68F, lol). I would really like to know why you changed from a Torque after several years, and what you changed to???? And, have you tried the Scotty outrigger? When I first saw it my interest was really piqued by it, but it looked like it might be a bit bulky/cumbersome; what do you think of it?
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Well I guess I should ask where you plan on fishing, though if you gave Jarrod's kayak a try I assume it is local. I have done stand up fishing in the Torque on the flats in Georgia but would not consider it in any kind of offshore conditions. The Torque was just not made to be a stand up kayak, the motor works well and it is a good paddler when you pull the motor out and insert the plug.
The reason for my getting rid of my torque are two fold, I rarely used it, I am a paddler and really prefer that to any alternative method of propulsion. It was mainly used by my videographer, as it really is an awesome shooting platform. The main reason though is that after over twenty years working with Ocean Kayak, I now work with Jackson, so I got rid of all my OK's.
As to the Scotty Outriggers yes I have used them on many occasions while stand up sight casting on lakes up in northern Canada. They really make stand up fishing much easier. Standing is one thing, standing and casting or landing fish is another issue and the stabilizers really help. And if set correctly they also have little influence on the paddle-ability of the kayak, particularly if you have a rudder.
Again I was not in kayaks that were made for standing these were better paddling kayaks, that with the stabilizers, could be used for stand up fishing. Fast boats that I could add these to so that I could stand when I wanted was pretty cool.
I don't generally find a need to stand while fishing locally so I rarely used them here.
I know smaller more agile guys that stand and fish on these same boats, on flat waters, but I am not small or agile.
The Jackson Kayaks though were made for standing up in so the stabilizers are not needed on flat water. I am still not going to stand up in mine while offshore. The last thing I want to do is go for a swim or send my gear to the bottom.