What style of kayak is best?

[John Whyte]

Do most of the angling kayakers use a sit in or on top style kayak? What length is the most popular for all bodies of water?

[GeorgianBay MessageBoard]

[RogerN]

Hi there, seems to me the sit on tops would be more practical.  However in early season, a sit in would be way warmer!  I'm currently converting my Jackson rocker (creek boat) into a fishing kayak . . . Love the site, great idea!  :0)

[John Whyte]

Thanks Roger
I'm looking at a Jackson Cuda today.

[The Kayaker]

I have had my sit-in for going on 6 years now...
It is small (10 feet) but I have everythign within reach and haven't been spooked by a wave or wake yet...
I like the fact that my things can stay dry and sheltered from the sun when in the sensoredpit. I feel like I have more deck space to mount my things as I have mounted my extra rods and net behind me creating a nice back rest for those extended days on the water.

I have looked at the SOTs but also like that I can shelter my lower body from the sun most of the time without too much bulk.

Jon

[Canuckbass]

John... This is the video that sold me on the Jackson Cuda! Great to check out. I will be by Paddleshack after meeting up with Kulik at Epps Saturday morning.
Check this out, well worth watching youtube.com/watch?v=mf8WMjpiaiA#[/youtube]ws]http://www.

ws

[John Whyte]

I watched the video before and that's what got me interested. I met with Jay and he has offered to bring some boats down for a demonstration at a place of our choice. I was thinking Tudhope on Couchiching.

[John Whyte]

Well now I'm looking at the Big Tuna. It can be tandem or solo, comes with a live well and weighs the same.

[will]

I would go with a sit in kayak, but thats just me.  They are usually faster and more efficient thenn recreational sit on tops, and I find they are far easier to portage.  If you are worried about space, i'd get a tandem sit in kayak with one large sensoredpit containing both seats.  Usually you can slide the front seat back to the middle when paddling solo.  Gives you lots of space as well as all the other benefits of a sit in.

[John Whyte]

The only problem with sit ins that was pointed out to me was that if I roll it getting it empty and upright could be a real problem in any wind.

[will]

I guess your right.  Rolling could be a problem and even though i believe sit on tops are more stable i also believe there is a better chance of flipping.  People pften flip when reaching for things that are in the water and i things which are not strapped in are more likely to fall out of a sit on top...  I personally HATE the drainage holes aswell.  I dropped my iphone in the kayak and it landed right in the 1/2 inch deep puddle near the hole.  No more iphone . 

In the end it all comes down to personal preference.  Until an individual has used both types of kayak theres no saying as to what theyll prefer.

[The Kayaker]

The downfall of flipping a sit in is infact the water issue...
I have down done for trial reasons to see hwo difficult it would be to get back in in such an event. I was able to straddle the yak once it was emptied and slowly slide in. And that was with no major wind however.

I just saw the video for the Cuda. I really like the moveable seat, the end storage bulkheads and that stand up strap. That's a great idea! It will for sure make the movements safer on the water.

[Tinker]

I started a couple years ago in an open sensoredpit 10' sit in Pelican. It did have the advantage of keeping you dry/warm it was less stable than the sit on top 12' Tarpon that I now use. In fact I rolled the sit in once while simply retying a line.

The biggest benefits of the sit on to me have been the stability, the additional room for equipment and the ability on a long day on the water to change seating positions to where I can sit sideways and hang my feet in the water while drifting.

I have had the weather change on me quickly and have paddled through large waves that I don't think the sit in would have taken near as well.

Length of kayak is important as well as the longer the boat the better it tracks while a shorter boat is more manouverable on the water and due to the lower weight, easier to transport.

Ultimately the best kayak is one that matches your abilities, where you are fishing and your pocketbook.

[RogerN]

I agree with pretty much much everything everybody else had to share, but at the risk of sounding preachy ... if you're worried about tipping / rolling don't boat / fish alone.  One of the first things I learned in whitewater boating was that eventually, everybody swims :0)

Tight lines!

R.

[John Whyte]

Lots of great advice - Thanks

I now know not to flip the yak until July I guess I better practice a little.

[Grandpa Jim]

I am very much a novice kayaker. I find this thread very interesting as was the Jackson video. All I can offer up is a repitition of the advice I got from several dealerships I visited prior to purchasing a 12 foot Pungo (the bitter half already had a 10' recreational kayak). I explained my usage as being flat water, primarily sheltered areas of Georgian Bay. All gave the same response - purchase a sit-in (due to possible chop and the very short period of "warm" water that occurs annually on the Bay). If I was kayaking in an area where "mangroves" were present and the water was comfortable all year long, I would definitely think the sit-on would be the way to go but not sure how practical that would be in April, May and October/November here in Ontario. I was a little uneasy about three aspects of the Jackson Cuda. It is a flat-bottomed, hard chine design which provides great stability but no forgiveness whatsoever if you somehow manage to exceed the balance point. Difficult to execute a brace while standing. The high seat would be great visually in the Florida Keys but has to be less stable as the centre of gravity rises from the bottom of the kayak. The third thing is weight. An extra ten to fifteen pounds doesn't sound like much but makes loading, unloading and portaging less pleasant, especially with gear and AGE. I also countless positive features in the video and would love to see one if you set up a demo day, John. There are obvious advantages to a SOT for fishing. Any watercraft purchase seems to come down to compromises and kayaks, for all their simplicities, are really no exception. I'm just considering some changes with my kayak so it becomes more "fishable". I look forward to following the input and suggestions of those from this site that are already very experienced in kayak fishing.