What should I get Fishing Kayak or Regular Kayak?

Question

I've been wanting to get into kayaking recently for recreational use. I've been doing some research with both fishing kayaks and the regular (sit in) rec kayak, now I don't go fishing often, if anything I don't go fishing at all, that being said I do go camping a lot and what really made me look into the fishing kayaks was the storage capabilities. Is there any real major differences in terms of performance? I don't plan on going fast, it would be more of a camping kayak that lets me haul some gear from shore to island kind of thing.

What are some good kayaks? Am I missing other types of kayaks I should include for my purchase/research?

Thanks

Answer 1

There are some good articles on the free kayaking website Paddling.net on the differences between types of kayaks and how to choose one. There are actually over a dozen types of kayaks which all have different characteristics. "Recreational" kayaks are short fat boats for what we call "lily-dipping". They are slow and stable in flat calm water but don't have the handling characteristics or safety features like peripheral deck rigging and sealed bulkheads that larger touring kayaks have to make them perform in wind, waves and deeper water and fast currents. Whitewater kayaks are a whole other thing, made for negotiating rapids and waterfalls, but horrible for trying to paddle in a straight line and with very little cargo capacity.



Actually, the best boats for fishing and camping are not kayaks but canoes. They are simpler to haul gear with and have more capacity. You can get short solo pack canoes, like the Old Town NEXT model that you paddle like a kayak, sitting low in the middle and using a double ended paddle.



http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/next/



These run $1000 but I have seen them on sale for around $800 at times.



If you are going to insist on a kayak, a better choice than a rec boat would be light touring kayak, 14 to 16' with dual front and rear sealed bulkhead compartments. A decent model will run you around $900 to $1200 new though used ones can be found for half that.

Answer 2

regular if you want to go fishing get a good touring kayak eg. a dagger approatch

Answer 3

okay, so i fish a ton. a while back i bought a kayak. i bought a plain old sit in one and it had plenty of storage, and cost around $250 as compared to $750. and it worked perfectly. i never flipped, i caught some fish, overall i was happy with it.