TexasKayakFisherman.com est. 2000

[Neumie]

Several years ago I built, and have kept updated, a Google Spreadsheet with a list of fishing kayaks available for sale in the US; about 264 models at the time of this post. They're broken up into three tabs: "SOTs/SUPs" (180 models), "Canoes/SINKs" (34 models), and "Other Brands" (29 models).

Here's the link to the Google Spread Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Kayaks within the "SOTs/SUPs" tab are kayaks which are clearly SUPs or SOTs or have a self bailing deck; such as a Nucanoe. I only included SUPs from manufactures who also make kayaks, so companies like Live Watersports and Bote are not included. Kayaks within the "Canoes/SINKs" tab have seating positions at or below the waterline and do not have self bailing capabilities; think Native Watercraft Ultimates. The "Other Brands" tab has lesser known brands, mainly kayak models massed produced in China and are offered under numerous bran names. Within those tabs you'll find columns for length, width, weight of the kayak, carrying capacity, type of seat, pedal drive, rudder, MSRP (obviously some kayaks can be found cheaper than MSRP), manufacture of origin, parent company, and notes.

All of these options are sortable, but I've also pre-built filters to help narrow it down the kayaks you should be considering depending on where you are planning on fishing. I've broken these filters into 9 groups: Pedal Driven, Lakes, Coast, Rivers - Large, Rivers - Small, Camping, All Purpose, < $1,000, and <$750. You can access the filters by clicking Data - Filter Views.



A couple of notes. Pedal drives within the filters are poorly represented, mainly due to their width. From a paddler's standpoint a kayak that's too wide is difficult to paddle, but if you're wanting to pedal most of the time then width isn't as big of a factor in your decision. For paddlers on lakes and at the coast I put emphasis on kayaks which a rudder is already installed or an optional upgrade. If you're wanting a kayak for lakes or down at the coast but don't want to add a rudder use the "Rivers - Large" filter.

Here are the criteria for each filter.

Pedal Driven
Self explanatory, these are kayaks which either come with or have the option to add a pedal drive.

Lakes
Length is between 11' 06" and 14' 01". Capacity is greater than 325 lbs (based on a 200 lbs paddler). It either has a rudder or has the option to add one.

Coast
Length is greater than or equal to 13' 00". Width is less than or equal to 30". Capacity is greater than or equal to 325 lbs (based on 200 lbs paddler). It either has a rudder or has the option to add one.

Rivers - Large
Kayaks for fishing the Brazos or Lower Colorado for example. Length between 11'02" and 14' 01". Width less than or equal to 38". Weight less than or equal to 105 lbs. Capacity is greater than or equal to 325 lbs (based on 200 lbs paddler).

Rivers - Small
Kayaks for the Upper Guadalupe, Frio, etc. Length between 10' 00" and 13' 00". Width less than or equal to 38". Kayak weight less than or equal to 90 lbs (easier for portaging). Capacity is greater than or equal to 325 lbs (based on 200 lbs paddler).

Camping
These are kayaks which offer higher weight capacities for carrying gear for over night camping trips. Length between 10' 06" and 14' 01". Capacity greater than or equal to 425 lbs (based on 200 lbs paddler).

All Purpose
These kayaks are ones which should be considered if you can only own one kayak and plan on fishing the coast, rivers, and doing overnight camping trips. Length Length between 11' 06" and 14' 01". Width less than or equal to 36". Capacity greater than or equal to 425 lbs (based on 200 lbs paddler). It either has a rudder or has the option to add one.

< $1,000
Self explanatory, these are kayaks with MSRP's equal to or less than $1,000.

< $750
Self explanatory, these are kayaks with MSRP's equal to or less than $750.

[Neumie]

At the bottom you'll see additional tabs.

The fourth tab is for PFDs. Those are broken down into Men/Unisex, Women, Inflatable, and Kids. Within the men/Unisex and Women's PFDs they are broken down into High Back (meaning the the flotation on the back is higher up between the shoulder blades to clear seat backs found on SOT kayaks), High Back - Angler (have features geared towards anglers), Thin Back (the flotation on the back is f full length, but thin enough to not be cumbersome when leaning back in a kayak seat), and Thin Back - Angler. A few of the models come in Universal Sizing, but most you need to select the correct size for your build. Inflatable is broken down into Auto Suspenders, Manual Suspenders, and Manual Belt. Kids is broken down into Youth and Child sizes.

The fifth tab is for kayak paddles. The paddles within the spreadsheet are considered "high angle" paddles with shorter, but broader blade designs. Those are broken into standard and adjustable length. Adjustable length paddles are a good option for kayaks which have a high/low adjustable seat heights. Within those to categories the paddles are grouped by build materials. Group 1 is fiberglass shaft with fiberglass reinforced nylon blades. Group 2 is carbon fiber shaft with fiberglass reinforced nylon blades. Group 3 is carbon fiber shaft with carbon reinforced nylon blades. Group 4 is carbon fiber shaft with fiberglass blades. Group 5 is carbon fiber shaft with carbon fiber blades. You should choose the lightest paddle within your budget.

Let me know if you have any questions on any of these spreadsheets. I hope this information helps those new or are looking to upgrade.

[Ron Mc]

look at you go Josh - Great effort.

[Neumie]

Running a hypothetical scenario.

Let's say I'm looking for a SOT kayak, less than 12 feet because it's as long a kayak I can store and transport, under 90 lbs because I have to car top it, I weigh 225 lbs so I need a kayak with a capacity of at least 350 lbs, I really like the comfort of the framed kayak seats, my max budget for just the kayak is $900, and because I don't approve of what's currently going on in China this fall of 2019 I don't want to purchase a kayak manufactured in China.

Here's what you'd need to do.

Step 1: Select Data - Filter Views - Create New Temporary Filter View.



Step 2: Drop down the filter menu in the "Length" column and click on "Filter by Condition", then select "Less than or equal to", and then enter in " 12' 00" " (formatting here is important). Click OK.



Step 3: Drop down the filter menu in the "Weight" column and click on "Filter by Condition", then select "Less than or equal to", and then enter in "90". Click OK.



Step 4: Drop down the filter menu in the "Capacity" column and click on "Filter by Condition", then select "Greater than or equal to", and then enter in "350". Click OK.



Step 5: Drop down the filter menu in the "Frame Seat" column and deselect "(Blanks)". Click OK.



Step 6: Drop down the filter menu in the "MSRP" column and click on "Filter by Condition", then select "Less than or equal to", and then enter in "900". Click OK.



Step 7: Drop down the filter menu in the "Place of Origin" column and deselect "China". Click OK.



If you do this SOTs/SUPs kayak tab you'll whittle the lists down to 15 from 190. This would be a good starting point for looking at kayaks in this hypothetical situation.

[Neumie]

look at you go Josh - Great effort.

Thanks Ron.

[Getz-Some55]

I didn't see this until it popped up on my Tapatalk email notifications.
This is amazing! Thanks Neumie!
I'll be selectively sharing this with friends that are in the market.

[niswanger]

Very nice data set here, thank you for sharing it.

I did some quick sorting on capacity and found it odd...for instance.

How can the Eddy Gear Sting Ray XL at 13'04" and width of 29.5" have a capacity of 670 lbs when the Native Titan Propel is 2" longer and a whopping 12" wider at 41.5" but only have a capacity of 550 lbs? Would hull design (geometry and components) really off-set it that much?

Thanks,
Roy

[Neumie]

Very nice data set here, thank you for sharing it.

I did some quick sorting on capacity and found it odd...for instance.

How can the Eddy Gear Sting Ray XL at 13'04" and width of 29.5" have a capacity of 670 lbs when the Native Titan Propel is 2" longer and a whopping 12" wider at 41.5" but only have a capacity of 550 lbs? Would hull design (geometry and components) really off-set it that much?

Thanks,
Roy

There's no industry standard for determining weight capacity so that's why there's wide variance in weight capacities. I personally do not trust the listed weight capacities of kayaks from China; I believe them to be optimistic to say the least. Hull design does impact capacity (wider beam, flat bottom, pontoon hull, etc), but the that Eddy Line kayak seems why, why too high given it's specs and my eye test.

I made a post about this earlier this year (CLICK) where I reached out to some of the popular kayak manufactures to find out what their weight capacity actually meant. I won't recap all the answers, but Native Watercraft you subtract the weight of the kayak, seat, hatches, drives, etc to determine it's actual weight capacity. For example: Native Watercraft's Titan 10.5's true weight capacity is 379 lbs (500 lbs - 121 lbs for kayak, seat, drive, etc).

I'll add, it's important to balance your load while kayak fishing to get optimal performance and weight capacity. Most kayakers don't (I don't either) and the vast majority of the weight we add to the kayak (person, gear, coolers, etc) is above the waterline and in the back half of the kayak. This means we're ass heavy. That's why I think it's important to stay at 70%-75% below the stated manufacturers weight capacity so you don't have issues while on the water.

[niswanger]

Not surprised that there are variances and only makes sense that some would be inflated, just like battery capacity. The idea to stay under 75% rated capacity is a good idea for sure.

I do try to distribute my load and I've put a little more in font of me than probably the average. When I use my sail (currently the stock Hobie Kit sail, but as we speak Star Kayak Sails is making a custom one for me that is close to twice the size), having the bow dominant in the water helps reduce leeward drift.

-Roy

[Neumie]

When I use my sail (currently the stock Hobie Kit sail, but as we speak Star Kayak Sails is making a custom one for me that is close to twice the size), having the bow dominant in the water helps reduce leeward drift.

-Roy

A bit of an FYI, if your kayak is over 14 feet in length and you are using a sail you'll have to register it with TPWD.

[niswanger]

Yes, it's in the regulations (that white outdoors booklet with also fish size/limits). I've known about this and knowingly still have yet to get my registration numbers. Before ordering this better custom sail and making my own mast, I just didn't use the stock sail kit enough to justify it. But I'm planning on it, plus it gives me the opportunity to put a 40lb thrust trolling motor add as a possible addition. One thing on the registration process that bugs me is that I bought it used from craigslist and all I have is a simple bill of sale that is in electronic form only now (lost the original). It doesn't have the previous owners address or phone number. Hope I don't run into issues registering it. Now here's the funny thing, I just ran out into my garage to measure my PA14...thinking well it must be 14' but I wanted to see what would happen if I take the forward handle off? Well as it turns out and I could be off an inch but my PA14 isn't actually 14' long. It's at least 3" short of 14'. This is including the handles.

Ha so a quick google search puts it at 13' 8" from the manufacture's website: https://www.hobie.com/kayaks/mirage-pro-angler-14/

So, do I really need it registered? Are there stipulations on if the model name has a number to suggest it's length that the regulations go off a name and not the actual length? Could the length measurement be done differently, i.e. is it measured from the bow to the stern along the hull line?

And finally, I'll need to look at the trolling motor add...is there a 14' cutoff for them or is it any size vessel with electric or gas motor?

Thanks,
Roy

[Neumie]

Yes, it's in the regulations (that white outdoors booklet with also fish size/limits). I've known about this and knowingly still have yet to get my registration numbers. Before ordering this better custom sail and making my own mast, I just didn't use the stock sail kit enough to justify it. But I'm planning on it, plus it gives me the opportunity to put a 40lb thrust trolling motor add as a possible addition. One thing on the registration process that bugs me is that I bought it used from craigslist and all I have is a simple bill of sale that is in electronic form only now (lost the original). It doesn't have the previous owners address or phone number. Hope I don't run into issues registering it. Now here's the funny thing, I just ran out into my garage to measure my PA14...thinking well it must be 14' but I wanted to see what would happen if I take the forward handle off? Well as it turns out and I could be off an inch but my PA14 isn't actually 14' long. It's at least 3" short of 14'. This is including the handles.

Ha so a quick google search puts it at 13' 8" from the manufacture's website: https://www.hobie.com/kayaks/mirage-pro-angler-14/

So, do I really need it registered? Are there stipulations on if the model name has a number to suggest it's length that the regulations go off a name and not the actual length? Could the length measurement be done differently, i.e. is it measured from the bow to the stern along the hull line?

And finally, I'll need to look at the trolling motor add...is there a 14' cutoff for them or is it any size vessel with electric or gas motor?

Thanks,
Roy

Under 14' (actual measurement), you do not need to register as a sailboat. If you add a trolling motor you will need to register; regardless of the length of the vessel. All motorized (electric, gas or otherwise) are required to be registered if you use them on public waters of Texas.

Shoot Hobie an email requesting a copy of your MSO along with a picture of your serial number on the kayak and a return address. They'll either mail you a copy or email a PDF. I've had to request copies of MSO for some of my kayaks in the past, both used and new, and never had an issue with obtaining copies from other manufactures.

I've never registered a kayak, but since this topic is brought up fairly frequently it seems like it's a fairly pain free process with or without the MSO. You'll need to fill out TPWD Form 143, drive to your nearest TPWD office, verify or have them help you fill out the document, break out your check book and pay the fee. You'll probably want at the very least a picture of the serial number, or better yet bring the kayak with you just in case. I think it's about $65 the first go around and then about $32 every two years.

[niswanger]

I've never registered a kayak, but since this topic is brought up fairly frequently it seems like it's a fairly pain free process with or without the MSO. You'll need to fill out TPWD Form 143, drive to your nearest TPWD office, verify or have them help you fill out the document, break out your check book and pay the fee. You'll probably want at the very least a picture of the serial number, or better yet bring the kayak with you just in case. I think it's about $65 the first go around and then about $32 every two years.

Well, here's what Hobie said, even sent them a photo of the SN on the transome of the yak and a copy of my bill of sale from the previous owner:

Code: Select allHi Roy,
 
Thanks for reaching out to Hobie with your inquiry.
 
Unfortunately we are only legally able to release the MSO to the purchasing dealer.
 
The dealer will need to sign over the MSO to the customer who purchased the boat and in turn, that person can sign it over to you.  If this is not a possible option your next option would be to file for a lost or never registered title (MSO) within your state.
 
Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Thank you,


[Neumie]

Well, here's what Hobie said, even sent them a photo of the SN on the transome of the yak and a copy of my bill of sale from the previous owner:

Hmmm, bummer. I guess Legacy (now BIG) and Confluence (Now Pelican) were (are) lenient back in the day. I still think it's worth a shot to fill out the 143 form and bring your kayak to TPWD.

[TexasJim]

I've registered and titled two old boats, under 14 feet, recently. If you don't have an MSO, but have a VIN number, you can probably go to the TPWD office, schedule an inspection by a Game Warden($25). If your number doesn't show up in their records, they will probably let you pay the $25, the $27(Title Application), and the $32(two year registration fee). If you don't have a VIN number, they can give you an "Assigned Hull Number" sticker. Worked twice for me. They really aren't trying to be difficult, and they want your money, now and forever. They just have rules to follow.
Can you imagine how many untitled boats are sitting in yards in Texas? TexasJim

[bones72]

Can you imagine how many untitled boats are sitting in yards in Texas? TexasJim

Holy cow, I always thought of this. I think it is required to be a Texan with more than five acres to have at least one old boat sitting in the yard. More than five acres requires at least one 1970s vintage fiberglass boat displaying a torn apart motor, inboard or outboard doesn't seem to really matter. Must be visible from the road.