TexasKayakFisherman.com

So I got to go out yesterday for a few hours on Lake Bridgeport before all this rain was suppose to hit. With a lot of help and support from members on here, I was able to connect with a couple crappie. Nothing to brag about but a couple more would have made nice table fair. Regardless, didn't get skunked and finally felt like I was making forward progress, pun intended. Weather wasn't the best. Only 3-5mph winds from the east to start with but they jumped up to 12-18mph after a while with a few sprinkles tied in. Made for an interesting trip back to the launch. I was working into the wind at about a 30 degree angle. A little bit of a wet ride. Had frequent white caps (and yes, I always wear my pfd). I will say, I have thought my T160 was overkill most times out around here but yesterday she really shined! That rudder kept her pointed nicely in the direction I wanted to go. Winds were coming from a bearing of 70 and my heading was 110 so it wasn't all that pleasant. Even in a 15mph headwind I was able to run about 3.5mph and not kill myself. Gained a lot of confidence in her yesterday that's for sure.

T160 is probably the safest kayak out there in wind.
We believed NWs wind prediction one day and launched at Estes in 16-kt NNE wind.
Two fronts were predicted to hit, but they were projecting a wind decrease to 10 kt out of the east about the time we'd want to come in.
Instead, the wind built all day, and we had to come back at 24-kt gusting to 28 - the same kind of tack you're describing.
Both my T160 and my buddy's Emotion Fisherman were easy to steer in that wind, and we could nose the bow farther up when a wave was coming.
But our 3rd buddy in a Revo 16, a gust would take away his ability to steel, and turn him to beam reach - twice he turtled - of course, it was only 3' deep.

I love having a longer yak I have an ocean trident 15 that cuts through rough conditions. You’re right about the 16 foot you have a buddy of mine has one and they perform their best in the rough conditions. I don’t have a rudder on mine yet I have been considering one just haven’t made the move.

Yak Dog wrote: ↑Sun Apr 23, 2023 8:44 pm I love having a longer yak I have an ocean trident 15 that cuts through rough conditions. You’re right about the 16 foot you have a buddy of mine has one and they perform their best in the rough conditions. I don’t have a rudder on mine yet I have been considering one just haven’t made the move.

I have a handful of kayaks in the 10'-16' range, the T160 being the only one at 16' and the only one with a rudder and man does it spoil you. lol. I find myself getting annoyed having to correct for steering on my others but it comes back to me. The only thing I don't care for about the rudder is when I really get after it, I use my legs a lot and find myself unintentionally using the rudder when I want to weigh a leg during a stroke. I have to be conscious and keep pressure on both controls rather than being able to 'walk' like I can on my other rudderless ones. Though in rough conditions, I'd rather have the rudder than be able to weigh the footholds. I can always stow mine and i have tried it so I can weigh the foot holds but i always go back to running with the rudder.

Onski326 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:53 am...I have a handful of kayaks in the 10'-16' range, the T160 being the only one at 16' and the only one with a rudder and man does it spoil you. lol. I find myself getting annoyed having to correct for steering on my others but it comes back to me. ...

This used to be my daughter's Redfish 10, but she's long grown, and now it's my hill country river boat.
I added the skeg to solve windcock for her in coastal wind.



This day fishing hill country flagstone pools with Josh and Will, the skeg was a boon.
It allowed me to drift the pools with minimal added paddle, kept the bow down the light wind instead of wildcock luffing the bow upwind.

My 2 cents:

My first two SOT kayaks were 160's. Within their class, they are outstanding in all conditions. I still consider them ideal for someone who prefers paddling to peddling. IMHO, a kayak without a rudder is comparable to a car without power steering (in un protected bay waters).

My move to longer, lighter, kevlar SOT's was a stretch in the right direction...,for me. The feeling of movement at the end of a proper stroke is most satisfying. I made every effort to plan my fishing excursions to begin, going to windward, and return (with the assistance of a golf umbrella, down wind.

I never, however, boated in a kayak that I didn't like.