Standing and fishing

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motoyak
Posts: 142
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:06 pm
Location: Kerrville TX

Re: Standing and fishing

Post by motoyak »

Crazy these manufactures coming up with "kayaks" that sell for thousands of dollars that any old small aluminum jon boat can do for a few hundred. I guess if a person has money to burn then so be it, but to me, that's ludicrous. To each their own 8)
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Kitsune
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:47 am
Location: Rockport/AP/CC

Re: Standing and fishing

Post by Kitsune »

motoyak wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:31 am Crazy these manufactures coming up with "kayaks" that sell for thousands of dollars that any old small aluminum jon boat can do for a few hundred. I guess if a person has money to burn then so be it, but to me, that's ludicrous. To each their own 8)
I completely agree with this. I have a feeling the more boat one has, the least amount of fishing one will do. Sure at first you are excited to the have new greatest thing, until maintenance, prep, and overall cumbersomeness of the whole thing becomes too much.
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motoyak
Posts: 142
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Location: Kerrville TX

Re: Standing and fishing

Post by motoyak »

I always laugh at the advertising of these grande "kayaks". If it costs less than a grand, its a "starter" kayak.
There's no doubt in my mind why actual kayak dealers are had to come by anymore where as the Academys and Walmarts are raking it in with their line of sub $500 kayaks.
When I first started kayak fishing (late 90s), nobody was concerned with "standability", it was all about light weight, glide, and trackability. Most everyone fished sitting down unless they had very good balance.
Fast forward to recent times and focus shifted to wider boats with elevated seat because you HAD to stand to fish.
With increased width came the problem of propulsion so long heavy paddles were made. Of course, these long blades wore a person out real quick. Then came the pedal revolution to use legs power, then came the "bring everything including the kitchen sink" storage wars, then to large screen TV electronics phase. Now we're in the "motor" phase mostly due to the revolution in lithium batteries.
So to conclude my rant. The word "kayak" is obsolete. These boats are Personal Water Craft or Pedal Boats or what I call my sub $1000 home made boat, a Motoyak.
Like I said, to each their own. Time will tell what the future brings.
PS-I have to laugh at myself too as I find myself opting for my Pescador 10 Pro more often than my bigger boat just because it is simple. light and EZ,,,even with its limitations
Kayak Kid
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Re: Standing and fishing

Post by Kayak Kid »

This is the first thread I've read that has approached the subject of, 'the irony of todays kayaking'. My past statements were perhaps overly subtle as I gave my opinion concerning the kayak phenomenon.

I began kayaking in 1948 at a summer camp in Wisconsin. Water sports was the themed activity. The kayaks in which we learned to paddle and sail were sit inside, canvas over wood. I don't know the weight, but even at that young age, I had little trouble picking one up and taking it to the waterers edge. The silent glide of these boats across the lake was an experience never to be forgotten, or repeated, ever again.

In 1955, I attended the Red Cross small craft school in North Carolina, where upon graduating with a small craft instructors certificate, I got a job at a children's summer camp as small craft instructor. The canoes were all heavy aluminium, but there were two rubberised canvas covered, wood framed kayaks that, while heavy, were still more fun than the canoes.

Upon retiring in 03, I immediately, at the suggestion of my cousin, I joined PACK. When I asked what the best kayak for fishing was, the almost unanimous replies were, "Wilderness 160". I purchased one with a recommended Werner Kalest bent handle paddle.

The 160 was a good boat, and it served me well for about two years. I purchased a 160i when they came out thinking it was an improvement over the 160. I was wrong, as the i60i did not paddle nearly as well as the 160. With a modicum of sit on top kayaking experience under my belt, I began looking, in earnest, for the "right" kayak. I discovered a boat made by SEDA out of California. A 17ft long, 25 inch, wide kevlar hulled sit on top, that weighed 42 pounds stripped. I discovered, after a plethora of phone calls, that the owner of a Woodlands kayak store had one as her personal kayak. I drove to her shop to see what a SEDA looked like, in the flesh, before ordering one from California. Her boat was in pristine condition, and I took a chance and asked her if she would consider selling it. She said yes, if I was willing to pay full retail for it. I told her to put it on top of my car, and say goodby to it.

I fished from that boat for the next fourteen years, during which time I bought, used for a while, and sold several "impulse" kayaks. No other sit on top kayak ever gave me that...,reach-pull-gliiiiiiide...,experience. My kayaking days having ended at age 80, in 2019, I gave that boat to a friend recently. The Werner paddle, the only paddle I ever used, was given away at that time. Both the boat and the paddle were in near new condition after those many years of rough use.

Yakity yak.
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JW FunGuy
Posts: 325
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:27 pm

Re: Standing and fishing

Post by JW FunGuy »

I really like this guy and his reviews. Plus he knows how to paddle. I don’t necessarily like big box stores but he tells it like it is and if someone wants an inexpensive kayak this is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib2u6KiZ6P8
motoyak wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 3:25 pm I always laugh at the advertising of these grande "kayaks". If it costs less than a grand, its a "starter" kayak.
There's no doubt in my mind why actual kayak dealers are had to come by anymore where as the Academys and Walmarts are raking it in with their line of sub $500 kayaks.
When I first started kayak fishing (late 90s), nobody was concerned with "standability", it was all about light weight, glide, and trackability. Most everyone fished sitting down unless they had very good balance.
Fast forward to recent times and focus shifted to wider boats with elevated seat because you HAD to stand to fish.
With increased width came the problem of propulsion so long heavy paddles were made. Of course, these long blades wore a person out real quick. Then came the pedal revolution to use legs power, then came the "bring everything including the kitchen sink" storage wars, then to large screen TV electronics phase. Now we're in the "motor" phase mostly due to the revolution in lithium batteries.
So to conclude my rant. The word "kayak" is obsolete. These boats are Personal Water Craft or Pedal Boats or what I call my sub $1000 home made boat, a Motoyak.
Like I said, to each their own. Time will tell what the future brings.
PS-I have to laugh at myself too as I find myself opting for my Pescador 10 Pro more often than my bigger boat just because it is simple. light and EZ,,,even with its limitations
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JW FunGuy
Posts: 325
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:27 pm

Re: Standing and fishing

Post by JW FunGuy »

Kayak Kid wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 4:53 pm This is the first thread I've read that has approached the subject of, 'the irony of todays kayaking'. My past statements were perhaps overly subtle as I gave my opinion concerning the kayak phenomenon.

I began kayaking in 1948 at a summer camp in Wisconsin. Water sports was the themed activity. The kayaks in which we learned to paddle and sail were sit inside, canvas over wood. I don't know the weight, but even at that young age, I had little trouble picking one up and taking it to the waterers edge. The silent glide of these boats across the lake was an experience never to be forgotten, or repeated, ever again.

In 1955, I attended the Red Cross small craft school in North Carolina, where upon graduating with a small craft instructors certificate, I got a job at a children's summer camp as small craft instructor. The canoes were all heavy aluminium, but there were two rubberised canvas covered, wood framed kayaks that, while heavy, were still more fun than the canoes.

Upon retiring in 03, I immediately, at the suggestion of my cousin, I joined PACK. When I asked what the best kayak for fishing was, the almost unanimous replies were, "Wilderness 160". I purchased one with a recommended Werner Kalest bent handle paddle.

The 160 was a good boat, and it served me well for about two years. I purchased a 160i when they came out thinking it was an improvement over the 160. I was wrong, as the i60i did not paddle nearly as well as the 160. With a modicum of sit on top kayaking experience under my belt, I began looking, in earnest, for the "right" kayak. I discovered a boat made by SEDA out of California. A 17ft long, 25 inch, wide kevlar hulled sit on top, that weighed 42 pounds stripped. I discovered, after a plethora of phone calls, that the owner of a Woodlands kayak store had one as her personal kayak. I drove to her shop to see what a SEDA looked like, in the flesh, before ordering one from California. Her boat was in pristine condition, and I took a chance and asked her if she would consider selling it. She said yes, if I was willing to pay full retail for it. I told her to put it on top of my car, and say goodby to it.

I fished from that boat for the next fourteen years, during which time I bought, used for a while, and sold several "impulse" kayaks. No other sit on top kayak ever gave me that...,reach-pull-gliiiiiiide...,experience. My kayaking days having ended at age 80, in 2019, I gave that boat to a friend recently. The Werner paddle, the only paddle I ever used, was given away at that time. Both the boat and the paddle were in near new condition after those many years of rough use.

Yakity yak.
Back when I started K1 whitewater slalom racing Seda was a household word and made affordable slalom boats. It’ll looks now they just do sea kayaks.
The closest thing that I have found now, but pretty unobtainable right now is Eddyline Kayaks. I like the new 2022 Caribbean 14fs Angler. I think it is the only paddle and move fishable kayak out there. IMHO :)
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