Kayak

[tycomps]

anyone have this one?

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=KL-Industries-Water-Quest-10-Deluxe-Fishing-Kayak&i=427732

sports authority has it on black friday for 199.00

[acabtp]

too small. a 10' kayak will leave you very little room or weight capacity for mounting accessories or bringing anything along.

[Skunk City]

I like the flush mounted rod holders on it, but if you're like me and like to bring gear out, it may be too small. You could always mount a milk crate behind you (I have it, lots of how-to's all over the internet) for more storage, but then you may lose the use of those rod holders and definetly lose use of that little storage hatch.

Space is always at a premium on these things I've learned. Installing the milk crate on mine has helped, as it absolutely sucks having to keep everything you'll need in between your legs, especially if you have a pissed off fish thrashing around. Cheap modification that pays off dividends if you don't mind messing with things.

$199 ain't bad though...

[tycomps]

199.00 and 40lbs is what caught my eye.

[Eskimo]

Anything is better than nothing.

The problem with that KL Industries Water Quest 10' Deluxe Fishing Kayak is that it is a 'sit-in' kayak instead of a 'sit-on' kayak. I think it's a lot easier to fish out of a sit-on kayak because of the open floor plan.

I'm not very flexible and I'm guessing I would have a lot of problems trying to pull stuff out of that rear hatch, especially if I need it in a hurry.

[acabtp]

IMO, your best bet is to take the $200 you would have spent on that one during black friday and go to craigslist where that will buy something that will fit your needs better. it is the right time of year to buy used boats. you might have to wait a couple days or weeks to find it, but you'll be happier in the end.

i speak from experience, as the first kayak i bought to go fishing in was a ~10' sit in model that dicks sells... i never use it anymore. it is just a spare kayak for when we have guests (who will just be paddling without any gear). i use my 12' sit in most... 2' longer doesn't sound that much bigger, but it is. occasionally i will take my neighbor's 15' hobie sit on top, but usually only if i will be out all day, because the sit on tops are heavier and take more effort to launch and put on the truck.

for maximum versatility, i stick with a sit in because sit on tops are next to worthless when it comes to anything approaching whitewater and i do a lot of river paddling. plus i use my sit in kayaks all year round, but you get a lot more wet in a sit on top so that limits the seasons of use. i think the guys with the big sit on top kayaks with electronics, trolling motors, etc all just wish deep down inside that they had more storage room at home for real boat, because the big SOTs are a compromise: without the portability, ease of handling, and low energy requirements of a smaller traditional kayak or the utility, capacity and stability of a real boat. niche market things for places w/o good ramps like splitrock.

[FASTEDDIE29]

I love my Future Beach Trophy Kayak 12' 6". Its a sit on top with a storage hatch in the front for smaller stuff. A very large back hatch which is the size of the entire back of the yak. You could fit a 30 pack and a limit of fish in this hatch with ice. Just watch the weight capacity, LOL! I got it from DICKS last year for 299.99.

[tycomps]

I was wondering how much more you get from an additional 2 feet but it does sound beneficial. Two of my concerns were fitting it on top of a ford focus wagon and loading/unloading it myself with a bum wrist. Keep the recommendations coming, especially the sit in vs sit on pros and cons, as always the help is greatly appreciated. Sandy is costing me at least 5k so my budget has dropped considerably :(

[flatcreek]

Ya know when ever you add 2 feet to a boat you always get it right in the middle, so it's the biggest 2 foot in the boat.

[msgdan]

Spend 30 minutes with Jon Shein at "the kayak fishing store" in Fairfield and all your questions will be answered. If he doesn't have something in your price range, you will still walk out of the store with thousands of dollars worth of information and then you can decide what to get.

My first kayak was a 10 foot sit in side and I caught plenty of fish with it and even had it out in the ocean on perfect condition days. I have a couple different one's now, but still catch plenty with the 10 footer.

Danny V

[tycomps]

Spend 30 minutes with Jon Shein at "the kayak fishing store" in Fairfield and all your questions will be answered. If he doesn't have something in your price range, you will still walk out of the store with thousands of dollars worth of information and then you can decide what to get.

My first kayak was a 10 foot sit in side and I caught plenty of fish with it and even had it out in the ocean on perfect condition days. I have a couple different one's now, but still catch plenty with the 10 footer.

Danny V

thanks dan, I was waiting for your input as in my opinion you're the kayak king here :D

I had sent John a question previously but didn't receive an answer, I think I will make the trip to his store now.

[tycomps]

just heard something regarding comfort level of sit ins vs sit ons, ability to bend knees for comfort, hard to imagine sitting at a 90 degree angle for hours....true?

[acabtp]

Most fishing sit-ins will have a big enough cockpit that that isn't an issue. I can sit indian style in my Dagger Delta for instance. Some touring and whitewater kayaks have a tighter cockpit fit where that may become a problem.

Either way though, sit in or sit on, when you are paddling, you are always in the same position because you brace yourself in the boat, knees slightly bent, feet pressing on footrests and back against backrest (and thighs against knee braces with a sit in). You will properly adjust this before using the kayak and it should not be uncomfortable for long periods of time. Without a well braced position in the kayak, you end up using your arms instead of your whole upper body and that wastes a large portion of your paddling energy.

Floating around out of brace position there are plenty of ways to move. I am a fan of the "dangling my feet in the water" but not really this time of year.

[The Kayak Fishing Store]

If it floats it'll help you catch fish. For all around fishing in this area a 12' SOT is hard to beat. It's small enough to still fish small waters and can be put on a cart and wheeled into a remote location but it will also handle large impoundments and saltwater.

At this time of year there's some terrific buys available so you can often get more kayak than you thought. I know a place that has a few models clearing out at cost. ;)