Buy the Right Fishing Kayak

You're ready to buy a kayak for fishing. You've watched your buddies come back loaded with fish and talking about that sweet little hole they found through the mangroves on the other side of 3 inch deep water. You want to sneak up on 'em too but you're torn between the "sit in" and "sit on top types.". Which is better? A lot of this depends on the waters you will be navigating and average air and water temperatures you will encounter.

Sit in Kayaks are popular in cooler climates. They remain dry inside and with some designs, the paddler actually sits slightly lower than they would in a "sit on top" type kayak. They will take some wave action without getting the paddler wet, specially when equipped with a skirt. Some designs have a built up seat to insulate against cooler temps and provide a more comfortable ride. Cushions can be used and are sometimes built in, to insulate your backside against lower water temperatures. The Eskimos were the original sit in kayak anglers!

Turning a sit-in kayak into a fishing machine, can be done but some are more easily equipped than others. Rod holders can be installed, but gear stowing can be an issue with some sit in's. Basically the gear stowing area is in the "tube." Some sit in's have shock cord or bungies installed on the top for securing stuff on the top of the body of the kayak but this can make things a tad top heavy. There are some "hybrid" types that allow a sit in feel but with molded gear stowing areas. If you are choosing to buy a fishing kayak and the "sit in " is what you need, you might like Malibu Kayaks "Sierra" Models. Malibu specializes in fishing kayaks and they've put a lot of sit on top fishing features into their Sierra sit in Kayak. At the present there is only one Sierra, a 10 footer. But Sean Caples, president of Malibu Kayaks says more are in the works.

For many warm water anglers, there is no question about choice. The sit on top kayak rules!. The roto molded hulls allow for great location of recessed, secure gear stowing areas, comfortable seating, consoles to mount equipment like fish finders, anchor storage and dry holds for dry gear. The are also ver stable kayaks and some are even made to stand up in. Getting up may be a problem for some of us, but if you can, you always have that option.

The best thing about sit on tops is that one can easily get in or out of the kayak in shallow water to wade up on your prey, if desired.. The scuppers allow quick drainage of water that may splash over. The seat is elevated so that you aren't sitting in water while paddling. Your paddle might drip on you, but so what! One thing to watch out for when buying a sit on top kayak is tracking. Shorter ones, 10 feet or shorter, may not track as well as the 12 to 15 footers. Look for streamline design. You want glide, maneuverability, stability, and responsiveness.

There are many sit on top Kayak manufacturers that make nice fishing equipped kayaks: Wilderness Systems, Malibu Kayaks, Ocean Kayak, Emotion Kayaks and more. Amazon has some nice selections,reasonable pricing and shipping.Go get one now and go fishin'!

Just discovered an amazing product.. check out these "hand paddles" made for kayak fishing!

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Evolution-Of-Kayak-Fishing-Hand-Paddles