Want to get into kayaking for fishing purposes. To get further into the flats and mangroves.

Something like Hobie is out of the question. I want something that's a sit on top, with a decent seat and stable as hell and somewhat affordable. Sub $1000. I've seen a few guys on the hometown in kayaks so hopefully there's a few suggestions out there.

Check out Natives and Wilderness

You cant go wrong with either one. Having said that, try BEFORE you buy. This is very important, some fit, some dont. My wife tried a Hobie and could only do big clockwise donuts. Me, I found out molded foot rests rub the crap out of my ankles. Ultimately, we settled on Liquid Logic(Native now) 12' Manta Rays. If I did it again, I would have gotten a 14'.

If you are near Tampa, check out Bill Jackson's shop, they do demos every Saturday . If not there, check out your local kcanoe and kayak shop, some let you rent first.

Definitely try before you buy. Narrow hulls will be faster but less stable. I found a used cobra fish and dive for both fishing and beach diving out of for pretty cheap. Its a wider hull and is kind of a slug in the water but is stable. I found I dont fish it much as I intended to. Sitting down and fishing is just wierd and awkward to me. cant see like when elevated and seated mobility trying to manage gear is a pain so I keep it minimal. Try sitting in your yard legs extended and making some casts. I havent shopped in a while but the elevated seats looked more comfortable.  More often than not I rope it off to me and wade just to stand up a bit.

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I just goT a nucanoe frontier 12. I have taken it out a couple times and have been very impressed. It’s not fast but super stable, able to easily take a motor, has a raised seating position, and can accommodate two people if necessary. The kayak is extremely configurable in terms of number of seats, accessories, power, etc.

Here you go. Be sure to watch video

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Had a few local buddies suggest the vibe seaghost 130. Looks nice as hell and stable. Seems like no people nearby sell those so all I know is what I've read.

Highly recommend trying before buying. Might take a while to find the right one, but it's worth it.

I'm very happy with my Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140. Cuts through the water with ease but also stable enough that I have no problem sitting side-saddle and dropping my feet into the water when I want to change positions (plus it's easier to access the beer cooler ).

Wife and I had a couple Heritage Redfish 12s a while back after going to to a demo day where we got to try out a lot of kayaks.  Works great for fishing and is a good balance of speed and stability.  One big factor to look at is how will you be transporting your kayak(s)?  In the bed of a truck you can go big, but if on the roof of a SUV you'd don't want too big...they're heavy, especially after you've been paddling your ass off all day.

This is relative to my interest. My son is looking for a kayak as well

160i w/rudder here

love it

you need to try everything.