Just tested my new rig for the first time after outfitting it. It is a Pelican Catch Power 100 with a Newport 55 thrust kayak trolling motor. I can’t wait to get this guy out for some fishing time.

 

 

If you take a 6 to. 8 inch piece of PVC pipe and tie it in a loop of rope secured to the kayak so it would hang down in the water it acts as a step to get back onto the Kayak if you fall off.

Mine looks like this.
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my buddy in Venice, FL uses kayaks for fishing. He's got two Hobie's. In january 2020 I went out with him, I capsized in 3 feet of water. That's where I learned that waterproof Motorola radios are very important when Kayak fishing

I forgot to add, tether everything to the boat, except the radio, it gets tethered to your vest.

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Not completely rigged out

Cayman 124 fishing kayak.  Very stable and weighs in at an even 50 lbs.

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Sitting out front of the garage drying out the day after a fishing trip.  Don't remember where we went.

I've owned five over the last ten years. Own two currently, but my favorite is this one. Perception Pescadore Pro 120. Fairly light compared to other fishing kayaks and not as expensive as many. Tracks well and still maneuverable in rushing water. I've used it in skinny creeks, rivers, lakes and the Gulf.

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And if you're going to be in high wind or current situations it's not a bad idea to tether the kayak to you.

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Me and the Mrs about 15 years ago in 12' Native Manta Rays. Fished all over Tampa Bay with them.

Do you have a stakeout pole yet? If not, find a one piece aluminum walking stick that will fit thru the cupper holes.

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Beware these guys, they like using kayaks as scratching posts. This one had her anchor rope on its leg.

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Have a couple. Started in an Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game 2, now I'm using a Hobie Pro Angler 12. The pedals are great for what I generally do in a yak. Might put a torqeedo on it. We'll see. Still have the BG2, it's now my backup/loaner. Can't wait for my shoulder to heal enough that I can get back on the water.

I have a few.  I keep a couple at the farm that's 1.5 hours away, and three at home for when me and both boys go kayaking.  

I have an old Wilderness Tarpon 10' that's seen a few owners, but it's still a great boat.  My son bought his first with money he earned working at age 13- It's a Heritage from Academy.

After my son started kayak fishing A LOT I found a great deal on a truck load of Jackson Cruises on Marketplace.  I made a deal with the owner to buy all 4- resold 2 of them- and have only a couple hundred a piece in the two 12' Cruise I still have.

Then found another deal for a Vibe Yellowfin 10' about 2 years ago for my youngest boy.  

We've recreational paddled in them a bunch, caught largemouth, smallmouth, trout, and crappie.

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Fishing from a kayak … Just FYI, I have a Perception Outlaw. It’s about 12’ and is explicitly advertised and sold as a fishing ‘yak.

We live near a large river and last summer I quickly discovered that trying to fish from a 12’ yak in constantly moving water is a PITA. You need about five arms and hands to control it and still do any fishing.  A big-ass anchor helps keep the craft stationary for casting but not directionally. The Outlaw is a long heavy ‘yak which (in theory) should track well and it’s not bad if your hands and arms are occupied with paddling or steering and not casting or reeling-in.  On the other hand, all the near-constant paddling action while trying to propel and maneuver the Outlaw in the currents of a large flowing river is actually good cardio exercise.

Unless you will be doing 99.9% of your fishing on a still lake or large pond, or maybe a slow-moving creek, a motorized kayak (trolling motor) is the way to go if you want spend your on-the-water time fishing rather than fighting to control the movement or position of the kayak.

The size and geometry of the rear area of a Perception Outlaw is actually designed for installing a transom mount to attach a trolling motor, so that’s what I’m currently working on this month before I put it back in the water.

The Outlaw was designed for the majority of casual kayak fishers i.e lake bass fisherman who want stability more than anything else. It's hull shape was designed for that at a hefty sacrifice to efficiency and tracking. I really don't think Perception had paddling in mind at all and assumed most of them would be powered by a trolling motor. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't do their research, and think stability is the most important thing and buy them and complain about how much they suck because they don't understand what it was designed for.

It's honestly worse than buying a cheap kayak to try it out and then deciding kayak fishing isn't for you based off that cheap, poorly designed kayak was a big limiting factor. So while the Outlaw is easy to find in stock at academy and other box stores, and is still at the low end of the market price-wise, it's more expensive than the cheap kayaks and requires further investment for a trolling motor to really enjoy the kayak the way it was intended.

I think most people should probably start with something like a pescador pro in either 10 or 12 ft models. It's available as the same large retailers, for about the same price, and is much better for paddling in lakes, rivers, or inshore saltwater. Alternatively, another universally good boat that's easy to upgrade as you grow as a fisherman is the nucanoe flint.

Regardless of kayak model, anchors and/or stakeout poles are a must for fishing. They don't need to be heavy. 3 lbs will do just fine in most conditions. Hell, a lot of river fisherman don't even use an anchor and use a drag chain instead. Everyone wants to get a trolling motor or a fishfinder as their first upgrade, when they should get an anchor on day one.

See, in all my years of kayak fishing, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've used an anchor or stakeout pole. A good sonar is worth much more to me than an anchor. But, that's also a product of how I fish. I do a lot of drifting for fluke (flounder) and fishing up against rock jetties in the ocean where an anchor can kill you. But again, I'm not the normal case.