Riazuli

Ah, I see the confusion now - that was a typo I currently have a sit-in, which has been good to me, but I know it is definitely limiting for fishing. The first thing that got me thinking about a new fishing kayak that was sit-on was the ability to comfortable and securely take all of my setups and tackle/gear. The thought of putting a crate with 4-5 rods on my sit-in that had a curved back and just bungee cords was not comforting. I knew with all sit-ons vs sit-ins that freedom of casting would be a big difference so of course that was my next thought and just goes hand in hand with a sit-on. Then came the stability and ability to stand. All of that ended with me going with the Lure!

Sorry for the confusion - that was a typo in my original post. I meant to say sit-on there. I currently have a sit-in kayak. I went ahead and ordered a Feel Free Lure 11.5 - it seems to be the best option in terms of price and what it has to offer (standing was a key factor for me). People have claimed to do jumping jacks on this without issue and the following video shows some pretty impressive maneuvering while standing:

Thought I had responded to this earlier - I had considered the Moken but ultimately went with the Lure due to it having greater stability and standing ability. I went with the 11.5, which tracks better than the 10, and if it gets too bad I'll look into the rudder system for it. For more "pure" kayaking, I'll likely consider my sit-in kayak and maybe limit my fishing. I won't be kayaking terribly long distances for fishing, and generally plan to go when it's calmer out, so I think the Lure will suit my needs well. That's great to know about the customer service, as I plan to enjoy this investment for a while, which of course involves ongoing maintenance. Looking forward to riding the new rig!

Ah, I did not consider that as an option - thank you for pointing that out! I guess I just need to look for a wrist strap with a ring attached to it now

I feel so much better about my winter spending now... Thank you.

Hello everyone, do any of yall have any suggestions for length for a rod leash when standing up? I'm seeing some I like that are 42 inches and can stretch, but I've read that I might need more length than that. Have any of you tried shorter (36-42 inches) with success while standing up?

Thank you! I am going to wait on customer service and ask them their thoughts on the phone mount as well. Edit: I see now that the sonar pod allows you to attach mounts to it rather than the kayak. I think I'll look to add a ram mount as you suggested to the sonar pod.

Thanks a bunch! That is very helpful info and adding more to my confidence in purchasing...it may happen tonight, but more likely tomorrow after I confirm some things from customer service (mainly on paddle length, which I am pretty sure about but would like to be a little more sure rather than having to possibly change things later). -I've got a crate with 2 triple rod holders that I may just install one on. -ordering a yak gear adapter to attach a yak gear rod holder to add a convenient mount in front of me. -waiting on rudder to see how I fare without one first -buying pair of scupper plugs to make 8 total if it comes with 6 as I've seen elsewhere - can you confirm if it comes with 6 scupper plugs or not? -do you have any suggestions for mounting a phone? I have a deeper fish finder which I'm mounting to the side to use as my sonar. Would the sonar pod work fine for that and does it require any additional accessories?

Thank you! That definitely makes me feel a little better. I'm going to purchase this package soon, just considering what additional accessories I might want - any suggestions? I'm not going for the rudder for now, but might consider it later if the tracking seems too bad. Also, I sent you a pm with a couple of questions!

Thanks a lot for your in depth review!! That is very helpful and definitely adding to my confidence in purchasing. I do have a decent idea of what I'm getting into (again just based on reviews) as far as it being slower and not tracking as well - I do have a 12 foot perception acadia, so if I'm looking for pure kayaking, I can always use that, but I'm going for the FFL 11.5 for fishing and fishing only, so I'm prepared for the trade offs. I'm also not planning on doing long distance kayaking or dealing with rapid currents, and I generally try to go out on calmer days as it is, so I think this should work out just fine for me. I'm really looking forward to purchasing this package, and am pretty confident I am going with it, but just don't want to complete the order just yet, as I've only decided to go with the package today. I figure for something like this, it's best to wait a little bit and check out more reviews before pulling the trigger. I've mainly read good reviews, but I did come across some reviews from 2010 that had a few complaints of the hull material being light and getting damaged when being dragged - I don't plan to drag it, so I don't see that as an issue. Also, I am wondering if that was maybe just a problem with the older models. I am going to look into that aspect some more before finalizing. I am really excited to be able to stand on this thing and just have more freedom with casting even while sitting, as I was pretty restricted in my sit in kayak (but still had a blast on that while fishing, so I can't wait to see what this extra freedom is like!).

I would give a good look at the Feel Free Lure 10 for your budget - the 10 comes in right under 1000, and looks to be one of the most stable kayaks for that price range. Lots of reviews stating people can stand on it comfortably, if you're interested in doing that. I have been weighing between the 10 and the 11.5, and am finally thinking to go with the 11.5 just because of some of the added features, better tracking, more comfort, and ability to upgrade over the 10. The gravity seat that comes with these kayaks is supposed to be one of the most comfortable, which you can get an idea of just from looking at it. ACK offers a package deal, where you can get 10% off your entire order if you order the kayak, a paddle, and a PFD. With that in mind, you could get all three of those things for under 1100.

OK, in case anyone is interested, based on reviews and specs to my liking, I am pretty sure I am going with the Feel Free Lure 11.5. I think the extra length will help with tracking/speed and comfort (although, it should be noted that leg room is the same in the 10ft and 11.5ft models). You can upgrade the 11.5 (and 13.5) model to use a pedal drive kit, where the 10ft model cannot. The 11.5 also comes with a sonar/electronics pod for easy mounting, where the 10ft model does not. All in all, this model seems more future proof and worth the extra investment, as I plan to be using this kayak for a while. ACK has a special where you can buy a package deal of a kayak, paddle, and lifevest, and receive 10% off the entire order (comes out to around $150 dollars off the whole package)...that essentially brings the paddle and life-vest to 75% off (so you can view the paddle as free and a $100 life vest as 50% off). I'm ready to pull the trigger on this one, just gonna wait a day or so and look through some more reviews and such before making my final decision. There is nowhere near me to try it out, but I've read enough reviews and seen enough videos to be content with my decision (I know trying it out is the best way to go for such a big investment, but not feasible for me - plus at this price range, I can't find anything that compares in terms of features and stability).

Also, what would be the best way to transport a 10-12 ft kayak on a coupe (2011 scion tc)? I use foam blocks and straps for my current kayak, a perception acadia 12, but would prefer something more stable for my new rig. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some suggestions and would appreciate yalls input. I've scrapped my previous post as I've narrowed a few things down. Right now, I'm mainly looking for a solid/stable sit on fishing kayak that I can stand on comfortably, including being able to fight a fish while standing up - I'm focused on the Feel Free Lure 10, which seems to be at a decent price for a quality fishing kayak that seems to be one of the widest you can get with a great seat included. I considered the Old Towne Predator, but that is 33.5 inches wide vs 36 inches on the FFL. I don't plan on kayaking very long distances, just in lower Potomac river creeks mainly (one creek at a time) and maybe some upper Potomac creeks every now and then. I also looked at the Diablo Amigo, at 38 inches wide, and similarly priced to the FFL, but with no seat included. The Diablo looks pretty plain compared to the FFL as well. Do you all think the FFL 10 is the best fishing kayak for standing at right under $1000? I'm also considering the FFL 11.5 as it seems have some more options and more space for comfort - I'll be out on the water for at least a few hours at a time, maybe 4-6 if I have time for it. Side note, I considered the Jackson big rig, but the price, weight, and length have me strongly leaning toward the FFL 10 (or 11.5 now). What do you all think? I'm 5'7" and ~140 lbs.

I've gone ahead and ordered #50 PP thanks to everyone's suggestions and thoughts. Definitely some good things to consider in this thread! I do want to be able to cast a good distance with these frogs especially as the slop can get pretty wide where I fish, so that was my main deciding factor. If I was only making short casts, I would have likely gone with 65.

I have neither

These look interesting. Thanks for the link!

I have several of the Amazon/dsg ones, but never thought about a diy..may have to go that route if my new setups sit too low for the current ones. Thank you for the suggestion! Forgot about these, have you tested these out? These would definitely address the line tangling issue (if I end up having one - still haven't tested my lower profile reels with old floats from Amazon). They also seem like they should fit in yak gear rod holders..maybe. Might get one and see if they fit or just see if I can get some dimensions to measure against my rod holders Should be part of their advertising! That's convenient

I hadn't thought about line tangling..My older setups didn't really have an issue with that, but my newer setups are lower profile, smaller reels, and I could definitely see that being an issue as the line sits lower on the rod...Will see once I set them up. That is making me think I might have to just leash them all up - My concern is more so the kayak flipping somehow, or something getting knocked off by accident, especially as I plan to have 3-5 setups on there...in my head, more setups = more things to knock around and lose

I will be using some sort of protection whether it be floats or leash - and if I didn't I'd be ready to go fishing for another species - the rod and reel kind! Yikes...refer to my above comment to Camaro I'm always looking for a good excuse for new gear, but I'd like to find some that don't involve losing my old gear lol.

Yeah, I am at the very least going to be using them as I did before winter...I am wondering if I might actually need more than that (e.g., leashes). I hope you got that setup back!

Hey everyone, I was able to somehow get my hands on a new Johnny Morris Signature Series 6' Casting rod, older model JX60MT - It is described as medium action with nothing else listed in terms of power/action. It actually seems like it has a softer action than fast, so I am wondering if this is comparable to a medium/moderate rod. I was thinking this rod would be good to have for some bank fishing around trees and such, and perhaps kayak fishing. It is an 85 million modulus rod, which is pretty high for a rod, and it was made I think earlier in 2000, as I've seen the model referenced in 2002 and 2006. I'm a big fan of BPS rods, as I've used the same bionic blade for almost 20 years, bought a similar model used over the summer because I was so fond of it, and only recently upgraded to some newer rods, one of which is a new model JMSS (other two are new model Shimano Expride and Curado rods) Any ideas on this older model?

Hey everyone, just wondering what you all think about using rod floats. I've been using them since I started kayak fishing, but am wanting to know if they are sufficient for floating a rod and reel (low profile baitcasters). I don't really want to "test" this out with my gear, so am wondering if any of you all have been unfortunate enough to provide a real world example. I could leash them up too, but with 3-5 rods that just seems like a lot of extra mess I don't want to deal with - however, if rod floats don't really cut the bill, I might have to consider it. Edit: Just thought to check Amazon reviews for this. Will report back Looks like the manufacturer says it will support a 1lb rod/reel combo, which I'd say most of today's setups fall into. Also saw reports of people saying it floated their setups. Mods can delete this, or leave up in case anyone's interested.

Thanks for sharing, makes total sense.

I was using 30 last summer but I did have some snaps on casting from the braid digging in (which I've written a guide on how to prevent) and I lost what must have been a 10+ lb snakehead after some #30 snapped - it had a wire leader at the end of it, so I don't think the snakehead's teeth on the line was an issue. It is nice to know that you feel comfortable with lower test, as that makes me feel better about going with 50 over 65.