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River Kayak Spec recommendation

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Looking to get my first fishing kayak. I have been using a 9.5 sit in kayak. I love fishing out of the kayak but it really sucks having no storage and having to awkwardly store the rod. Anyway, if I am mainly going to be fishing rivers where occasionally I'll have to "scoot" over a downed tree or squeeze through a gap or something of the likes. I'll also be fishing some ponds and small lakes.  What specs should I look for and in general what should I look for in a kayak? I don't know much at all about fishing kayaks. I was looking around and the Vibe Sea Ghost 130 looks pretty good. Would this be a good kayak for my needs? I was hoping to get an end of the season deal or get a used one off craiglist and I can probably sell my other kayak for $200. 

http://vibekayaks.com/products/vibe-kayaks-sea-ghost-130-angler-kayak 

  • Super User

seems long for a river kayak to me.  I like my river kayaks no longer than 12' and tops on the list are maneuverability, stability and a comfy seat.  There are a lot of good boats out there and out of the three kayaks i have owned for river specific use, i still fall back to my coosa (wish i never sold it actually).  It has a good balance between stability and maneuverability.  I didn't like it for flatwater as much because it did tend to get pushed around in the wind more than I like.  

I would say the top river kayaks these days are the ride 115 and the coosa.  The beauty though is there are a lot of good boats out there so go to a demo days and test paddle as many as you can and the decision will be a lot easier to make. 

Jackson Coosa, designed specifically for River fishing. 

  • Super User

Ride 115 is a great river boat. I'm about to buy one as a back up/loaner/river boat. I'm waiting for my ATAK at the moment which I'll use on some of the rivers by me. 

  • Super User

the coosa is a sweet little ride for the river!  i'd look at 10'-12' but not much longer.  i have a 13.5' kayak and it works in the bigger slower moving waters, but it's a PITA to paddle the swifter spots that require more maneuvering!  

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