I already have one, but it wasn’t made for fishing. Just a shell you sit on. It also leaks real bad.

I know little about kayaks. Trying to start the hunt for one I will like. What features are essential, what is a good length, your pros and cons , etc? I weigh around 250 pounds. I want something very stable , but as short as I can comfortably fish. I’m primarily looking for a good used one at this point.

I will primarily fish smaller waters with it ..

When you buy a kayak, you need to think about what you will most likely want 2-3 years from now.

 

My first kayak was a pedal drive and a year later I wanted to attach a motor to it but found out that the weight of it would eventually cause problems with my hull. I still have that kayak, but I also bought an Autopilot. So your first question is paddle, pedal, or motor for your baseline kayak and where do you see yourself in a few years?

 

Other considerations:

 

1. Storage. Crate storage, cooler storage, dry bag storage, spare parts storage, and rod holders come into play here.

 

2. Weight capacity, especially adding a battery or two. Your baits and tackle, especially soft plastics, add more weight than you think. Adding a cooler and drinks also adds a lot of weight.

 

3. Wiring. You may start with a simple fish finder, but later you may want to add FFS, lights, USB ports, cameras, etc. Are there spaces for batteries or battery boxes? How accessible is the hull to run wires?

 

4. Mounting options. Not all rail mounts are created equal. Will you need extra rod holders, electronics, a phone mount, over the rail transducer arm, etc.? Are there enough rail mounts and are they in places that will not interfere with your ability to fish or land fish?

 

5. Transducer mounting. Can the transducer be mounted on the hull or is a transducer arm required?

 

6. Transport. Car top, truck bed, or trailer? The more stuff you add, the more space you need. If you're older, car topping gets less and less fun. So does trailering unless you do what I did and add a winch.

 

7. Will you be fishing strictly for fun or do you eventually plan to enter tournaments (even local tournaments)?

 

8. Sit, stand, or both? If you plan to stand, you had better have either great balance or a very stable kayak.

 

9. If you eventually want a motor, do you want speed or spot lock? I love my Autopilot with spot lock, but I'm limited to about 3.5 mph with my load out. I see guys with rear mount motors blowing by me at twice that speed.

 

What I'm getting at now is that what you think is a good kayak right now might not be a good kayak in a year or two.

 

If I was buying a kayak today I would buy the new Bonafide XTR 130 and build out from there. Well, maybe night. I might buy a pedal drive Hobie and then add a motor to it. But if you're fishing is only going to consist of smaller waters, Bonafide makes great pedal and paddle kayaks.

 

If you're more budget conscious and looking for a pedal drive, to this day I still love my Seastream Angler 120 pedal drive kayak. I've used it on small waters and big lakes. The only time I use it now is if there is a river tournament that doesn't have a lake option because I don't want to ruin my Autopilot.

@Koz gave you a great answer. I would only add that a simple Google search of best fishing kayaks will give you other options. I know canoes are no longer fashionable, but I sure enjoy the light weight of mine compared to kayaks. There are even solo canoes today that weigh about 25 pounds. They aren't cheap, but you could reach water that other boats couldn't reach. 

8 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

I will primarily fish smaller waters with it ..

Shorter kayaks turn faster, and maneuver better as well.

River kayaks may be something to look at.

 

Take your weight, your gears weight, and the kayak you are interested in's weight and add it up.

Ex, a RVR 115 has a 425lb weight capacity, your weight + 15lbs of gear +85lb kayak comes out to 350. So pay attention to their weight capacity to find out if what you are looking at is too much or not enough for what you need.

 

Hull design is a crucial part too, speed, stability, maneuvering, and even getting or not getting blown around by the wind is all from this design.

 

I personally dont like Old Towns (paddle), they are nice kayaks especially for fishing and i have one. The things are built like tanks, heavy, wide, and slow. Super stable though, but again way to slow and heavy for my liking.

But if you are looking at a peddle drive they are fantastic for the price, even better used (just make sure everything is working). Probably the 10'6" would be something you may be interested in.

 

The Crescent Shoalie is another option, out of the 3 i have this is my favorite and the only one i feel like was made for me. its not too heavy (but still no where near as light as a canoe or cheaper kayak). Its 11'10, fantastic handling, corners great, speed isnt as fast as my Light Tackle, but its miles above the Old Town, stability is odd. Its still very stable but more so has alot of play in it (its a river kayak).

 

Bonafide has several good kayaks on the market too.

As well as Nucanoe, but they are more like skinny boats.

Great info y’all. Thanks!

@Koz it’ll take me awhile to mull through your detailed response. @Swamp Girl, I have a canoe. I keep it but rarely use it. I got blown all over the place the few times I used it. I have an old ford ranger shortbed to haul my various watercraft in, but the canoe is the longest and Id rather slide something into the bed than have to tie it off on top. 
@MediumMouthBass , another great response. 
 I want to keep it as simple and easy as possible, so probably going with a paddle ‘yak. I usually only fish for a few hours at a time, so gonna be traveling light. I just want something I can quickly load and unload, with as few breakable parts as possible!

 

 

 

34 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

I got blown all over the place the few times I used it.

 

Yep, their high sides work like sails. 

On 11/23/2024 at 3:43 PM, N Florida Mike said:

I already have one, but it wasn’t made for fishing. Just a shell you sit on. It also leaks real bad.

I know little about kayaks. Trying to start the hunt for one I will like. What features are essential, what is a good length, your pros and cons , etc? I weigh around 250 pounds. I want something very stable , but as short as I can comfortably fish. I’m primarily looking for a good used one at this point.

I will primarily fish smaller waters with it ..

Perception outlaw 11.5.  Super stable, light and with a very high seating position and low sides that makes casting and pitching a breeze.  You will get blown around in the wind sitting up that high but that's not as much of a concern on small bodies of water.  It's also cheapish as under $1,000.

I just ordered the outlaw. I'll come back after I set it up and get out on the water. unfortunately that will be a month or so away

On 11/23/2024 at 10:41 PM, MediumMouthBass said:

Shorter kayaks turn faster, and maneuver better as well.

River kayaks may be something to look at.

 

Take your weight, your gears weight, and the kayak you are interested in's weight and add it up.

Ex, a RVR 115 has a 425lb weight capacity, your weight + 15lbs of gear +85lb kayak comes out to 350. So pay attention to their weight capacity to find out if what you are looking at is too much or not enough for what you need.

 

Hull design is a crucial part too, speed, stability, maneuvering, and even getting or not getting blown around by the wind is all from this design.

 

I personally dont like Old Towns (paddle), they are nice kayaks especially for fishing and i have one. The things are built like tanks, heavy, wide, and slow. Super stable though, but again way to slow and heavy for my liking.

But if you are looking at a peddle drive they are fantastic for the price, even better used (just make sure everything is working). Probably the 10'6" would be something you may be interested in.

 

The Crescent Shoalie is another option, out of the 3 i have this is my favorite and the only one i feel like was made for me. its not too heavy (but still no where near as light as a canoe or cheaper kayak). Its 11'10, fantastic handling, corners great, speed isnt as fast as my Light Tackle, but its miles above the Old Town, stability is odd. Its still very stable but more so has alot of play in it (its a river kayak).

 

Bonafide has several good kayaks on the market too.

As well as Nucanoe, but they are more like skinny boats.

While a kayak’s weight is a factor in calculating it’s weight capacity, it does not count against it.  If an 85lb kayak is rated for a weight capacity of 425lb, it means it can handle a 425lb load.  Exceeding it will adversely affect its designed performance.

Pedal drive is fantastic and a huge plus when the wind kicks up. I have an old town sportsman pdl 120 (12'), but I'm thinking I would have been just as happy with the shorter 106 and may pick up one of those soon. 

On 6/28/2025 at 4:26 PM, OldManLure said:

While a kayak’s weight is a factor in calculating it’s weight capacity, it does not count against it.  If an 85lb kayak is rated for a weight capacity of 425lb, it means it can handle a 425lb load.  Exceeding it will adversely affect its designed performance.

Yes, a 425lb load including the weight of the person, the gear, and the kayak itself. To have the optimum float, and stability.

 

You can exceed it, but should you? Thats up to you.

Can't wait to see you trying to get in and out of a yak!

 

Better look for a wide one! You gonna need it!

 

Curious, is this for that one lake you fish? The backyard honey hole no one else in Jax has? You gotta be the luckiest bass fisherman in north Florida! I gotta drive 40 miles to find clean water. All you gotta do is walk out the back door. Lucky.

 

Long time no see Mike. Been like 10 years? I've been living in central Florida and only recently returned to Jax temporarily so let's go fishin! Didn't you have a small boat at one time? Trying to remember the last time we went fishing in it. You probably caught all the fish. Home field advantage!

A kayak in Florida?

 

A simple Google search indicates that there are gators in all 67 counties and about 1.3 million gators that live in the state.

 

Seriously, what am I missing here?

7 hours ago, Big Hands said:

A kayak in Florida?

 

A simple Google search indicates that there are gators in all 67 counties and about 1.3 million gators that live in the state.

 

Seriously, what am I missing here?

 

I just googled "fisherman drowned in California." There are hundreds of accounts because 100% of the water in California can kill you. My point is that angling carries risk.

 

Fishing the prespawn amplifies risk. As does fishing without a PFD. As does fishing the wind. As does fishing into one's sixties, seventies, and eighties. As does fishing at night. Yet we cast on after weighing the risks.

 

I'd fish water with gators.

Gators won't bother you unless you bother them. I used fish santee cooper all the time in my kayak before I got my boat. Many a gator has come up to the boat and kept going right on by. There actually very docile creatures.

The problem with our gators is that the large ones can view a kayak as another gator coming into their territory and sometimes attack the kayak itself possibly not even knowing a human is aboard.

 

We recently had a woman killed by a gator because she and her husband canoed over top of a large gator in shallow water and when it reacted to them the gator knocked both into the water and grabbed her killing her.

 

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2025/06/26/florida-gator-attack-death-details-lake-kissimmee-polk-gatorwise-website/84348869007/

 

https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida/new-details-released-after-alligator-attacks-kayaker-in-central-florida/

 

A kayakers club posted an article about this subject:

 

https://adventurepaddletours.com/kayak-with-alligators/

 

I can't tell you how many kayakers I have pulled back to the boat ramp over the years. Kayakers who get way out into the jungle and then get lost and turned around and the sun is going down... yeah I carry extra rope just to tow some of them back to safety from places like this video shows on the St. Johns river in central Florida.

 

This is not the best place for a kayak for sure. But they still go out there just about every single day. Part of the problem is the river they use is listed as a canoe kayak trail:

 

"The Little Big Econ State Forest offers a popular 19-mile paddling trail along the Econlockhatchee River, suitable for both beginners and intermediate paddlers, according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The river flows through diverse landscapes, including dense forests and floodplain, providing opportunities to observe wildlife."

 

The problem arises when Kayakers and canoers go the wrong way. This 19 miles is kind of in town in Orlando area where the gator numbers are smaller. Much smaller. But quite often the kayakers go off trail and head in the wrong direction towards St. Johns river and get off the canoe route and out into the jungle where gator numbers quickly rise.

 

 

We bass fishermen tend to run into them right around sundown as they are exiting the little econ river and coming out onto the St. Johns river. If they turn right they are screwed and going further into jungle. Um, the boat ramp is in the other direction! And it is right around there and sundown when panic sets in to kayakers desperate to get off the water before dark. They are miles from nearest boat ramp and safety. And they can't turn around.

 

Kayaking and canoeing around gators can be done safely, but its always a gamble.

 

I hope Mike, looking for a yak, is going to use it in his backyard lake which does not get many gators.

 

 

 

@FloridaFishinFool: Thanks for helping those kayakers. However, I sure wouldn't want to paddle with them. I've spent enough time in wilderness areas to have learned that you must know where you are at all times. In the wilderness, there are no kindly @FloridaFishinFools to save you. I spent a week in the wilderness with a woman who never knew where we were. 

 

I'd ask again and again, "Which way is camp?

 

And again and again, she'd point the wrong way.

 

"Why do I need to know?" she asked. "You know!"

 

I explained, "You need to know in case I die so that you don't die too."

 

I never paddled with her again and never would.

 

 

The brain matters more than the boat. Proof:

 

 

 

More proof:

 

 

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I just googled "fisherman drowned in California." There are hundreds of accounts because 100% of the water in California can kill you. My point is that angling carries risk.

 

Fishing the prespawn amplifies risk. As does fishing without a PFD. As does fishing the wind. As does fishing into one's sixties, seventies, and eighties. As does fishing at night. Yet we cast on after weighing the risks.

 

I'd fish water with gators.

In other words, if you’re 70 and fishing the prespawn on a windy night without a pfd you’re bucking the odds.

1 minute ago, OldManLure said:

In other words, if you’re 70 and fishing the prespawn on a windy night without a pfd you’re bucking the odds.

 

Yep, you're dancing with the Grim Reaper.

2 hours ago, OldManLure said:

In other words, if you’re 70 and fishing the prespawn on a windy night without a pfd you’re bucking the odds.

A great many people do very poor risk/benefit assessments. Einstein was correct in stating that human stupidity is infinite........ 

Just now, Crow Horse said:

A great many people do very poor risk/benefit assessments. Einstein was correct in stating that human stupidity is infinite........ 

And Ron White was correct when he proclaimed you can’t fix it.

On 6/28/2025 at 7:26 PM, OldManLure said:

While a kayak’s weight is a factor in calculating it’s weight capacity, it does not count against it.  If an 85lb kayak is rated for a weight capacity of 425lb, it means it can handle a 425lb load.  Exceeding it will adversely affect its designed performance.

It very much does include the kayaks weight.

 

From SS127 Kayak – Bonafide Fishing there is a note at the bottom:

 

 

This is industry standard.  Your view is a common misconception.

 

17 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I just googled "fisherman drowned in California." There are hundreds of accounts because 100% of the water in California can kill you. My point is that angling carries risk.

 

Fishing the prespawn amplifies risk. As does fishing without a PFD. As does fishing the wind. As does fishing into one's sixties, seventies, and eighties. As does fishing at night. Yet we cast on after weighing the risks.

 

I'd fish water with gators.

 

I'm certainly not risk averse, but I am definitely unfamiliar with gators in the wild.

 

16 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I'd fish water with gators.

and then:

16 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I never paddled with her again and never would.

 

Sounds like some people I have known.

My first question is when you say smaller waters do you mean 500-1000 acres? Or even smaller. Because my recommendations will be very different for the two. If both, please note what category you expect to fit in most of the time, you want to buy what best fits what you do most.

 

Also do you want to motorize it, paddle or pedal?

 

I would be more inclined to get the right kayak for your needs even if it means pay more. But once and cry once.

On 7/4/2025 at 8:33 AM, Swamp Girl said:

 

Yep, you're dancing with the Grim Reaper.

I’ve got him on Speed dial Katy…