I have never owned a kayak and I'm deciding between a short one man canoe or a kayak for a trip to the far north after retirement this year. My canoe experience is limited but my canoe mentor has given great advice as to what to look for. My hesitation is I want my hands free while I fish. What are ya'lls opinions about a fin drive pedal kayak? Does it really give more convenience to the angler as opposed to a paddle kayak that paddles must be put down to use hands? Is there a budget kayak that receives good marks from users? I'm 66 so weight is beginning to become a concern. Is there a canoe or kayak terrain cart that is recommended? I like the idea of a pedal kayak with rudder steering but I'm open to what you experts view as a good way to experience new waters.

thanks

Bob

Hello BRB,

Are you planning on car topping, trailering or truck bed transporting? Price concerns? How large of a person are you? Or you want something you can pick up under your arm and carry to water? Most of the pedal kayaks are pretty darn heavy 80-100lbs plus. There are some exceptions to that rule. The Hobie Lynx comes to mind.

Pedal kayaks really open up a lot more water to fishing or add fishability in any kind of wind. Blue Raider can you possibly give more of an idea on how your going to use your new Kayak? Last thought is to let you know that if your going sit-on-top. The quality of the seat is paramount.

Best,

FM

p.s. Here is a picture of the Lynx. It weighs 47lbs hull, 63 with seat and pedal drive.

You have good questions and hopefully I can help you with some experience.

The first is as you add equipment weight goes up. Seems obvious but a nice stable fishing paddle kayak will run ~80lbs while a pedal drive will quickly break 120lbs for a 10’. Even with a cart transportation can quickly become an issue because you’re not just taking the kayak. You have tackle and other gear plus the cart weight. My fully loaded Titan 12 was easily 200+ pounds. Your weight and the gear you plan to take is also a major factor. Many kayaks list their weight limits and I strongly recommend you follow them. Also determine if that limit includes the kayak or not.

I have gone from pedal to paddle because of the limited portability. I sold the 12’ and downsized to a 10’ and am much happier. I can still add whatever I need to fish tournaments or big water but slow floats down a local creek aren’t a nightmare now.

The used market for kayaks is great right now because of multiple factors. A lot of the Covid buyers are moving out of their kayaks, the offerings from big box stores are improved, and there has been a glut of kayaks bought over the last five years. People like me who change their mind on what they want means someone else was able to buy my used Titan with a ton of kit included.

To help you better we will need to know how you’re transporting the boat, the requirements you have for what it need to rig, and if this is a one time burner yak or something you’d like to invest in long term.

Oh yes, and regarding the question about fin drive like the Hobie mirage it is much better IMHO then the prop type pedal drive around thick weedy waters. Also you can go shallower by feathering the fins or short stroking where the fin is out almost parallel to the water.

FM

11 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Oh yes, and regarding the question about fin drive like the Hobie mirage it is much better IMHO then the prop type pedal drive around thick weedy waters. Also you can go shallower by feathering the fins or short stroking where the fin is out almost parallel to the water.

FM

The only thing to keep in mind is you should always keep replacement parts with you for your drive. Fin drives have cables which can break and prop drives will break props.

The need to car top has kept me away from pedal drives thus far, otherwise I would have one, at least for lakes. For shallow rivers, i don't want anything extra hanging underneath.

It is typically no problem to free your hands while you fish by simply laying the paddle across your lap. Many kayaks also have rigging on either side that can be used to secure a paddle lengthwise if you want it completely out of the way for awhile.

I paddle and it is definitely challenging, frustrating at times and honestly...can be limiting. I use anchors, but am very strict on their use and where and when I deploy them. I'm a minimalist type angler, so many wouldn't go my way. I enjoy when it does come together as I will never get jaded always working to get on fish, but I like it that way. I don't run the normal kayak two-paddle; I use half of one and go canoe style.

1 hour ago, JonB2 said:

I don't run the normal kayak two-paddle; I use half of one and go canoe style.

Me too. A kayak paddle takes up too much room, so I paddle my kayak with a canoe paddle and my backup paddle is runt paddle, a paddle with a shortened shaft. That's all I need to retrieve my lost paddle.

Lots of good advice here. I'll add my two cents, but some of that repeats what was said earlier.

1. What's your budget? That narrows it down quickly.

2. As mentioned earlier, how will you transport it? Car topping isn't as easy when you get to our age.

3. Are you fishing big water or ponds? In big water I wouldn't go out in anything less tan 12 feet nor would I fish big water out of a paddle kayak. You'll be easily frustrated and wish you would have invested in a pedal drive.

4. Read a lot of reviews, especially those involving customer service. Some pedal kayaks look tempting, like Brooklyn Kayak - until you read about their customer service.

5. There's nothing wrong with a used kayak that's a bit dinged up.

6. Get a good PFD.

7. @Swamp Girl is a great resource for canoes.

My first kayak was an inexpensive Seastream Angler 120 pedal drive and I loved that thing. But it had limitations, including it was cheap plastic compared to my AP120 or the XTR I'm buying next. But it was still a good entry level pedal kayak.

I’m also in the bare bones crowd but I bet the pedals would be very nice if you wanted to be hands free. I have several kayaks and a canoe and they all serve a purpose. If I could only have one it would be a canoe, way more open space to move around and easy to carry. My wife has the Jackson liska kayak that I fish out of the most , it’s the Cadillac of our fleet. Paddles fairly fast, very stable , comfy chair, lots of storage. It’s heavy tho at 89ish lbs empty, I can car top it solo but I have to use a car I don’t mind scuffing or denting. It’s a 2 person lift if You want to avoid scratches. In my truck I can drop the tailgate and just life one end to set it into the bed and slide the rest of the way.