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Boognish
i can't decide between these two. let me know what you think. pros and cons of both, and tell me the difference between the two. which one would be more stable?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dragonfly-Moorea-Kayak/10910811
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4274284&cid=CSE:GoogleProductSearch
btw, i'm 5 '10 so it's important that i choose the one that has more leg room too.
Answer
If you're looking for stability, sit-on-top kayaks probably aren't your best bet. I looked at your selections, and they look alright for the money. I think the kayak from Dick's is probably the better buy between the two.
For my first (and so far, only) kayak, I purchased a Future Beach Trophy 126 DLX kayak from Dick's. I didn't see it on their website, but I found it in-store a week or two ago, so they still carry it. It's a sit-inside type with TONS of legroom. I can fully stretch out at 6'0", and the storage space is huge--much bigger than kayaks costing hundreds more. I got it on sale for $299, and they had a sale sometime after at the same price but with a free paddle.
You can check it out here: http://www.futurebeach.com/5_kayaks/index.html
The storage is watertight, and I can fit my backpacking tent, lightweight sleeping bag, all my tackle, and snacks and odds-and-ends comfortably. The dihedral hull makes it ultra stable--I leaned it over until the coaming was 1" above the water and it still didn't flip. The sit-in design protects your legs from the sun and wind, and lets you pull a big fish in with you, so you don't have to try to fiddle with it while it's still in the water. The built-in rod holders are great, and let me set a couple of lines up and troll for fish. I can enjoy paddling and watching the view and catch fish at the same time.
I put a couple of upgrades on mine, which are cheap and definitely recommended. First, I put a couple of bungee-down rod/paddle holders. Mine are both on the same side, so I can secure the front and back ends of the rods. They'll firmly hold two or three, in addition to what I put inside the leg area (another advantage of sit-inside designs) and in the rod holders. That lets me take a fly rod, a couple of spin rods, and a catfish rod or baitcaster, so I don't have to decide what I'm going to fish for or how I'm going to catch it before I take off. They cost me about $8 each from Academy.
Second, I installed an anchor trolley. This is really only important in moving water, as it allows you to decide and change which direction you'll face in the current, but it's very handy. The trolley was about $25 from Academy, and I got a 3-pound folding anchor also from Academy for $5. In hindsight, I wish I'd gotten the 5-pound at $8, which is what I'd recommend. I use some basic nylon cord on a cardboard winder that I cut from a box, and I put a 97-cent styrofoam float on the anchor line, which has already saved me from buying a new anchor twice.
Third, I got some carabiners which I'm sure you'll eventually get for securing various things to your bungees. Most importantly, I clipped a chain-style fish stringer to the stern, which was an invaluable addition. Get one for 2 or 3 bucks anywhere. Get the chain style so it hooks together nicely, and you can release a fish from the middle of the stringer without having to take several fish off and string them on again. I keep the extra hooks connected to the last hook, and take one off for each fish I catch, which keeps the stringer at a manageable length and prevents the fish from tangling in my line.
Lastly, get or make a paddle leash--before you ever hit the water. You can do this almost for free, and even commercial ones can be had at $5. When you get to a spot you want to fish, or see a telltale swirl in the water, just set the paddle down in the water and start bringing in fish.
In my opinion, fishing from a kayak is the best way to fish, period. You'll roll right over the backs of fish without them even knowing you were there, and you'll be back in the trees catching trophies while other anglers are motoring their jetboats from cove to cove looking for fish they haven't scared off yet.
Edit: You don't need to spend $700 on a kayak, nor does it need to be 12' long. Longer kayaks do nothing but offer slightly straighter tracking, and sometimes more storage. I have more than enough utility and room from my 10' kayak, and it's stable as a rock.
If you're looking for stability, sit-on-top kayaks probably aren't your best bet. I looked at your selections, and they look alright for the money. I think the kayak from Dick's is probably the better buy between the two.
For my first (and so far, only) kayak, I purchased a Future Beach Trophy 126 DLX kayak from Dick's. I didn't see it on their website, but I found it in-store a week or two ago, so they still carry it. It's a sit-inside type with TONS of legroom. I can fully stretch out at 6'0", and the storage space is huge--much bigger than kayaks costing hundreds more. I got it on sale for $299, and they had a sale sometime after at the same price but with a free paddle.
You can check it out here: http://www.futurebeach.com/5_kayaks/index.html
The storage is watertight, and I can fit my backpacking tent, lightweight sleeping bag, all my tackle, and snacks and odds-and-ends comfortably. The dihedral hull makes it ultra stable--I leaned it over until the coaming was 1" above the water and it still didn't flip. The sit-in design protects your legs from the sun and wind, and lets you pull a big fish in with you, so you don't have to try to fiddle with it while it's still in the water. The built-in rod holders are great, and let me set a couple of lines up and troll for fish. I can enjoy paddling and watching the view and catch fish at the same time.
I put a couple of upgrades on mine, which are cheap and definitely recommended. First, I put a couple of bungee-down rod/paddle holders. Mine are both on the same side, so I can secure the front and back ends of the rods. They'll firmly hold two or three, in addition to what I put inside the leg area (another advantage of sit-inside designs) and in the rod holders. That lets me take a fly rod, a couple of spin rods, and a catfish rod or baitcaster, so I don't have to decide what I'm going to fish for or how I'm going to catch it before I take off. They cost me about $8 each from Academy.
Second, I installed an anchor trolley. This is really only important in moving water, as it allows you to decide and change which direction you'll face in the current, but it's very handy. The trolley was about $25 from Academy, and I got a 3-pound folding anchor also from Academy for $5. In hindsight, I wish I'd gotten the 5-pound at $8, which is what I'd recommend. I use some basic nylon cord on a cardboard winder that I cut from a box, and I put a 97-cent styrofoam float on the anchor line, which has already saved me from buying a new anchor twice.
Third, I got some carabiners which I'm sure you'll eventually get for securing various things to your bungees. Most importantly, I clipped a chain-style fish stringer to the stern, which was an invaluable addition. Get one for 2 or 3 bucks anywhere. Get the chain style so it hooks together nicely, and you can release a fish from the middle of the stringer without having to take several fish off and string them on again. I keep the extra hooks connected to the last hook, and take one off for each fish I catch, which keeps the stringer at a manageable length and prevents the fish from tangling in my line.
Lastly, get or make a paddle leash--before you ever hit the water. You can do this almost for free, and even commercial ones can be had at $5. When you get to a spot you want to fish, or see a telltale swirl in the water, just set the paddle down in the water and start bringing in fish.
In my opinion, fishing from a kayak is the best way to fish, period. You'll roll right over the backs of fish without them even knowing you were there, and you'll be back in the trees catching trophies while other anglers are motoring their jetboats from cove to cove looking for fish they haven't scared off yet.
Edit: You don't need to spend $700 on a kayak, nor does it need to be 12' long. Longer kayaks do nothing but offer slightly straighter tracking, and sometimes more storage. I have more than enough utility and room from my 10' kayak, and it's stable as a rock.
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Title Post: fishing kayaks- which one is better?
Rating: 95% based on 9878 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
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Rating: 95% based on 9878 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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