[Fishing Man]

hey guys
im looking for a first yak,
i want to fish the dams, creeks and even get out onto Palmy reef when theres no swell, can anyone give me tips on which model to get and why?

any information or personal experiences are much appreciated

thanks guys

 

[Scott]

Mate don't limit yourself to those two models. While they are both good yaks, there are a few other options you should consider. Try to test paddle everything you can simulating your fishing conditions as much as possible. Other models to consider are;

The Hobie range, the espri's bigger sister, the Predator which is a more capable bluewater boat than the espri and a P13 or an Elite. Just beware as some of the elites are having teething problems with the moulding at present. If you can get one not suffering from this problem you will have a top yak.

Have a read of the design fundamentals listed on these two sites so you can make an educated decision.

http://students.washington.edu/~ukc/library/052902-1notes.pdf#search="sea kayak design fundamentals"
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/information/kayak_design

I have found through experience that most sales people in kayak shops are either recreational sea kayakers who use sit in side yaks (SIKs) or white water yakkers and either way do not understand what makes a good fishing yak which is excellent secondary stability at rest, storage and mounting positions for electronics and rod holders in addition to the other hull characteristics that are similar to a sea kayak.

Catch ya Scott

 

[Fishing Man]

does anyone know where i can test paddle an esprit and a swing down on the Gold Coast

 

[Peril]

does anyone know where i can test paddle an esprit and a swing down on the Gold Coast

Send a polite PM to Dodge, he has both 8)

 

[Dodge]

Dan/fishing man.

Your request is easy to arrange, have replied to your PM

 

[Fishing Man]

hey guys,

Just got back from a good morning on the water with "Dodge"
Arranged to meet up at Hinze Dam this morning and test paddle the viking esprit and perception swing. This has really helped me in working out what sort of yak i need.

I found them both to be great vessels, and for the freshwater either would be great. I think the swing might suit me a bit better in the surf though with its hull design etc.

Still got a couple to test and then il be into it!!!

Thanks again Richo!

 

[troppo]

Fishing man, all the best with ya searching out a great yak. And remember, ya can't have too many of them so if ya buy one and see another one ya like, buy it too.

Dodge, good on ya for helping out Fishing man. You are truly a gentleman and ambassador for the sport of yak fishing.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[Dodge]

Ben it was a pleasure to meet and help, here are a couple of pics of the event

 

[kingfisher111]

Richo, you are a legend!!