I'm really interested in starting to Kayak fish in San Antonio area and looking for some advice on the best Kayak to purchase for Lake/River/Creek bass fishing. Also if anybody that has some experience and would like a fishing buddy in the San Antonio area PM me. Jason

www.austinkayakfishing.com

We have a local group and we are not far from you. Nice guys and very informative.

Welcome aboard! This sport is crazy addicting but in a good way. I would try a few before you buy. Ill sell you mine if you wanted to drive to Dallas.

That site that Arai suggested is a good site of some local Austin guys.

To Robbie:
Hey, That's right your wanting to sell your 2011 or 2010 OK Prowler?

To Gator:
What do you weight n what's your budget?

To Robbie: Sorry bro I got distracted & didn't finish my reply.

I bought my Heritage Redfish when I bought my first yak because it had a flat bottom and would easily float in 2" of water for the local streams and rivers. My thought was that it would be great and keep me dry. The bad part is that I've only paddled rivers and streams 1 time......the rest of my fishing has been in lakes.

I recently paddled the new 2012 Ride series and I will tell you........those yaks are DRY! I've also heard that the Manta Rays are extremely dry and comfortable. My new Ride should be here next week and I'm super excited to retire this Redfish and get into a fast, dry boat. I'd suggest you test out a few before you decide on one.

If you decide you want to compete in some local 1 day tournament events, AKF has a tournament series called KATS that is great! If you decide you like competetive fishing, I can also invite you to a small private forum where we have bi-weekly to monthly cash entry 1 day tournaments. I also suggest you join www.kayakbassfishing.com because it's a HUGE kayaking community outside of just Texas and again, there are several thousand members that are dedicated to this sport and the organizations that contribute towards it.

The folks on those other places are great just like the folks here, and I frequent all of the above places.

Possibly, if I can get enough money for it. Its been a great kayak but might switch up. I bought it new in June.

For fast dry boat I love the santa cruz raptor. I can go out in any water and have no fear of tipping. Plus I can stand comfortably and throw my net etc. great boat.

I'm 190 72" and I have a budget of about 1000 dollars.

For Creeks, Rivers, and Lakes I would look into 12-13 ft yak. There are lots of options available in that range.If you don't want to buy new, TKF has a great classified section.

The Ocean Kayak Scrambler and Perception Sport Pescador 12 would be two nice new options available from Academy. Grab the Carlisle Magic paddle, a decent fishing PFD (one designed for kayaking), and a whistle and you'll be ready to hit the water.

Arai, I just bought the 2012 Ride 135 after doing a test paddle two weeks ago. It's an amazing kayak.

Thanks for all the advice so far I have seen the TKF classifieds section, the problem is most people selling Kayaks there are from all over the state, I was hoping to buy a Kayak from a little closer to San Antonio.

I don't know about San Antonio, but DFW Craigslist usually has kayaks show up all the time.

The cap for the raptor is 310lbs. I am 6ft also, best yak ive been in.

The Raptor is out of his $1000 price range.

I paddle a Manta Ray and it is indeed dry and comfortable. For rivers, though, I would also suggest looking at the Jackson Coosa.

I ended up purchasing a Tarpon 140 by Wilderness Systems and took it out for the first time today and I am satisfied with my purchase thank you everyone for all your input and recommendations.

I'm fairly new to this but been watching the forums for quite a while now. I just got a Tarpon 120 (used) From what I have heard Tarpons are a very good choice. Good luck to both of us!!

Read and learn. I am still new to this . But reading from all the post .You can see what works and what doesn`t. Before you go the wrong way with your kayak. Enjoying it a fun ride.

This is not directed at ANYONE:

What I've noticed is that what works well for 1 doesn't work for everyone. There is no 1 yak that is awesome from pond hopping to BTB rig fishing. That's why many say, "Paddle as many as you can before you buy"
Think it was Spiny that wrote: "It's all about trade offs"

It appears that anglers are making some better choices when it comes to selecting their kayaks. Hope that the advise some have offered has something to do with that. Today's kayaks offer more & keep getting, better n better. To be clear...If your not paddling the most expensive yak, it doesn't mean that your a lousy fisherman or can't catch a fish of a lifetime. If you don't have all the latest gadgets, bells n whistles, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the sport. It's all about getting on that water & making that new experience, setting that hook, landing that fish & exploring new waters

Stay safe out there guys. This is the time of year that we start loosing anglers.

This^^^

My first kayak cost me $65.00. Second was $1300.00. The second kayak just slightly changed the way I kayak fish but DID NOT improve my fishing any. In fact I still have both and in the cheaper I've caught 2-1 fish over the more expensive. My biggest bass this year was in my cheaper kayak. All that being said my third will be more expensive and loaded with goodies.

Yep....It's not the yak that makes the fisherman. Find one that's comfortable for you and that works with your style. You can catch the same fish outta a $299 Pelican as you can a $1400 Hobie. I like a mid price range because they are usually overall well rigged with storage space and travel through the water well. With that being said, the different designs of yaks will vary and cause slight changes in the way they handle or stay on course. The lower profile will have a tendancy to not catch wind as bad, but you could get a bit wet in heavy winds/waves. The taller profile will keep you drier and have more of a side/stability lean angle, but will also catch more wind and potentially cause tracking issues on a windy day without a rudder. The hull design also has tendancies to add to or take away from paddle speed and depth of water one can travel in without getting out to drag the boat.

My advice is to go test some and then get what feels right to you.

My first kayak is a Pelican that I bought used for $150 with paddle and PDF it was basically new when I got it

Now that I've used it and figured out I really like kayaking I'm going to save up some money to get a better one

I really like the ones you can stand up and fish like the Jackson