Those of yall that fish btb how about posting what yaks yall use and what you like about them and dislike about them. A picture of your set up would help also. I think btb fishing is the most dangerous around Texas so I want to get a yak that is decent for this type of fishing and I need a list of kayaks that are proven sea worthy so I can start demo rides this spring.

There are many solid yaks for btb. I enjoy my santa cruz raptors. Ive been btb on all three coasts. That said i dont get to go as often as some others on the forum.

Christian how do you store your gear on the raptor? I am wanting to take a live well like yours, four rods, two Plano 3700 boxes a fish cooler bag and all the necessary items for fishing and safety but I have not figured out how I can carry all that in the raptor. Help me figure it out cause I do like it.

The center hatch can be cut out and a larger one installed. Thats where i put most of my tackle. I also have the santa cruz live bait tank, it has 4 verticle rod holders. When striper fishing i bungie 2 plano boxes on the lid of bait tank. Some have put nets, bars etc between the rear pontoons for fish bags etc. I have a piece of cutting board for there but i havent installed it yet. The front hatch is accessable on the water holds whatever else i take...castnet etc. You can send me a fb request and look at how i have mine rigged. Currently i have 11 places for rods on each of my yaks.

My yak has a built In bait tank. I mostly use It for storage though. having to haul bait water can be over come by towing a bait tube. once i get where im going I use a floating minnow bucket or floating bait pen. Better to take pre prepped baits btb n catch what u need out there. another thing I dont carry anymore Is ice. I personally freeze my water n Gatorade so I can carry more than enough without having to carry ice. I ALWAYS have extra flotation inside the yak n all but once used the buddy system. I carry flares, mirror, driftsock, ship to shore radio etc. etc

below r a few yaks that r offshore friendly but not ness designed for the surf:
Notice most of these r "longer" yaks n have higher than average weight capacities. Buoency n a more pronounce rocker is important In the surf & fishing big open water.. only a few yak fish offshore more than once if wind is more than 15mph but conditions deteriorate often. If your more than 400 yrds out, a lack of rocker will eventually e an Issue.

Ride 135
Malibu xfactor
Big game II
Prowler 15
Drifter
Frontier
Fishn n dive
Outback
Island adventure
Pro Anglers
Extreme
Raptor

Thresher - new & not yet proven IMO
Kraken - new & not yet proven IMO

R u planning to paddle several miles offshore or just btb? What r u wanting to catch?

personally, how I load my yak and what I take depends on how far im going.
How long I plan on being out, if I plan on catching bait and what I plan on bringing back. This I can tell u... I now get everything I can as low and streamlined as possible. I also want most everything within reach but out of my way for when I hook the big ones! I lost what would have been my personal best king because I didnt load right. She took off and slamming my rod against my 2nd cooler snapping the rod tip off and broke my line yak side. I was not pleased N dont want Iit happening again. posting a youtube video link so you can see what Im talking about.
new video in progress so stay tuned!

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUBPrqUZAaxXWc4fiSaM-ybw

There is still 1 old btb setup video on the BST Channel that is going to be removed.
we no longer carry all that stuff offshore above deck like we did back in the day.
But u will b able to see most of what we like to take.
The right yak sure makes a difference.
Todays yaks have more storage hatches these days and better planning make the difference


Ask lots of questions do your homework and use the buddy system. Better 2bsafe or sorry

What is BTB?

The Thresher is new as Zombie mentioned but was designed for BTB, its worth a demo IMO

Beyond the Breakers (ie offshore fishing)

Thanks for all the info. it is what I am looking for. Fish zombie the video is great. I am wanting to go out to some type of rig and target ling, Kings, Sharks and anything else that puts up a good fight. I am not interested in snapper but amberjack would be nice. Christian I will look you up on face book.

I all so noticed that none of the peddle kayaks made the list. Are they not as good btb?

Not experienced with BTB so take this with a grain of salt but I would think most of them wouldn't be as good through the surf but an advantage once through. The Propel from Native as well as Hobie's Mirage drive are great for covering distance and trolling. The boat I am looking at for this that I don't think has been mentioned in this thread yet is the Ocean Ultra 4.7....

b1c2r3r4,

on Ocean Ultra 4.7 (long & lean for speed, lacks on width/stability)
the outback, IA, & pro angler are all peddle yaks. like mojo said not best in the surf but are great after that on open water. trolling for kings and things is easier with a peddle yak. i still prefer a paddle over peddling.
Mountain Sports in arlington would be a good place your search. Tell Josh i sent cha. Mariner Sails in Dallas has the largest selection of yaks n gear around & they also do demos. I started BTBing with the Ocean Drifter. It was stable, had plenty of rocker but, i had to elevate the seat with custom cut cushion or my tail was always wet. The major - was it lacked cargo space. Then, i went to the ride 135 which was as stable, my tail stayed dry but water came over the front hard because it didnt have much rocker. Bigest - was water came in through the hatches like a coffee filter. i had to pump out after the surf. theyve made improvements to hatches since then. i paddled many but settled on the xfactor for offshore. Currently looking at the ocean big game II because its shorter and easier to transport. with all these yaks youll want at least a 240 length paddle or maybe a 250 to clear the gunnels.

This might help u: http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/10593116#Post10593116

Granted I've only been a handfull of times and no more than 1/2mile out and a few boats that I've seen than I don't think have been mentioned are the Tarpons and Cudas. I go out in my pescador 12. While probably not ideal, it gets the job done and stays dry inside (so far). Even when turtled in the surf. With that said, if I was looking for a BTB only boat, the Ultra 4.3/4.7 and the Reload/Profish 400 lite would be on the top of the list followed by the Thresher.

That Hobie Outback once through the surf looked awefully fast with that pedal drive!!

The Thresher looks like a great boat as well. It would be my second choice...