i only stand up, when i have to get a crank bait from a tree

If you are interested in kayak fishing, and can get a good Heritage yak for a trade, I say go for it. If you don't like it, You can sell it for good money fairly easily. I do believe SOTs are better suited for fishing, but you will get much wetter. I fish freshwater only, on an Ocean Kayak SOT, and love it. BUT, My next purchase will be a Sit in Kayak (SIK)to fish with in the winter. The SIK gives you better protection from the elements in winter. SIKs that are built for recreation or fishing are more stable than any comparably sized SOT because you sit below the water line. SIK that are designed for touring or racing are way less stable because they are designed for speed. That is one thing that holds true for either kind, more speed=less stability, more stability=less speed. For fishing you will not be in a hurry to cover 10+ miles, so stability is key. You don't lose that much speed to gain stablility anyways. As mentioned, check out TKF, there is more info there than you can digest in a month of reading. Good Luck and have Fun, it is a new addiction!

Lil Miami :
what do you hit, Ohio River?
U 1 Bad Dude LMJ
i really like that statement about sending them down the hatch.
if you come down here ever i will take you to some great kayaking spots. fish & find ancient projectiles.

That's SINK. Don't know how the "N" got in there, but I see it that way on TKF. Both are going to be wet, but in the sink you sit in the water that gets in. On the sot it leaks back out the scupper holes. Get the right yak for the size and experience as well as what you are doing and you will stay fairly dry most days. Big winds and big waves and you are wet even in a bass boat.

SINKS can also be rigged to the max. Here's mine with trolling motor with line guard, depthfinder, GPS, marine radio, downrigger with rod holder, long handle fish net, 24 inch ice'em down chest, 3 rod holders, two group 27 batteries with two-way switches, accessory plugs for crappie lights, spot light and lantern. Front and rear nav lights. Two oversized front and rear flotation bags. 4.3mph, range 20 miles, troll non-stop 7 hours. Not shown but attaches to the rear deck is a unit that holds 8 jug lines rigged to go. Also carryin' an anchor and driftsock and a kayak paddle. The kayak is an Old Towne Twin Otter. PTL brother!

very nice

I would have to suggest a SOT kayak for fishing. I have had my kayak in quite a few lakes and rivers, but mainly fish salt water.

I paddle an Ocean Kayak, Prowler 13.

I will note a few things that I have realized while spending lots of time on the water.

The Prowler is not the driest ride out there by any means. I have yet to have a trip where I stayed completely dry. I wear waders during the cooler months, so this is not a problem. During the summer months, I can honestly say that getting wet is a good thing. If you don�t want to get wet, stay at home�

I can carry quite a bit of gear in my yak if I need to. I prefer to keep a light load because it is not unusual to cover 5 miles on a morning trip. Keeping the overall weight down will allow your yak much more glide compared to having the thing packed full of stuff. If I am not planning on paddling far, I can easily throw a cooler in the back area and still have plenty of room for my tackle and such.

The main reason I prefer a SOT yak is the ease of getting in and out while fishing. If I am able to exit the yak, stake it down, and get out, I am going to. I like fishing marshes and remote bays, so being able to get in and out without much effort is definite plus. I can also sit �side saddled� if I prefer, and this is something you can�t do in a SINK. I can adjust my anchor to position my kayak in the direction that I want to face.

Here is a few pics of my yak in action. That is actually my buddy holding the Drum in the pic, but my yak is in the background.

Just picked up on this thread. Have used a buddies sit on top rig and the seat was sorry it and made my back ache. Was no fun at all. What are ya'lls experiences with seaats / back support? Seems almost like any ole yak with a great back supporting seat would be fun and enjoyable.

A couple of points to think about. A SIK seat is usually dryer because it is raised. A lot of SOT seats are depressions and can remain wet a large part of the time. In a SIK you usually have three points of contact, foot rest, knees against sides and back against the seat. On a SOT, the knee support is not there unless you add it. A comfortable seat can change into a nightmare when you wear a life jacket all day. The length of your paddle can affect you back after a few hours. A SOT usually needs a longer paddle. I have had a SIK and have just purchased a SOT. After next weekend I may need a back doctor.

For coastal fishing SOT rules but for river and lake fishing year round for me it's SIK. Since I've never kayaked the coast I do just fine in freshwater with my old town loon 111. It's pretty fast, dry and the seat doesn't make my back sore but my tailbone will get sore after about two hours of continuous sitting, which seldom happens because I will get out and wade fish.

My wife and I spent three months kayak fishing around Port Aransas. We have a tandem sit on top ocean kayak zest 2.Pro's:Lot's of room at 16', (I'm 6'4") Very stable, lightweight (78lbs),easy to rig for fishing, tons of storage(optional hatches were added),very easy to handle even in a moderate breeze, self bailing, easy to get in and out of in a hurry, Con's: you will get wet. (We wear waders in cooler weather). Even with high end optional adjustable back seats,Our lower backs were aching after a couple of hours. We alleviated this problem with 2" thick cushions made by Oregon Areo placed under the kayak seat. It is not as agile as a single seater and a little more difficult to handle solo.

S it IN K ayak. SINK. I realize sink is not a good word for any boat but it beats the heck out of a SIcK boat.

I use a cobra 14' sit on top.I have two large storage areas under the deck.Its very roomy and very fishable inshore and offshore.

What is the boat on the right?