check austin canoe and kayaks. they have lots of kayaks for good prices and their shipping is easy and fast. i got free shipping on my trident 15.

A good all around kayak is a manta ray 14 or a ocean kayak trident 13. The $70 carlisle magic plus paddles at academy are just fine. Dont get the $25 mariner paddle though because they break easily when pushing off rocks. My buddy broke one the first day on the devils river when we went. Both kayaks I mentioned come with a good seat.

I would go to High Trails in Garland and check out the Native Ultimate 12 or 14.5 Kayak and the Stohlquist Fisherman PFD.
I have the Ultimate 12 and the Stohlquist PFD and love them both, it's very stable and keeps me dry.
I plan on installng a Smart Track rudder system very soon.

Mariner Sails on 35E in Dallas has a great selection and will get you in the water on one if you talk to them first. If you were local, they do demos every Thursday at White rock lake and will bring several models and paddles for you to try.
They carry everything mentioned above except the Pescador ( and they even have it as a WS model but it is more than the Pescador version) and the Coosa.

Ask for Aris

Telephone:
800-536-9463 972-241-1498

info@mariner-sails.com

Good luck, Phill

Anyone running a Malibu Stealth 12? It seems like a pretty stable ride with a lot of storage. I plan on paddling one of those as well as a Wilderness Ride and a Hobie peddle boat with Mariner Sails.

Would it be overkill to go with the Stealth 14 to have that extra 100 pound capacity or is 450 a reasonable capacity?

how much do you weigh? it is good to have at least 150# extra weight capacity if you want a nice dry ride. The other thing you have to consider is where do you want to fish at? If only on lakes and bays then the 14 is perfect. If you want to fish creeks, rivers and such a 12 would be better.

6'00" 200 lbs. I hope to be able to mix it up as far as where I fish. Not inclined to be out where the big boats roam....especially on Lewisville. Creeks, smaller lakes...river trip occasionally. I just want something comfortable with good storage. I am coming from a 20 foot Triton so I am used to a few gear boxes.

I'd go with a 12' then. Max capacity isn't your concern really, and you won't get that much more useable storage space out of a longer kayak. Plus for the areas you want to fish a 12' will be much easier to navigate.