OK...first off, I am completely new to kayak fishing. I just sold my 20 foot Triton due to not having enough time to justify the payment. I have some experience in canoes and I understand that they are not the same as kayaks....sooo...

After lurking for a while, it seems like tracking and stability are some of the more important aspects of a kayak. I am not looking for a "speed kayak" but I don't want to paddle a log around all day either. I am 6'00" and about 200 pounds.

That being said, I was hoping that some of the more knowing fishing kayakers could steer me toward a few yaks under $1000 that I could look at and possibly test drive (seems like thats been common advise as well).

I will be primarily fishing smaller lakes and some of the woody creeks on the bigger lakes. I would like to be able to do an occasional overnighter on some of the tailwaters around here also. I mainly bass fish but I fly fish as well.

Any help would be appreciated.

Mariner Sails - off 35.

I have a diablo adios, I like it, but if I had to do it over again I might have gone with a ride 135, or a malibu stealth 12. You got to remember seat, paddle, and pfd can set you back some $ as well.

Where are you considering doing overnighters? I also live in the colony and we camp at Ray Roberts (I don't get to do as often as I would like).

Thanks...and that brings up a couple other questions
1. I have an auto inflate life preserver...will that work on the kayak?
2. Does the rudder make that big of a difference on the kayak and are those things stationary for stabililty or do they move?
3. Which seat and paddle should I consider?

I saw some posts on the Brazos river and the Trinity. I'm not sure if that's overnightable but it was a thought. I would love to do a trip to the Devils river some time.

I live about 45 seconds from Stewarts Creek park so I would imagine my "excursions" would start there until I get used to not having a 200 HP on my back.

I've have a 14' Redfish for a few years now and each time I take it out its a different animal. I'll NEVER take it to Bastrop again because the wind just sucks there all the way around. It sits high in the water and without the rudder keeping me on the straight and narrow I would have thrown it in a wood chipper long ago. My rudder goes up and down with a pull of a cord and steers with foot pedals.

The auto-inflate PFD will work on a kayak but you will have to wear it and not just have it with you.

Seats and paddles are just as much a personal choice as PFD's. See if there's a kayak demo day and try a bunch. I forget the name of the seat but it looks like a lawn chair with the legs only about 6 inches long and it supposed to be real comfortable. Mine isn't near thick enough for my skinny backside so I have to supplement with an extra cushion.

Mazie, I purchased one of those foam "hemroid donuts" for $20 bucks until I find the right seat for my yak. After a month I think I'l just keep the donut and replace as needed. It adds about 3"s in height and sits perfectly in my seat.

Good luck on finding the right kayak.

Thanks for the replies. I do plan on wearing the PFD any time I'm out. I think I will head out to the kayak shop in Dallas and pick some more brains. I'm looking forward to getting out and getting into where the big boat couldn't.

There are several kayaks that will serve you well for the kind of money you have. Remember though that the paddle is nearly as important as the kayak. With a $1K to spend I would be looking at paddles at least in the 200 dollar range.
You will also need a PFD. So get something comfortable.

Some other things to consider: sit in vs. sit on top. I'm assuming you would want a sit on top.

Width and length - longer skinnier boats tend to be faster and easier to paddle but lack stability. For example, a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160 is 16 ft. long by 28" wide and is fast and easy to paddle. A Cobra Fish N Dive is 12 ft. long and 36" wide and can feel like paddling a bath tub over any appreciable distance. Some of the wider ones you may actually be able to stand up on in calm water, which would obviously be an advantage for fly fishing.

If you're going to do any camping, make sure you check the weight capacity. I've seen them as low as 300 lbs and as high as 600lbs. Either way, make sure you have enough for what you want to do.

My recommendations would be the Ocean Kayak Trident 11 or 13 for an all around boat in your price range. You may also want to look at a Jackson Coosa.

Sit on top is definately the way I'm going.

The local rental joint for the ocean kayak would be high trails canoe in Garland, they also have the native and Hurricane line of boats. The boats that would be a good all around boat for you in my opinion would be the wilderness systems ride 135 or tarpon 14, Ocean kayaks trident 13 angler, native watercraft manta 14, hurricane phoenix 140 and heritage redfish 14. I would recommend the jackson Coosa but I have not paddled one of their boats and that model is not on the market as of yet that I am aware of.

It has already been said but paddle as many as you can before you buy anything, set aside money for the best paddle and pfd you can afford and if it does not come with the boat you will have to buy the seat as well. You do not want to skimp on the seat or paddle, the seat will determine comfort and support and the paddle will determine how much energy is transferred to the water.

I use a 265$ carbon fiber paddle with an ergonomic bent shaft because it transfers more energy to the water and helps with shoulder and wrist fatigue. Most people would not justify that expense or even consider it, once you have paddled with a higher end paddle you would understand.

"fishing smaller lakes and some of the woody creeks "

ya dont need nothing bigger than a 12 footer. pescador is the play here. 500 at academy getcha a 70 dollar carlisle magic paddle and hit the water

Maziesdad, I'm the same size as you, we could probably swap pants, and I have a Pescador and love it. I use a Marine Raider paddle that I got at academy for under $30 bucks and don't see any real issues with it. I would like to try a $250 paddle and see what I'm missing though. Is there some place that rents them?

Big difference in the $30 paddle and $180 paddle is the weight. could be blade length and the material it is made from. I used to have a carlisle magic paddle $69 at academy and now I have a Auqa bound stingray CF shaft paddle from REI (although I got it on sale for $120) And the Werner paddle is almost half a pound lighter and it is 4 inches longer than my magic paddle. It was much nicer to paddle and i was surprised how much half a pound makes a differnce after paddling around for 8 hours.

Maybe I should take a trip to REI or Mountain Sports to take a look at something like that. I haven't been doing much paddling lately, just getting out to the bridge and tying off for a few hours then back to the ramp. I could see how a few ounces might save some muscle aches later on a long paddle. But thems a lot of clams.

Might want to keep in mind how much the yak itself weighs. My FS12 is 80lbs which is a pain in the *** to put on the roof of my xterra after paddling for several hours.