I finally have the money to buy my first yak. I plan on going to academy with about $500. I have my eye on two right now. My concerns are stability, ease of transportation, and cost. Both yaks have everything I want for storage and rod holder wise. I only plan on using two rods and I want to travel light the first couple times until I get used to everything, and I dont plan on going out to far into the bay. First yak is cheaper (I can buy more upgrades if I get a cheaper yek) it is the pelican castaway 11.5'. I am 5'11 weigh about 240. It says the limit is 275. thoughts? The other yak is the heritage redfish angler 12'. The limit is 350 lbs. Obviously this is bigger, has plenty of storage, etc. Does anyone own any of these kayaks? the reviews online we not that helpful. Ill most likely be fishing Christmas Bay and in the rockport area. Please give me some feedback.

DO NOT buy the pelican 11.6. Believe me when I say I am speaking from experience. Any crosswind while paddling in that yak causes all sorts of tracking problems. Look at the front and rear of the kayak and notice how they look exactly the same. Look at the heritage redfish they sell and notice how the front has a nice v and the rear forms a more square shape as it runs aft. All I can say is avoid the pelican castaway for sure.

For the money, the Redfish, or one you didn't mention, the Pescador are a good choice. The Pescador is supposed to be built from the same mold as the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120. You can find some really good deals on used boats as well. there have been some big releases of new boats, so a lot of guys are selling off older, quality stuff.

The Redfish that Academy is selling is not like the older one. I believe Native Watercraft has taken over the Redfish name. You can find an older Redfish for a decent privce, and it's supposed to be a better boat. The seat in the old Redfish is very nice; the seat in the new one looks painful.

Click here for the old Redfish. It's 100 bucks more than the new one, but I think there are more differences than the seat. Trust me though, a seat can make or break the kayaking experience.

Those aren't the only game for $500.00 though. You can find some nice used rigs for that money.

Have you checked criagslist you should be able to find you a better yak that is stronger and already setup for fishing like a cuda, coosa ocean trident or wilderness 14 so you would not need to buy as much accessories but to each his own. But I will tell you a good quality used kayak should last you a lot longer (before you get that big crack) than a new cheaper one that is thinner and made from harder plastics

Ok well I'll probably go with the redfish then as of now. Has anyone else heard you can't return kayaks to academy? I thought you can return anything except guns and ammo. I was gonna buy it and take it to the small lake by my house before hitting the bay just to be on the safe side.

If you want to do something like that find a local kayak shop. Most kayak dealers offer demo ride to see what type of kayak you like most. You could find one that is very similar to the one you want and ask them if you could demo it.

Just to give you a tip. If you want a GOOD kayak be patient and look around awhile. I just got what I thought was an excellent deal after looking for nearly 8 months. I got an Ocean Kayak trident 15 and a perception search 15 both rigged out to fish and also rigged with rudder systems. The Ocean kayak was a 2010 model that was begin used as a display model. The perception was being used as a demo boat that had been demod 2 times. The ocean kayak was $1350 on the price tag. The perception brand new fitted out the way it is is worth about $1100. That comes out to a grand total of around 27-2800 after tax. I was able to get them both (for me and the wife) for $1500. If you are patient and willing to look around feverishly in this economy you can and will find an awesome used fishing kayak (a top name brand) in the $500-$700 range.

Go to the TKF site. They often advertise "demo days" in the Port Aransas area, sponsored by multiple kayak dealers. You'll get to paddle a lot of kayaks in coastal conditions, get some instruction, and be able to make an informed decision.
As mentioned in previous posts, there are plenty of good used kayaks out there, and the money you save could finance an additional fishing trip.

Try this question again in the kayak fishing forum or over on TKF for a better response and don't forget to try the search function at both locations.
My opinion...paddle a few before you buy(rent, borrow or demo) and buy a good used yak for your first. I have not paddled either of the yaks you mention, sorry.

FM

If you can, get on Craigslist and pick you up a Ride 135. Beat yak I've been in for stability. I also like the Commander, but you may be able to pickup a Ride cheap in the 2008-2011 model.