I am really intrigued by the kayaking scene, and my family is really looking at getting into the sport. Wanted to get the pro's opinion of the best All Around Fishing Kayak. We will mainly fish Rivers. Main Features need to be Stable, Fairly Light to Carry, Fisher Friendly (Obviously). Speed is not really a must. Price is a concern, but not a deterent. Just need to opinion of the best overall route to go. Thanks in advance.

You will be told about a lot of options. My advice is to listen to them then pick a few to try out. You really need to paddle them to figure out which is best for you.

On that note: I fish out of a Jackson Kayak Coosa for my river adventures. Most comfortable seat on the market,IMO. Very stable and faster than it looks. Designed by fisherman and being copied to the best of their abilities by other kayak manufacturers.

Good luck on your journey

The best "All Around Fishing Kayak"? Standby for some religious wars! <j/k>

Like Just Fish said, try a lot of them, but IMO he's not steering you wrong with the Coosa for river fishing. We love our Manta Ray 14s, but we're mostly lake fishing and cruising. I've paddled the Coosa and it's a great ride!

Good luck with your choice... and welcome to the addiction!

I agree with Robert that it is best to test drive any prospective boats before you buy one. Buying a kayak is a little different than the Ford, Chevy theory because yaks perform different based on a persons weight, height, type of water lake vs river (I know you said rivers but once you start you won't stop at river fishing), and a persons ability to paddle. What works good for me might or might not work good for you. There are several dealers in the DFW area that have demo boats for you to "test drive". Hit them up and try a few and then decide.

Now, that being said the Jackson Coosa is an awesome river boat so if you want to test drive one send me a PM and I'll bring a Coosa and a Cuda to Grapevine and we'll let you try them out.

Paddle or peddle as many as you can. If you want to demo the ones we carry just let me know. We only carry fishing kayaks, and have a fishing pro shop, so we know about fishing. Would love to have you try out the Diablo's and the Natives.

I agree with everyone...test out as many as you can. Mariner-Kayaks have just about every make and model thats available. They demo every Thursday night but will need to let them know what you want a couple if days in advance. They are located off I-35 across from Malibu Speed Way. Click the link below

Rick,
Make sure the Natives are not restless first!!!

Well first of all let me welcome you to the kayak side of TFF. It's great to have you over here. You will get a lot of help picking out a kayak here as people seem very friendly and want you to give you a hand to get in the right kayak for you.
If you will read the thread at the top of this section it will answer a lot of questions.
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ing#Post5913465

If you have any questions or if you want to take a couple Hobie kayaks out for a test drive just give me a shout. Mariner-Kayaks will also let you demo kayaks they have on Thursdays and Saturdays. http://www.mariner-sails.com
Also,please be sure that after you get your kayak you give us a shout. We are starting to have open invites where we just meet up at a lake and go fishing.
The brand of kayak doesn't matter on these open invites. We do all love OUR brands that we own. But it's great to see all that left on the bank. On the water we are just good ole' boys that enjoy catching fish together in a kayak.
Shaun

Hey I dig those Natives!! restless or not

Amen.

Jackson Coosa is THE kayak for river fishing in my opinion. Very comfortable, portable, stable, and easy to maneuver in a river. I would suggest a Coosa for sure. But as everyone else stated, just be sure to try your options out before making a choice.

The Malibu Stealth 12 would make a nice fishing platform also.

Here's a pretty good one also.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ale#Post7419086

It also depends on what type of river you want to fish. Rivers like the devils are best suited for a 12' or less size kayak due to the tight maneuvering in the rapids. But rivers like the brazos are better suited for longer kayaks because they are wide open and longer kayaks are generally faster and more efficient in open water (especially when fighting that Texas wind).

I personally wont ever buy another kayak under 14 ft in length.

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