Where can I demo kayaks at? I don't think I know anybody that owns a kayak.

I spent $300 for a new preception last year from Sports Authority. This was my 1st time in a yak and I did not even know if I could even paddle much less fish outta 1. The preception was a great boat and it provided what I needed. Roughly 6 months afterwards I discovered that although the boat was fine for casual fishing it just didnt fit the needs of everyday use. I began fishing outta my new yak Jan 1st of this year and the difference is un real. Take the advise of trying out different boats if your planning on using it often, if a few weekends a year is what your plan is than the preception would be perfect

Find Ben Tedrick on here. His handle is hook-line&sinker.
He kayak fishes and is in Bryan. He has a blog and fishes Somerville pretty often.

Definitely wait it out and find a used one online. I found a steal on Craigslist for 2 lightly used Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120's for the price of only 1 if you were to get it new. Those are easily the best 2 kayaks I've owned. Just went on a 3 day trip on the Devil's River and my Tarpon 120's performed much better than my buddy's $1300 Jackson.

interested in how they performed better. drafted shallower or dragging or length? just curious.

I'm really struggling to be patient and shop around. I want to be on the water as soon as possible!

500 is good price to spend especially starting out. the 2008 tarpon is considered one of the finest kayaks of its time. 5 years later and the plastic boats are still about the same. now some have comfier seats i see. some have live wells, gear tracs, etc. u can add stuff yourself if you want a few extries, but i believe most use plastic . redfish from academy is good or bass pro has their brand also.

At 6'4" you'll be banging your knees in any 12' kayak. You'll need a 13-14'er at least. I'd look for a used one.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/3596422118.html

perception destiny dont know much about it tho

maybe we have some perception prostaffers here tell ya about it

If you have an Academy near you, you can see if they have any Old Town Caspians left. It is a rebadged Ocean Kayak Scrabler XT, even has the OK seat. I have been out in it twice and it is pretty stable. They were on clearance for $299. Only issue with it is that you need scupper plugs in the winter because you will get your butt wet. A pool noodle worked for me last weekend to plug them but I ordered a pair of plugs for $10. you will want to sit in it and see if you have room for your legs. I am 6'0" and 200 pounds.

Longer kayaks don't translate to longer cockpits. The current Wilderness Systems Tarpons have the exact same cockpit dimensions whether it's the Tarpon 100 or the Tarpon 160. Added length is typically added to the bow and stern/tankwell areas. I think with Ocean kayaks there might be an inch or two difference between the say Trident 11 and 15.

True the cockpits are the same as in the Ride 115 and 135. It's just that you have a little more kayak around you which means a little bit more area that isn't water to store things and mount things.
At 6' and 220 pounds I pretty much fill my shorter kayak up and when I look around I pretty much just see water.

X2 on the pescador 12, good yak for the price. It an old body style tarpon 12. That would be my recommendation.....until you can save up a step up to a Jackson Cuda 14, cuda 12, or cruise 12.

Having been down the devil's numerous times in numerous types of boats, the Jackson Coosa's are the best river boat I have ever been down on. Maybe he was in a Cuda 12 (not really a river boat) and I can see how they wouldn't be great in the rapids. But the sheer amount of storage required for a 3-4 day river trip and the way that a coosa can handle class 3 rapids like a champ, makes it the perfect boat to handle a river like the devil's. I have owned both, and the tarpon was a bit faster but that's not a good thing in a river when you are trying to fish, not to mention the wet butt that comes from the low seat in a tarpon. Sorry, didn't mean to rant, that just blew me away when you said that. All I could think was that it wasn't a Coosa your buddy went down in.

GETCHA A PELICAN!!!