desert born and bred

Hi from the nv high desert. Kickin around this kayak fishing thing. Being just under 300lbs (down from 376 10mos ago) I'm looking at 3 different kayaks for fishing and general get my f a out and about again. Fishing will be rivers small lakes large lakes and a coastal trip or 2. For myself I'm looking at the malibu x factor, ok big game or ok trident 15 now comes the problem my to paddling /fishing partners are my wife who is just over 5ft and weighs in at a buck20 and my youngest son who at 6ft forgot that is time to stop growing. What is good but SAFE boat that my wife will be able to handle in this kind of fishing and what is a good boat I can get for my boy till he quits growing (he is only 14)  we are all new to kayaks so the big pond is still a year or so out there. Trien to get some ideas so we have an idea of what to test drive.

Kyle

The X-factor is stable, but big and the stability and size make it a bit slower. Slower is ok at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will become a noticeable handicap. Never tried the Biggame, but it looks to be a decent boat and the trident is going to be the fastest of the options your looking at.

One thing to understand is deciding on a hull is almost like buying shoes, you need to try it out on the water to make sure it is relatively comfortable.

As far as balance and tippyness goes, it is like riding a bike, the more you are on the boat, the more your body gets used to it and the sensation of being tippy or wobbly goes away pretty quickly so a nice stable but slow hull might feel great at first but become a burden after a while.

Small details are also important such as deck layout and so on, forward rod holders and hatches that can easily be reached by one person may be hard to reach for another on the same hull.

I am basing some of this on your location and the assumption that you will be fishing quite a bit of freshwater lakes such as Pyramid and so on. The Malibu's are great hulls for open water with swells and larger waves, but again, they take a bit more effort to paddle compared to other hulls so if trolling all day, this may be an important factor. The Biggame may perform similarly as well.

I personally have a Malibu Mini-X and love it when fishing, but when paddling, I find it hard to keep up with others who are in narrower, faster hulls.

Good Luck.
 

Ty Mini Ducker
Right now I'm willing to sacrifice speed least till I get everything figured out. Pyramid is one of the places but south fork, wildhorse,and ruby marshes wil be the main places. I was looking at the mini x for my wife what would you think of it for a ladies boat? We are headed to fort brag in a couple weeks and will probably check out a couple places while on vacation just to get a look and feel for what we like. Still at a loss about my boy though.

The "pair of shoes" analogy is very apt.
If you are heading to a kayak shop, you already have a few brands to check out. Any worthwhile paddle shop will allow you to demo boats if they think you might purchase one (Ok so you may have to rent them but they should credit your rental if you buy)

You really owe it to yourself and your family to take an into to kayaking class. They are usually only a day long and you'll get 'real world" rescue and paddling instruction in a safe setting.
kayak fishing is 90% paddling and 10% fishing, even in freshwater.

Congrats
Having just entered this world, I don't have anything to offer, except to second Piscean: kayak fishing is 90% paddling and 10% fishing, even in freshwater.
Take a time or two; it's worth the time to consider.

Thanx guys I appreciate it. Looks like we are gonna check out a few places while on vacation. A question about classes I NEVER give a thought to them for freshwater but salt water is a definite. Looking back I kinda like the idea. Now I need a direction to look guide services ? Retailers specializing in kayaks? A special school? Any recommendations?  The plans are starting to form and I'm liking them better than when I started.
Thanx