Good beginners fishing kayak?(Fresno)

lol only Bad smells now are from the dairys near by, and when the decide to air out the cemetery crypts.

Should I just just in head first and buy a wilderness systems ride 115xmax, found a shop who has them on sale for 20% because they won't be carrying them anymore( there going to be carrying Jackson kayaks soon) or would that be overkill for a newb. Thank for the help, unfortunately there no where to really demo any kayaks around these parts it seems.

A 10-13' used SOT whatever you can afford. You want a yak with good stability, paddling efficiency is less of a priority. Its going to be a beater if you fish rivers so spend as little as possible. Skip the Hobies, too expensive and not great river yaks. Test drive an OK Trident, WS Tarpon, SC Raptor as well as others. Those are pretty stable kayaks and can take a beating. Test drive a few 3 seat tandems also. Less optimal on rivers but super stable and great on small lakes for family adventures. People rag on tandems but I have a mailbu 2xl and love it for guide fishing and family fun.

Kayak fishing small ponds vs rivers are at opposite ends of the technical challenge spectrum. Personally, I would rather surf launch than river fish but I grew up on the ocean and know nothing about kayaking rivers.

All good advice here.  A solid plan that most of us started is to pick up that $400 used SOT (hopefully w/ a few extras), run that for a year or two, borrow/demo as many boats as possible during that time, then save up for the boat that fits your needs best.

Keep an eye out for a used Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. Great all-around yaks.

I love these yaks but he m/b too big @ 6'3" and 240lbs. My butt can barely fit and I'm only 6' and 200lbs.

+1. Very uncomfy for a butt my size.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I have 2x tetra-12 and
1x trident-11remainimg in stock, closing out at $600 each. Call me if intrested.

Eric
Fisherman's Warehouse (frrsno) (555)284-4299

That sure is a good price on a Trident!

I have 2x tetra-12 and
1x trident-11remainimg in stock, closing out at $600 each. Call me if intrested.

Eric
Fisherman's Warehouse (frrsno) (555)284-4299

Just bought mikefromfresno's yack for sale, I am looking for another as I need one for me and my fiancé, I have to sell a pistol first but I might be contacting you about the trident once I do thanks for the heads up.

I cannot think what the differences would be between a "beginner" fishing kayak and a "normal" one.  I see no reason to buy something that you will want to get rid of a year from now. Instead I would consider the length and weight you want to manage at your house, on top of your car, and out on the water, as well as the kind of fishing you want to do.

There are specific models that are better for standing and sight fishing than the standard "ocean fishing" kayak. As distances traveled will be less and you are not going to be dealing with surf or currents a boat that would not be good for ocean use can be great for use on most lakes and rivers.

If you go to popular launch areas on a weekend you can talk to owners about their kayaks and see how they are rigged and whether they do the kind of fishing you plan on doing with the kayak you get. Kayak Angler magazine is another good source for information and with a subscription you can download past issues they have online. This magazine provides good coverage for a wide range of fishing kayaks for use in more protected waters.