Anybody fish a sit-in kayak?

I'm new to this, and it looks like, if I don't find a great deal on a SOT fishing boat, am going to have to make do with my touring boat until Uncle Sam gets his money this year.  I know that people have done this in the past, and I took it to Baja and fished out of it last year.  I have some ideas on rigging, but would like to hear from folks who have done this in the past.  Compared to traditional Greenland kayaks, mine is a barca-lounger!

I know it's not the best solution, but I am competent and comfortable in my boat, and necessity is the mother of invention.

Rick

I started fishing in a Prijon Yukon Tour. It was a flat bottomed river touring boat, 14', with a huge keyhole cockpit. It was stable enough, and I fished mostly bass & rockfish in the socal kelp beds and I brought in some nice salmon up in AK with that boat. Problem was the big cockpit and the light weight made it a bear to surf launch. I eventually sold it to guy in the bay area after I moved here and bought a couple of SOT's for fishing & stuff.
The SOT style kayak is just more practical for my application now. Plus, I haven't really kept up with my eskimo roll...
Your success/enjoyment really depends on the design of the SI you have & where you'll be fishing. Up in AK and WA, most everyone I knew who kayak fished used sit ins due to the weather & paddling efficiency. Thats how the natives did it!

My buddy Jeff fishes his.  His got 8 or 9 yaks.  All sit in.  He is only a trout fisherman.  I have paddled a few of his yaks.  I like the way you can get your downriggers and rod holders closer to you.

One down side is that you feet and legs are more locked in one position.  On a sit on top you can put your legs over the sides and sometimes I will sit cross legged. Like a Indian when anchor up.

Ken kickfish

I've got a friend Bill that fishes a sit-in, flyfishes actually. He hits stripers on teh delta, bay, and rockfish in monterey area

I have 4 SIK for my family to use. We use them on flat water areas. They are all small, 9'  or 10'. Easy to throw in the back of the truck. I enjoy bass fishing the local ponds or calm delta areas in the 10 footer.

Being short kayaks, they aren't great for a long paddle or a full day on the water. I'll use the P13 for those days. Sounds like yours is better suited for that.

Al

Sometimes fishing sturgeon I wish I were in a SIS because it'd get more of me out of the weather.  Blustery, rainy january days is one case where dry feet would certainly be nice.

I started kayak fishing out of a Nona SIK out at Don Pedro back in the 70's as a kid and really didn't have any trouble at all. In fact I thought it was just about the best bass boat out there for flatwater. I could into fishing spots that others could only dream about and get a much needed break from those pesky adults back at the houseboat.

If the boat has a large keyhole and you are only considering flatwater I would definitely say go for it.

I'm new to this, and it looks like, if I don't find a great deal on a SOT fishing boat, am going to have to make do with my touring boat until Uncle Sam gets his money this year.  I know that people have done this in the past, and I took it to Baja and fished out of it last year.  I have some ideas on rigging, but would like to hear from folks who have done this in the past.  Compared to traditional Greenland kayaks, mine is a barca-lounger!

I know it's not the best solution, but I am competent and comfortable in my boat, and necessity is the mother of invention.

Rick

I use a SIK for lakes and small fish, but I wouldn't dream of using one for fishing on the ocean. When you fall out of a SIK, it requires practice to get back in. With all that equipment, it could get quite dangerous. Also, a large fish could easily flip over a SIK, especially if you are trolling.

The great drawback of a SIK is not the "you're trapped inside when you capsize" issue that most non-sit inside kayakers fixate on. Instead, the main issue is mobility upon/within the fishing platform while at sea. How are you going to stow that 32" ling while not really having any access to your storage areas?  Well, that and the fact that the 22" wide boat that loves to play, is just a might bit tippy when fishing.

My first kayak fish ever was from a SIK, out of Avila beach in '94. I trolled for and caught Coho out of Sitka AK in 2001 in a fully loaded touring SIK. I flyfished for largemouth bass for a few years before purchasing a SOT. I even outfitted my SIK with inflatable sponsons in 2005. And SIKs always worked "ok". In fact, they walked all over SOTs while in transit. I'd put up money that my Looksha IV would kick butt even on a Dorado when it came to transiting the surf zone and getting from Point A to Point B. But SOTs currently just make for better fishing platforms.

I'd not think about going back to a SIK for fishing, unless it is for one specific situation: Tough surf, fantastic fishing, very experienced SIK paddlers, and fishing as a team. And even in this case, when you consider that I can eskimo roll my Scupper, a higher performance SOT that is also outfitted with thigh straps would likely be the better tool...

Also, when I refer to SIK (Sit Inside Kayak), I'm referring to small cockpit, sprayskirt style boats. Not recreational sit-insides.

Regards,
Scott

I don't know; this guy did pretty well. Is that a frickin walrus on the back of that SIK!

In the end to me it really is just a safety/ease of use issue. You can fish or dive or just about anything we do in a SOT in a SIK also; but why would you if you didn't have to? When doing anything else other than kayaking your attention is obviously going to be other places and being able to fall off a SOT and go right back to business is huge. In a SIK if you actually come all the way out there is going to be water in it when you get back in. Which means you have to not only right the kayak but get back in not on and finally start pumping out water and then reattach your spray skirt. Beyond that there is much less deck space available on a SIK than a SOT for all the stuff.

On the other hand if all I had available was a SIK for fishing I'd still fish it no doubt. I think the big difference for me would be a very simplistic approach. No FF (well maybe I'd figure out mounting one it has been quite useful) or rod holders etc. I'd fish mostly CPR and have a couple bungees around for holding a rod or two while in transition and a small tackle box. I certainly wouldn't think of carrying the amount of stuff that I do on the SOT.

Jeff