The Perfect Fishing Kayak

....my choice as well 

My business and my personal fleet of kayaks tops around 40. Thats SIK, SOT, FISHING SOT, REC boat and whitewater. I look at my fleet like a set of golf clubs.  A nine iron, a wood, some drivers, putters etc..

The conditions and whom I'm paddling with that day will dictate what boat I bring. The other day I stood up and took a piss a mile out in 10 ft swell. I think I could do that in other boats but I know

unquestionably I can do it in my X. I think there is no perfect boat out there, you just gotta have a good set of clubs for whichever green your fishin on.

well, sure, for the 'pros' who have a golf bag full of kayaks  why not have one of each.

But for the rest of us, given that fitness is is tha same across any kayak you'd choose, I'd say get a fast one if possible provided the compromises are minor on other factors. Anyone who has been in adverse conditions knows you may not be at your 100% level or find conditions tougher than you've seen before due to wind, hypothermia, accident, fatigue--who knows.

So I want a margin of safety. When I went day climbing in sunny conditions, I'd bust my chops on 5.10s, because, as we'd say about a glissade, I had a long runout (safety margin). But when I went on 8 mile approaches far from trailheads, alpine starts at 4am, up at 12,000 or more feet and long grade III or more climbs, I always dropped down to 5.6 or 5.8 at most. Why? Margin of safety. If you push you limits to the edge , one simple accident might push you over the line of no return. You get tired at a crux harder than you thought it would be, one of the party drops their ice axe, an unexpected thunderstorm pummels you with sleet and leave the ledges slippery--a myriad of unexpected elements can turn fo the worse. Same with the ocean.

Light and fast is my choice when possible and because I don't have a quiver of kayaks to choose from.

Uh oh Marmot.  Are we back to the light and fast mountaineering discussion?     Bottom line ... to each his own.

swellrider, play a round of golf with only a 7 iron.  "They" say it improves your overall game.

-Allen

h oh Marmot.  Are we back to the light and fast mountaineering discussion?   

A variant with a different point: margin of safety. Swellrider using a 7 iron when the shot calls for a 9 removes a margin of safety because he'd have to hit the ball more precisely to achieve a "9-equivalent" shot for instance, whereas using a 9 would be more 'forgiving' which is to say more margin for error or margin of safety. The climbing point was to use an activity in which danger is more obvious than golf (Carl, gophers, and dynamite from Caddyshack not considered).

swellrider, play a round of golf with only a 7 iron.  "They" say it improves your overall game.

-Allen

 

h oh Marmot.  Are we back to the light and fast mountaineering discussion?   

A variant with a different point: margin of safety. Swellrider using a 7 iron when the shot calls for a 9 removes a margin of safety because he'd have to hit the ball more precisely to achieve a "9-equivalent" shot for instance, whereas using a 9 would be more 'forgiving' which is to say more margin for error or margin of safety. The climbing point was to use an activity in which danger is more obvious than golf (Carl, gophers, and dynamite from Caddyshack not considered).

Yes, but again, it's all relative.  Let's say I tweak my shoulder when I'm 2 miles offshore and the weather is building.  Any sudden movement and I get an excruciating shooting pain.  In that situation, I'd rather be in a slow and stable.  Why?  Because I don't have to do any quick course adjustments or bracing.  I just need to stroke forward very gingerly so as not to aggravate the injury.

Going back to the golf analogy.  If you could choose only 1 golf club from the bag for the whole game, which would it be?  And why?  The point it that there is no single correct answer.  Same thing is true in this discussion.

-Allen

Daniel, I know the limitations of my Hobie Rev. Ideal kayak IMO for lakes and slow drifts like HMB. But to attack the more narly type of surf i'm looking more towards a better fairing ocean type of kayak. Right know I put my Rev at a seven iron. Not a driver but still not a putter in general.... well I guess that's the point it works for me.

In Humboldt all we have is frisbee golf, any analogies there?

  Also, while at the sportsmans expo, I had an opertunity to sit in the new Hobie adventure and revo.  I wasn't impressed.  I'll keep my outback over both of them for this reason; the revo is, in my opinion much narrower,than the outback, as the side  trays are gone.  I like those trays, as they hold my water bottle, used lures, pliers, etc... 
  I like having my legs provide the propulation leaving my hands and arm free for trolling  & casting (one arm for steerage now and then)Having not sat in or on any other "fishing" kayak other than my outback I'd have to say that my outback is the perfect fishing yak for me. 
 

I just re-read the post and would add an obvious consideration for a perfect fishing yak. It would have to be extrordinarily excellent at helping you land fish, big and little. to do it in moving water with your hands free to grip-n-reel. You need room to subdue a potential beast like he just broke into youir house! The perfect yak should have plenty of storage space for stowing your bloodied catch and at least a weekends worth of camping gear and food. Trays everywhere, surrounding me with recessed wells and locking lid closures. The whole boat would pe perforated with lanyard loop holes. I served with the 75th ranger regiment and when we jumped out of planes with our life for the next three weeks,strapped to us, anything not tethered to you would be sucked away instantly at 160 mph. I would hit the ground (hard) and stand up with 20 different little strings protruding from me, But at least I still had everything I needed. I apply the same principle to my boating. I'm a big fan of the foot controlled rudder system. It offers truley hands free fishing especially with a little current. If you take alot of sweep strokes to bring your kayak about into the wind, a rudder would double your turning radius with less effort and maintain a straight track when locked and in full-on paddle mode. Setting the proper skillset aside the boat should be rightable and fairly easy to get back onto by joe public at large. Did I mention tight hatches. Thats an oxymoron for SOT's but I have sea-kayaks that are as tight as funeral drums.

here's my 2c...
I personally think that if you're a light person, than you could get by with one boat, IMO the T-140, its fast, stable, and hasenough storage for those that leave the sink at home.
For a bigger person like me (6'2"/250) tho, a 2 boat solution is what I favor.  In freshwater, I LOVE my Pungo-140.  I can wear my street clothes and take the pooch with me and I hang any keepers over the side.  I also don't have allot of gear, maby 2 rods and a few small boxes...

For saltwaterfishing, I have been searching for the perfect boat and have not found it.  I would make a 16 foot boat that is 30-31 inches wide with an upswept bow.  I like the seat a bit low and would want it just an inch or so above waterline with the foot area just a hare above waterline when loaded.  I would want a hatch on the console to slide rods in and a floor hatch for boxes/livewell.  other than that I like tankwells in back and dry hatches in front.  I'm sure if I were to sketch it out, there would be additional details, but that's the basic form...

Jim

Jim - have you test paddled the Tarpon 160? It's almost similar to what you are describing....

I just not too crazy about the tupper wear hatch - I think the Prowler 15 Hatch (buckle / strap) has the best  waterproof hatch in the market...

my 2 cents...

take a prowler 15:
add a rectangular hatch oriented lengthwise, where the circular one is.
add scupper holes to each footwell (my Necky had the driest feet ever)
turn up the bow a bit more- that necky was killer in the surf-- far better than my prowler
Get rid of that stupid a@@ little constriction in the tank well- one big open well

That's about it for me... i think i was spoiled by the way my necky rode the surf,  not that i was any good at it....