Bass Kayak?

Hey Y'all, I've never really been into bass/freshwater fishing but I'd like to remedy that. With this new found interest I realized that I might need a kayak that is more suited to this type of fishing. So...

Tell me about your "bass" fishing kayak. Tell me what you love about it, hate about it? What is an absolute necessity, what's unnecessary? How you would improve or modify it? What are the essential upgrades? What made you choose your current kayak over all the others on the market? If you could custom build your personal bass/freshwater kayak what would you do different?

ruben

I've never had a true "bass" specific kayak but been contemplating one that would double as a bowfishing yak.  My line of thought lead me to wide/stable, elevated chair & stand up bar capable.  Flat deck was almost a must IMHO with little deck clutter.  Based on these criteria, I am looking VERY HARD at the Wilderness Systems ATAK.

http://www.wildernesssystems.com/us/products/atak-140

Having pedal drive sure helps with bass fishing. Being able to "hover" makes it much easier to accurately drop your lure right where you want it.

I think a lot of it depends on where you are fishing.  In larger bodies of water, a drive system of some form would be nice.  In shallow of thick grass areas, a drive would be a huge headache.  Other areas, like the delta, a kayak capable of performing a slow drift may be desirable.  Each have their merit and no one kayak will be best for every situation IMHO.

One thing that was attractive 7 a though is the new MicroPole Powerpole & the wireless capability to deploy, operated from the new Lowrance Elite Ti fishfinder/gps unit.  On my dream list to build that setup!

i prefer casting standing up for bass, esp if i need to side cast/skip a lure. so in my case i need a yak that is stable for standing.  my jackson cuda was prefect for this, and so is my outback.  the nice thing about the outback is i can reach down and "pump" on a pedal if my drift slows down while working a parallel shoreline.  never tried bass fishing with the trident, and i don't think i want to.

I have been fishing bass out of my stealth 495 and has been working out rather well . There have been some trade offs with this type of kayak though.  Forget about stand up fishing in it. The speed and easy paddling of the kayak make up for the lack being able to stand up ,at least for me. I like to cover some water to find fish. The main hatch will hold all of your gear! You can catch bass off of almost anything that floats ,just a matter of what you like and works for your style of fishing. Best advice I can give you is just go fish with what you have and learn some  bass techniques. You may already have your perfect setup and not know it .  Time will sort it out for you if you need to pick up a new kayak. Make it your own and most of all have fun!

I like my Feelfree Moken 12.5. Wide and stable. Built like a tank. Easy to stand up on. The design of the bow keeps the wakes from the delta boaters from breaking over and drenching me ( If I'm pointed into the wake). I have a rudder which helps buck the wind and use the current to adjust my drift. The wheel in the keel is handy for short distances and if launching nose first off of a concrete launch. It is a little heavy and slow, but has a shallow draft and a  flat bottom, so it can go right up on banks or over flats with out getting tippy or hung up. The payload is 420lbs so I can carry all my gear and a packed cooler. I've had myself and my girlfriend in it with no issues. Low seat (not lawn chair style) is pretty comfortable for long days. Price is lower than others in the same class. I bought mine from Dan @headwaterskayak used from his rental fleet. Front hatch holds broken down wheel-eze with the grey wheels and closes tight. Tons of room. Lots of handles, and built in accessory rails. Works well in the river too.
Sales pitch over. 

Pro angler, alternative outback

Good stuff, keep it coming.

 Ruben as I pursue a little bit of bass fishing out of the paddle kayak the more I come to realize that many bass techniques require standing. That being said I think a standup bar would be nice and a seating position which allows you to get up.  Powerpole looks really sweet for anchoring in shallow water also.  Kayak bassing is really going to get huge.

if you are looking at keeping it light like the stealth,  checkout the Eddyline C135.

if you are looking at keeping it light like the stealth,  checkout the Eddyline C135.

The green C135 at Clavey does look very good. The difference between your hips below your feet and hips at or above your feet for underhand fishing techniques like flipping or pitching and rising from the sitting position to stand is huge.  There really isn't one kayak that's perfect for everything. The Jackson Kilroy looks pretty darn good.

Forgot to add the avid bass angler carries a lot of gear.i my self use a minimum of 4 rods in various setups and carry a bunch of crank baits,plastics,jerkbaits,jigs and terminal tackle and so on.you can get by with two but you'll be rigging otw constantly.i like the pa for its mass storage the thing I would change would be the weight if i could.also having your hands free is a big plus that's the only reason I like hobies.so I can cast and flip without having to juggle a paddle.down side is hobies have a depth limit 2' I belive before the fins contact.my two passion for fishing is lmb and stripers.bass fishing get real technical real quick.

Looks like the A.T.A.K. is suited well. At first wasn't interested, but found myself more interested in the realization that 90+ percent of my fishing is for bass.

Has anyone mentioned Jackson Big Rig. It could be a great platform for bass. I've read it paddles well for a big boat. Maybe add a stand up bar and do a little delta punch'n.