will my kayak work?

whats up guys ive been fishing freshwater out of my sit in kayak for about three years and just recently ran into this GREAT SITE! i have one ? can you fish salt water out of a sit in kayak it seems like most of you guys use sit on top. is it better for saltwater fishing to use a sit on top if so what are the pros and cons of sit ins? and last ? i live in pacifica what spot would you recomend local for a salt water noob? i know saltwater fishing well but just not from a kayak. ANY INFO IS MUCH APPRECIATED!!!! maybe some one would like to go out to fish give me some advice and learn how the experianced do thing!   ><{{}}*>

I have never paddled a SIK but I would think they would be rather tippy and a little short on storage. That being said plenty of people have and do fish out of them.

I would suggest launching out of Princeton Harbor in Half Moon Bay and paddle out to the green can. Watch out for the breakers on the way out. The launch is easy though. Linda Mar beach can be good fishing sometimes but it is a surf launch and probably not a great place for your first trip in the salt.

 Jfish,
 You are at the right place for a kayak/fishing education. As far as to whether or not a SIK is appropriate for you depends on alot of factors. One being, what kind of kayak do you have? A Ann Dwyer product is a strong "probably not" where as a dagger, perception, WS, ect. product may be ok depending on your skill level and familiarity with big hydrolics.  In my never really humble opinion, the subculture of kayak fishing is largely made up of really good anglers that have found a great "new" vehicle to fish in and a smaller contingent of strong paddlers that started bringing fishing gear along. If you are of the first group the SOT may be the right choice. Also, the SOT is superior due to its deck layout for upgrades and if you take a tumble, you just climb back in.  I fish with a guy who fishes strictly in a SIK and he is very successful. But he has a bomb proof roll and a even stronger brace. Without those skills, plus a few more, you may find yourself in a bad situation. Even with some solid skills its the ability to make good decisions that will keep you fishing and not floating.
 This site has loads of wisdom and great people who are willing to share it. Give them a little more info and enjoy.

Welcome JFish,

Yup, it depends on what kind of kayak you're talking about.  What I always tell people is that a bomb proof roll and a strong brace doesn't help you if you're holding a fishing rod in your hands.  Well, unless you're Dubside.  That guy can roll just about any yak in every way imaginable.  I wouldn't doubt it if he could feather a fishing rod to right himself.  If you don't know who Dubside is, check out his website and videos at http://www.dubside.net/

If you're comfortable in your yak without a paddle in your hands, then it's worth giving it a shot.  However, if you're in a skinny boat that relies on your bracing skills to keep you upright in the slightest bit of chop, well, that's probably not a good yak to try kayak fishing with.

BTW, I run into quite a few people up here in the NW that fish out of SIK's in the salt.  So it certainly is doable.

-Allen

Back in BC (before child) times, I had an Old Town Loon which I frequently fished the surf from.  It was a great boat.  Had lots of room below, tracked great and I caught a lot of fish from it.  Granted this was from the "Right Coast" (New Jersey, New York), but we still have surf there.  Not like Mavericks of course, but still surf.  That boat duck-dived like no other and I caught bluefish (meanest fish on the planet, hands down!), striper, and bonito.  It was big fun.

As with all good things, it came to an end when I got engaged............

I traded it to a buddy of mine for a bunch of surf fishing equipment (Gibbs wood, Charlie Graves tins, Fixter pencils) which I eventually ended up giving to my father when I moved out here.  It was all good.

Back to the point, that Loon was a bomb boat and almost untippable (I tried really hard several times - like the time I went kayaking directly from my buddy's wedding - slightly impaired.........)

So give your SIK a spin, you might be pleasantly surprised.

rob

Thanks for all the info!!!! i think ill try the half moon bay area for starters. possibly with no fishing gear just to try it out first. i think my kayak will be ok cause i do stand on it sometimes when fishing fresh water as long as its not to windy, i dont think ill stand on it once i take it in the salt. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT!!!!

Allen,
thanks for the dub link.  the handless combat roll is more than impressive.
I thought about trying to make one of the greenland style paddles, but so many projects.....
Has anyone ever tried one? I know there a websites with the instructiuons out there.

jfish - I'm no SIK expert and I'm sure fishing from it can be done......but I'll you one thing I do know about the sit-on-tops = They are far more comfortable 

* can you do this from a SIK? 

actually i can stand on it and its pertty stable i can lay back like that if i kick my legs out from the inside the only prob Ive had is lack of storage room

Jfish - I live pretty close you (Millbrea) - Keep an eye out on the hook-up section - especially next weekend. I have an extra sit-on-top kayak that I can let you borrow. Just let me know if and when your available for a demo.

thanks mooch,

 i almost always have thursday and sundays as my days off. i would love to go fish some time and learn from someone that has experiance. when ever you have time and would like to go out let me know i can provide the live bait, i have a casting net!! just give me a heads up!!!!!

Cool! Live bait is a good thing to have. In fact, I'll hit the Pacifica Pier this Friday (after work) with my sabiki hoping to make  bait.

Will plan a rockfish trip this weekend - I'll keep you posted.

Last years NWKA derby was won by the only guy in a SIK and it was a large open cockpit at that.  Of course the water was FAC all weekend so there really wasn't much to worry about.

-Allen

did he catch that monster with tha trout rod 

did he catch that monster with tha trout rod 

Yes.

-Allen