New to kayaking and looking for something to get me on the water.

Hello,

I am new to the kayak fishing game. I've been interested in getting into it for some time and am looking for a decent starter kayak to get me on the water. My friends are convinced that its pedal drive or die. I'm not going to make that a deal breaker since my budget probably doesn't allow for it. I'm probably at a $1200 ceiling. I'm looking for something that can handle getting onto the Sonoma/Marin coast for rockfish and crabbing. If anybody is looking to get rid of their old setup or has something laying around let me know. Thanks in advance, I've already learned quite a bit by going through here and am looking forward putting it on the water. Thank you very much.
-Will

I don't have anything to sell right now, but I do have a Malibu 2XL that you are welcome to borrow almost anytime. It's our family kayak, but my family kayaks together once or twice a year, so it usually just sits idle under a tarp. It's a bit of a barge, but I caught a lot of fish from it before I got around to buying a real fishing kayak.

Thanks for the offer. I'm not sure how well I'd move that around being 5'9" and 150lbs? I'm honestly very new to this so have some learning to do. I thought I should mention, I've already acquired safety gear such as a pfd, wet suit, radio and whistle. Thought I would get those items and take the time to find a rig that really suits what I was looking for within my budget in the meantime. I really appreciate the community here and the willingness of people to teach, share, and offer information to a newb such as myself. Good group of people here.

Hi Will

I think you have a lot of good paddle options in that price range. I understand the perceived convenience of a pedal drive (especially if you're trolling for halibut/salmon), however I think you can fish just as well from a paddle kayak (rockfishing and crabbing as you mentioned). There are also people who prefer paddle kayaks, albeit a smaller crowd. If you're just getting into kayak fishing I wouldn't look over a quality paddle kayak. I've seen a lot being posted here and craigslist

Thank you. I'm keeping my eyes open on all the usual places to look like craigslist and Facebook. I'm not averse to a paddle at all. Just thought somebody here might be looking to lighten their collection or get some advice on some other places to look. I plan on putting it on a roof rack so have kept my eye on the lighter side. Craigslist is brutal. Respond 30 minutes after something is posted and you're too late haha.

Ha yup, the kayak buying game has been especially brutal as of recently! Good luck

Hey Will, welcome to NCKA, and good luck on your search for a kayak.

Thanks for the offer. I'm not sure how well I'd move that around being 5'9" and 150lbs? I'm honestly very new to this so have some learning to do. I thought I should mention, I've already acquired safety gear such as a pfd, wet suit, radio and whistle. Thought I would get those items and take the time to find a rig that really suits what I was looking for within my budget in the meantime. I really appreciate the community here and the willingness of people to teach, share, and offer information to a newb such as myself. Good group of people here.

If you have a truck you can strap it in the bed or else you get a roof rack and car-top it. You get it to and from the water with a kayak cart. I always did it the old-fashioned way, but someone recently posted this video to show how to get a kayak on top of a tall truck solo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=84&v=gC6F_JmzseU

Thanks. I'll look into the loading and unloading. Wanted the rack so I can still have my bed free to go camping and still bring the kayak.

Selling a 2016 Yellow Hobie 11 with paddle seat pedal(newer non reverse version). Used coz I sat on it in the living room. For 1600$. I thought I’d throw it out there for you.
Didn’t use it coz a great deal on AI went up and been using it as kayak.

Thanks for the offer superman. What type exactly? I'm having a hard time comprehending it was only tried out on the floor? That price may be a bit out of my range but maybe I can make a few things happen. I am very interested if I can swing that.

Selling a 2016 Yellow Hobie 11 with paddle seat pedal(newer non reverse version). Used coz I sat on it in the living room. For 1600$. I thought I’d throw it out there for you.
Didn’t use it coz a great deal on AI went up and been using it as kayak.

You mean the inflatable i11s?

Hobie Revolution 11 I mean..

I started on a OK Scupper/Malibu and Cobra Fish & Dive. These typically fall in the 250-350 range used - they've been crazy expensive during covid but deals can be had. If you buy a OK or grade of Yak @ the sub 300 you can sell it in a heart beat to recoup at least 200. Watch Letgo & OfferUp as well as i've seen things move to that market place.

I'm not sure why your buds are on a peddle or die line. Unless you are going for Salmon or your fishing grounds are 1+ miles away you should be good. You can Mooch Salmon as well but that just means you have to know where the fish are. All of my crab and rockfish spots in Marin were within .5 miles of shore. I only upgraded because I wanted to baby my left rotator cuff.


On loading & Unloading: I assume you plan on topping it over the cab. As long as you can still stand in the bed getting things on and off shouldn't be a problem as you can lever into the bed and then from the bed / bed side rails bring a yak to the ground. I used to clamp a 2x4 across the back of the truck bed and it was my temp landing spot before going to ground.

The problem is if you have a topper on the bed or if the bed is occupied. Then you have the same problem as I have with my FJ which is that its freaking high from ground.

This results in a angle of attack from yak to ground very steep which will cause damage to truck and yak or both as you try to handle the yak off and on (off being easier than on). If you have a beater truck and don't care about the scratches that's one thing but I'll assume you're trying to keep it in good shape.

At this point $$, help, or use a boat ramp are the only way's I've been able to solve the problem.

$$ buy new extending cross bars or the side loading things in the $500ish range- I rigged up a 2x4 across my FJ Rack to do something similar to the extending cross bar thing but again super high so it ended up being a ton of work still.

Help - Fish in a team and your buddy will help you load and unload - You should be doing this anyway if you're starting out.

Boat ramp - when you get to the point that you're going solo. I just pull down the boat ramp to reduce the angle I'm lifting from and now I just pivot on the rack / ground to get the yak on and off. I just bring 1/2 of a cut yoga mat to ensure things don't slide / damage from pivot area. Just don't be slow on the ramp. Get the boat on the ground and move the truck. Most boaters don't harass you but if you park on the ramp setting up your gear it may get hot.

I’d highly recomend a rack. Unless you get a super heavy kayak...then maybe consider the field-goal style that attaches to the trailer hitch. I like the Thule TracRac or the Rola truck rack. I strap my kayak to the truck rack upside-down without any additional accessories (no cradle or j-rack needed). Some of my yaks have to go on backwards so the kayak bow doesn’t touch the roof of the truck cab.
When loading most of my yaks, I just set it inside the bed w/tailgate down, then push down on the back til the bow clears the forward crossbar, then slide it up into the bed...then hop in the bed and continue pushing the kayak fwd til it can clear the rear crossbar. Then just flip it over and strap it down. Using towels on the tailgate and forward crossbar to prevent scratching and easier to slide the yak.

And yes, 1600 is a good deal for an ‘16 Revo 11. I’m kinda tempted by that one haha.