Thread: Kayak suggestions for beginner

I don't think a kayak is a good choice for duck hunting. Storage for decoys being the first problem and stability another. My guess is from the kayaks you mentioned that price is a consideration. I have fished out of kayaks for over 30 years now and none of mine other than the first a Folbot 2 person would have been a good duck boat. The problem with a good kayak for hunting out of is weight and cost. Weight because stable kayaks are wide and typically heavy. The Folbot weighed close to a hundred pounds but of course that was pretty primitive materials and now they cost over a thousand dollars anyway.

I fish out of a Sun Dolphin Aruba 8' now because I'm old and weak and it weighs nothing but it is also cheaply made, unstable and hard to paddle. Keep in mind because of hull speed the longer a kayak is the easier it is to paddle. I have added pontoons and a trolling motor bringing the total cost to something like $600 dollars but the whole thing still fits in my van and easily hangs on the wall of my garage. Easy storage and transport were my primary objectives. That could be an option for you as the pontoons could be used with a net or something to store decoys etc. Then again $600 is a good bit of money that could go towards a real duck boat.

I have a 12' Nucanoe Frontier, and I often run a 46 lb trolling motor on it. It is stable and would probably work, but for hunting I think a jon boat might be a better choice.

Originally Posted by jawjatek

I have a 12' Nucanoe Frontier, and I often run a 46 lb trolling motor on it. It is stable and would probably work, but for hunting I think a jon boat might be a better choice.

Nucanoe does make a variety of craft close to the original hunting boats but they are pricey.

Waterfowl Hunting | NuCanoe | Hunting and Fishing Kayaks

Jackson Kilroy or NuCanoe. Both are easy to get in and out. Both have the capacity to carry decoys (and a dog). Even though they are both really stable, they both paddle fairly well. The Jackson Big Tuna would be another viable option.

With any kayak/canoe, you should try it out before you buy it.

Originally Posted by wolfhnd

I don't think a kayak is a good choice for duck hunting.

I think the people that do this use the kayak to get up in the backwater areas and set up their decoys. But, then they hunt from the bank.


And, to the OP, if you tested them out, you'd probably rather have a 12' than a 10'.

Originally Posted by eminart

I think the people that do this use the kayak to get up in the backwater areas and set up their decoys. But, then they hunt from the bank.


And, to the OP, if you tested them out, you'd probably rather have a 12' than a 10'.

I like my 8' kayak but it is hard to paddle and hard to control. Longer is definitely better. Since we haven't heard back from the OP I guess it is all academic but still I like to hear myself talk :-)

I have never been in one of those new 17' ocean kayaks. My Folbot was 17' but heavy no keel and hard to paddle. I think I would like one of the ocean kayaks with a keel and rudder but it is getting hard for me to lift anything heavy. You ever try one?

Thanks for the input, just to clarify , the duck hunting will involve no decoys or no dog. Basically just creeping slow on a bayou and jumping the wood ducks up or setting up in a bend and waiting for them to fly over at first flight. I ended up buying a 10ft pelican castaway for 125$. Gonna try it out, get acclimated to it in a pond first before trying it out in bodies of water.


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Originally Posted by cajuncricket

Thanks for the input, just to clarify , the duck hunting will involve no decoys or no dog. Basically just creeping slow on a bayou and jumping the wood ducks up or setting up in a bend and waiting for them to fly over at first flight. I ended up buying a 10ft pelican castaway for 125$. Gonna try it out, get acclimated to it in a pond first before trying it out in bodies of water.


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Let us know how it goes.