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Thread: I need some advice!

  1. #11
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    I'm 230 and mid 40's for what is worth... Find a real kayak shop and test paddle a few... see what you like or don't like. Comfort, stability, and ease of paddling general are better with higher end brands. I like an elevated seat and the ability to stand (to stretch). My old Jackson Big Tuna would work well for you, very easy to stand when solo. I took a buddy out in it, combined weight over 500 lbs, we didn't stand but both fished. Big Tuna gives you the option of taking grandson, or going solo. My current boat is faster (easier to paddle long distance, which I do), a Jackson Cuda 14. Also take a look at Wilderness System and Native kayaks. NuCanoe mention earlier, is a good bet also.

  2. #12
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    I have a feel free lure 13.5 and it is the beat seat i have used . I raise the seat all the way up while fishing and this helps a lot. It is heavy at 95 lbs. They also have a 11.5 that is 75 lbs. Very stable and easy to fish out of. Look at u tube as they have some good videos.

  3. #13
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    I am pushing 60 myself and fully understand the knee issues. I have had a NuCanoe and they are some of the best. The Feelfree Lure has a good high seat and should work good. I would also look at the Perception Outlaw which has a trihull design and is 11.5' long and 35" wide and I believe is 75 lbs. My son has one and I love it. Now for the Grandson pick him up a 10' cheap sit on top and he will be great and have more fun than he ever had in a canoe. My 2 cents worth. The best advice is go look at some place like Terrapin Outdoors and sit in the seats and see how they feel. I paddle a Native Ultimate which has a jacked up lawn chair style seat, and is a 12' long and 30" wide with a tunnel hull and 55 lbs. This is pretty stable but not as stable as the Feelfree or Outlaw. Now like someone else said Native and Wilderness Systems both make good kayaks with seats that will probably fit your needs, but I think the Perception Outlaw may be the cheapest that meets your needs. If you can find a Demo Day going on somewhere it would pay to go and paddle a few different kayaks....carry the grandson too it would be a great outing.

  4. #14
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    North Alabama Kayak Anglers (NAKA) group is having a Demo day this Saturday at 1:00 at Riverwalk Marina, Decatur Boat Harbor. This would be a good place to try out some kayaks and talk to people that own them and fish out of them. There might even be some new and used kayaks for sale. I try to go every year and paddle the new kayaks that come out at the Demo Days. They say they will have wipes for cleaning the kayaks and social distancing.

  5. #15
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    They are also having a kids kayak bass tournament just before the Demo Day, so there should be plenty of kayaks for the grandson to look at also. I started my kids in kayaks by them selves as early as 6. They started in a canoe with me even earlier.

  6. #16
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    FWIW, I've been kayaking a long time. Long before I started kayak fishing this year. I've built two 17+ foot sea kayaks and paddled miles in them. Been in the ocean, bays, intracoastal waterway, miles in lakes, you name it. Also have plastic boats. I ended up giving it up largely because the older I got the less time I could sit in one. Being folded into an "L" shape with legs straight out just got beyond my ability to endure. Sciatic nerve and lower back issues.
    So this year, I took out my old plastic Pungo to fish and within an hour those old issues started creeping in.
    I bought a Wilderness Systems Ride 135. Nice boat but again...here comes the numbness, pain, getting up and out. And so I looked and studied and ended up building a mod that allowed me to use the existing seat mounting but raising the seat by about 6-7".
    Oh my goodness, all the difference in the world! I can fish 6 hours with just a couple breaks to stand and stretch. Amazing the difference!

    The point in all that is, regardless the kayak you buy, make sure the seat can be raised so that you're not sitting bent into that "L" shape with legs straight out. Make sure there room to pull your legs up, or hang them over the side, or sit cross legged Indian style. Wilderness Systems makes a seat upgrade for my kayak that's around $450! $450 for a seat! That tells you something right there. There's a bunch of YouTube videos showing people making seat upgrades, raising seats, rigging stadium seats and various beach chairs...again that tells you something.

    Cheap kayak or expensive, make sure that seat can be raised and adjusted. You'll waste money and it will gather dust if it isn't comfortable and I can tell you, sitting flat or slightly raised just ain't gonna be comfortable period.

    This is where I'd get someone at the shop to sit it on the floor and let me sit in it. You really can't tell how comfortable it is until you spend a couple hours in one but you CAN tell if those knees will allow you to get in and out of one. (I know about knees too with surgery on both of mine and ongoing arthritis issues in both)
    Likes Gator Bait, SuperDave336 LIKED above post

  7. #17
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    A great big thank you to the members of NAKA that participated in Demo Day at Riverwalk in Decatur today! I have never met a friendlier more knowledgeable group ! They were more than able to answer my questions and even allowed us to use their kayaks to see what could be comfortable for us. Also a sincere thank you to flintcreek for letting us pick his brain on kayak models and types! Again thanks to all!


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
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  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcfillingham View Post
    A great big thank you to the members of NAKA that participated in Demo Day at Riverwalk in Decatur today! I have never met a friendlier more knowledgeable group ! They were more than able to answer my questions and even allowed us to use their kayaks to see what could be comfortable for us. Also a sincere thank you to flintcreek for letting us pick his brain on kayak models and types! Again thanks to all!


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
    So what did you learn/like or dislike?

  9. #19
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    Learned that many of these systems are quite comfortable! Also much more stable than I expected! Even a heavyweight old cuss like me felt that I may be able to stay above water! I really liked the trac system for rod holders and the box system for electronics! I’m still in investigation mode but can see a couple of fishing kayaks in my grandson and my future!


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
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  10. #20
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    So I have narrowed down to a Perception Outlaw 115, An Ascend 128t or a Pelican Premium The Catch 120. Anybody have any ideas? I bought grandson a Lifetime Teton. It is a little big but I felt he will grow into it and he is over the moon to have his own fishing kayak. I also thought my wife can use it if she likes!


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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