How To Select a Fishing Kayak | Basic, Intermediate and Advanced

hey guys shadow for Cake Boss on TV and today I'm gonna do a video on one of the most requested topics I ever get and that's selecting a fishing kayak we're gonna start talking about the best kayak under $500 talk about some intermediate kayaks and then talk about some of the advanced kayaks that are available on the market [Music] all right so probably the most no not probably definitely the most requested topic that I get in the comment sections email social media direct messages and things like that is hey Chad I don't have a lot of money I'm on a budget I'm a college student whatever what's the best fishing kayak you would recommend for under $500 so you know I'm not a big fan of cheap ok there's a difference between cheap and inexpensive cheap is not gonna be durable cheap is not gonna last you and you're gonna end up spending twice as much for cheap ok so if you're gonna buy a kayak that's under 215 that 250 to $300 range you're probably gonna be buying a disposable kayak so though I'm not a big fan of telling people to wait I do want you to get on the water as soon as you possibly can there is that threshold and that threshold is generally that 350 to 500 dollar mark before you're going to get into a quality kayak you want to make sure that for a basic fact that it is polyethylene roto-molded and it's not a thermoform seemd kayak thermoform steam kayaks are very high quality in the upper end of the fishing kayak market but they're not that dependable and they're almost disposable on the lower end so the fact that I'm gonna recommend as the best starter kayak for that sub 500 dollar range is the perception Pescador tin this boat actually used to be the tarpon 100 in the wilderness systems line and the folks at confluence outdoors take their dated wilderness systems boats and they put them in the perception line so starting from the front we're gonna work away to the back I'm just going to go over some of the basic features it's got a simple grab handle at the front really easy transition not a lot of crazy technology but nothing you know really poorly designed about the whole simple round bottom flat in the middle it's got these peel off rubber style hatches these things are easy to get it out of unless you don't take care of them and so if you take care simply spray a little bit of 303 or armor-all on the inside of this hatch and then it makes it real easy to pop it on just smooth it on and then grab the tab and pop it off you've got a lanyard inside here to keep it from flying off and you can stow some gear on the inside keep in mind when you're stowing gear on the inside of any fishing kayak it's not waterproof so if you're gonna stick something inside and make sure you have it in a dry bag one of the great things about these kayaks is they're pretty simple but they've got some consideration putting into them from the beginning you've got a nice little mounting areas right here for rod holders nothing fancy with your foot braces these foot braces are just rigid little places for you to put your feet a couple of deck loops for you to mount stuff on they do have a surface area here that allow you to add a track after the fact my recommendation is if you're gonna buy calculate this keep it pretty simple use it until you advance to the next level and then invest in a little bit better kite down the road buy this kayak use it until it served its purpose and then put it in your buddy fleet boat you know use it as the boat that you take somebody else go out and get them in a kayak fishing and then maybe even pass it on to them at a deal simple grab handles easy straightforward nothing fancy it's got a padded seat to keep you up out of the water it's got a real simple rigid back with these bungee cords that hold it up it's pretty stiff it's got good back support not super high so it works great with the mesh back and the elevated foam seat back peor Haas high back PFDs that are popular in the fishing market another little gear hatch right here for throwing add a baggy and dry bag access to the inside of the hole for installing rod holders and things like that just a pretty straightforward approach it's got a square pack back here for throwing a milk crate a gear bag a tackle box a black pack or something like that a couple of scuppers a rear gear handle and basically that's it so if you're looking for that best kayak under $500 and you're under 300 pounds to get you into the you know into the world of kayak fishing inexpensively the perception Pescador is a great start one of the things that I'll point out that these entry level boats don't have is they don't have protection on your keel so if you look at the keel right here it's just straight plastic so if you drag this boat if you rub it on rocks and if you do a lot of you know if it interacts with concrete very what you're gonna wear through it so this is the basic vote in the boat that I would recommend in that sub $500 range the perception Pescador team let's take a look at the perception Pescador Pro where you're stepping up into that intermediate class and see what you get when you step up a couple hundred bucks and you know what features are a little bit different on an intermediate style fishing kayak alright guys so now we're gonna move into the next you know level of fishing kayak what I like to class the intermediate fishing kayak so the one that I'm gonna recommend for you is the perception Pescador Pro now I'm doing the 10-foot version of both the perception Pescador and the Pescador Pro they're both available for a little bit of an upgrade in 12-foot models but for the purpose of this video I'm doing the tin flip model so just keep that in mind I'll put a link in the description box for more information on each of these boats and so check that out and don't forget to comment below and ask any questions or specific things you'd like more information about and I'll be glad to I'll be happy to answer that so same basic handle in the front one of the things you're going to get with a little bit more advanced or intermediate kayak is some thoughtfulness in design meaning they put some things in it to make it easier for you to throw a gear bag in here this kayak in particular has a mesh gear retention strap at the front it's got a little single scupper in here so that you've got easy access you can also use this as a transducer scupper for your depth finder because it's got a cool little integrated electronics pod right here you can put your battery in there and mount your depth finder run your cord right here and install a depth finder got a couple of cutouts for laying your rod in got a more adjustable foot pedal one where you can slide the pedals fore and aft it's just a little bit more thoughtfulness in design again carrying it on back one of the things you're going to get with an intermediate kayak is you're going to get a larger seat what that larger seat is going to do is is also going to accommodate larger paddlers you know like myself and some of you guys out there that resemble all this that's got that I got going on and so you're gonna have to think about that when you purchase your kayak and I have paddled the Pescador I've spent a lot of time in it it's a great kayak it's just not big enough for my big butt and so I like to upgrade to something bigger now obviously I've been blessed in my career and I paddle the best stuff out there but this boat right here is definitely one of those entry-level boats that's going to give you everything you need but maybe not everything you want keep that in mind but at the price point of a little over $700 I think right now it's retailing for 729 it pretty much comes with everything you need the seat is easy to remove so that allows you to do things like repaired if you have any issues it allows you to access the cockpit if you need to make any kind of mounting or rigging adjustments it does come with tracks integrated into the boat in other words the mold is there the track is installed it's going to allow you to install install roll rod holders without doing any drilling it's going to allow you to put depth finders on their transducer arms things like that so it just gives you right out of the box a lot more versatility for rigging bring it on back to the back this kayak has got a couple of flush mount rod holders made right into it they keep it pretty simple you don't have to drill holes in the boat these things basically are just you stick a rod in there it keeps them straight up behind you it keeps you from catching them on your back cast and then they've got a little access hatch right here that you can get to the inside of the boat if you need to do any kind of rigging any kind of access to the inside and it also allows you to store a smaller rod on the inside of the boat a little bit bigger tank well a little bit more complex bungee system a couple more fittings put in there a little quick releases so you can just throw your gear bag in there bring that bungee over the top strap it lock it other than that it's pretty straightforward the same as the Pescador now one thing about the Pescadero Pro is it's going to be a wider hull design it's going to be a little more stable and it's a entry level standing fishing platform one of the cheapest boats on the market one of the least expensive boats on the market I should say that you can actually stand and fish from and here's one more thing like I talked about when you're talking about the inexpensive or cheap kayaks is they don't have this sacrificial keel the perception Pescador Pro is the least expensive boat on the market that is equipped with that sacrificial keel what that's going to do is it's going to allow you to really beat that boat up grab it by the front handle drag it around on the concrete drag it around in the river beds dragging it through rock gardens beat it up and then before you drag through the hole you send replace that sacrificial keel for 10 to 15 bucks in your back in business so that's definitely something to keep in mind when you start talking about purchasing a fishing kayak so if you're looking for that entry-level boat the perception Pescador 10 and like I said it comes in an upgraded 12 a version for a little longer sleeker faster boat and then the pescadora pro 10 which also comes in a 12 a version in the intermediate class that Pescador 10 is sub $500 this Pescador pro is 7:29 for the 10 foot model and a little bit more for the 12 foot model so that's your entry-level basic and your intermediate fishing kayak now let's take a look at some of the advanced fishing kayaks on the market and what you get for your money haha all right guys so now what we're gonna do is we're gonna take it to the next level we're gonna talk about some of the most advanced fishing kayaks on the market peddling kayaks have become super popular and almost every manufacturer out there now offers a kayak that can be pedaled manufacturers like Hobie started with the mirage drive native was the first kayak with the pedal style kayak to go into reverse and then wilderness systems has recently offered the new Hilux pedal Drive the reason that we're choosing this boat to talk about in the advanced categories it's one of those boats that does it all it's the wilderness systems radar and this is the 11 foot 11 and a half a version to 115 but again this boat also comes in a 13 and 1/2 foot boat in the radar 135 so this boat is basically a boat that is designed to paddle to pedal or to power alright so what that means is this boat can be paddled it's got a good hold design super efficient in the water super stable for standing and it's got everything you need to get started in an upper end fishing kayak but the great thing about this kayak is if you are a peddler and you like to pedal you can add the helix PD pedal module by removing the console that's in the center but if you want to use a powered version you simply remove the Flex pod and install the helix motor drive so that allows this boat to be pedaled it allows it to be paddled or it likes allows it to be powered so we're not going to get into the you know the specifics of the operation we've already done that and there's a lot of information out there want to walk through an advanced fishing kayaking shake some of the things that cause price increases comfort increases and functionality increases so starting at the front one of the things you're going to get on a premium fishing kayak is you're gonna get rigid handles something that a hooks not going to get hung in it's not gonna get snagged in the hardware is not gonna rotate loosen up on you and you're not gonna have any problems out of the handle you're then gonna have really you know clever paddle parks in places to hide your paddle whether it's this kind or the strap kind of like on the attack or only bonafide SS 127 you're gonna have really premium hatches that are more easy to operate that are more waterproof that have waterproof seals in them and then have Swiper latches that allow you to lock these things in place and be a lot more waterproof and then they're also lockable coming on back you're going to have improved foot pedals you're gonna have pedals that have a rubberized surface on them you're gonna have a larger footprint you're gonna have more adjustability in your foot brace locations and just a little bit more durability the cockpit design in a lot of cases has cutout so you can add traction padding something that's going to allow the boat to be quieter you're gonna have more hatch access to the inside of the boat like this square hatch in the center of the radar 115 and then more importantly in the place that most kayaks and the advanced category jump up in price is the cost and the technology and the build-out price of the more advanced seats this seat in particular has got these wiper style adjustments on it we loosen that up and then you can slide the seat forward aft to trim the load of the angler back and forth and then lock it back in place where you want it when you get it where you want it to go the seat goes very easy to the low position very easy to the high position and then for you duck hunters sunbathers book readers and that takers out there it also kicks in to what's called the the lean position so that's a a really clever concept you just grab the strap and pop it back up and it's in the hot position and then working your way back these boats just have a lot more plastic they have a lot more you know specific designs for functionality this little groove right here so that you can take the seat put it in the vertical position and add a third dimensional or air pro 3d seat the other thing that more expensive more advanced fishing hikes do is they integrate with the product line of that particular manufacturer like this wilderness system Scott create here the tank oil is gonna be a little bit more oversized there's going to be more hardware like the addition of tracks in the back adjustable tie-downs adjustable cleats and adjustable you know setups when you work your way to the back you're gonna have again you're gonna have a more rigid handle you're gonna have some inserts that will allow you to add a motor mount a power pole mount they're going to come rigged and ready for a rudder like this kayak has and then as always they're going to have that sacrificial keel that allows you to really beat that boat up that allows you to really you know put that boat through some serious abuse but it's going to stand up to it but once you wear that wear strip out you pop a couple screws out for somewhere between 13 and 15 dollars you pop a new one on there you're back in business and you've got a brand new keel on your kayak so when it comes to what you're paying for in a more advanced kayak this guy is anywhere from $15.99 on up to you know I'm sorry in the 11 foot version is $13.99 own up to you know nearly three thousand dollars with the power are the pedal option and depending on the accessories that you select the great thing about these boats is you don't have to add much to them when it comes to rigging you can add track mounted accessories you can add you know track mounted gear to it but for the most part the boat comes with everything you need to hop on the water and go fishing one thing to keep in mind as you're working your way up the property ladder if you will a fishing kayaks is that the more expensive kayak you buy the more it's going to retain its value right and so if you decide to put that boat up for sale used if you decided to trade it back in to a retailer like hook one the more value you're gonna get back in it and it's just one of those things to consider when it comes to what level you decide to come in at the Pescador the Pescador pro the wilderness systems radar any of the boats in that lineup and any of your more popular advanced fishing out there are gonna serve you well you just have to decide what level you want to come in at I definitely don't recommend skimping on your paddle and I don't recommend skimping on your PFD that's something you're gonna have probably for the life of your kayak fishing career at least in the paddle and your PFD is your first line of defense for saving your life and it's got to be comfortable so by the best of those that you can in the beginning by the best that you can if you're getting into it you're not sure you're going to like it by in the middle if you can but don't wait to buy the kite because you're saving up to get to that middle buy that entry-level kayak turn it into a buddy boat one of your kids boat your significant others boat when you're done and then use that as an entry-level boat to get them in the sport and then ultimately upgrade them as well so anyway guys this is my video on edit a basic or beginner kayak intermediate kayaks and advanced fishing kayaks and why you pay what you pay for them now I'm excited about the evolution of the sport so let me take you everything to show you one more boat that is kind of pushing the limits of the kayak fishing market and that is this native watercraft Titan this is an oversized single person boat but it's in the kayak category because it's operated by an individual angler it's wrote it's made out of roto molded plastic and it's got a lot of the same features as a fishing kayak it's just kind of you know it's over done they're dreaming big this boat is operated by natives peddle drive the propelled system that system is time-tested it was the first on the market and that's type of pedal drive they were the first true the reverse it's got a lot of well-thought-out features it's got the tracks in it it's made of premium plastic it comes with hatch it comes with an insert this boat has actually got a foam injected into the inside of it to increase rigidity and increase buoyancy it comes with a really nice track padding installed on it it's got under seat storage a really high in first class seat a huge tank well some really well-thought-out offset rod holder stagers and things like that it comes power-pole ready in the back with a couple of plates back here a trans amount that they make that goes in the center and because this is a bigger boat and it's heavy you're gonna have two handles in the back so you can lift that thing up and get it into your pickup truck on top of your SUV or into the our own to the trailer so again guys listen if you're looking to get started and not spend a lot of money look at that Pescador if you want to start somewhere in the middle check out the Pescador Pro if you want an advanced kayak that's going to do it all and paddle well check out the wilderness systems radar at AK series or any of your other Kai in that category and then you know check out the top of the line some of the more advanced stuff like this native watercraft Titan because that's exactly what it is but before you do any of this if you have access to a premium paddle shot okay if you have access to a place to go talk to a staff member that knows what they're doing if you have the ability to get on the water and try it before you buy it if you have a local club in the area where anglers in that club can let you try their boat at little meet-and-greets and get-togethers then I definitely make recommend that you try before you buy if you can't try before you buy I hope this video serves as a good baseline for where to start and how to make a proper decision when it comes to selecting your first fishing kayak I've got to thank the folks that hook one for allowing me to come in here and shoot this awesome video for you and check those guys out on the web I'll put their link in the description box below and if you don't have a retailer in your area like I said please hit up one of your local clubs find somebody that can let you try the boat if at all possible try before you buy but if you can't do as much research as you can so you know what you're getting before you buy it I'm Chad uber khaki bison TV hope you like this video do me a favor give it a big thumbs up watch one of these other videos and as always if you're new to the channel welcome to the kayak fishing Brotherhood smash that subscribe button and whether you're new or not turn on the notifications tab so you know when I release a new video

Channel: Chad Hoover

Views: 490,995

Rating: 4.8764148 out of 5

Keywords: Chad Hoover, Kayak Bass Fishing, kayak fishing, basic, selecting a fishing kayak, kayaking, fishing kayak, FITBIT IONIC WATCH, guide, fishing, bass fishing, how to, kayak, bass, fishing kayaks, Weigh In WINSDay, KayakBassFishing NATION, choose, Camping, lake, JOIN Kayak Bass, River, rod, Tricks, canoeing, largemouth bass, paddling, Sport, beginner, fish, Tips, fish tanks, kayakbassinTV, flukemaster, lunkerstv, jon b., catch em all fishing, monster mike, greg blanchard, bonafide, wilderness systems

Id: 8gmdovPwsBM

Length: 19min 9sec (1149 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 29 2017