Page 1 of 2

Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 2:29 pm
by DKWakulla
What are folks fishing out of nowadays? I'm sure the default answer is a pro angler, but I honestly don't like having something that heavy and/or expensive. Currently, I fish out of a Native Ultimate 14.5 with some homebrew mods and a rudder kit.
4-27 yak.JPEG
Things I like:
Doesn't weigh a ton
Fast
Stable
Plenty of room

Things I don't like:
*very* difficult to stay quiet in
not self-bailing
is a literal sail in the wind. Seriously, with a little 10 kt wind Ill be going backwards in the time it takes to retrieve a spoon.

Paddle versus pedal, I really don't know. I see advantages in both. I do like the longer boats for the speed factor. Any suggestions?

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 3:35 pm
by jsuber
Loving my 2019 Hobie Outback.
590C27DC-391C-4773-889E-6CA50BB3F3E2.jpeg

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 7:59 pm
by bigboots
I have a WS atak 140 that Igot from Jeff,that is what I use most of the time. Really comfortable and stable . Also have a Native Ultimate 14.5 Propel that only had a chance to use a couple of times. And a Tarpon 140. Hoping to get a Hobie one of these days. Good luck with your search.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:31 am
by DKWakulla
jsuber wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 3:35 pm Loving my 2019 Hobie Outback.

590C27DC-391C-4773-889E-6CA50BB3F3E2.jpeg
Is that a POWERED Anchor pole? Holy ****! Where did you get that?

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 8:05 am
by Fishbaitbilly
Glad you are getting back out on the water, DKWakulla! FYI, The Wilderness Way is having a sale right now on all, in stock, Jackson Kayaks, 20% off. The new Liska by Jackson sounds like it would fit in with what you are looking for.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Sun May 12, 2019 7:59 am
by salty gator
DKWakulla wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 7:31 am
jsuber wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 3:35 pm Loving my 2019 Hobie Outback.

590C27DC-391C-4773-889E-6CA50BB3F3E2.jpeg
Is that a POWERED Anchor pole? Holy ****! Where did you get that?
It is a power pole micro

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Sun May 12, 2019 3:28 pm
by jsuber
What he said ^. I have the rechargeable battery that attaches to it and I can move it up and down with my remote, Lowrance Elite 7 or my iPhone
A610325B-9AE7-4DC1-854E-7CB3CBA83B13.jpeg
F72414FD-6C30-4E90-BD00-BFE42ED69A2A.jpeg
32E5678A-5FF2-4D2B-9B42-2EFCEABC59AE.jpeg

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Mon May 13, 2019 11:12 am
by DKWakulla
Fishbaitbilly wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 8:05 am Glad you are getting back out on the water, DKWakulla! FYI, The Wilderness Way is having a sale right now on all, in stock, Jackson Kayaks, 20% off. The new Liska by Jackson sounds like it would fit in with what you are looking for.
Awesome. When I get back to town, I’ll take a look.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:16 pm
by BloodyChamp
https://www.seaeagle.com/FramelessFishi ... BwE#PF7K_P

Would this be safe to take down to the Pinhook bridge, to paddle down to the mouth and back? I’ve never owned anything like this or a kayak even though my style is the same. I’ve had a 10 feet aluminum boat for years let me tell you it is a trooper but it’s just not making it to the Pinhook.

I have owned 2 Gheenoes with small outboards but I did nothing but tear them up in water that was above average difficulty, let alone all the stuff out there between Mandalay and the Pinhook. Me alone out there in anything but a huge boat isn’t a good idea and I wasn’t made for big boats. I would tear them up too, then of course not be able to atleast paddle back lol! As backwards as it sounds, I don’t mind tromping through that deep dark trail to the bridge. If I have 1 fear out in the elements it’s getting roughed up on te flats.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. I just want to say I’ve been up and down that river 1 dang time. If it goes well enough, I’ll do it again, then I’ll do it again and do a little fishing, then alot of fishing if I ever get comfortable enough to go to the place like I’m the master of the domain like the places I’ve been fishing at my whole life. But if all of that doesn’t work out I’ll be happy making it in and out once.

Meanwhile I would also use whatever I get on the upper St Marks where we are allowed to hike and fish but not drive to similar to the Pinhook. I would make the purchase revolving around going to the Pinhook though if only 1 time.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:33 pm
by DKWakulla
I've decided that I'm about to go to the dark side with a SoloSkiff. These things seem like they are one of the best platforms I've ever seen for fishing shallow flats(and offshore too) in a solitary manner. Cheaper and more stable than a Gheenoe. Suber might ban me for that :wink:

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:55 pm
by jsuber
Everyone I know that bought a solo skiff sold it. If you are doing that get a sixteen foot Carolina skiff or aluminum boat with a 25 tiller handle.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:59 pm
by DKWakulla
What did they not like?

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 6:26 am
by jsuber
They were very uncomfortable with the stability.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:15 am
by BloodyChamp
I’m 1 step closer to making a change after yesterday. I don’t know how many sinkhole fishermen there are here but surely everybody knows about the Aucilla River sinks, most of which are closed to vehicle traffic.

I loaded my boat and headed that way. Having gotten a late start I decided on the way there to just bank fish at a couple of sinkholes that were pretty far off the beaten trail. I’d gotten the boat in them years ago and loaded buckets each time.

On the very first throw I got a fat Bluebream. The catch with bank fishing in sinkholes though is you will only catch 1 out of 1 spot. It’s just impossible to get a hold of a fish without making a ton of racket in that situation lol! So on to another spot and I lost a bream. Next another fat Bluebream, then a huge bass that got off. This happened in around 6 throws in 4 spots, so I was 4 for 4 as far as bites in spots. There Was literally nowhere else to fish and I was already covered in ticks so I thought shoot I need to go somewhere and get this boat in the water as good as they’re biting.

I got to the main river and unfortunately something that I knew about but didn’t think would be the case today, had happened. The main river had risen several feet. The sinkholes are usually a little behind. I only caught 6 more in the river but if that bank fishing was any indication I could have caught a ton in my boat in the sinkhole. That’s 1 more reason to get a kayak to drag.

Re: Looking for a new boat. What's all the rage these days?

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 6:06 pm
by DKWakulla
jsuber wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 6:26 am They were very uncomfortable with the stability.
Was it the rotomolded variety or the older fiberglass one? I'm seeing videos of folks standing on the gunnells of the rotomolded one and not tipping it. Not contradicting you, just curious.