Corpusfishing.com

[surfranger]

OK, I am about ready to say the hell with it and but myself a yak -- never been in one but that has never stopped me from trying something new before

My question is this: I am 6' and weigh 265 lbs. I am not the most coordinated soul in the world. What is a good brand/type for me and what I should be looking to pay. I want to be able to do it all -- run baits off the beach (after some practice) or hit the water of Canyon/Medina Lakes to mess around. Appreciate your help!
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"Careful man, there's a beverage here!" -- The Dude

[jabroner]

nothing wrong with a frenzy. great yak for running baits and i haven't had any probs with it in the bays.

[Tarpon_tamer]

I would personally go with an Ocean Kayak there are many to choose from. The best advice I could give you would be TRY Before you buy. Not all kayaks are created equal. I know Wind and Wave will let you paddle theres around, Also check with Jerry Bs out in the bluff they are really helpful. For more information go to www.texaskayakfisherman.com for all the info you could ever use. Also check the classifieds for good deals on used kayaks, thats where I found my last one.

Mike

[rabbit]

OK drifter is a good stable kayak and can hold up to 500 lbs. I have had mine out in the surf in both calm and rough water.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[Bluffer]

Dittos on the Drifter, good big-man yak. roomy pit & stable. Slowish paddler, but is a good fishing yak not a tourer.
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-STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS!-

[surfdragon1]

Im also 6ft 265 and have a mallibu II BY OCEAN KAYAK. and paddle baits out in rough conditions, so the bay and lakes are a cinch. Also ive seen the freenzy in action,But never used one.But was impressed by its performence. ''TERMINATOR''

[liketafish]

I have a Freenzy. Stable and easy to paddle. I am 6ft and 245lb. The only complaint is the seat depression is molded as part of the kayak. It is too narrow for my butt. Kills my back after 20 minutes. I ve bought a backrest but havent used it yet.
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fish responsively and fish often

[GoinCoastal]

Think seriously about your usage first.......

Here are a couple of things to think about before getting a kayak.

1. Short kayaks (OK Frenzy) mean that you will do double the work on long paddles. Because the boat is short it doesn't have much resistance to the force of the paddle strokes and therefore the bow swings back and forth like a walk-da-dog topwater bait. The OK Frenzy is great for yakking baits but totally sucks for long paddles and extended fishing hours on the water. It doesn't have much deck space for rigging and carrying gear for 4-6 hours on the water.

2. Molded footwells/braces vs foot pegs--- some people have no issue with molded-foot rests. I do. I am 6'5" and 260#. After 3 hours in a kayak with molded footwells, my calves are so uncomfortable I can't stand it. Two things happen... one my calves end up resting against the points of the foot wells and it becomes painful. Secondly, the spacing of teh footweels is never quite right for my leg length. And lastly, I find I have to turn my feet out to actually get a grip with teh balls of my feet and after a a couple of hours it again becomes uncomfortable To ME!!!!

3. Deck Space for rigging ------ if you are gonna be bass fishing and carry multiple rods & tackle, you need space for that gear and places to mount rod holders. Again shorter kayaks are limited here.

I am an truly a kayak angler and have been for about 6 years. I fish a lot in the bays and the lakes and occassionally in the gulf. I also fished on the Wilderness Systems kayak fishing team on my own buck because I already owned WS kayaks. IE, I am affiliated with WS barely but NOT sponsored by WS. I even sold kayaks (WS, OK, Hobie, Dagger, and Perception) for while during my unemployment last year. Do yourself a major favor and go paddle several different boats. When you think you have it, do a rental and paddle all day before you buy. Many of the things that will make your paddle experience either fun or miserable won't show their head on a 1 hour paddle.

Now with all that said....... considering your size and your stated needs, i would highly recommend the new re-designed Wilderness Systems RIDE. It is very stable, paddles fairly well (speed, glide, and tracking for a big boat), has a great fishing deck layout, and it is a quality boat. The old ride was my first boat. I have had it 6 years. I still use it. I also have a Tarpon 140 which is faster and easier to paddle. I use the T140 for tourney fishing and long paddles for the ease of paddling and speed I need for those days.

If you are in Central Texas, head to Austin Canoe & Kayak in San Marcos or Austin. If you near CC, go see JerryB. I can assure that both shops are first class folks offering first class service. You will not be disappointed with either shop. Both carry WS as well as many other brands.

my .02
joe

[surfranger]

Man, that is some great information -- thanks to all of you for your assistance, particularly GoinCoastal for the play-by-play. Living in SA, I think I will have to make a trip to JerryB's to check some out (will give me another excuse to head to CC). I would like to have one at least by Feb ($$ permitting) and will let you know how it went.

Once agian, thanks alot you guys for taking the time to square me away.
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"Careful man, there's a beverage here!" -- The Dude

[cckayaker]

If it helps any, I had a friend come down from S.A. this past weekend who's 6' and 330lbs and he fishes from a Cobra Fish & Dive and man was I impressed. I fish from heritage Fishermanpro 14' and mine is about the fastest I've seen on the water and we was doing fine with me even against the wind. He also was carrying a 10gl ice chest and several other acc. and still had room. He was telling me his buddy stands in it in the flats and sight casts. Very stable yak. Good Luck

[JerryB]

Surfranger the best advice I can give you is do your home work and paddle it before you buy and any big guy needs to give the X-factor a hard look.

[BigTex74]

CCKAYKER is correct!

I am the guy he is talking about and he is right on the money about the Cobra Fish N Dive. The only other one that comes close is the Ride by Wilderness. Here is a link to the Fish N Dive.

http://homepage.mac.com/jhoolko/kayaksandiego/iMovieTheater22.html

[Rudy]

6'1"

325 lbs

OK DRIFTER

[teambackwater]

Have gone through this recently I wanted to share some info I learend. What might work for someone may not work for you. Try allot of Kayaks before you buy. Just like rigging them it’s more of a personal prefrence then anything else. I have an OK Drifter and love it. Before I bought it I heard allot of good and bad things about it but I am glad I bought it because it has been great for me and everything else I tried did not feel right for me. Yes I can stand up in it but I am not sure if you can or would want to. Yes allot of yaks are "wet rides" but so are allot of Shallow water bay boats and if you want to stay dry put the plugs in (Foam Golf Balls). All in all allot of people will tell you allot of things but what it really comes down to is what you as an individual wants and can afford. This for me was my OK Drifter at $629.00 way less then allot of the yak I tried and more then capable. Well good luck! Just my 2 cents.

[fish4life]

i would get a freenzy because i have ran baits in them when the waves are like head high and never flipped or a srcambler xl they are big and roomy
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teach a man to fish and he will go broke