[Frank G]

West marine has a decent sale on their Mainstream Streak or Patriot kayaks. We would probably use them for paddling around in the creeks of the magothy river and for some shoreline fishing in the main river. Anyone have any experience with either of these models and what do you think of them given our possible use.

 

[wpvboat]

If you are going to get a Mainstream, get the Kingfisher. It's a sit on top. Don't get a sit in type kayak unless you are planning to stay close to shore all the time. I have a SIK and a SOT and I would never get another SIK. If I were you, I would get the SOT if you think you want to fish open water even once a year. I don't know anything about the area as I live down here around Norfolk.

Definately buy a kayak though!

 

[naked goby]

Go for the Patriot. It will track better and it moves a little faster.

I used to live on the South River and fished it just fine with a Pungo. I would think the Patriot would be fine except for the choppiest of days.

Don't listen to the SOT crowd. When I lived up there I never felt the need for one. Now that I live down here in Hampton Roads I understand why most guys fish from one and since I bought one I haven't touched my Pungo. But for where you are planning to paddle there is nothing wrong with a sit inside yak.

 

[chesapeakeblend]

Frank -

Check out my ad in the classified area:

http://www.tidalfish.com/classifieds/viewdetail.asp?id=4644

I fish around your area and my perception boat blows the mainstreams away! Longer boat, rudder, bulkhead, storage, sprayskirt. I was out off of Kent Island in it last weekend and have fished with it on the Severn for Pike with it. JMHO and one other idea.

Mike

 

[Chad]

Goby,
Now that you have fished out of the SOT and if you went back to the area you fished before is there any reason you would go back to the SinK. If not, why not buy the SOT in the first place and that way they don't end up with a SinK that they never touch anymore as well. Just a little observation from a member of the SOT crowd.
Chad

 

[fishooter]

Frank, I've got an OK Zest Two (2-seater sot) and a Scupper Pro you could try out. I could bring it down to dock 2. Just let me know.
Mark

 

[wpvboat]

I have used Goby's Pungo a couple times. It does track better than the OK Capers that he and I have. But it is harder to turn because of the long keel. Speed, I don't see any difference.

Like I said, I had a SIK and liked it but I wouldn't go back.

If I were you, I'd take a look at the info. on www.kayakfishingstuff.com. There is way more info there than any of us is willing to write out here. You will be able to make a better decision based on what you think you need.

Good luck!

 

[rick c.]

I've got the Pungo also and like it a lot. There are some advantages to the sit in such as I'm warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, very comfortable riding position,tracks and paddles well and is pretty fast. Its all pimped out for fishing with extra flotation bags and safety gear. That being said, I would probably not get that style if I were to do it over again. Fortunately, my wife tried some at the demo day and now wants a tarpon for short flat water trips with me and maybe some relaxed freshwater fishing so I will probably get one this weekend and proceed to slime the heck out of it when she's not out in it with me. We test rode the tarpons and the Ocean kayaks and Tarpon had the best seating area of them all, at least the 120 and 140 did, 160 I didn't care for at all, very wet ride.

 

[Cory ruthless Routh]

My 160i is not wet a all, and i weigh 200-pounds, my 140 is way wetter than the 160i.

 

[naked goby]

Whenever someone talks about buying a SINK for fishing people who have SOTs imediately try to talk them out of it. I think that is wrong.

Yes Chad, the SOT has many advantages over the SINK. However not everyone has the money to buy one right off the bat. I went to the website and saw that they have those kayaks for sale for $299! Not a bad price if you just want a kayak to screw around in.

If I still lived up there I would probably still be fishing in the Pungo.

Now if someone from this area asked the same question, I would tell them forget a SINK and get a SOT. NO doubt.

And answer this question. How come so many river fishermen prefer SINKs? I know of guides using them. Why? Maybe the SOT isn't the perfect kayak.....

 

[George Z]

I can't resist this. "Different strokes for different folks." I'd like to have one of each and a WS Kaos for the big surf days! Any links for kayak trailers? I may need one.

 

[Chad]

I just tried to answer the question that was asked and in it they referenced fishing creeks and doing some shoreline fishing whcih tells me they intend on getting in and out of the yak during the trip. Therefore, it was my recommendation (because that is what they asked for) that a SOT would be better suited for that application. Yes, I too know guides that fish from SinKs in the Hill country in Texas. Most of them put in up river and mostly drift to another take out point and drive back around and don't get in and out of the yak much. Additionally, I know many guides who fish from SOTs and some that have gone from SinKs to SOTs, but I have never met nor heard of a guide (or many other fisherman for that matter) going from a SOT to a SinK.
Chad

 

[wpvboat]

The only 'river' fishing I have done was for smallmouth on the New River. I had my 9' SIK then. It worked great but if I would have had my SOT Caper I could have gotten out to wade some which is how the others I was with were fishing.

If you want to save some money, the Patriot would be fine. $299 and you don't need waders. Just have to buy a paddle and PFD.

Like I said, go to the KFS site and read up on it.

 

[flanman]

FWIW-i agree with naked goby-i fished the South River in a Sit in and did just fine (a little wilderness that someone gave to me and wifey) and until you figure that this is something you really want to do i would not want to spend the $$ unless you have it to burn-that said i now have a t160 and am vhappy with it though for most of what i do its overkill-i am hoping to get to some slightly larger water with this SOT.....

 

[bassmanpete]

I fish mostly rivers and used a SINK boat for 3 years. I now have a Caper and have no plans to ever get in my SINKs again.

The only time I can see a SINK being a plus would be in two specific cases. One is on a totally raw bone chilling cold day, when the skirt on the cockpit would help trap body heat and protect your from the wind, but if the conditions are that bad I am probably not fishing.

Second situation would be on a whitewater paddle trip. There just aren't many SOTs popular with fishermen right now that are made for white water paddling. All rec boats have too much keel. I don't understand why manufacturers keep cranking out boats that are basically a bike with training wheels. Sure the keel helps ya go straight at first as you learn to paddle, but eventually you learn to paddle and keep the boat on a straight course, so the keel just becomes a problem in tight quarters or areas with harsh current.

For the fishing I do a SOT is ideal. Now that warmer weather is here I plan on floating down the river but getting out to wade in areas where that is a better approach to getting a bait in front of fish[grin]

 

[naked goby]

I did a trip on the upper Nottoway a couple weeks ago. My wife used the Pungo and I used my Caper. You wouldn't ahve wanted a longer yak because there was some tight manuvering you had to do going over small falls and what not. The Pungo sits a little too deep in the water and is a bit difficult to turn, but she did fine. My caper kept hitting rocks I thought I should have been able to go over. Kinda pissed me off. The guy that lives ont he river that we went with has bought 4 kayaks, all SINKs all 10-12 feet long with flat bottoms. They were ideal.

This morning I borrowed one of my father's kayaks, A WS Big Critter. The Critter is very similiar to the Patriot. I paddled it about two miles fishing a trib to the Potomac called Breton Bay. The boat did just fine and was easy to get in and out of. Easy to paddle, plenty of room for stuff, easy to get in and out of. Seemed a little tippy compared to the Pungo.