I'm looking into buying a Kayak for exploring Idaho this summer....also, I would like to use it to get to hunting sweet spots....looking for one that a big ole boy like me can get into...any suggestions.....
Get a canoe, more carrying capacity
I have been looking at the Bass Pro Ascend, big capacity and a big opening. They are 31" wide for stability. They even have a camo model :D
ocean kayak trident 11
i have a 11 and my dad has a 13 and we couldnt be happier with them. they are a sit on top design, extremely stabile. i can stand in mine while going down the river and fish, can jump in the water and climb back in it no problems and the water has to be real shallow before it will hit bottom. lots of storage space inside the kayak as well as on top of it. has a great seat design with lots of back support fo rthose long trips. my uncles getting rid of his old town sit in after trying mine out. sit on tops are where its at. I think i paid somewhere around $750 for mine but i cant really remember might have been closer to $800.
whats your price range?
Weight capacity on the ascend shows only 325 #s. Not enough for me and the deer! lol
I agree with awbowman, go with the canoe, you will get a lot higher capacity and a lot more room for stuff. I have a Yellowstone Solo by Bell and I absolutely love it.
I think canoes vs. kayaks are almost like ford vs. chevy. I'm definately a canoe guy. I think both would have their advantages and disadvantages. You can get in and out of a canoe without getting wet feet, and it has a bunch more capacity.
With that being said I think you should spend some time in each before you decide. Just my opinion though.
As you can tell by my username that I may be a little biased. However, I paddle both canoes and kayaks. I don't think you can find a kayak that will suit your needs (capacity). Nothing says that you can't use a kayak paddle (granted a longer one) in a canoe if you're looking to make the paddling easier.
Nothing better than a good ol' canoe for carrying your hunting/camping toys along. Now, if this were a fishing thread, I would recommend the Old Town fishing kayak.
If you are gonna be in shallow, fast stuff, may I recommend a Grumman aluminum hulled canoe?
We fish redfish in skinny water in the marshes of Louisiana and you will not find better than the kayak, but for open water and capacity the canoe will serve you better. Just my opinion though .... but we guys down south are practically raised in boats be it powered, a canoe, piroque and/or kayak, and each has it's place.
For contact with rocks royalex is better than aluminum, the tin canoes tend to stick to rocks. A 16 foot canoe with a center seat and a long kayak paddle is the way to go. if you are going with a buddy at times a 17 footer can still be used with the long paddle when you are going solo. I use what used to be the top of the line kevlar Mad River Explorer. i load up front and sit in the front seat and go backwards. This is easy to do in a symmetrical canoe, asymmetrical canoes go forward better in lake conditions, but they argue with you when the water is coming from behind at times. Long kayak paddles are available from The Redrock Store out of ely, Mn.
I use an '80s vintage Folbot. It's about 17' long, has lots of beam and a 900 lb payload capacity, and is much more stable than a canoe. I has a very durable hypalon hull. I've had it full of moose meat and dragged it over beaver dams without damage. Plus it breaks down into to bags if want to do a fly-in hunt sometime. If you can find one of these, you'll have great hunting vessel!
I own canoes, and prefer them. I borrowed my sisters kayak to paddle back into an area to try for hogs while visiting her in Georgia a couple of springs ago. I had to tie a second behind to carry my gear. They were the smaller pond style. I don't know what I would have done if I had gotten a big hog. I have used canoes to paddle into areas carrying a climber and all my gear and had room for an additional deer on the way out. I have shot a deer from the canoe as well, which would in my opinion, be tougher in the lower kayak. I also find it easier to paddle silently with almost no movement by feathering the paddle under water in the canoe. Don't know if I could easily pull off the same style maneuver it the kayak.
I have a 14'2" Perception "Illusion" sit-on top kayak that except for carrying a deer out offers in my opinion advantages over a canoe in just about every category. That said, short of butchering the deer into manageable pieces for loading and multiple trips even then, I don't know of any Kayak that matches a canoe for transporting a deer.
I just put a leer topper on truck with racks on top...suppose to be heavy duty enough for canoe..In my thinking, I would have to have something I can put on top of truck and put on take off at times by myself...also pull camper so trailer is out....
I haven't hunted out of this, but it would sure work great.
Not sure where to get them anymore. It was called a biyak. My son and I were floating the Green River in Utah in this shot. We camped in the gorge for 3 days and this is coming out into a Class 3 at Red Creek. It's plenty stable.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r180/StevenD55/Family%20Photos/SteveRedCreek27-10-05.jpg)
I found the Wilderness Systems Tsunami to be a large volume kayak that was very roomy and comfortable (I am 6' 225#).
The right boat for you is going to vary greatly depending the water you'll be paddling and how much you will want to take with you. If you are not taking a lot with you and you don't have any companions (dogs or people), go with the kayak. I love canoes but they are such a pain in wind. The kayaks sits so much lower that wind is much less of an issue.
We really need more details to actually make an accurate recommendation.
Well I am going to be in Idaho for the summer. I plan on doing a lot of exploring, and fishing. I will be in the Sandpoint, Idaho area..alot of lakes and some rivers.. I believe kayaking is pretty popular in the region there. I will be hauling a 30 foot travel trailer so what ever I get will have to go on top of truck/topper...
Forgot to mention that my Folbot has a large open cockpit. Easy to get your gear in and out. Here's a photo of my Folbot on one of my hunts:
(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii185/finnish-archer/ArcheryPhotos/StJamesBay_Chucks_Folbot_with_rack_on_bar_sm.jpg)
Check out NuCanoe before you make a decision. Seems like a pretty versatile boat.
IMHO sounds like most things in life to me. No easy answer. What you need is one of each a canoe and a kayak. The kayak to effortlessly get you back and forth to hunt and explore. A canoe to haul out what you get! Thats just my 20 years of rambling of doing it.
If I remembered how to do this, I got the mad cow. I think we are carrying at least a hog and a deer worth of weight in this pic. the canoe weighs forty-three pounds. (http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/pavanldb/DSC01123inthecanoe-1.jpg)
Look up Native Watercraft. There Magic series is an open boat design that can carry a lot of gear and is very stable. I love mine.
Im liking the nucanoe so far....
good topic, keep it coming.
I love my Ocean Kayak Trident 11 but I would be real nervous putting a deer on it in the fall/ winter (cold water). I'd get a canoe if that was my intention.
The Nucanoes are stable and with the seats they look comfortable for pond fishing. i would question their tracking and efficiency. the design looks like it may be slow and pushy, they may have handling problems in rough water and current. If distance, going against or across currents or dodging waves is not going to be ever done with them they would do their job. But I would not choose them over a canoe because of the pics that brag about stability. we do that and more with canoes and we have not yet dumped accidentally. of course i have spent as many days in my life paddling canoes as bow hunting so I am a bit prejudiced. The limited use and the 77 pounds is also something to consider. you may just like this paddling thing.
now I am looking at the seaeagle inflatable rigs...after alot of researching, these things are cool...and durable with a 3 year waranty.. seaeagle.com
The native water craft are about the best of both worlds; can carry alot, stable as all get out.
Downfall - expensive, of course but the one I tried out was the most fun. Working on getting my own right now.
J
I have a long history with canoes and kayaks.
I agree that the comparison is somewhat like Chevy vs. Ford: A Chevy Corvette versus a Ford Expedition. Which would you rather take on a hunting and fishing trip?
A solo canoe can do everything, plus more that a kayak can do and be convenient at the same time. Depending on the situation will determine the physical work involved.