How to Choose a Kayak for Fishing Pt. 2

Kayak decks and mounting options

The Hobie Adventure is a a kayak with a reputation for speed and it was designed that way. The central area of the deck is compromised by the Mirage pedal drive system limiting the amount of customization that can be added to this fishing kayak. It has narrow outer rails due to the fact that it is only 27.5" wide (16' long) but Hobie has added two flat spots on the rails in front of the side pockets that will fit a Scotty or Ram rectangle base for forward fishing rod holders. A note about Scotty rod holders - unless the rods are angled almost straight forwards the butt sections interfere with pedaling. Ram tubes, however, do not have this problem. Additionally, there is a large flat area where the sail kit can be attached and this area is well suited for mounting sonars or GPS units. A Scotty Triple also fits well here. The tankwell is large, very large, and can hold a full crate and a half in the back. There are two molded in rod holders in the back as well but they are shallow and some anglers find them too shallow for comfort. The center round hatch has an optional drop-in bucket that can be used for storage of a camera, wallet, keys, lures, etc.

The Hobie Revolution was created in 2006 as an answer to many kayak angler's pleas. A pedal drive kayak designed for fishing. Hobie has nearly the same rigging options on this kayak as on the Adventure (see above) except for a few things. This is a shorter kayak at just over 13' and the tankwell is smaller because of it. Also, the flat space behind the hatch on the Adventure doesn't appear here - again because of length. The forward hatch is easier to get to on this model and there is some space on either side of the front edge of the hatch to mount sonar or GPS units. A more agile boat it is also under 28" wide and 13'4" long.

Wilderness Systems Ride was updated in 2006. The Ride has a unique pontoon style hull that creates stability enough for standing. The lack of molded footwells make standing much easier. This boat is more popular on the Gulf coast than in California, especially for guys stalking specks and reds. The rails are too narrow in the cockpit but they widen towards the front of the boat and are adequate for some smaller base mounts. Wilderness also can put a Scotty mount sideways inside the cockpit. The tankwell is narrower than most fishing kayaks and is not wide enough for the standard milk crate setup. 13'5" and 29" wide.

Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160i is a popular choice among the go-fast crowd of kayak fishermen. With rails wide enough for Scotty mounts and ample flat space behind the front hatch there are a number of opportunities for creative riggings. Another nice feature is the flat space behind the seat that provide plenty of room for up to 4 flushmount rod holders. The Tarpon 160i is 16' and 28" wide. The front hatch is smaller than required for fitting long rods inside the boat for surf launches and the hatch in front of the seat in miniscule. A nice feature is the bungee in front of the seat that can be used to strap down a Plano-style tackle box for easy access.

Ocean Kayak's Prowler Big Game was built to fill a need in the Ocean Kayak line for a wide, stable kayak with an overabundance of storage and rigging options. The center console is a nice feature with a hatch under the molded storage area. The rails are built for rigging, wide enough for flushmounts or Scotty and Ram mounts. The large squared off tank well can support even the most ambitious of live well or bait tank systems. There's also an optional center hatch that is fairly large and rectangular. At 12'9" and 34" wide it's a seriously big kayak built to make a run at the Cobra Fish 'n Dive (see below).

Ocean Kayak's Prowler 15, the first in the Prowler line, was designed with the help of some kayak anglers - a first for the industry. Long and lean it was designed with longer range in mind but with enough consideration for fishing to make it a big hit when released. Rail space will hold a variety of rod holders in front and flushmounts or rocket launchers in the back. The tank can hold a crate or custom bait tanks and the forward hatch can hold 7 1/2' rods. At a bit over 15' long and 28.5" wide the biggest downside is lesser bouyancy creating a wet ride. This was addressed some in the 2nd Prowler verision, the Prower 13 and ultimately in the Big Game.

Cobra Marauder was first introduced as the "Mariner" but was renamed when another company by the name of Mariner Kayaks was found. The Marauder is laid out for speed, stability and storage and it accomplishes all of these with varying degrees of success. Extra wide outer rails have room for up to three flushmount rod holders in front and more behind. In this picture you can see two flushmount rod holders in the far back corners of the tankwell. These are surprisingly easy to reach and make good storage for nets or gaffs. The large rectangle hatch can make storing rods easy and plenty of extra storage for absolutely anything. This kayak has more rocker than any other on this list and while it can make for a drier ride it also has the effect of making the kayak a bit squirrely in surf. The outer footwells are narrow due to the extra large hatch, this creates some discomfort in the forwardmost foot positions.

The Cobra Fish 'n Dive is the original big boat. 12'6" and 35" wide this beast has the weight capacity to carry all your gear, a friend and the kitchen sink. Like the Marauder it has a large hatch for rod storage, a round hatch for tackle or personal items and a tank well with room to spare. Outer rails support flush mounts or scotty mounts and the center hatch is a common location for mounting sonars, GPS units or more rod holders.

Malibu Kayaks Extreme is the picture of primary stability. A flat pancake of a bottom hull and outward positioned bouyancy makes this a very stable fishing platform. Couple that with wide 2" rails and a gigantic front hatch it's an easily configured kayak. The Extreme won't surf well because of that flat bottom and this also reduces the tracking abilities of this kayak. The medium sized hatches provide easy access to storage below decks but aren't large enough to store rods. The flattened hull causes this kayak to punch through rather than roll over chop and waves and this can make for a wet ride in an otherwise dry boat.

Lasltly, Malibu's X-Factor took a very similar cockpit layout as the eXtreme and put it on a taller more bouyant boat. A few changes in deck design on this kayak such as the angled rear hatch that maybe seemed like a good idea on paper but in practice ends up using valuable tank well space for a hatch that isn't very accessible on the water. The outer rails are angled out and make good placements for flushmount rod holders and there is room on the rear deck before the tankwell for more flushmounts (up to 4).

These are just 10 of the kayaks commonly used for kayak fishing with some notes of pros and cons of each. The most important thing you can do is test as many kayaks as possible for yourself and find out what suits you best. Good luck!