Fishing Kayaks

There is a whole range of fishing kayaks now available on the market. You can fish from any kayak but some are better than others for the job in question. I will cover 3 of the makes and models here.

Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angling edition – This is possibly the most popular fishing kayak on the market at the moment. It is a sit on top kayak which has been designed around the fisherman. The basic package comes with 2 flush mounted rod holders, padded seat and back rest. There is also a tackle box. This kayak weighs 54lbs and is 13’4” long. Retail about £559. It’s a proven boat and highly regarded as the King of fishing Kayaks.

Wilderness Syatems ride 135 – A new kayak for 2007 boosting a very stable hull design which is well suited for angling. This design also has a lot of free board (the height from the water to the top of the kayak) making it a dry boat in most conditions. Its also a fast boat allowing you to cover distance easily when heading off to your fishing grounds. This has a safety implication in my opinion meaning it quicker to get you out of trouble if you are stuck in a tide! Again there is storage and flush moutned rod holders. This kayak weighs 64lbs and is 13’3” long I cannot find a price for this boat yet!

RTM Disco – This is my favourite. It’s a sleek kayak which tracks very well and has a good level of stability. There is a built in back rest and front hatch and the angling version has flush mounted rod holders. There is a large well in the rear which can hold tackle boxes and other angling equipment. The articles I have read testing this Kayak out rate it highly stating it’s a dry silent boat well capable of use in the sea!. This kayak weighs 50lbs and is 14’ long. £420 - £480 for the fishing type.

I would like to add that you can cut and add hatches to most Kayaks, but take care. You do not need to buy the FISHING model, you can get the standard version and adapt it yourself.

I really like the disco, its fast, a little cheaper than similar designs, lighter and looks sleek. This is the Kayak I am going to be buying soon, it will be ideal for Bassing. Plugging, bottom fishing, reef fishing and fly fishing are all suited to kayak angling – I will keep you updated with my trials.