Don’t Buy a Fishing Kayak Unless You Can Handle These 9 Things 

Please CONTINUE to dissuade anglers from getting kayaks. I absolutely love having fishing areas all to myself on my paddle kayak.

I'm 76 and have 82 kayak fishing trips so far this year. I have a pelican 10ss with outriggers and trolley anchor system. It weighs 45 lbs unloaded. Easy in and out of the back of my truck. I carry 2 fly rods. One with a floating line and one with a sinking line. I fish for multiple fresh water species. My flotation vest carries a couple of fly boxes and miscellaneous gear. I'm fortunate to have quite a few small lakes within a 25 mile radius. I'll fish them with the weather forecast in mind. I have been caught in some pretty Crappy weather but thanks to my outriggers I've stayed stable. You just have to know your limits. 4 hour trip and covering 2 miles is about right for me. It's my third year with around 200 trips total. I love it and hopefully I'll still be doing it when I'm 80.

Got a Wilderness 10' Tarpon fishing Kayak as we have two rivers nearby i have fished for years but only off the banks. Took a bit to get the hang of doing all the things talked about in this & it's not that bad but you do need to work & do your homework before you head out. I cannot stand up in mine as someone with a 12 ft. can but if you get tired or have to pee or just stand up just paddle over to the best looking bank & hop on out. I did buy a pair of waterproof boots which are great when the temps drop or if you just want to get in the Kayak without having wet feet all day. So this was some good advice for anyone wanting to get one of the many fishing kayaks out there ,i just went for the paddles but the the foot paddles are a good thing as long as your in deep enough water . One of the best pieces of advice if you go with or without a partner is to know the area your at very well so you don't end up in a bad situation . I love mine & it's well worth the cramped space & sore back if your out for hours on end & you will catch fish & have a blast. My kayak was around 900 bucks & the rest was for paddle ,anchor & the odds & ends you need but like the man says you can spend a lot if you go all out & to me that depends on where you fish. ❤🐟

Kayak fishing is super easy if you aren’t trying to rig out a kayak like it’s a bass boat. I throw mine on my rack and go anywhere. It’s also hard to fish rivers and creeks without one

I love that you are realistic in your videos, not just showing all the positives but explaining the other side as well.

I got a cheap beginner kayak to test the sport out... here are my observations after using it for a season. 1. I HATE WIND. I hate being blown around. Period. 2. I want room to move around. I gotta store my tackle bag behind me, then I can't just reach around and grab it. If I keep it between my legs it's uncomfortable. I can't just turn around like I can in a boat. 3. Rods get tangles up in trees all the time. Half of this goes back to the wind, being blown into trees and getting my rods hung up because the only way to store them is vertical. Also, rods are stored behind me... where it's damn near impossible to turn around while sitting down to reach them. 4. I'm not a masochist. I do not hate myself. People to enjoy fishing out of a kayak, REALLY hate themselves and enjoy the punishment.

I've had a fishing kayak for almost 15 years now. I have a lot of smaller lakes and slow little rivers around where I live so the kayak is perfect, I just roof-top it and go from place to place with minimal equipment. ❤

Not kidding about the wind. I kinda wish I got a pedal kayak but an anchor kind of works

Thanks for the touch of reality. Videos like this make you one of my favorites to watch.

Love that you showed the Mogadore Reservoir! Was just there yesterday. Are you fishing Mogadore in this video? It looks like it!

This was a great video, Daren! I haven't seen anyone else do this.

I'd also think one issue might be is dealing with other boats. From the idiots not paying attention as they speed by or towards you, the waves they can make after they've gone by and such.

Great video. I've been figuring out all of these things over the past year of kayak angling. I'm on my 2nd boat and still don't have the one I "need" 😁

Thanks for the insights! Would be cool to learn more about the Yak community and buying used in different regions. If there is a trusted network of resale.

I have had knee and hip problems forever . I went the feelfree lure 11.5 in 2016 because of the gravity seat , the reinforced deck and the removable pod . There was not many kayaks that even had a adjustable seat in 2016 . It made it easy to adjust myself and move around to help me enjoy the long wonderful days fishing . I have used a shimano syncopate with the trigger for my spinning reels since 1994 . Great easy casting even while you are paddling in a fast river . Easy one hand casts all day. I am finally getting in for knee surgery . A few weeks later , I am hoping hip or elbow surgery.

Bought a Vibe Yellowfin 100. Paddled two years before fishing out of it. First trip I hooked and landed a 16lb flathead cat on ultralight gear setup for crappie. Fought it for twenty minutes. Some of the best fun in recent memory, now trolling yak fishing vids

I have both, a Bass Traccer V17 Tournament, and a yak. They both have their place. When the dog and wife want to hangout we take the big boat, when i need a quick trip, or alone time the yak is the option lol

This is such a good video! I’ve been fishing from my kayak for years but I still watched it all the way through!

I just ordered a couple of Outriggers for my Kayak and can't wait for that! Looking forward to Standing while fishin smaller lakes and streams..!!

Excellent information. My 1st year in a fishing kayak has been amazing. i sold over 20 rods and reels and dialed in the 7 i kept for kayak and co-angling from a bass boat. I sold around $1000 worth of lures and accessories that were in the bass boat I sold. Your videos and definitely helped me learn this year. Thank you for sharing.

I can think of soooo many solutions to all of those issues you mentioned. Two anchor trolleys, boat trailer converted to kayak trailer...etc. I've had my fishing kayak for a year and a half. Less fishing rods..fishing kayaks that have flat bottoms. Good video, but you should probably offer solutions instead of dissuading people from getting a fishing kayak.

Thanks, I had thought about it before, I don't think it is for me.

Interesting comments. Wind is always a challenge. I will sometimes carry a simple 7’ anchor stick, and use it with the anchor trolley. Reason #10 - storage. Some of the best kayak deals I have gotten were from people who had no good place to put them, and got tired of it being in the way.

I've been using an old town sit in fishing kayak & Jackson hybrid sit in/sit on top.. both paddle. ...both are great fishing yaks....1 major disadvantage....wind...very annoying... biggest con for sit on tops for me...get wet, and all the gear gets wet if it's rough...sit in's, i stay completely dry which i want especially in cooler months....all personal choices...i like to paddle for the excerise as well

I have a 10’ bote zeppelin - can stand on it , easy to paddle , and an 8 lb anchor keeps it still. But with moderate balance you can stand and fish in any direction and it’s easy to store and will fit in your trunk . You may fall off but I don’t see it flipping cause it self bales water in the bottom of the boat so in short water is always in the bottom which also helps you not flip .

Perspective... Been fishing from a Cumberland XT float tube for the last 6 years, and I was looking at a pedal kayak to actually *help* deal with the wind 🤣

Good stuff. I think the first 30 min of any fishing trip is a trying time also. Getting gear in place, pulling rod out, first cast, wind... have to put all those pieces together each time which can some times by quite challenging. But once you pass the first 30 minutes your locked in!

My neighbor just got roosters and that thing will start screaming at 330am. I want to let my cats go have some fun 🤣

“There’s nothing like fishing from a kayak…” amen to that!

I went kayak fishing for the first time last week and I enjoyed it it was hard to get use to changing lures in a kayak cause I was use to a boat

Me and my Dad used to mainly fish for bluegills in the spring there (Mogadore Res). They had also planted Blegill/Redeared sunfish hybrids there back then (1970). Have you fished Pymatuning Res yet? There is good walleye and bass there. I currently live in the U.P. of Michigan and am considering buying a PDL kayak.

You really lucked out with this one. I think my GoPro broadcasts a signal directly into the fishes brains like Aquaman telling them to go far, far away.

We have the same first name and that instant catch, bro super impressive and a sub no question!

Daren, at 6:12 I see the water is full of muck and grasses. There's a lake down here that looks exactly the same. What lure do you throw in that situation? Looking for something that doesn't constantly return covered with goop. A Texas Rigged (or no weight) worm is the best I can think of and even that gets frustrating quickly.

You ain't lying

Kayak fishing is a major chore. No matter how in shape you think you are, It's a full body workout that will kick your ass

This is why I have a P127 with a Motorguide Xi3 GPS /spotlock, power pole.... the best of all worlds!! I can paddle, peddle or power on any given day and given condition!!!! You are right about it being addicting!!

I just got back into fishing after 5 years... I had a Ranger Cherokee years ago! I dont have those luxuries nowadays. I recently bought an inflatable for $200, just because the I wanted... kayak, roof mount, and etc, would cost me around 1.5k, I wanted to make sure I would like this way of fishing/boating before I spent alot more on a really nice rig. Your pros and cons have been a HUGE help! Thank you and keep up great content!

Im a boat mechanic and an authorized minnkota and power pole certified warranty tech. To this day i cant figure where powerpole thinks that kayak power pole is worth that much. Its absolutely insane to have a dewalt style battery powering a servo that moves a thin rod worth $600....

We talking about just a windy day in general or your normal winds on a lake

My kayak is 57 lbs so its a little rough to throw up on J bars sometimes. Need a trailer before upgrading to a pedal drive. I play the wind as a advantage. Paddle against the wind to get a certain point then drift down the bank while casting. Sometimes it doesn't work so i have a Yakattack anchor trolley. When i did that private event with regular bass boats, all the boats was lined up at the ramp. My kayak was already in the water , no need of a boat ramp. 😂

What kinda kayak do you recommend I used to have one but it broke 😢

Great video! I can't believe how easy it is for you to catch fish. I've been fishing for decades and I have invested heavily in it and I still can't catch fish. I thought buying a Hobie PA14 good rods/reels and it seems like I just don't have the needed knowledge to really enjoy the "catching" part, so now I switched my mindset and don't consider it fishing anymore, I do it to relax on the water and get exercise. It is too bad bc I really wish I had a brother or a dad that could have passed the tricks down to me, but I am still thankful for fishing.

Great video Wendell , another issue I never hear about is getting motion sickness / sea sick ...well at least for me I found myself feeling sick Lol ..I have to rely on Dramamine 🤷🏻‍♂️

Just got back into fishing. From the shoreline, I was always getting hung up loosing gear, catching lots of eels, just not digging it. Picked up an old salty PDL and started catching tons of fish. I still lose some gear, but that's while catching lots of different fish. The big issue is loading my 100 pound plus yak on top of my car, but getting better at it. Actually can be even more difficult getting it out of the water without getting it gouged by lava rock. I now carry two 2x4's to lay on the rock to slide the kayak in and out. I can say that I would have quite fishing without my kayak.

Power Pole?!! How about a manual stakeout pole? My only gripe is portability. dragging 160bls even on a cart is an arm ripper. Solution, get a much lighter kayak as your second "for the wife"

Great video. Keep scaring away people so my spots remain nice and quiet! I have horrible balance but I do okay on a kayak

Peddle kayaks are the way to go if you have the room to store them and can afford them. I sell these kayaks and other styles In our little shop. We have two ten foot LSF kayaks ( mirage propels ) , they are very stable for our quick four hour river trips and I have mine decked out with a downrigger , rod holder , and a milk crate for two rods and a net. Keeping it simple is great , but I might put a fish finder on it this year. At 58 I don't worry about catching fish anymore, just enjoy still being capable of getting out to fish.... Landing the larger fish takes a lot of balance and once you pass your fear of tipping or wonder how your going to land the fish you just feel a sense of amazement.... Getting out in mother nature to enjoy the little moments at any age is a great feeling and sharing it with good friends or a loved one is what its all about.👍 👍 🇨🇦

I kayak fish and use a anchor to stay in one spot

Ive own a kayak, boat, and jon boat. If i did any of them again the best is a used jon boat with a brand new motor and put seadeck flooring on it. More room and faster speeds, yet super cheap gas

Gators ! Lots of them out there!

In truth weight is the #1 reason why I went with the old town next. The big ones are nice but if it takes immense effort to get it on top of the vehicle you'll use it a hole lot less.

@WendellFishing Great video for someone like me, that is an avid fisherman, who has been playing around with the idea of getting a fishing kayak. I just happened to come across this video and now a fan and sub. Keep putting out great content like this! Good luck on the water!

A major problem is if you have not space for store your kayak!!!! I park my own kayak at my balcony at 4th floor!!!! Of course if apply any kind of motor on the kayak is not any more kayak is something else!!!

"TREAT YO SELF!" Had me laughing right outta the gate! Hmmmmm, I'm going to name my 10' kayak Li'l Sebastian.

WIND!! was blown out to sea (Lake Michigan) with my anchor down.. ! I fell asleep, and thought my anchor could hold me.. NOT!

I to have fallen out of a canoe, but in the ocean in Southeast Alaska in May. Burrrr!!! I have been wanting a kayak for some time now. We have a lot of coves that hold a lot of different species of fish. I used to float tube in the lower 48 when I traveled years ago and I learned you had to hit every little bit of water to be productive. It usually was. Some day!!! Nice video!

We are all different with different abilities. However I agree with the guy below me. Discourage as many as possible. Way too many kayaks out there. haha... Thank you Wendell Fishing. Love your vids. Always a good attitude.

If you need $5.000 to $10.000 in gear to catch 1 1/2 lb bass it's not worth it😅

Underrated channel 👍🏽

I had a "fishing kayak" once.....You can't stand you end up with a wet ass if you're using a paddle.You can't fish to the sides and must fish directly ahead of you. If you have a good rod and reel and it flips you can lose hundreds in tackle. If you go swimming because you flipped it all your money and license and registration, insurance cards, money will get wet and maybe ruined...As I said I had a fishing kayak once.

I would jump on this bandwagon right now if it wasn't for the extreme prices..

Power pole? What happened to regular anchors? Or just stick a fiberglass rod yourself. The cost of the powerpole looks like its to save 10 seconds inserting the pole yourself

If you can't ride cross current in big waves, sitting on the back of your yak trying to not burry your bow while getting back to the boat launch.

New here, cant swim. I got the pelican catch pwr 100. Am disabled. With that said. Love to fish. Love the john boats. Got a 30 lb thrust.

Would you consider getting a bass boat again? Pros and cons?

Yeah paddles only is frustrating, but an anchor can help. But you can drop it and still get blown out of position, ir twist the wrong way. And it's a pain trying to drift the flats. I fish in the saltwater and I need peddles because my Vibe just gets blown all over. Position is really important when I fish docks or other structures.

It wasn't the type of vessel that made you a bad fisherman it was the lack of research and knowledge and that's free😊 if his old ass fell out of that kayak he wouldn't be getting back into it neither if your ass is over 30 you need you need to accept the fact that your ass is old and fish like an adult thank you you taught me everything I need to know about pool floats😅

I fly fish with an Eddyline Sandpiper 130. All I need is a small flat tackle box on the floor, and I use the deck bungees to hold onto my rod when I am paddling a longer distance. My kayak weighs less than 50 lbs, I can car top it really easily, it is fast, very stable and comfortable (has removable frame chair), maneuverable and travels into wind very well too. And, I can legitimately call it a kayak because it is pointed at both ends and is human-propelled only with a double-bladed paddle. Takes less than 10 minutes to launch and load. The fishing “kayaks” I see look fun (I think they are hybrids between a boat and a kayak, or “Boyak”), I am not against those, but I have also seen light weight Jon boats with just as much gear that can get into tight spots and shallow water just as well (the one my friend has is only 125 lbs and sinks in the water about 3” with trolling motor). I had a fishing kayak and sold it because it was much more difficult to handle than my Sandpiper 130, and I certainly didn’t catch any more fish with it. But I understand, to each his own.

Thank you great tips some great fish

Great video. Just got my first peddle drive kayak. Have used them for years though. What net are you using ?

Good option for staying stable is a pair of anchor spikes. I have an anchor spikes mount on the accessory rail on both sides of my kayak, with both of them down my kayak pretty much becomes a mobile dock to fish off of. Only downside is you have to stay in water that's 1-4' deep which is where I generally like to stay anyways.

Just get a surface drive or long tail. Mfs crawl over logs too. go faster than a kayak ever could and can run in soft bottom mud

That was a fun watch haha.

Not me over here in my perception joyride 10 ft sit in kayak.

I am scared to watch this video since I just bought one yesterday

1:06 this dude casually caught a fish while making a video where can I get this luck

I recommend bringing a grabber reacher tool with y’a to pull anything out the water and not flip:)

What camera do you use. It looks amazing

What is your thoughts on the nucanoe frontier 12 a paddle kayak for right now because I don't have a lot of places to kayak right now

This one tells the truth.

After putting an xi3 with spot lock I'll never go back especially for Highland reservoirs big water anything like that. Creeks and sloughs and little ponds are the only exception where I'll use a paddle kayak but the bigger you go it's tough to go back

I want a fishing kayak to fish the small streams where boats can't go. I already own a boat for those big lakes.

A video on reasons NOT to get into kayak fishing. I never thought of it before, but it makes good sense. Good video 👍

I heard absolutely nothing that i care about As far as the weight of them goes I'm a power lifter I can pick up a small aluminum John boat Sitting for long periods of time I'm a catfisherman so i do a lot of that anyways Wind I'm fine with throw anchors I used them in my pawpaws old John boat before he died when i was 9 and I'd still use them now As far as the cardio goes At the moment without a vehicle or boat I'm walking 6 miles to the closest creek to me then another 3 or 4 while I'm there then another 6 to get back Flipping a boat I've done that a time or 2 I don't like boats that rock a lot and I'd be kinda scared the first time or 2 i hook a 50+ pound blue or mud cat but when i get used to it I'll be fine

What part of the country are you fishing here.... reminds me of the tidal Potomac but it could be any river up/down the Eastern Seaboard or Gulf Coast as well? I only asked b/c it looked familiar to some places I fished near Quantico, Va. I was fishing in Bass Buster's back in the 90's but we didn't have all the cameras to show the alligators/snakes crawling in the boat/// we did have a few. peace & Be Safe

3 pound anchor with 30 feet of rope, thats all I need

You just put AI navigation on your kayak with your triple screen neuralink ff combo ...coming soon send your kayak drone out to fish why you monitor from your living room large screen.. winning! lol

Everyone should experience the Boundary Waters

I got a kayak with pedal drive, but fins and not the propeller. That was a mistake, I can't pedal to go backwards and it's annoying sometimes. Oh well. I haven't learned to stand on it yet but I plan on trying when it warms up.

Kayak speeds are excellent trolling speeds, and quiet. Just have a solid rod holder in front of you. As you move, you will harvest "bigly".

For me is dragging kayak from car to river. I got a trolley but it sucks lol😅

I want to know how you all manage your catch without a live well. I fish bodies of water with some serious snapping turtles and they like to steal my catch.

sweating like a pregnant nun!!! thanks that is one of my new favorites!!!

So I moved to GA and wanted to have a hobby and got into kayak fishing since at the time couldn't afford a boat. 1. Selling point for kayak fishing you can go where boats can't - at least in GA and Florida there is no such place. Every lake I fished at with no motors allowed was covered by boat fisherman using multiple trolling motors. 2. Boaters and Jet skiers do not care that you are in a kayak, I had a drunk woman doing laps around my kayak because she thought it was funny until she launched off the nose of my kayak and landed on the beach and hurt herself. Several lakes in FL I had a pole ridged with just a 3 ounce weight to cast at boaters who would come to my honey hole and literally push me into the lily pads, while casting over me with live shiners, so I'd cast back at them trying to hit them, their window -driver screen or electronics while trying to get out. 3. Gators were an issue in FL and AL, the ones that gave me problems were bigger than my kayak and would sit under my boat scaring away the fish I would see it on my electronics, when surfacing would almost tip me over. Didn't happen often just twice but one of the times the gator followed me around till I quite which was over 2 hours while trying to get away from it. Tips: wind- I made water anchors, one was the bag that my 5lb anchor comes in tied to the anchor line to help slow me down in strong wind so rather than being moved at 8mph I'd be going 1.5-3mph. and if I want to fish facing the shore or slightly angled toward shore would toss out a second water anchor to slow me down and create the angle I wanted. And if the bag keeps sinking add what ever plastic bottles you've picked up while paddling around that day, I usually brought two frozen gatorades to drink and would just put one or two in the bag to help keep it up rather than sinking down and getting hung up on a tree top. To avoid cramping up and stiffness, pull into a nice area every 2-3 hours and go for a swim or put your life vest on like a diaper and float in the water-Summer days. Winter and fall pull into the lake restaurant and get a coffee or sandwich while walking and stretching. Also have a hammock in the boat to take naps during the middle of the day when there's no bit and its the hottest part of the day. Just find someplace in the shade with trees and take a nice lil nap rather than getting frustrated and fried in the sun. Add traction pads for sups or surfboards what ever is cheapest and your colors to the floor of your kayak and the rails, one it really helps with the noise of your boat and makes being on your knees comfortable to fish top water lures if your kayak is too small to safely stand in or there is just too much boat traffic.

THATS MY GRANDSON!!!!!

"i can be sweating like a pregnant nun sitting next to pope" :D :D :D :D

8:08 isnt a kayak more of a downgrade from a bass boat

Bro don’t whip your fish! Respect the fish ,even dinks, grow to be Tanks. Release the fish slowly and make sure they can swim. I have caught fish and released them quickly and they have trouble.

Sweating like a pregnant nun sitting next to the Pope.. definitely using this line