Kayak Fishing & GPS for Fishing

Oh, to help out any would be advisers here, I plan to fish mostly lakes with it, with the occasional slow-moving creek or river (wide areas of the Loyalhanna, the Conemaugh, etc.  No whitewater or rapids at all).  I'd like to be able to fish spin, cast, and fly from it, and have enough storage for all my fishing gear I'll need for the trip plus lunch, and maybe a change of clothes.  If we decide to make an overnighter of it, I have a tent and sleeping bag for backpacking that would take up more space, but only add about 5-10 lbs.  That'd be a rarity, but it'd be nice to have the capability to do it if the situation arose.

ORIGINAL: KJH807

i have a Delorme eathmate pn-20 and have used it for fishing all over

it is pretty much a full US topo gazatter... pretty sick
comes with a great mapping program for setting trips

 
Can it find Godfrey Run?
 
 

hi cold
 
i fish from kayaks more often that my boats nowadays.  i have 3 differant yaks.  a 10.5 ft dagger blackwater, 13.5ft dagger blackwater tandem and a 16ft old town loon tandem.  all are sit-in style.  i have the tandem because i take my handicapped son often.  the 11ft dagger is a great all around boat, it has a drop skeg to aide with tracking, which is very important in lake fishing.  also important in lake fishing is efficiency of paddleing,  the lenght to width ratio makes a big difference in how well a boat paddles. ashort wide boat takes more effort and is slower than a longer boat of the same width.  however the shorter boat is more manuverable.  also the shape of the hull will help in tracking, boats with smooth rounded bottoms are great for manueverability but suck for tracking and in lake and slow water you want a good tracking boat as well as a good rowing boat.  that is why i like the tandems, even when fishing solo, for lake fishing.  for what you described i would recommend you look at the old town 14ft loon single, the 12 ft dagger blackwater is a good choice , wilderness system 14ft pungo is a great boat.  some people really like the wilderness system pamlico but i had one and sold it. 
 
some people will tell you to get a sit-on-top  thay are good but you will get wet with a SOT style.  if you have question send me a PM.

For stability - the best I had was a Swifty made by Perception! Rolled my Pungo when I shot at a fox squirrel - This was in January with snow & cold, but I had neoprene waders tied at top & goretex coat -Consider stuff like this for your personal safety, particularly in cold weather!
 
Another suggestion, depending on your size is room for your gear, as space is limited.
 
Overall enjoyable way to fish & gets you into less accessible fishing spots! Good luck!
 
I use a Magellan out on the lake!

hey cold  if your inclined, you can come over and try my yaks out if you want.  i know it's a bit of a haul, but you more than welcome to paddle what i have.  i live in zelienople and have a lake 5 minutes away.

I use a Lowrance I-finder H20 handheld GPS which is waterproof. I added a float to it after loosing a handheld GPS last year to Wilhelm.
 
It will run you about $200 or less. It has medium detail road mapping. I've added a Hotmaps East chip to it which adds high detail mapping of just about every body of water in this area.
 
It's a great and easy to use GPS, I can mark a waypoint and go right back to it.

the swifty, in my opinion, is not a good lake yak.  yes it is very stable but it is very short and does not paddle very efficiently and is not very fast.  it is more suited to moving water in that respect.  you will work very hard to get from 1 part of the lake to the other.  plus there is not very much room for extras, as you stated, plus no room to store camping stuff.  tust me, you will like fishing from a yak and will out grow the swifty very quickly.  like i said i like to fish out of the 13.5 dagger, even when i'm by my self.  i have room for extra tackle, extra rods, a cooler and camping gear.  it's a great paddler too. the longer boat actually is faster than 11.5 dagger.
 
also about the fly fishing no problem, i flyfish out of my boats about 1/2 the time and i've caught 40" muskies in them.  keep your eyes open and you can fish great deals on used boats during the off season and especially in the spring.  also by a good paddle, you will apprieciate that at the end of a long day of paddling.  also trying 1 boat is like casting 1 flyrod, you really do not know what suits your needs until you try different ones.

I have a hobie revolution, i have it rigged up with a fishfinder rod holders rudder, its awesome.  i use it on lakes sand on yough river floats.  i love it but they are expensive, the foot pedals are awesome. they let me fish the whole time and i can use my feet to keep me moving.

I've got a rigged up yak, that just sits around now.  Took it out one time this past year.  It served me well for a few years, but doesn't compare to a fishing boat, especially on lakes and larger rivers...  If it is going to be 90% for fishing, as mine was, you may want to consider the cost of a fishing boat.  My yak was pretty cheap, but ended up still costing about $800 after all of the goodies (boat was $300 + fishfinder, paddle, car rack, rod holders, jacket, wetsuit (used once) ect.).  You can get a much more comfortable fishing boat for that amount (craigslist.com and others).  There are a ton of older guys in this area, looking to upsize, move to Florida, ect. that have wives, that they will sell their old set ups for next to nothing, just to shut their wives up!!!  Fishing from a sit in kayak, as mine is, consists of a lot of fumbling around.  Many times, marking a great spot, but needing to constantly paddle against wind and current.  Getting one with foot paddles is a great idea, but the cost of one of these can buy you a boat worthy of taking onto Lake Erie.  I don't want to down talk kayaks, as I loved taking mine out prior to buying a fishing boat.  But once I bought the fishing boat, the kayak collects dust.  Also, make sure you go and buy the boat with your buddy at the same time...  I had a few buddies say they were going to buy one too, and ended up being the only one actually getting one.  Until a few years later, another friend bought one.  Another advantage for a fishing boat, you can take those without boats or just yourself out.
 
That all said, from what you are saying about not using on fast rivers, I'd go with a sit on top.  Sit ins, are nice for places like the Yough, where you will be a bit protected from the elements.  There are times when you are on some good chop on a cold lake too.  But, sitting in a kayak for 5-6 hours, not being able to move around too much, gets pretty uncomfortable.  Kayaks are great for just tossing on the car and going, and can launch just about anywhere.  Down side of a larger boat, is needing a good 1/2 hour for launch and 1/2 hour for getting it off of the water.  Kayaks do take a good 15 minutes to load up, but that's an additional 30 minutes of fishing.  Although, you'll easily make that time up if you have a motor...  Kayaks can be toted around with just about any vehicle though.
 
As for GPS / depth finders.  I just got a GPS.  As was said earlier, having a dual unit is best.  Although, not sure if you are looking to spend $500+...  I have two inexpensive depth finders, that do their job.  One for the yak and the other for the other boat.  You'll find a ton of info online on how to mount, but I personally went with the petroleum jelly with duct tape approach.  I used mine on shallow rivers which would pop off the epoxy that I attempted to mount it with, even when taking on and off the car, the hull will flex.  I'm hoping the new GPS will help get me to spots quicker, than the paper maps do.  Even with a foot controlled electric motor and depth finder, I'll spend a good 1/2 hour trying to find structure marked on paper maps.  With wind and current to deal with, it is a pain in the butt, and even more so the smaller the craft.  Purchasing some of those cheap fishing bouys is a great way to mark a spot, THEN fish it...  Instead of marking that spot, fumbling around, then finding that you are 50 yards away from it!  A good anchor is a must for a kayak, but make sure it is rigged on a break away clip, or something that you can unattach easily, when you are in any type of current.
 
Good luck.  If you get a yak, I'm sure you'll love it, as I did mine.  Although, if I would have it over again, I'd probably go a different route. 

Here are a couple of pictures of my Hobie Quest kayak (tan one)and my buddy's yak.

ORIGINAL: jmiller

Check out  Mokai.com
I have had one now for three years and I can tell you that I have never caught more fish in my life.

 
Those things look like a blast.  Especially for the Yough or rivers similar. 

I FISH OUT OF A OCEAN KAYAK PROWLER ANGLER. ITS VERY STABLE WITH A LOT OF ROOM FOR STORAGE. I HAVE TWO OF THEM BOTH RIGGED FOR FISHING. KEEP IT SIMPLE WHEN RIGGING YOUR BOAT. ANCHOR, EXTRA ROD HOLDERS, A MILK CRATE WITH ROD TUBES MOUNTED TO IT FOR EXTRA ROD STORAGE. DONT FORGET TO GET A PADDLE LEASH, THIS IS VERY USEFUL WHEN FISHING. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY OCEAN KAYAKS. I CAN STAND UP IN THEM ON FLAT WATER AND THEY TAKE BIG WATER VERY WELL. I FISH LAKE ERIE IN MINE OFTEN AND IT HAS STOOD UP TO 4-5 FT WAVES WELL, YOUR GOING TO GET WET IN BIG WATER SO YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER A DRY SUITE FOR EARLY SPRING FISHING. I HOPE YOU ENJOY WHATEVER KAYAK YOU DECIDE ON.

I am also buying a new yak this spring, wondering if any guys have had issues with hauling their yaks in the beds of a truck?, I was looking into a 12- 14 foot Heritage Redfish  I have a Ranger with a 6 foot bed, maybe this spring could meet up and fish the Yough

Cold, drop a line and let us know what you ended up getting as I am preparing to purchase my kayak sometime next week, plus looking to buddy up with others to fish the Yough with their Yaks this spring/summer

I have 2 yaks for fishing --a Hobie Mirage Sport -- Hank Parker Edition 9'7" about 45lbs and an 8ft cheap yak I bought a****s (can't remember name).  Both are Sit on Tops and after reading a lot on yak fishing, I'd recommend a SOT yak for fishing.  The Hobie is great in lakes, creeks, and rivers (except white water).  In lakes I use the peddle system to get around quite well and even troll.  My hands are free to cast or hold the rod while trolling.  I added a $50 fishing buddy fish finder that I can simply clamp on when fishing lakes.  It works fine.  I put a milk crate on the back and put my tackle box in it.  The Hobie also has in-hull storage room for extra clothes etc.  Someone mentioned they have the Hobie Revolution and that is even nicer but is heavier and a few feet longer.  I'd recommend the Revol. if you are taller than 6'0" and more than 200lbs.  I'm right at 6'0" 200lbs and sometimes I feel a bit cramped in the legs when peddling.  I was surprise how little the wind effected me on the Hobie on lakes.  I also use the Hobie and other yak on a creek near where I live.  The HObie is much bigger and heaver, but it actually drafts better than the other yak.  I am very impressed with how well the Hobie does on the creek.  The key to yak fishing vs. boat fishing is how much time you have to get out on the water.  I can grab my yak throw it in the van and get to the lake with little prep time.  I have a 14ft boat and love it, but it requires more prep time to get to the lake and take out (hitching it up, batteries, etc.).  They both have their place in my fishing options.  The yak is also nice to use in no motor zones or on small lakes or ponds. 

good luck