Spring is just around the corner and soon the fish will be returning to the salt and getting active in the freshwater environments around the Garden State. It's also a good time to buy a used kayak for fishing because many kayak fishermen are looking to get the latest and greatest models. For the first timer who's unsure of what to expect from the sport and which kayak to get I often recommend that they look to a used kayak for their first. It's a great way to save money while seeing what all the hoopla is about. Plastic kayaks aren't like mechanical objects where they wear out. The only real difference between a new and used kayak is the latter costs less. They work the same as the new ones. As many kayak fishermen choose to upgrade some will be selling their old kayak and you can benefit. Very often the used kayak will be rigged for fishing. In that case all you need to do is buy it and you're ready to go. At most you'll need some accessories but the savings can be significant. Some older models can be found for well below 50 cents on the dollar.
So you want to buy a used kayak to fish from but you don't have any idea which one. As with buying a new kayak you need to determine where you're going to use it and figure out which models are appropriate. The most important advice I can give is don't be an experiment. In other words don't buy a kayak and figure because it's a kayak you can fish from it. All kayaks do not make appropriate kayaks for fishing, especially if you plan on using it in the salt. There are models that have a kayak fishing pedigree. These models have been used by lots of fishermen in our region for fishing. The reason they've been used is because they fish well. The best place to learn which models fish well is via the Internet. There are lots of kayak fishing websites that have articles and many have interactive forums where you can both read previous posts and ask questions. There's a wealth of information available to help you with a decision. So if you don't see anyone using a particular model then it probably isn't a very good choice and you shouldn't buy it.
I'm not familiar with every model that fishes well however I have been exposed to many models as I've been at this awhile. I have personally fished from 2-dozen different kayaks. That's not just going out and paddling them for a few minutes, but fishing. I'd like to run down a list of kayaks worth picking up. I'll do so company by company in alphabetical order. Please keep in mind that this isn't a complete list as it contains only kayaks with which I have familiarity. From Cobra there's the Explorer, Fish in Dive, Navigator and Tourer; Emotion has the Charger, Exhilarator and Fisherman; Hobie Cat the Outback and Sport; Heritage the Redfish; Malibu Kayaks the Pro Explorer, Extreme and X Factor; Ocean Kayaks the Drifter, Caper, Prowler 13, Prowler 15, Malibu 2s, Scuppers and Scramblers; Perception the Swing and Freedom; Wilderness Systems has the Tarpon series and the Ride.
Some of the older models can be found where the seller is almost giving them away. The Ocean Kayak Scramblers are one such model. They've been around a long time and lack better hatches and surfaces for mounting accessories but they fish well. Some models go through product revisions where there's been a major improvement. The Tarpon 160 is such a model. It fishes well but Wilderness Systems has a tank well version coming out this spring that'll incorporate many popular features of its smaller and more recently designed siblings. There's a lot of excitement being garnered from it and because of this the older 160s will be available at very good prices. Cobra just redesigned the Fish in Dive so there may be some available. Explorers and Navigators, also from Cobra, can be found at excellent prices. Perception hasn't made the Swing for a few years but they're still around and are a very versatile kayak. SOTs are gaining in popularity and because of this many SIK owners are upgrading. There are a lot of SIK models that are very inexpensive and for freshwater and protected saltwater use they can get you going very inexpensively. Models like the Old Town Loons and the Wilderness Systems Pungos are two such models.
So you've decided to buy a used fishing kayak. So where should you look. One great place is the forums of the various websites. The kayak fishing websites have the most kayaks listed but they also have the most people looking. If you see a kayak that looks good I recommend that you jump on it as there are a lot of buyers and it can go very quickly. I've seen kayaks listed that offered a particularly good value sell in minutes! Keep in mind that manufacturers, for the most part, don't make kayaks specifically for fishing. They're designed to be recreational kayaks and many are sold to folks who don't fish. So look other places like non-fishing websites. Every now and then I'll hear a story from someone who found a real gem of a deal by looking harder then the average person.
The last steps after finding a kayak is go and check it out and if it's ok then buy it. So what should you look for? Holes and cracks are the things you need to be concerned with. The weakest part of a SOT (Sit on Top) kayak is the scupper holes. They're the holes that make the kayak self-bailing. Check to make sure they aren't cracked or have any holes. Most likely it won't because if there were they usually appear immediately and if the kayak's been used a while the owner wouldn't have put up with it. All kayak manufacturers offer a minimum of a one-year warranty and if there is a defect it appears immediately in most instances. The manufacturers are very good at replacing a defective kayak without any hassle. If you do find a kayak with either a crack or a hole, a dealer with experience in such repairs can fix it. It's hard to do yourself as it usually takes some specialized equipment and experience and isn't worth ruining a kayak to save a few dollars. In my shop we offer free repairs for holes and cracks provided it isn't major work.
In December I got a call from a buddy who just sold a couple of his older kayaks and happened to stop by a kayak shop to look around. He found a Hobie Outback that had a crack in it. The shop was offering him the kayak at an excellent price. He wanted to know if I could repair it. After he described the nature of the crack I told him that I could repair it so he bought it. He paid less then half the MSRP saving over $700! A little work by me with a welding gun and he's got a great kayak.
So if you want to save some money look into a used kayak. You too can save money by purchasing a used kayak. It's a great way to enter the sport of kayak fishing.
There's lots new on the kayak fishing scene. There's a bunch of new models and improvements to old models.