Offshore kayak recommendations
 

Hey Guys,

Im relativey new to kayak fishing, I have been going out on the bay and in the marinas on a 12 foot malibu kayaks pro-explorer and having a blast. Im ready to purchase my own yak (I have been borrowing from a relative), and ultimately I would like to do some offshore fishing. I am not looking to break the bank so any thing with pedals is pretty much out of the equation right now.

Im about 5' 10" 215# and I would like a sit on top kayak.

A few that I have been looking at are the malibu stealth 12, the ocean kayak prowler 13 and T13, and the ocean kayak trident 13 and 15. I have been looking into some of the older hobie outbacks as well, but I really don't mind a paddle kayak and I would like light weight, as I will be transporting the yak on roof top mounts of my car, so loading will be tough with something over 80#.

Thanks in advance and tight lines.

I have the Malibu stealth 12 and feel very comfortable on it.
Mostly beach launches in surf no bigger than 3 foot.
I only go about 1/2 mile to 1 mile off the beach as I am usually alone.
Kayak is pretty easy to carry over head and load on top of my car.

You should really test out all the kayaks you are looking at before buying.
I made that mistake of buy before trying.

Good luck

Thanks for the quick response and the advice. I will keep a look out for a demo day event or somewhere where I can try before I buy.

Their is a guy selling a completely rigged kraken 13.5 for 900 bucks on this site. Great offshore rig.


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How far "off shore" are you thinking about paddling? Are you beach launching or going out of harbors?

Exactly what I was thinking.

There is a WS Radar that's floating around too. Both would be EXCELLENT starting rigs for SoCal kayak fishing.

Got an older stealth 14 for sale already plumb with bait tank $700 lmk

Where are you located? OEX Sunset Beach should be having a demo day very soon. I found the Trident 13 to be a fantastic paddler's kayak. The 15 would be an even better paddling kayak, but you'll loose some maneuverability.

Yep, this.

Plus, if you can wait a bit they have blem sales, and there is usually a jump in used boats after Fred Hall, from people buying new boats and looking to sell their old ones

I’ve gone 8-10 miles one way locally in my outback, further In BAJA. Done about the same with my pro angler 14 when I had that. Legs get a little tired maybe, but nothing like your arms would at that distance .

Demo day is this Sat. Just saw it on FB.

In my previous ventured we have launched into mission bay and a harbor in san diego, but as i grow more familiar I intend to launch where ever i can get easy access to the water and paddle out a couple of miles.
I was eye balling that Kraken. Ive pretty much narrowed it down to a trident 13, a kraken 13.5 or a thresher 140. the trident being the leader for me right now based on some research that I have done.
Right on, I will keep you in mind. Thanks.
Im not too far away, i may go and check that out (weather permitting)
Thats a good idea, i was kind of thinking this might be the case.

wow thats quite a ride. I think the mirage drive is great, but the cost of entry is pretty high and I dont mind paddling, and i imagine on a long narrow boat like the three mentioned above, with a decent paddle, i would be fine.
thanks Ed

I think it all depends on how far you want to go. To date, the most I've done in one day, was 28 miles on my Revo 16. There are guys here paddling some distances, but it would take some conditioning and training to get out there and if the weather turns on you.... godspeed.

Back to boat options, I like a longer boat in the ocean for increased speed, glide and tracking. I sacrifice some storage, weight capacity, standing ability, etc, but I like to cover ground and with the Revo 16, I can pedal, paddle (pretty well) and sail. You can learn balance, but you can't make a big boat fast.

For paddling options, some kayaks to consider are:

Trident 13/15
Tarpon 140/160
Viking Profish Reload
Kraken 13.5/15
Thresher 140/155

Rudder options should be consider, especially on the longer boats.

I have had a kraken 13.5 great boat will not be disappointed.

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noted thanks. I see a bunch of trident 15s on Craigslist for what seems to be reasonable prices, but I'm worried they will be too long if I want to go inland with them to some of the local lakes. I'm kind of looking for a jack of all trades kayak, even if that means master of none.

right on, thanks for the input. How long did you have it and why did you sell it (assuming you no longer have it based on "had")

Had it for about an year. Move to a outback and now on a pro angler. No complaints with it other than it's a paddle boat. I'm here to fish not paddle. First boat was a trident moved to the kraken.

Here is my kraken the guy that got it from me selling it.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url...9&share_type=t

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My Stealth 14 is a BOAT.. I'm 6'1 220 lbs and I love it but it's a tank..12 is obviously smaller but design is still the same, def. cadillac compared to a mini cooper.. I love my x-13 from Malibu honestly.. I can smash right through the sets with quickness usually avoiding a yard sale, but the stability is sacrificed with the weight and size loss.. One drink too many, and or one butt cheek moved in the wrong direction and there you and all your stuff goes into the drink..It's def. not Walmart kayak stability status,, much more reliable, but the larger you get the more that is all compromised so a prowler or trident may be more suitable if you need training wheels so to say..

In regards to distance.. My boys have taken me 3 miles + off shore Malibu through 4-6 foot surf in that X-13, and I was able to paddle a steady upwards of 5 knots per hour in that baby, coming home with a stringer full of reds in the Gator Hatch so don't knock Malibu at all they make decent platforms for fishing..

Hope this helps, good luck with the search.. GO through OEX for a New Kayak and all modifications/additions.. Andy is good people, and will give the best prices and the most superb service...
:cheers1:

I have really enjoyed my Trident 13. Great for a day out at La Jolla. Good stability, storage and comfort. Paddles well. Definitely will get the job done.

trident 15
 

is a great platform. I put it on a bathroom scale and came up with 83 lbs, rudder installed, dry buckets removed. I choose it over 13 because of the weight capacity. slightly higher up in water than the 13, so it has more surface area to act like a drag in windy conditions. fast and stable. tough to be trident ocean kayaks performance. rudder is not even necessary and I rarely even use it anymore.

All those boats you mentioned should be just fine.

I have a Kraken and I absolutely love this kayak. It is very versatile for me and serves as a “Jack of all trades” boat. The Kraken has the ability to be rigged for any water as I use it for river fishing, small ponds, SD Bay and ocean. It’s a pretty well thought out rig with the amount of track options/rod holders it comes with. There’s really no need to drill into this boat. She is also relatively nimble for 13.5 feet.

I have two other boats including a Hobie. However, I prefer this ride through bigger surf (not as pictured!). There’s less to deal with (rudder/Mirage Drive) through the surf and kelp. I can get everything under the deck, like my center catch bag, and the center hatch is open to the front. It paddles great rudderless and I can go over the kelp with ease and no snags.

This Kraken has also been down the Lower Colorado River on 5 day camping trips and it had room to spare.

Lastly, as a bonus, it also has just enough stability for me to stand-up fish in, considering the water isn’t rolling cross swells.

I’m not a Jackson salesman nor am I a pro like a lot of local LJ kayak anglers, but I do love this boat and have nothing bad to say about it (minus not having a molded cup holder for my cerveza).

Good luck and look forward to hearing what you end up with!

See you on da’ water…

I'm the same size as you and I absolutely love my Trident. Had a Thresher 140 before, but the Trident paddles better and is more stable IMO.