[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by Streak

Hi all,
I have lived inland all my life and recently moved to the coast.
I have been loving the fly fishing here both off the beach and in the SD bay.

My float tube has seen better days and its time to get something new. I figured why not look at all of the options including a kayak which is what brought me here.

First of all....welcome to BWE

Originally Posted by Streak

For me, the pros of the tube are comfort, hands free to fish while the legs do the work, portability, easy storage etc.
The main con is not being able to travel great distances due to the drag of the tube and often battling against wind and current. Despite this I have been very fortunate in the places I have fished and have caught hundreds of fish in the 7 months I have been fishing here.

There are many things to consider on your first yak purchase
money
money
money
& you guessed it, money

All kidding aside. Unless you live in an apartment and have no place to securely store your kayak there are several storage solutions out there for you. If you want to stick to the 'hands free' style of fishing my suggestion would be a Hobie. I'm not promoting it because I own one but because I've owned both paddle and peddle types. Ask most most people that have owned both style of kayaks and 9 out of 10 of them will say they regret not buying a Hobie sooner.

Originally Posted by Streak

I have always dreamed about one day owning a fishing kayak and heading out to sea. However I really do get sea sick. I borrowed a friends kayak, launched from Fletcher's cove and did a couple of miles towards LJ. I really started feeling ill and had to beach in a hurry!!

I've only had the urge to toss my cookies once and I held it in, I didn't peddle back to the beach, I held my ground. That's the day I landed two WSB in under an hour. If you have to toss your cookies just do it. It will make you feel a lot better and you'll be providing free chum. Perhaps, you can try some sea sick pills like dramamine or the medicated patch until you get the hang of it. I've heard of some herbal, legal herbal, solutions but have never tried them.

Originally Posted by Streak

So, if I were to get a kayak its only use would be to fish in the bay.
My sessions in the tube last 3 to 4 hours (held to ransom by my bladder!).
I am also concerned about lower back pain with ones legs stretched forward for so long. I am 6'1" 210lbs and at 52 my body is not as supple as it once was!

I'm a sexy 5'10' and 230lbs and 41yrs old. On average I'm on the water once a week and usually spend about 8hrs on the water. Yes, it does get uncomfortable after about the 6th hour but once you catch that big fish you forget all about it.

Originally Posted by Streak

Given the above would I still be a candidate for a kayak (inflatable or rigid) and if so what kind?

You will be carrying to many sharp objects on your kayak so I would recommend you stay away from the inflatables.