[goldenglory18]

First off, welcome to the forum. There is a dizzying amount of info on here, and a lot of really great people that will be willing to help you on your way. Learn to use the search function and you are set.

Here is something I wrote up earlier in the year that I think might be useful to you....

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

First off, you don't NEED a Hobie. Hobies are the Cadillac of kayaks. They are amazing boats and are (if not) damn near the best money can buy. BUT, saying you need a Hobie as your first kayak is like saying you need a BMW to get you to high school. It'd be nice, but it isn't necessary..

As for starting out, demo as many boats as you can and find what feels most comfortable and natural to YOU and the waters YOU will fish. Also, make sure you buy a boat that you can handle comfortably out of the water. A lot of the newer boats are pretty heavy dry. Know how you are going to transport it, and make sure you are comfortable loading it by yourself after a long (tiring) day on the water. The guys at OEX are fantastic and have access to any and all of the worlds best fishing yaks so ask questions, touch the boats, and see the materials they are made of. Sit in the seats and feel how the cockpit fits your body. Kayaks are very personal boats and your confidence in them is everything.

One huge hint that I benefited from was to not go hog wild and buy everything you think you need right away. You don't need a fish finder yet, hell you don't even need rod holders and a crate yet. As a Newbie, the only things you should leave the store with on day one is the boat (and a seat if needed) a paddle (a decent one is $100 or less), a good PFD ($100 - 150) and your transportation system if needed (roof rack, T-bar hitch adapter, etc.) If you have a hard time budgeting for all of those things, then its not time to buy a boat yet.

Once you buy your boat, take it for a Maiden Voyage WITHOUT your fishing gear. Go learn it in a protected and safe area to swim, preferably with a friend. For a true newbie, I highly suggest you learn proper re-entry techniques for a flip and a slide-out fall. If you are in an area with a lifeguard, let them know ahead of time that you are going to practice and you will signal/call/whistle for help if needed.

After you get the boat wet for the first time, and you have your initial bases covered, spend some time fishing in a quiet spot with one rod setup and learn how you and your boat work together. How you safely rotate to get to the rear tank well, how to get to your FWD hatch, how you like your foot pegs adjusted. Then and only then should you start looking into modding your boat with rod holders, leashes, anchors, rudder systems, nets, tackle management (ie crates,) kill bags (I could go on forever here. LOL)

Above all, ENJOY IT! It's a wonderful hobby that makes getting on the water easier for everyone. Welcome to the party!

To help you, specifically, let me try to answer your questions directly...

Originally Posted by oredith

I'd like to ask the forum for advise on 2 fronts:
1. the equipment
2. how to get started actually fishing

Equipment

• I'm not "independently wealthy", so definitely going to be aiming for something on the used market. Hoping to get something in the "best bang for the buck" category (anything 4 digit is going to be a definite NO from the wife though).
• NOT a tandem. wife was firm about this. she does not want a tandem with me screwing her up.. She isn't as big on fishing though, so I can probably get away with getting her something that just has space for a nice cooler for beer, water, and snacks.
• what length is ideal? I'm hoping to put it on top of the car and drive it to places. some of these kayaks seem extremely long, and would need a trailer?

• Lots of great boats out there for prices under $1k. The hard part will be getting both a boat for you, and your wife for under $1k. A few great, reliable boat brands that start at affordable prices are Ocean, Old Town, and Malibu. The next steps up in quality and price are Jackson, Native, and (my personal favorite) Wilderness Systems. All of these brands start at or just over $1k a boat, but can be found for hundreds less on the used market.
• I highly suggest you don't get a tandem. Chances are (I'm speaking for a lot of us here) she will love to paddle with you, but just wont be as into it as much as you will. My wife is actually more interested in paddle boarding, so I got a yak, and she got a board. Nothing wrong with that, but the tandem boats are just not worth the extra heft (weight) and the oddity of the layout (tandems are laid out significantly different than a quality single person sit-on-top kayak. You'll learn more about that as you progress.)
• Size of the boat (length and width) is dependent on You and where You will fish. I'm in the bays/marinas 90% of the time, so I prefer a boat that is wider and a bit shorter than most. If I fished in the open ocean and launched in the surf 90% of the time, I would want a longer, more narrow boat. Also, see my initial write up on handling of the boat dry (second paragraph) because I've actually bought and quickly sold boats that we just too hard to handle by myself.

Originally Posted by oredith

How to get started
the description on the site indicated that the site has a focus on socal? where are some good places for a beginner to kayak fish?

• would I need to fight current while fishing? do you guys anchor kayaks?
• what happens if you catch a "bigger" fish and it fights? I have this image in my head of hooking a fish and having it roll me over in the boat from the tugging. I remember catching a wolf eel in santa cruz that fought like the devil.
• how do you launch the boat? does everyone wear waders and walk the kayak into the water?
• how hard is it to paddle to places? realistically, how far out can a person in average physical condition go in a kayak? I guess this would also be dependent upon the kayak.

• Yes, you can anchor a yak, but its a learned skill that can actually be quite dangerous if you aren't fully prepared. The best thing you can learn is to fish WITH the current, not against it.
• It's the best thrill of being on a kayak. Some guys that get hooked on BIG fish actually get towed a bit out to sea. I'm sure a lot of the guys on here would be willing to share those stories with you. For me, the biggest fish I've hooked on a yak is sub 20lbs, so it was a great fight with a safe and happy ending.
• I launch my boat either off a beach (you WILL get wet) if going through surf or off a boat ramp (my feet get wet) if I'm in a marina. For most instances in comfortable weather, water friendly pants and/or board shorts are just fine. flip flops or water friendly shoes are a must.
• It's about as hard as it is to run to places. The more you do it, the easier it will become. First off, its all about the current and weather. No matter how strong of a paddler you are, its going to suck going against the current in foul weather or rough seas. Be smart about your approach and your plan, and its alllllll good. I'm an average height and weight dude, but have been paddling a long time. My comfort level maxes out around 6 miles a day, going against light current for about half a mile of that. After that day's paddle, I was still able to lift my 80ish lbs boat up onto my jeeps roof and drive comfortably home. Remember: When it comes to the effort and labor of kayak fishing, only part of it is on the water, but all of it is worth it.

Originally Posted by oredith

I have a ton more questions rolling around in my head, but figured these are a good start. I'd welcome any and all advice, any links to articles I should read, etc.

No worries at all dude. Fire away.

Again, welcome to the party!