With so many styles of kayaks available there are a couple of things to consider. And no it’s not only stability. Kayaking is like riding a bike, once you get going feeling more stable happens quicker than you might think.
After That the most important factor is your safety. To go out on open water your kayak must be longer than 3m (by Law). We however we recommend even longer. VERY important is that the Kayak MUST have a rudder. The rudder is extremely important! So having said that, we have likeley eliminated the majority of entry level plastic kayaks ( those not designed nor permitted to go out to open ocean)
So what Kayak? Although there are a couple of Brands available most kayak fishermen end up on a Stealth. Stealth have been designing performance fishing kayaks for a number of years. Stealth knows there is not only one design to suit all types of fishing or paddlers. Hence why they have a huge range compared to any other brand. They having been pioneers of the sport from the get go. Having had the research and development capabilities to push technology enhancements across its entire range. Hey! it does not have to be a brand new kayak. We just saying start off on the right model. Yes we are slightly biased when it comes to Stealth but for good reason. Just ask anyone
These are the most popular models we sell mostly in Cape Town:
Stealth Profisha 575 The ultimate weapon for our Cape Town waters, (5,57m), fast and furious. Gets you to those out of reach secret spots with the least effort.
Stealth Profisha 525 The fastest kayak that fill fit the length of a standard garage, literally built for that reason. (5,25m)
Stealth Fisha 555 Built to house our bigger anglers at maximum speed (5,55m) 100kg Angler weight upwards.
Stealth Fisha 500 Buit for the beginner who isn’t going to fish every gap in weather but want to feel comfortable and stable from the first time and every-time he does get an opportunity.
Stealth Fusion 480 Build to be indestructible for the abusers out there. A kayak any person with no experience can get on and enjoy some fishing. Great for shorter distance paddling and when you are going to be catching bottoms. Also a very good option for the Bass anglers out there, great versatile kayak.
So before you confuse yourself there is loads more to these kayaks and the bigger range that what I summarised above! Please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will help you assess your needs and recommend the best option for you.
Now let’s talk about some important factors you should be considering..
It’s Important to consider the conditions you will be fishing in:
Are you going to be doing surf launching or launch from within harbours or beaches with mostly flat water. Are you going to be fishing on anchor over reefs or chasing fish over longer distances. How far are you likely to paddle at your most often visited fishing spots . With all the kayak models available for different styles of fishing, your specific needs and fishing conditions determines whats going to be best suited to you.. If you have a look at our fishing location details on our site you will notice that majority of fishing spots require you to travel quite a distance sometimes. So you will need a kayak suitable for you to get that right. Remember the KZN guys get to the backline and fish considerably closer to shore, we don’t have that luxury. We go find them if they are not close to our launch spots.
So what does this mean… spots like Melkbos, Strand or fishing for Chokka in Simons don’t require you to paddle too far. Thus various kayak designs could work. However if you are going to target some yellow tail and will be trolling lures and chasing working birds you are going to want a kayak with a sharp nose to cut through any swell or wind chop. The longer kayaks excel in these conditions over models such as the BFS, SurfFisha or Supalight X.
The one thing you need to remember and I’m going to repeat this… kayaking is like riding a bike, once you get used to your ski stability isn’t a factor!!! You honestly get used to this MUCH quicker than you think. The reality is especially if you are going to troll and hunt those illusive yellow tail you’ll want the fastest ski available. Dragging two Halco/Rapala’s and fighting the drag of your kayak is a workout of note! We want you to get to that hot spot and get those monsters in the hatch. If you however intent on not travelling the distance and chasing tail but rather cob behind the surf break or fishing estuaries mostly, our recommendation sways to the more stable platforms. In these conditions you’ll be sitting still in possible surf smashing you from a blind spot and you’ll want a lekker wide ski to be as stable as possible. The 555, 500 and 460 or ever Fusion 480 would be great options here.
You also need to consider how often you are going to fish, all of us set our initially to go every weekend. But with weather and family this isn’t always possible so consider this when you buys a kayak. If you are new to the sport and only intend on fishing every second or third month then a more stable platform might be better suited. At least then you could focus on fishing every-time from the moment you hit the water instead of thinking about stability.
Again, we love having these conversations so please reach out to us with your desires and we’ll match you to the correct model.
Repeating this section as it’s important, carefully consider all those other brands and plastic kayaks:
- With the exception of 2 plastic kayaks (Stealth’s new Fusion 480 and the Trident). Please don’t make the mistake of considering any other plastic kayak. Especially if you plan on fishing in the Ocean for game fish like Yellow Tail and Katonkel (it has been done, but definitely not recommended). Most of these plastics are recreational mess around kayaks without rudders. Suited more for lakes, dams and rivers. Definitely not designed for fishing open water nor our most popular fishing spots. A fish hatch on a Kayak is VERY important to keep your catches in, which most plastics don’t have (The Stealth Fusion 480 has a big storage hatch like most of the Stealth Kayaks if you want a plastic ski) You can however consider some of these rudderless plastics if you are ONLY going to fish in and around kelp like Melkbos. The big pain is paddling some of these plastic kayaks over long distances, especially if you add trolling lures into the mix. Some have heavy drag and you will struggle especially in Wind, which is a big factor sometime during the course of your fishing session. We would strongly recommend you look at the right tool for the job here, a Fusion 480, Trident or any of the fibre glass kayaks Stealth offers.