Best PADDLING fishing kayaks UPDATE

Look at Jackson, get a 12' for stability

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If you have used or own a kayak you love to fish out of and there is nothing but paddling let's hear it.

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I have a Diablo Paddlesports Amigo that I paddle. Very stable due to the width and is amazing to fish off of. Trade off is that it’s heavy, but I don’t mind.

Also have an Ascend 10T that is easy to fish from, paddles faster than my Diablo, but it not as stable (but it is stable).

Stay away from the low end academy type (Lifetime Angler and such). They float but are not fun to fish from.

Biggest recommendation would be to find a kayak with a good elevated and comfortable seat. Don’t consider any kayak that has a seat that touches the kayak. A wet butt is miserable.

I fish slow and don’t cover much ground, so paddling is fine…but if you are a “throw and go” like you said…a peddle would probably suit you better.

It’s tough trying to land a big fish and work a paddle at the same time. I’ve wished many times mine was a pedal drive.

I have both a Wilderness Ride 13.5 ft and a Hobie Outback 12 ft. The Wilderness is a paddle and it's a fine kayak. But I will never use it unless im with my girlfriend. The Hobie pedal is supreme in every way.

Trying to paddle around wind and tide while youre managing your rod gets old. Its so much easier to pedal and steer than paddle while you fish

Out of curiosity, why are you excluding pedal yaks? I had the wilderness ride 135 and like the previous guy said, trying to get in position and fish with even a 2mph wind got old really quick. My back is so bad now I can’t really sit in a kayak to save my life for more than an hour so kayaks are out for me unfortunately.

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Out of curiosity, why are you excluding pedal yaks?

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Mostly price. Hard to pay $2500-$3500 for a plastic boat. Also just loading and unloading. I've become a little more minimalist and I just like going from the truck to fishing quickly.

Also, I'll go out of Shell Beach and right now I'll float back and forth over the rock beds next to the marsh. I thought the the other day to myself that if I had something sticking down I would have to pull it up everytime I wanted to cross. But this isn't a deal breaker or anything.

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Look at Jackson, get a 12' for stability

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I had several of all lengths and brands over the years, but my Jackson Cuda 12 was my favorite, by far. Fishing machine. I may be about the only one that preferred the simplify of a paddle vs pedal yak though.

12' length for sure, regardless of brand.

I have a Bonafide SS127. It’s comfortable, storage options are great, can stand in it, the pod system self contains my depth finder. The drawer under the seat is a life saver.

Still in the slayer propel. Ditched the pedals and dropped in a 36v trolling motor. Only use padel on rivers with light current

You probably want a Nucanoe Pursuit for all those things mentioned.

Btw, I have a 2020 Hobie Outback with a Depth Finder and Kick Up fins that I'll be listing soon. I'm in the Lafayette area.

Meet up with someone with a peddle and fish together. I can’t imagine someone won’t let you borrow theirs for an hour or two.

I’m not going to lie the prices are absurd. Look for a used one, some great deals can be had

ETA: i dont understand the fascination with the huge peddle yaks but I understand they have some place. But a used outback can be had for about $1000 or less sometimes. You don’t have to peddle it and they make an insert to cover the hole. It’s a solid yak either way.