decisions decisions
 

im getting a new kayak and right now its between the malibu stealth 12 or the tarpon 140. i love fishing the bays and lagoons, but was really interested in fishing offshore in la jolla. the kayak i have now is a piece and want a new one to go out in the ocean with, any advice and opinions about these boats would really help. thanks

Why are you not looking at Hobies or O.K.s they are also great kayaks. I would test paddle them all before you buy.

i got a cheap stealth 12 off CL. Its super stable and the bait tank is nice but shes kind of a duckdiver. If ur gonna fish in the rough u might wanna look for something with a higher bow

I have a tarpon 14 and I like it, but I'm thinking of selling it to get a hobie. I've used it maybe 15-20 times. Interested?

:iagree:

Welcome Leeman. Go down to OEX and test paddle / peddle. a few

sorry didnt mean to seam like i didnt like the hobies or o.k.'s its just that in my price range i thought these 2 would be more afordable for me. i think im going to try those out too its just that i dont know that much about choosing the right kayak, being new to it.

how does the stealth paddle?
i like that its 33inches but the tarpon is 14 ft and 28 inches, would 5 inches be a huge difference when out in la jolla?

thanks for the welcome, yeah im deffinately going to oex to try them out i think i might try out some other as well, any suggestions?

ask lots of questions. what city are you located in?

lots of info here

http://www.kayakanglermag.com/index....d=6&Itemid=141

http://www.plasticnavy.com/kayak-fishing-articles.htm

ill be going to the mission bay store

Try as many as you can, but I'd say focus on yaks that are at least 13.5'. Since you plan on doing some paddling, the extra length will serve you well. And remember that if you get a yak that feels a bit tippy you'll get used to it and love the speed. If you get something wide, it'll be slower and never get faster.

I have paddled Tarpons, Cobras, and Ocean kayaks, however I have not paddled the malibus or Hobies. From what I do know the Prowlers are fast stable Kayaks I have never felt like I was going to tip. Both the Cobras I had I did feel like I was going to tip a couple of times. The Tarpon was a wet ride in the seat and felt a little tippy to me. I have a buddy that has a Malibu and he says it's very stable. You asked if the 5 inches is a huge difference, well the wider the more stable, and if that's a mental thing for you then you may want to go with the wider kayaks. Malibus are nice yaks, and I was going to get one until Jim Sammons hooked me on O.K.s. It's good that you are testing out the Kayaks, you'll find that you can find Malibus, Tarpons, Cobras, and O.K. for about the same cost if you keep a close watch on CL or on here. Hobies are going to be a little more costly but there's good reason for it.

i have a stealth 12 i bought at the OEX factory sale and so far i like it a lot. Havent used it a bunch and dont have anything really to compare it with but it seems to paddle pretty well overall. The center hatch bait tank is cool but i feel like you lose a little bit with it. For example the extra easy access storage right in front of you. Granted you dont have to dig behind you to get bait and it allows you to have a milkcrate directly behind you for storage. It seems like it is hard to find a place to put additional rod holders mounted in front of you....like most are saying try a few out and see what fits. I went for the stealth simply because of the sale and i was able to get a brand new kayak for 400. Either way, good luck with what you find and if you ever fish outta Dana Point hit me up and we can help eachother learn.

I had a Tarpon 160 and the Trident 15. Both were great rides. I am on a Revo now and I love it.

Spend some time at OEX paddling or peddling and you will quickly figure out what you like / dislike about each one.

OK trident 13 vs feelfree nomad
 

im thinking of purchasing a kayak soon and i was just wondering what would you recomend between a Ocean Kayak trident 13 or a feelfree nomad???

I like the Trident 13 for many reasons but the reason I like them most is the Rod Pod storage. My next kayak is probably going to be a trident 13 or 15. I have a prowler 15 now and love it so I already know how comfortable they are, easy to paddle, and steady they are. If my boat now had a rod pod I wouldn't even look at something else.

Did you check this out yet??? It's a 14 not a 12, if I hadn't already bought my Pro Explorer a couple weeks ago, it would already be on my patio.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=10751

Best of luck with your search.
I agree with most of the other posts, you should paddle a few to get an idea of what you like.

FFY

thnks. i was leaning in the same direction because the rod pod and all of the extra features. but i was at a kayak fishing shop and the guy told me that the feelfree was better but now i know. thank you.

Some guys swear by Ford, others by Chevy. Kayak's are the same way. Like the others mentioned, paddle every kayak you're interested in you'll find the best one for you.

so ill just pick a kayak that suits me beter, which would probably be the trident series. but just out of curiosity which is the higher end kayak as far as brand is concerned.