New member, first report: nph 1/2/17

[StumpFisher]

Hello everyone. I'm new to posting on the site.
I usually hit up the Orange County area with my boys. We mainly cruise the harbors in my inflatable sea eagle.

Here's a late report from 1/2/17

Took my middle son out on 1/2 since had the day off. Wasn't expecting much the day after New Years since it was cold and had just rained. Was sprinkling on and off all morning but made for a really nice sunrise launch.

Best part of the day was hardly anyone was out! The guy launching in the pic was one of a total of 3 people I saw out and all the big yachts stayed in port in seemed.



The fish were biting to my surprise. BH's were the ticket and also got one on a crank trolling back to the launch site. All spotties fair size.. All in all another good day with one of my boys.

A few of the better models:










I am currently looking to break free of the inflatable and get a new yak and
wanted some advice. I mainly fish with my boys but typically only bring out one at a time. They're not going to help contribute to paddling much and I will have to load and unload by myself. So I've done some research and I narrowed it to a Malibu or cobra tandem or something like a Malibu trio/x factor that has the gator hatch. What would you guys go for. I want something stable but don't want something too heavy and those are the lightest and most stable tandems I researched. But having a single yak with a jump seat may be nice as well. Haven't had a chance to demo yet but any advice appreciated.

Thanks!

[Amish Ed]

First off thanks for the report. Always nice when you get a mid winter bite in nph.

As far as tandems go... check out ocean kayaks Malibu II xl. Works well as a single and a tandem. The Malibu kayaks and cobra tandems aren't so hot as a singles.

[DanaPT]

Buy a hobie peddle kayak and another paddle kayak on the cheap.

Buying a tandem means you have to rely on others to get full use. I think kayak fishing is best on your own. You on a hobie can easily tow your fishing buddy around.

[jorluivil]

Unless you plan on taking your kids or a buddy fishing every single time don't buy a tandem, it'll spend more time collecting dust in the garage than it will getting wet......that is unless you have a leaky roof. Get a nice kayak for yourself and buy a beater kayak for your kid, this way if you want to go out alone you won't have to worry about lugging a tandem around town

[King Saba]

Or get a Hobie Tandem Island.

[Dave Legacy]

I have a Malibu Pro 2 Tandem that I use both alone or with one of my boys (I have 4 under 11). Rigging a tandem is a challenge, especially if you plan to use it in a solo configuration as well, but it's possible and not a terrible experience. The biggest shortcoming is lacking a spot for a livewell, but I have rigged a bait tube in case I want to catch a few macks. I also rigged a fish finder that can be used in the solo or tandem layout. I'm not overly thrilled with the build quality of the Malibu though and will probably buy a Jackson Big Tuna for my next tandem kayak.

My father-in-law has a Hobie Oasis and it's lightning fast in comparison; A truly great boat, but not a good solo kayak. I had seriously considered the Hobie Odyssey, which can accommodate a Hobie Livewell and a solo configuration.

Sometimes if it's just me and my 4-year-old anchoring up in the bay and soaking baits near the eel grass I'll face his seat toward me, which works pretty well. It wouldn't work for a bigger kid though.

[Dave Legacy]

Originally Posted by jorluivil

Get a nice kayak for yourself and buy a beater kayak for your kid, this way if you want to go out alone you won't have to worry about lugging a tandem around town

Having a nice kayak for yourself and a budget tandem for fun with your kids isn't a terrible idea either. FWIW, my kids rarely want to go with me and I'm usually taking my tandem out solo (especially during the less desireable weather months).

[2-Stix]

Originally Posted by jorluivil

Unless you plan on taking your kids or a buddy fishing every single time don't buy a tandem, it'll spend more time collecting dust in the garage than it will getting wet......that is unless you have a leaky roof. Get a nice kayak for yourself and buy a beater kayak for your kid, this way if you want to go out alone you won't have to worry about lugging a tandem around town

x3

[King Saba]

Originally Posted by DanaPT

Buy a hobie peddle kayak and another paddle kayak on the cheap.

Buying a tandem means you have to rely on others to get full use. I think kayak fishing is best on your own. You on a hobie can easily tow your fishing buddy around.

It's actually pretty hard to tow another kayak with a hobie. The tow line gets caught up in the rudder quite frequently. Did this once with my buddy, and it was a challenge.

[PapaDave]

Get a used PA14, I made a seat that fit on the back for the grand kids, worked pretty good until they got bigger.

Also put a low beach chair on the back of an Outback, which worked pretty well.

Or get a PA17, works good solo or with a passenger. A bit pricey but if you take your kids out a lot over the years it will be a good investment long term.

[Harry Hill]

I have the Malibu Pro2 Tandem. I have it mostly set up to fish solo from and I'm using a seat from an Ascend kayak over the hatch. The problem with that is I can't use the big hatch. But I have my rails and rod holders set up to fish either solo or in tandem if the wife is along. I'm not sure the weight of a child though would be enough to balance it as a tandem. I do have a live bait tank that I either set behind the back seat or behind the middle seat. It is okay for what I purchased it for but in reality I will buy myself a single place kayak for fishing alone. I don't like fishing with a wet butt all day and the back seat on the P2T is always wet, it doesn't drain. The good thing about the kayak is it was cheap because I bought a blem on sale from OEX so I'm not out a ton of money and I can park it and not feel bad because I'm not using it. If money is an issue I would say it is a good kayak for the money but there are better rigs out there if you have the money to spend.

[StumpFisher]

Thanks everyone for all their comments, I really appreciate the help. I've been looking at some other forums online and this truly has been one of the nicest community of people I've come across.

thanks!

[Dark_Knight_9C1]

Here's my setup. Pure low budget but it gets me around.
I have a U of PVC pipe around the cockpit for pole holders or fish finder. I also have two pole holders in a cushion behind the seat.
I've launched from the beach once and have paddled around in some pretty knarly swells and it's always been stable.

[OCPhisher]

Lot of great ideas/perspectives on here. I'll add my 2 cents. While pricier and most likely heavier than the models you were considering, I'd recommend looking into a Hobie tandem kayak --especially if you'll always have at least one boy going out with you.

I started kayak fishing with my son when he was 10. We started by renting hobie tandems for a couple months to get a feel for em. When I was convinced it was something we were going to do for the long term, I bought one. I never fished it solo because my son always wanted to come with me.

Having a peddle kayak definitely has benefits. A child can contribute a lot more to powering it along by pedaling rather than paddling. Sometimes I would kick back and let him do all the work! That wouldn't happen if he had to paddle. Also, having your hands free is a lot more convenient when you're constantly helping a child out --rigging, untangling, etc.

Now, trying to choose between the many hobie tandem models: Outfitter, Oasis, PA17, Tandem Islander --that is a whole other thread!

Good luck and I'm sure you'll have a blast with them no matter what you get. I'll look forward to seeing you on the water. My son and I fish outta nph all the time.