NEWBY NEEDS HELP

[SHILOHVGT]

Hello, My name is Shiloh and even though I know I will get flamed, I hope I will get some help. I fish regularly, and after reading this site and seeing plenty of kayak fishing shows I had mentioned to my wife I'd like to try that. One day a sun dolphin 10' fishing kayak shows up at my door, (my wifes surprise). Note: I have never been on a Kayak. So first trip my wife helps me load, carry and launch. Mission Bay (mariner's Basin). I stroll out with just a single baitcasting reel for a couple hours. Feels unstable but I felt i got the hang of it. Trip two (today) by myself, difficult keeping kayak on dolly (PITA in the sand). Finally ready to launch. 2 small tackle boxes, 3 poles, bait, gaff, small anchor. dressed in dry pants, hoodie, water boot etc. Head out same place. Get out to the point, turn around and BAAMMM, flipped right over. got my life vest on, and furiously trying to gather my stuff as alot of it doesnt have leashes yet. got back on etc. but honestly, I fished for a couple hours hoping i didn't catch anything because I couldn't fathom how I could land it. Trip 3 next week. Any pointers/info? DIY outriggers? Hoping to to be able to get out of the bay for real fishing.

Thanks for any info.

[alanw]

Welcome. Most here wouldn't recommend you taking a small 10' kayak out of the bays. Outriggers would probably keep you from flipping and there's some DIY projects around the net. You can also try hanging your legs over the sides of the kayak for stability, it really helps a lot to move some leg weight outward and downward. I'd appreciate my wife surprising me like that but I'd be thinking of a way to let her know I need a bigger kayak without pissing her off.

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by SHILOHVGT

Hello, My name is Shiloh and even though I know I will get flamed, I hope I will get some help. I fish regularly, and after reading this site and seeing plenty of kayak fishing shows I had mentioned to my wife I'd like to try that. One day a sun dolphin 10' fishing kayak shows up at my door, (my wifes surprise). Note: I have never been on a Kayak. So first trip my wife helps me load, carry and launch. Mission Bay (mariner's Basin). I stroll out with just a single baitcasting reel for a couple hours. Feels unstable but I felt i got the hang of it. Trip two (today) by myself, difficult keeping kayak on dolly (PITA in the sand). Finally ready to launch. 2 small tackle boxes, 3 poles, bait, gaff, small anchor. dressed in dry pants, hoodie, water boot etc. Head out same place. Get out to the point, turn around and BAAMMM, flipped right over. got my life vest on, and furiously trying to gather my stuff as alot of it doesnt have leashes yet. got back on etc. but honestly, I fished for a couple hours hoping i didn't catch anything because I couldn't fathom how I could land it. Trip 3 next week. Any pointers/info? DIY outriggers? Hoping to to be able to get out of the bay for real fishing.

Thanks for any info.

I think maybe more time getting stable before you get really serious. I don't know the sun dolphin line so I don't know what you are dealing with. I would suggest you search around for a good cart. I made a DIY from Palmetto Fishing sight and put balloon tires on it for the soft sand, that made a big difference. There are lots of helpful people on BWE so I'm sure someone will have better advice than what I'm giving but I don't think you'll get flamed. Keep at it though, this is a great way to spend your hobby time,

[Pinhead]

Flame-Free Reply ...............Welcome to kayak fishing and to this forum.

Not sure of your height & weight, but here is what I googled on the Sun Dolphin Kayak 10' model;

Sun Dolphin Bali 10' Sit-On Kayak:
Great for lakes and rivers
Lightweight, easy to carry
Tracks and paddles with ease while offering maximum stability
Rugged UV-stabilized Fortiflex high-density polyethylene
P.A.C. (Portable Accessory Carrier) can be used as a tow behind or extra storage compartment
Large, comfortable seating area with protective thigh pads

Bottom line, it's primarily for lakes and rivers, not really for bays or ocean. Being only 10 ft long, and advertised as *light weight*, it's probably a bit too squirrely, if you are a bit too heavy for it or if you are dealing with the chop and wind in the bay. You may be in for a regular dunking in the bay each time you go out....which would stink.

Sending it back will probably cost too much. Talk it over with the wife and try to help her understand your frustrations and possibly sell it on CL while its still new. Then ask the Team Sewer dudes or other experts on this forum which kayak models to focus on buying.

I've seen a lot of used package deals on this site for great prices and the guys are really helpful responding with details.

Also, OEX (Andy ?) is a wealth of knowledge and OEX has great packages for fishing. OEX set up my 14' Malibu X-Factor and did a great job. I passed it along to my son, as it was a bit too much of a kayak for me to handle. I purchased a Hobie PA, ....love it, but it was spendy.

Good luck!

[FISH11]

Might see if the wife will let you get this and then she could use the Dolphin with you in the bay sometimes. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/boa/5520278324.html

[steve999]

I think the best idea is get a different boat. If the dolphin is brand new, maybe you can return it? If you're on a budget, then look for a used boat.

[Orca Winfrey]

Hi Shiloh,

I'm fairly new to kayak fishing too but I've learned a lot from BWE. Is your yak a sit-on-top (SOT) or sit-in? Sun Dolphin makes both types. You will want an SOT for the ocean because they won't fill with water and get swamped when you flip - and sooner or later everyone does.

Balancing yaks are like balancing bikes; you learn with experience and practice.

ALWAYS wear your vest! Don't leave it lying around with the intention of putting it on if you flip. Your life is worth the bit of discomfort from wearing a vest. Besides, by the time you put it on in the water a strong current or wind may have carried your yak and paddle far from you.

Leash everything you don't want to lose. Leash your paddle unless you want to have to swim after it (wind and currents).

When you can afford it, get a yak that's at least 12' or longer. Longer yaks have better glide and handle chop much better than shorter ones. I started open water fishing in a 9' Hobie Lanai. It was nice and stable but as soon as the water got choppy, it was really hard to paddle. I've since upgraded to an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 that I got on Craig's for $425. It made a huge difference.

One last tip is to warn your wife that You have now gotten into a highly addictive hobby.

[SHILOHVGT]

Hey everybody. Thanks for the info and advice. The sun dolphin is a sit on top, It's the journey. I always wear my vest, didn't mean to imply I put it on after the fact. I think I will try diy outriggers and see how it works. I will likely upgrade, if i really stick with it my thoughts are I think i would like a Hobie peddle yak? This yak isn't a waste as I have four kids so it will be kept and used regardless. So what is an ideal length for a Yak? I'm 5'9 165lbs. Despite flipping and feeling discouraged I still had a good time, after I threw in the towel for the day, just an hour later I was disappointed and wanted to get back out there. My wife has been awesome and basically told me the same as some of you, just takes more practice. I'm impatient though and want to hit the open water for bigger fishing.

[Orca Winfrey]

Originally Posted by SHILOHVGT

Hey everybody. Thanks for the info and advice. The sun dolphin is a sit on top, It's the journey. I always wear my vest, didn't mean to imply I put it on after the fact. I think I will try diy outriggers and see how it works. I will likely upgrade, if i really stick with it my thoughts are I think i would like a Hobie peddle yak? This yak isn't a waste as I have four kids so it will be kept and used regardless. So what is an ideal length for a Yak? I'm 5'9 165lbs. Despite flipping and feeling discouraged I still had a good time, after I threw in the towel for the day, just an hour later I was disappointed and wanted to get back out there. My wife has been awesome and basically told me the same as some of you, just takes more practice. I'm impatient though and want to hit the open water for bigger fishing.

Glad you were wearing your vest. Sorry I misunderstood. As far as Hobies, I learned they are worth every penny if you plan on getting out into open waters. My friend and I fished the Port of LA yesterday and the winds kicked up in the afternoon. Long story short, I was making zero headway in my paddle yak and if he hadn't heroically towed my sorry butt back to the Cabrillo launch, I would still be out there this morning. I'll post more details when I have the time if he doesn't beat me to it.

[Iceman]

12 foot is a good minimum size for the ocean.

[ronbo613]

Originally Posted by Iceman

12 foot is a good minimum size for the ocean.

That would be a reasonable minimum for sure.

If you don't have any kayaking experience, you might want to try paddling the ten footer around without loading it up with gear to get the hang of it. When you can operate it without going overboard, maybe have learned a little about wind and currents, then take a fishing pole and a couple lures out on the bay.

Experience is a big thing. Keep in mind, some people can't sit on a six foot surfboard without falling over while somebody else is surfing ten foot waves. The only difference is experience.