# choosing a kayak



## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

hey everyone looking for my first yak and wondering what would be a good choice. I will be doing mostly river fishing, Bream etc and want something that will be sturdy and stable.

at the moment anaconda has a sale where some of the kayaks are going for half price and was wondering if any of these would be suitable, and if anyone can give me more recommendations on choosing a kayak.

the three i have been looking at are: the lunar sit on top kayak, seabirds fisherman 12 kayak and ocean kayaks prowler ultra 4.1

any advice would be great thanks!


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

The only yak I recognise out of those three is the ocean kayak, which is a proven performer in yak fishing circles and would be a great choice. Don't forget to look through the "kayak reviews" and "which kayak for me" sections here for other discussions on this topic. I've linked to them here:
viewforum.php?f=4
viewforum.php?f=72


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

A agree wth Scater. No contest.

http://www.ocean-kayak.com.au/kayaks/fishingkayaks/prowlerelite41.html


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## Zorba (Jan 22, 2013)

Hi polarbear

No contest, Ocean kayak for sure of those three you mentioned. However consider starting with a second hand yak as this will save you some coin

Good luck


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## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

cheers for the info also seen a tarpon 120 going reasonably cheap second hand from wilderness systems. They look pretty good have you heard anything about these yaks?


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

Yep, well known and liked.


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## benjiaka (May 30, 2013)

The other half has a Tarpon 120. Very good yak to get started on, If you can score one relatively cheap second hand. I say go for it mate.


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

Hey polarbear,

Which kayak will suit you best is dependent on a lot of things, how big you are, whether you ever intend to go offshore, how far you think will travel, whether you are going somewhere where you are likely to run into rocks or oysters.

Here's an article on kayak design to get you started thinking about what might suit you best. I am like the others. I had heard of the Prowler, not the others.
http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/yakdesign101.html

Good luck with it.


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## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the links cleared up a few misconceptions about kayaks which i was lead to believe.
I am around 90kgs, fit and would be doing mostly bream fishing in estuaries however would not count out bay fishing and offshore at a later date.

As it stands i have found 2 second hand kayaks which i have narrowed it down to, the tarpon 120 and the prowler 13 which i can get for around the same price. when it comes to the prowler i think it looks more equipped to handle chop, has a larger capacity to hold weight and comes with a few extras. while the tarpon 120 is appealing as it looks like a nice little yak with nice storage and plenty of areas to mount things.

As it stands im leaning towards the tarpon 120 however im not so if this is just because I've got the idea of it stuck in my head. Any advice would be appreciated as im looking to make a decision soon! thanks.


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

I haven't owned either of those, but have fished with blokes in both.
For estuaries / rivers / lakes the tarpon probably best by a little bit.
For offshore, and bays or shitty weatehr on estuaries or big lakes I'd prefer the prowler.
Both seem like pretty good 'yaks. Forget the annaconda ones (except the prowler)


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## wetdog (Dec 4, 2012)

I have a tarpon 120 and think its great. I have fished rivers, bays and estuaries in it but haven't been too far off shore yet and its handled those situations well. I've not been caught out in any bad weather in it yet so cant say how it would handle that but I have coped a bit of chop and it handled it well. It tracks well, is ok to turn and manoeuvre and at 12ft is quite easy to handle both on and off the water. The seat is excellent and the slide tracks make adding accessories easy though the brass inserts are expensive so make up your own.
I haven't paddled a prowler but that has a good reputation. You cant go wrong with either but my preference would be for the tarpon purely for the seat as it suits my aging body


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

Hey polarbear,

Haven't tried a Tarpon 120. Have had a quick go in a Prowler 13. It was alright, pretty much the sort of speed you would expect for it's size. The Prowler is considered a bit of an upgrade for most people but it is about being able to fish offshore. The extra length means a bit more speed & safety when the wind picks up & tries to blow you offshore.

Looking at the specs, the Tarpon is a bit of a little fatty which sort of negates a lot of the advantages of a smaller kayak like less weight for portage, ability to turn in smaller areas.

You can't necessarily trust the weight ratings of kayak manufacturers - some are very dodgy. The true way to test the weight is to lift them in person but I haven't heard of any particular issues with Ocean Kayak or Wilderness Systems under-rating their kayaks by too much. I have lifted a Prowler 13 before & the weight might be a little low. It should be below 30 Kgs, so the Tarpon 120 & the Prowler are probably about the same weight with the Prowler maybe a touch lighter.

To me, the Prowler seems like the better all rounder. If they are the same price & there are no structural issues with either, the Prowler seems like the better deal unless there is something that you particularly like about the Tarpon.

If you have the chance, maybe have a look at them both in the flesh & lift them over your head so you know what you are in for when car topping them. Even better if you can have a test paddle. I don't think that you should have a problem with stability with either but if you want to test it, the best way is to lean over until you fall in. Some kayaks feel a bit wobbly but you can lean them over a long way. Others feel rock solid at rest giving you the illusion of stability, you tip them, they hit a certain point & just fly out from under you.

If you get a chance to look at the kayaks & are looking for structural problems, you can keep your eye out for honey-combing of the plastic in any spots. I wouldn't expect it from either of these two brands but if the plastic is not treated right in the manufacturing, you can end up with flaws in the plastic that look like tiny little honeycombs. You should have a close look at any scupper holes. They are often a bit of a weak point & some guys use kayak trolleys that have posts that insert through the scuppers which can cause them to leak. You are looking for even the tiniest of holes in the scuppers. Some times you will look at them & the moulding will look a bit ugly around the scuppers. It's not a problem as long as it doesn't look like it's going to leak. You can give the hull a quick once over. It's not unusual to get the odd scratch here & there - just check how deep they are to make sure the previous owner hasn't down anything too drastic. I remember one guy used to drag his kayak along the road prior to launching. You can check the large hatches to make sure that the seals are OK as well.

Often, there will be no problem with a 2nd hand kayak but worth having at least a little look. After all, you are trusting it to keep you afloat, perhaps out at sea, so worthwhile giving it a look over. Even if it's on Ebay, best to have a look prior to handing over the cash.

Again, good luck. Whatever you pick, I'm sure you'll have fun on it.


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## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice, still im finding it so hard ahha at the moment im really thinking the tarpon 120 as for offshore i have use of a boat so that aspect of my kayak will not be needed, just need something to cruise around rivers and through lollies at bream etc.


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## Nativeman (Sep 6, 2005)

Gday

I haved owned both a Tarpon 120, 2 x Tarpon 100 and a few Prowler 13/4.1 in my time. Very Similar kayaks, the Prowler has better weight capacity and just slightly better off shore capacity. The Tarpon is a great kayak and they used to have superior hatches to the Prowler but in recent years Ocean Kayak have lifted their game. The Prowlers center hatch is a ripper with scotty and cannon rod holder mounts built in, the front hatch is way better than the one of old and has a positive lock, plus 4 flush mount rod holders as standard, solid lifting handles, transducer scupper to suit the Humminbird range, a wear strip on the skeg. I think you will find with the Tarpon thats if you were to buy one new, you would have to add your own flush mounts and forward rod holder mounts. So even though I heavily favored the Tarpon 120 in the past, for the money and features I reckon you would be better off with the Prowler, it honestly is a better all rounder than the Tarpon especially if you intend to go offshore down the track...


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## RhubarbTheYeti (Oct 28, 2013)

Where are you fishing? You don't say in your profile.
As a fellow bream tormentor - enjoy


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## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

Fishing in west Aus mostly, wanted to chase black bream just a bit of fun and easier to handle than the boat.
The reason im leaning towards the tarpon at this stage is cause both are second hand however the prowler is much older and the tarpon is basically new used a couple of times. The tarpon also hasn't been modified so its kinda like a blank canvas which i can add to.

In relation to going offshore this will not be too bigger priority as im mostly looking for an estuary craft that is easy to handle so i can fish solo more often.


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

They'll both end up older soon enough but you have to go with your heart mate. If the Tarpon is the one for you, go for it. There's no point listening to us if you are going to be looking at the Prowler thinking "I should have bought the Tarpon".


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## polarbear (Mar 4, 2014)

sorry for keeping this going and thanks for all the answers, but one last question.

ive decided on the tarpon 120 however the one im looking at dosent have rod holders inbuilt in the back, etc or any fishing extras. Im not to fussed with this as adding stuff as i go wont be to hard just wondering if the tarpons with the rod holders etc are just extras or if this is an old model or different type im looking at


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## rucool (Feb 11, 2014)

Recently purchased a new Tarpon 140, Could get with/ without flush rod holders, but life time hull warranty was void if I 
drilled for the rod holders, so I got the one with them, any extras I have glued onto the hull, but could have used the rail mounts.
Russell


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