Hey Y'all, new here and got some questions

[Kevin Kelly]

Just moved here after 10 years in WV. Grew up in South Georgia and love fly fishing for redfish. Been thinking about getting a kayak for a while, and now that i'm here, it seemed time. Found this place on a rec from Alex at the Orvis store in BR.

Demo'd some yaks yesterday with Chris from Backpacker, and i've settled on a 2011 WS Ride 135. There are some others that tempted me, but i like the Ride, and the price difference is too much to be ignored. I plan on mostly fishing the marsh for reds, fly fishing primarily, and i want to be able to stand. Speed isn't a big priority; stability is.

I've started putting together a crate for storage and to hold spinning rods when they're needed. I'll probably only take one fly rod with me at a time, and i'm not a gear junkie. I like simple, clean, and easy.

Here's what i need some advice on - i know i need a paddle, pfd, and whistle. Looks like based on my size - to paraphrase Ron White, i'm between 6'1 and 6'3 depending on which convenience store i'm walking out of, weigh about 180 - and width of boat, i need a 240 cm paddle. BB Angler a good choice? What else should i consider?

I think i understand correctly that LA requires you to have (but not always wear) a pfd. Probably won't wear one often - i've got good balance and am a strong swimmer, but if i need one, i want it to work well. good, cheap suggestion?

Whistle? Just a ref's whistle or something else? Probably will get a handheld VHF since i will mostly be fishing by myself. May not need it, but it will make me feel safer.

Got a homemade stake-out pole, so i probably won't go with an anchor.

How necessary is something like a Scotty for transporting a 9' fly rod? Looks like a line-grabber and would prefer not to have it, unless it really is helpful.

Got a Yakima system just with crossbars. Do i need anything else to transport one yak? Any suggestions for loading a 13'+ boat on top by myself? Not exactly sure the best way to go about that.

What else am i overlooking?

Thanks for your help, and i look forward to meeting you guys.

kevin

[teknickcull]

Welcome Kevin,

you are going to love sight fishing for reds down here man...

As far as paddle, I'm shorter than you, but have a wide boat (33in), and I use a 240cm paddle and love it. It is a Werner Skagit. The only other paddle I have experience with is a West Marine-brand aluminum shaft, and it got me started, but the Werner was a huge upgrade. Don't have any experience with BB, but i know others on here do, hopefully they will chime in.

PFD: as i understand it, if it is a normal style PFD it just needs to be on the boat within reach. If it is an inflatable type it must be worn at all times. I have gone both routes and have settled on an inflatable I got from west marine years ago. It is fairly compact and comfortable so I tend to wear it 90% of the time. I never wore my other one.

Whistle: yep just any sort of noise maker. I keep my whistle tucked into the flap of my PFD so that it is always there but never in the way.

Stake Out Pole is good and what you will likely use 99% of the time if you are stalking reds in the marsh. I have always considered an anchor a safety device (background in sailing and regular old fishing boats). I guess my thinking is that if I happen to be in deep water and cannot make way due to injury/loss of paddle/whatever, I want to make sure that I don't drift further from help. I always bring an anchor just in case.

Scotty: up to you. I use a scotty in front of me, but I don't fly fish and I could see it being something to snag on. Hopefully one of our fly-fishers will chime in here.

Roof rack: I would recommend some saddles for your yakima rack to cradle the boat better than just putting it on the bars. It will be harder to secure and you are more likely to deform the hull without them. As far as loading/unloading it depends on the vehicle and the person. Most people, if doing it by themselves, would put the boat behind the car, pick up the bow of the boat, rest it on the rear roof rack, then pick up the stern of the boat and slide it up. That never worked for me since my SUV has a stupid factory spoiler on the tailgate. So I built a trailer :) My first boat was light enough to just pick up and place on top of the car, but my current boat was almost impossible for me to load by myself after a morning of paddling. I would always have to rely on a stranger at the launch to help me heave it up there. Tell us what kind of car you have an hopefully someone with the same vehicle can give you their method.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

[Kevin Kelly]

Good reasons for an anchor as backup. Would a small dumbbell do or something else? As far as what i drive, it's an '06 Land Rover LR3, pretty tall. What you're describing is what i had imagined. One downside to a WS Ride is that it's heavier than a lot of other yaks. Thanks for the advice about saddles. Will look into that.

[OlDog]

Welcome, came to the right place. If you do a search on your ?s, you will see a lot of info.
I like the advanced search on Titles only.

On the PFD, I always wear one, regular in Winter and inflatable in Summer. Seen some stories about
folks getting caught up in lines or under yak.

Good luck.

[Musicdoc]

Welcome Kevin. Another Kevin here who fishes for redfish out of a WS Tarpon with a flyrod! All the advise given by OlDog and Tek are right on. What kind of vehicle are you putting your racks on? I used to put mine on a Saturn with the Yakima racks but it died and now I travel with my wife's old suburban. I have had more trouble getting my yak on the high vehicle so I recently (haven't even used it yet) purchased a Malone SeaWing Kayak Carrier. Do you tie your own flies? Nothing like catching fish on your own flies!

[Craptin]

I use a manual inflatable, but I'm thinking about getting a regular one too. I'm a strong swimmer as well, but there's other ways to end up in the drink other than losing your balance. The purpose of a PFD is to help you when you can't help yourself. If you wind up in a state where you can't pull the cord or are unconscious the manual inflate will sink to the bottom with you.

[Kevin Kelly]

Musicdoc,

I do tie my own flies, and i agree, nothing like catching something on one of your own. I drive a Land Rover LR3, a tall SUV. Given the replies, maybe i need to rethink the idea of wearing a pdf. Just wondering what to get and where.

[4x4fishin]

I've got a many PFD's. I like a regular vest as a nice seat back cushion, but lately I've been wearing one of the very small belt type manual inflatable. Have you already purchased your boat? Have you tried any of the Native or Hobie lines? They are pricey, but available with peddles vs paddles. Both manufactures make some very stable, stand and fish boats. Most of these boats have some sort of Tunnel hull that provide great lateral stability. Other boats to consider for fly fishing might include some of the paddle board type boats. Native makes one, but I would also look at the Diablo line. There are tons of trade off in boats. Wide stable flat, long narrow skinny fast, and everything in between. I have a FJ cruiser and I rarely roof top anymore because of the high height and heavy boat. I do roof top my Native Ultimate which is a very light stable shallow water boat that many fly fishermen really like. Many have found that putting the roller type mounts on the back is the easiest way. I've even seen a few set up with a winch line from the front bumper that is threaded through the roof rack and used to assist. If you have time to test a few more give Skip and Pack and Paddle a call in Lafayette, or Blake at Masseys in New Orleans. There is a Masseys in Baton Rouge as well, but the New Orleans store seems to be more focused on Kayaks.

[teknickcull]

I hear ya on the heavy boat. My Malibu Stealth 14 probably weighs about the same as your ride, if not a little more. Before I had the trailer, I was always able to load the boat on top of my SUV (Toyota 4Runner) at home before the trip. The problem was picking it up over my head after paddling for a few hours. A quick little trip wouldn't be so bad, but I tried car-topping that boat after a 9mi paddle once, then went looking for a trailer that following week. I'm not saying you can't do it, but I couldn't without hurting something. Computer technicians like myself are not known for our upper-body strength. :lol:

A dumbbell would definitely work as an anchor, a lot of guys on here use them. I use one of those folding grapple type anchors because I can fold it up with the rode and stow the whole thing in the drawstring bag it came in.

[Kevin Kelly]

I really like the Ride, and i'm not interested in the Hobie mirage drive. The pedal system cannot possibly be flyline friendly, and i want a boat to paddle, not pedal. I've looked at a bunch, weighed the pros and cons, and i'm happy with my decision. I'm also buying from the Backpacker. It's owned by my parishioners, and i want to support them. I'm not saying the Ride is the best boat out there, but for what i want and from want i've seen, it's the best bang for the buck for me.

Can y'all tell me more about the belt style manual pfd? What brand and where to find?

[ijuswannafish]

Can y'all tell me more about the belt style manual pfd? What brand and where to find?

Here are 2 different ones. Both found at Bass Pro. I am sure you can find them at other stores. Don't forget Swamppro, our Tournament Director, can get them for you also. Just PM him and he should be able to take care of you.

http://www.basspro.com/Onyx-Manual-Inflatable-Flotation-Belt-Pack-for-Adults/product/10207499/63714

http://www.basspro.com/Stearns-Multipurpose-InflataBelt&153;-Lite-Manual-Model-0340/product/50112/57972

[Red Slayer]

Welcome to the Group!:welcome::welcome::welcome:

Backpacker is also one of our club sponsors along with Pack and Paddle.

[efauve777]

Welcome to the club!!! Great group of guy always eager to lend some advice!!! I have a set of Yakima saddles and hully rollers that I don't use, if you are interested I will make you a deal. Will need to make sure they work with your roof rack though. The hully rollers make it really easy for unloading those heavier kayaks especially from the height of your land rover. Let me know if you might be interested.

[MDR]

Welcome Kevin. Plus 1 on the manual belt PFD. I actually got mine online since it was a bunch cheaper than in the local stores. I went with manual since I am also a strong swimmer. Did not want the risk of a good splash or accidental spill setting it off. I figure if I can't activate it then I probably got run over by a stinkpot full of nuns and won't need it anyway.

I also suggest an anchor in addition to the pole. You may wind up deciding to fish something other than flies and want to hit some deeper water. For both I also suggest having one of the Academy red line bouy gizmos (about a couple of bucks). Sure helps if you have to shove off from either the pole or anchor to chase a fish. You can come right back and retreive the pole/anchor. I also suggest the use of anchor trolleys. (Search the site for more infor on them if you need it)

Of course you should also have a dry bag for whatever you do not want to get wet. Change of clothes, first aid kit, etc.

Nice to have you with us.

[Oil Boiler]

Hi Kevin,
I'm new here too, but thought I'd pass on my SUV rack info. The photo is 2 Hobies on a Toyotoa Highlander. Your vehicle is probably taller, but this has worked well when car-topping. I needed something that would allow me to side x side mount the boats. It is a set of Malone cross-bars with Malone Sea-Wing Stingers. The stinger part is a v-notched slide that extends over the top of your rear spoiler ( the Highlander has one ) and allows you to lift the kayak front on, pick up the back , and slide it on. Has worked well and tested at 70+ MPH. I have Trac-Rac and saddles for my truck.
Good Luck

7553 7554

[teknickcull]

That stinger thing is interesting. I wonder if it would work for my 4runner. The 4runner spoiler doesn't just come straight back like yours, it is higher than the roof, almost even with the roof rack. Dumb design. The worst part is that it is flimsy plastic, so even if I wasn't worried about scratching paint I really still can't put any weight on it.

nice setup!