What is the best kayak for inshore fishing?
The best kayak for inshore fishing will be affordable to you; support your weight and remain stable; maneuver well for your needs and be durable enough to withstand the constant wear and tear that is involved during inshore fishing trips and have all of the accessories for your experience level.
If you ask 10 different inshore kayak fishermen, "What is the best kayak for inshore fishing?" you will probably get 10 different answers to this question.
I will give you my opinion from the point of view of an inshore kayak fishing guide who has fished the flats, mangroves and oyster bars of south and central Florida for 40 years.
Let me add to my description. I will give you the viewpoint of an extremely frugal inshore kayak fishing guide and kayak fishing enthusiast.
All that I ask from my kayaks is float my clients and me around comfortably and efficiently so that we can catch tarpon, snook, redfish, flounder and spotted sea trout. Those are the 5 main target species for my fishing charters. The sit on top style of Ascend kayaks that I use definitely fulfill most inshore fishermen's needs completely.
Read the article below to learn all of the pros and cons of the Ascend Kayak line. Let's get started.
Watch the video below to see how easily the Ascend can handle catching tarpon.
The best kayak for inshore fishing will be affordable to you; support your weight and remain stable; maneuver well for your needs and be durable enough to withstand the constant wear and tear that is involved during inshore fishing trips and have all of the accessories for your experience level.
If you ask 10 different inshore kayak fishermen, "What is the best kayak for inshore fishing?" you will probably get 10 different answers to this question.
I will give you my opinion from the point of view of an inshore kayak fishing guide who has fished the flats, mangroves and oyster bars of south and central Florida for 40 years.
Let me add to my description. I will give you the viewpoint of an extremely frugal inshore kayak fishing guide and kayak fishing enthusiast.
All that I ask from my kayaks is float my clients and me around comfortably and efficiently so that we can catch tarpon, snook, redfish, flounder and spotted sea trout. Those are the 5 main target species for my fishing charters. The sit on top style of Ascend kayaks that I use definitely fulfill most inshore fishermen's needs completely.
Read the article below to learn all of the pros and cons of the Ascend Kayak line. Let's get started.
Watch the video below to see how easily the Ascend can handle catching tarpon.
The Best Kayak for Inshore Fishing
Okay. Let's talk about the kayaks that I use for my charters and for my own fishing adventures around Florida. The Ascend line of inshore fishing kayaks is what I use. The Ascend kayaks are the ones that you get at Bass Pro Shops. I assume that they own the brand.
Both of the kayaks that I use for my charters are 12 feet or longer. One of the kayaks is the Ascend FS 128 T and the other is the Ascend FS 12 T.
The Ascend FS 128 T is larger by about 8 inches and is heavier and more stable than the FS 12 T. The 128 T kayak will easily support the weight of a fisherman 250 lbs plus. One of my charter clients was 6 ft. 7 inches and weighed 300 pounds and he had no problems with the kayak's performance.
It has a lot of storage space underneath the top deck. When I say a lot, I mean a lot. You can fit a sleeping bag; a small tent; supplies; life jackets.... If you are just carrying fishing gear, all of your tackle boxes and life jackets will fit into the forward and aft compartments.
The FS 128 T is no speed demon. If you want to paddle somewhere fast, this is not the kayak for you. It was built with stability in mind. You can stand and cast from this kayak with some calm water and a small amount of coordination very easily. HOWEVER, I have surfed my whole life and consider myself very coordinated and I find it difficult to stand and cast from this kayak in just 1 to 2 feet of chop.
The Ascend FS 128 T can be customized with electronics allowing the batteries to be stored in the underneath compartments easily. I have seen them with fish finders, night lighting, trolling motors and much more electronic equipment. This kayak is a great platform for those interested in customizing a top notch kayak with with a limited budget.
I wrote another article all about the various accessories that you can add to this kayak. Learn more here.
This kayak also has 4 flush mounted rod holders. The two behind the seat are very usable but the two up front are hard to get to when you are on the water fishing. On my kayaks I mounted another rod holder on the front storage lid that is between my knees. I would definitely suggest that serious fishermen do the same.
Let's talk about the seats in the 128 T. They are very comfortable and you can adjust the incline to whatever suits you. You can also move it back and vertically to fit your body and leg lengths.
When I bought my new Ascend 128 T it was a 2016 model and it's price was $850 (paddle not included). Comparable brand name kayaks will run you $1500 for their base models.
Check out my video review below about the best inshore kayak.
Check out my review of the Ascend FS 128T Inshore fishing kayak above.
Okay. Let's talk about my other kayak for inshore fishing charters. The other kayak is the Ascend FS 12 T. As it's name implies, it is about 8 inches shorter than the FS 128 T. This is the kayak that I use most often for my own fishing adventures around Florida.
I do this because it is lighter and more nimble than the larger Ascend kayak that I have. It's really easy to toss it up into my truck bed and hit the road to find some fish. Visit the Pro Fishing Tips page to learn more about getting the right tackle to maximize your fishing fun.
The Ascend FS 12 T lacks the massive amount of underneath storage space of the FS 128 T. It has underneath space but not enough to accommodate a tent and sleeping bag. I has plenty of room for life jackets, extra tackle bags and whatever other gear you will need for a day's fishing.
There is plenty of usable deck space especially with the addition of a fishing crate if you choose to add one. Both of my kayaks have rod holders mounted on the front storage lids. This is a great compliment to the two flush mounted ones behind the seats of both models.
Let's talk about the seats of the Ascend FS 12 T. They are extremely comfortable. You can adjust the degree of incline that you want depending upon your preferences. This seat also moves easily forward and backward depending upon your body and leg lengths. Make sure to spray them off after each salt water trip because that will rust quickly. If you don't the rivets will rust out and need to be replaced.
I have replaced all of mine with stainless steel nuts and bolts and keep spares. Of course mine broke at the beginning of an 8 hour fishing trip and I felt like I had done abdominal crunches all day after not being able to use the back rest.
Check out the video above, What is the best kayak for inshore fishing in Florida?
So let me answer the question at the top of this page. What is the best kayak for inshore fishing Florida? It is the kayak that best suits your specific needs based on the amount of money you want to spend; the fishing environment that you like to fish in; and the type of fish that you are targeting.
The two Ascend kayaks that I have are perfect for someone who wants to fish calm inshore waters. I would not recommend taking these kayaks in the ocean. However, they are perfect for bass fishermen, and inshore saltwater fishermen.
If you want to learn more about kayak fishing then read this article that I wrote called kayak fishing for beginners.
What is the best gear for kayak fishing:
If you are going to be fishing from your kayak all day you will definitely need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun's harmful rays. Polarized sunglasses are a must for kayak fishing. A high end pair of sunglasses will run about $250 and a lower end pair will run you about $25 with glass lenses. You can find them with plastic lenses for about $5 at Walmart.
Whatever price range you decide to go with you must wear polarized sunglasses or you can not sight fish all day out on the flats. The polarized lenses eliminate the glare on the surface of the water so that you can see under the surface.
The best color lenses for inshore and dirtier water scenarios are amber, rose and copper. If you are fishing super clean and clear water or you are fishing offshore a blue or a gray lens is best.
You will also want to stock up on UV performance fishing shirts to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. These shirts have built in sunscreen and are moisture wicking which means they evaporate your perspiration more efficiently keeping you cool on those hot days on the water.
My company has a large selection of sun protection performance fishing gear. You can see our selection by clicking on the visit our store link below.
What is the Best Tackle for Inshore Kayak Fishing
The best tackle for inshore kayak fishing depends upon your target species; the size of your target species; the environment and your comfort level.
Let's run through a few different scenarios. Let's say that you are targeting spotted sea trout on a grass flat somewhere. In this case, you will need to have a 2500 series reel loaded with 8 to 10 pound mono filament fishing line. You will also need to have a 7 to 8 foot medium action rod.
Spotted seatrout have very fragile mouths which is why mono filament is better than braided line. Mono filament line has give and braided line has no give.
Let's say that you are kayak fishing for snook around the mangroves or docks. You will need to have a 4000 series reel loaded with 20 or 30 pound braided line and a 7 to 8 foot medium/heavy rod. You will need beefier tackle to stop a snook from wrapping you up in the mangrove roots or around the dock pilings.
If you are fishing deep water bridge pilings for snook then you will need to step up to a 5500 reel loaded with 50 pound braided line and a 7 to 8 foot medium/heavy rod. Those deep water bridge piling snook tend to be quite large and the depth and the current will require heavier gear to get them to the kayak.
If you are fishing for tarpon that are less than 4 feet in length, then you can use a 4000 series reel with 20 lb. braided line and a 7 to 8 foot medium/heavy rod.
If you are fishing for tarpon that are 4 feet plus in length, then you will need the same rod and reel combo that you use for deep water bridge fishing for snook.
I can go on and on about the different tackle that you will need depending upon the conditions and target species but I think that you get the point. You will need a few different rod and reel combos to kayak fish effectively in various inshore environments.
Read this article that I wrote about inshore fishing for beginners to learn more about the proper tackle, baits and lures for kayak fishing.
Watch the video below and learn how to go kayak fishing for tarpon.
BONUS VIDEO--Kayak fishing for spotted sea trout
Conclusion:
The best kayak for you might not be the best kayak for the next guy but I hope that this article has helped you make a more educated choice. Inshore kayak fishing is a great way to get outdoors and catch some fish. This article was all about what kayak is best for inshore fishing.
I am amazed how much closer I can get to fish in a kayak versus my jon boat. I think that is what I like so much about kayak fishing. It feels more like stalking a fish instead of just covering a lot of water.
I believe that fish can feel the vibrations of a trolling motor too. So you might think that you are being stealthy in a boat but you are not as stealthy as you think.
If you are ever in the Treasure Coast of Florida book a kayak fishing trip with me. Our main target species are spotted sea trout, snook, tarpon and redfish but there are lots of different species to catch in our fertile waters.
I hope that you enjoy whatever kayak that you choose and wish you good luck. Let's get some lines wet Florida.
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