Sit on Top questions?

[lawndog]

I have a buddy wanting a sit on top for class 2-3 whitewater and creek fishing. Dont know much about these. Would appreciate any suggestions on brand, length etc. Thanks for any advice. Also, please contact me if you know of any for sale that would work for his needs.

[RobM]

Aire tomcat is a good whitewater IK for class II & III Rapids. Yet it is a inflatable kayak.

[LarryT]

Just bought a Wilderness Adventure Tarpon 100. Would feel comfortable with class two. Dagger and Jackson just put out some sit on top boats that are more whitewater friendly.

[Jim Krueger]

I just love kayak-fishing quite often, it can be done comfortably from most any boat out there, but not all comfortable fishing kayaks are best set-up for river-running. About the first good white water sit-on top kayak I encountered was the Perception Torrent in the 1990's, I think Dagger makes the Torrent now, although a different design. There are probably several good ones out there currently. For more white water use, I recommend one shorter in length , and with as much rocker as you can find, and definitely one that comes with thigh straps. Sit-in type kayaks for WW will have foot braces and thigh braces to give the paddler better control of the boat, good sit-on- tops for the same purpose, will have foot braces and thigh straps to do the same. Otherwise it is much too easy to hit a rock in fast water and be ejected over the side, or to loose control trying to make a maneuver in a boat not properly equipped for bigger water. IMHO

Best Regards
Jim

P.S. I have an Aire Force IK and just love it

[alexmoutdoor]

Pyranha makes a sit on top called the Fusion SOT. They offer a deluxe model that has a retractable skeg and it has A HUGE dry storage compartment at the back of the kayak. It also has a couple of cup holder/spots to mount rod holders and is not only a very agile kayak but also incredibly stable.

I work over at Lewis & Clark Outfitters in Springdale, AR and we have one of these in stock so you or your buddy could come check it out sometime. Price is $899 and we have a 10% back rewards program so he could get $90 back in store credit to use on whatever else he needs (paddle, life jacket, straps, dry bags, fishing accessories, etc..).

We recently had a demo day with the Pyranha paddling team and several of the team members don't do as much competition paddling as they do fishing on whitewater streams. The Fusion SOT is actually their favorite all-around kayak from Pyranha for its versatility on whitewater, the skeg makes it great on flat water and holds it steady for fishing, it's easy to add fishing specific accessories/mounts, and it's very beginner friendly but it also surfs great so pro's can have a lot of fun too (as I witnessed the 2014 US Freestyle Champ enjoying himself at Fisher's Ford during the demo).

You can reach the store at 479-756-1344 and ask for Alex or Kirk.

Happy boat hunting,

Alex