By Paul Lebowitz

Fishing kayaks have come a long way since the Ocean Kayak Scupper first hit a West Coast beach in 1971. It was a new sort of boat, one designed to get watermen through the waves and chop to dive and fish. Self-draining and open-topped for easy on-off access, and capable of carrying SCUBA tanks and other heavy gear, the aptly named Scupper was square one in the evolution of today’s fishing savvy ‘yaks.

Our contemporary rides share the same basic plan, although most have lost the big rear hatch in favor of an open tankwell. Other changes were incremental, such as decks designed to accommodate an ever increasing range of equipment: rod holders, fishfinders, GPS and the like. The hulls themselves grew wider for better cargo capacity and increased stability for battling big fish. In fact, the evolution of contemporary fishing kayaks has come so far, each manufacturer offers a fleet of models suited to every application and rider.

To examine the current state of the fishing kayak art, I asked representatives from each of the major West Coast brands to walk us through one of their boats. They jumped at the opportunity, but uniformly requested this important caveat. The kayaks toured here are not the ‘best’ ones from each particular manufacturer. The only way to find the right match for your particular fishery, body type, storage solution, budget, etc. is to get down to the dealers and check out the many models.      

Cobra Kayaks Fish n Dive XF
Cobra’s Fish n Dive boasts more seniority than any other on this survey. Ten years old and more, there’s been little reason to change a winning design.

“Stability is the number one priority for most of our customers,” said Rick Hoolko, owner of San Diego Sailing and Kayak Center. Indeed, the 12-6 long Fish n Dive has a ‘V’ entry that flares to a broad 36-in mid-section, providing superior stability and a high and dry ride.

Cobra revised the deck a few years back to add additional fishing-friendly touches to an already easy to rig design. “Enhanced features include a modified tankwell with tank impression, longer footwells, and additional space for flushmount rod holders,” Hoolko said. With room for a large rectangular in-cockpit hatch, the boat has always been a leader in storage capacity. www.cobrakayaks.com

Hobie Kayak’s Mirage Revolution
Hobie’s fishing product manager didn’t want to talk about just one of the company’s excellent line-up of kayaks. “You’ve got to make it clear I feel all of our boats are highly fishable,” Vince Console said. Consider it done.

Console calls the company’s 14-ft long Hobie Mirage Revolution pedal-drive boat a minimalist machine, the Ferrari of the line. “Everything is tight and compact. It cuts through the water easily, pierces choppy waves, and offers less water resistance,” Console said. No worries, with a modicum of care all the high tech fishing gadgets will find a place on the boat. “You can easily adapt it for your fishing needs,” Console added.

Fishing-forward features include the requisite tankwell, a superior bow hatch, a pair of Hobie’s excellent Twist n Stow round hatches, two cockpit storage pouches, a seatback, a couple molded-in rod holders, and something no other West Coast manufacturer offers, hands-free kayak fishing.  www.hobiecat.com

The X-Factor from Malibu Kayaks
“Stability, a dry ride, comfort and storage space,” said Andrew Allen, manager of OEX Sunset Beach as he ticked off the strong points of the Malibu X-Factor. At a bit over 14-ft long, with high rails 33-in apart, Malibu’s exclusive giant bow hatch, and room for another rectangle hatch in the cockpit, the X-Factor defined a new class of fishing kayak when it was released. 

“We really tried to leave the rigging options up the fishermen,” Allen said, and he’s got   a point. The boat is chock full of wide open spaces and even boasts the only factory drop-in bait tank available.

Like every kayak that puts a premium on stability and carrying capacity, the X-Factor gives up some speed. Allen said once it gets going it doesn’t want to stop. Then he added one more observation: “Whatever the kayak, it always seems you’re a bit tired when you land.” www.malibukayaks.com

The Ocean Kayak Prowler Trident
OK’s latest offering was the product of a lot of kayak fishing know-how. “We have 43 guys on our pro staff who gave us input on the Trident. A lot of them fish big game, ocean water, and need a super efficient performer to carry lots of equipment,” said Mark Olson, OK’s southern California distributor.

The result is a kayak with an elevated seat for a drier ride, 16 lengthy feet of waterline for maintaining speed over distance, and a long list of unique deck features. Chief of these are the Rod Pod, designed for below-decks storage of beefy ocean-going sticks right from the cockpit, and the Sonar Shield, a dedicated and protected recess for electronics.  

Olson said the boat’s high-volume design provides additional stability as the cargo load increases. Good thing, with a large bow hatch, huge tank well, and the unique Rod Pod, this baby has virtually unlimited storage potential. www.oceankayak.com

Perception’s Search 15
Quick and stable describes the Search 15 from Perception. Noticeably similar to the Tarpons from sister label Wilderness Systems, the boat features a wider stern section for a higher relative weight capacity and drier ride. General manager John Upchurch of Southwind Kayak Center said the 15-ft Search’s multi-chine lightly arched hull improves speed but retains ‘real kayak’ feel. In plain English, this is a high-performance fishing ‘yak capable of handling rough conditions when in the right hands.

The evolution of fishing-friendly features has bestowed upon the Search a built-in tackle tray slot, a pair of molded-in flushmount rod holders, a couple of handy hook-resistant in-cockpit storage pouches, the standard large tankwell and  bow hatch, and plenty of flat deck space for mounting gear. The boat comes with the integrated Comfort Seating System, a padded seat pan and fold-up lumbar support. www.perceptionkayaks.com

The Ride 135 from Wilderness Systems
Mark Pierpont, the kayak fishing team manager for Confluence Watersports, chose to talk about the Ride 135. Extensively redesigned a little more than a year ago, this boat mates the tested Tarpon fishing deck with a unique stability-first pontoon style hull.

“This time of year the Ride really shines. It is incredibly stable and dry, with an open cockpit just ripe for mounting equipment – or use as a stripping basket for fly fishing,” Pierpont said. The Ride is so stable it’s possible to stand and cast with a bit of practice. At 13 ft long the Ride is well-suited to shallow water and tight quarters. 

Fishing features include a built-in tackle tray slot, large bow hatch and tank well, and the same Comfort Seating System shared by the Search. www.wildernesssystems.com

A REVOLUTION IN FISHING KAYAK DESIGN – The Hobie Mirage Revolution, pictured here weighed down by a trio of yellowtail caught at La Jolla during a squid float this January, are described by Vince Console (left) as the Ferraris of the Hobie line-up. Guide Morgan Promnitz (right) seems happy to agree. PHOTO COURTESY LARRY LAUMANN

RIDE HIGH AND DRY – Wilderness System’s Ride 135 puts a premium on stability and a dry ride. It also has a large, open cockpit going for it, making it a solid choice for the fly fisherman.

X MARKS THE SPOT – Malibu Kayak’s X-Factor is a big, solid boat, featuring tremendous stability and cargo capacity and flexible rigging options. Look at that comfortably elevated seating position.

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE – The Cobra Fish n Dive has been around for more than ten years. Little wonder it’s still a best seller – the boat has valued stability and carrying capacity since day one.