Recommended Freshwater Fishing Kayak?

[BoilerBowHunter]

I am going to pick up a kayak sometime this winter to start using this coming spring/summer. This will be for almost exclusively fresh water, river fishing for smallmouth. I'll likely buy used off of Facebook marketplace. I am seeing Lifetime brand and Pelican brank sit-atop kayaks widely available for $300 or less.

Does anyone have experience with these brands? I get they are not top end, but I'm assuming they work just fine for casual use 3-5x a year?

Any other brand recommendations or things to look for in a fishing kayak?

 

[dtrkyman]

I have a lifetime, use it to duck hunt a marsh and fish small ponds/lakes.

It was under 400$ new, no complaints, has rod holders and a little dry storage, only upgrade is a seat, definitely recommend that!


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[J_Fish]

I've used Pelicans and they work fine. Seat upgrade is key!

 

[Yoder]

I used a Lifetime for a few years. It was great. I liked the rod holders and storage. I used it on lakes and even took it on a 10 mile down the Delaware river.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Look for an ascend or something similar with a good chair type seat..a lot of the lifetime/pelican just have a seat back. I have a cabin on a smallmouth river we float it a lot, have about half dozen yaks Pelican, liftetimes, feelfrees...you want a good chair/seat.

 

[johnw3474]

If you are fly fishing don't get wrapped up in all the "fishing" features they put in a lot of kayaks. That is just stuff for your line to get tangled on.
Consider the weight - a 50# boat sure is easier than a 70# boat if you are launching at places that are not regular boat launches or if you have to carry it very far from your vehicle. Also makes it much easier to put in or own your truck.
I have a native ultimate - they call it a hybrid canoe kayak and I love it because it is wide open, plenty of room for coolers/ dogs/ kid/ decoys, whatever you may want to be doing. Several similar brands out there - you can get some good deals on used ones if you are patient.