Choosing the proper kayak to buy for river smallmouth fishing is at the same time extremely complex and suprisingly simple (kind of like smallmouth fishing itself). It’s complex in that there are so many factors to consider and so many different kayaks on the market. But it’s fairly simple when you realize that there are a number of different kayaks that are suitable for river fishing.

The first thing you should do is analyze what you’ll use the kayak for during the next several years. What types of rivers is it going to be used on, in terms of depth, current speed, and class of rapids? Are you planning to also use it on lakes? Do you plan to use it for overnight float trips? What’s your experience level? Who else will be using it? These are just a few examples of what you need to answer for yourself, as the answers play a major role in analyzing different kayaks. Analyzing kayaks is mostly a matter of tradeoffs, most, of which I’ll try to go into detail on.

Kayak Length

Most kayaks suitable for river fishing are considered "recreational" kayaks, and are approximately 9 feet to 12 feet long. Shorter kayaks are more maneuverable than longer kayaks, so you can react quicker and avoid hazards more easily. Longer kayaks have more displacement, thus less draft, which means you float over rocks you’d hit with a shorter kayak, and you’ll be able to float through shallower stretches. So you end up trading maneuverability against shallower floating, while both of these features help you avoid hazards. Another factor to consider is that the longer a kayak is, the more wind will affect it.

Think about how you plan to store and haul your kayak. Length may be a limiting factor for you if you have storage or hauling space limitations.

Kayak Width

The width of a kayak influences it’s stability, speed, and ease of paddling. A wider kayak generally has more initial stability, and more displacement, which means that it will float shallower. But a narrower kayak will require less effort to paddle and will obtain more speed than a wider kayak, which is something to consider if you plan to use it for frequent long trips, especially on lakes.

Kayak Height

The height of a kayak is generally of minor importance, and doesn’t vary much more than three inches on the kayaks listed below. Try out the boats you’re considering, and note where the water line is in relation to the edge of the cockpit. That’s your margin of error (my own term), and it’s much more important than overall height. In theory, a taller height should give you more margin of error, but differences in hull design sometimes negate height.

The tradeoff here is that the more kayak you have above the water, the more wind will affect you.

Kayak Weight

Kayak weight is an important factor out of the water. Ask yourself how far you will have to carry your kayak in normal use, and what the terrain and footing are like. How far do you have to carry it to get it out of or put it in storage? Are you lifting the kayak to put it on top of a vehicle? Are there any situations when you’ll need to carry or drag the kayak (portages, low water spots that are too shallow for the kayak)? Consider that of the five 12 foot kayaks in the list below, there is only a six pound difference between the lightest and the heaviest. But there are times that six pounds can seem like a lot of weight!

In the water, kayak weight is not a major factor, given the generally small weight differences between similarly sized kayaks. How much weight you put into the boat is much more important.

Kayak Carrying Capacity

Length, width, weight, overall shape and hull design all influence the carrying capacity of a kayak. Consider buying a kayak with more capacity than you think you need. Overloading a smaller capacity kayak will make it sit lower in the water, which in turn makes it harder to paddle, less responsive, more prone to taking on water in rapids, and more prone to scrape on submerged rocks or on the bottom. If you’re light and never plan on carrying a lot of gear with you, you probably don’t need to worry too much about capacity. If you’re heavy, and/or you plan to carry camping gear and food for a multi-day trip, you probably want to look at a larger capacity boat.

One word of caution here. Be leery of the claims of some manufacturers when it comes to carrying capacity. Generally kayaks of the same approximate length and width should have similar capacities. I’d question anything that seems really out of line. A reputable paddling shop, with employees who really use their products, should be able to give you a good idea of how the capacity of one boat measures up against another.

Cockpit Size

Cockpit size may be a major factor for you. Larger cockpits are much easier to get in and out of, which is important if you have knee problems, suffer from arthritis, or if you are a larger person. Large cockpits are also easier to stow and remove gear from, and give you more room to work with your tackle. But there is a downside. Large cockpits will take on more water in rapids and standing waves if you kayak without a spray skirt.

Hull Design

Of all the factors, hull design has the most influence on your kayak’s performance, yet it’s probably the hardest factor for a beginning kayak user to judge. Hull design determines how stable a kayak is, how well it handles rough water, how much water it drafts, how fast it is, how easy it is to paddle, and how well it tracks (or floats in a straight line).

Kayak stability is slightly confusing at first. A kayak that is very stable when you test it on a dealer’s floor has what is referred to as good "initial stability" but will have poor "secondary stability". This means that the kayak will be stable when you are entering/exiting it and at slow speeds, but will be less stable at higher speeds and in rough water conditions. A kayak that is less stable on the showroom floor will be less stable when you are climbing in and out of it and at low speeds, but more stable at higher speeds and in rough water. Generally a flatter bottom kayak (see figure one) has greater initial stability, while an angled bottom (see figure two) has less initial stability.

Figure one – a hull with greater initial stability

Figure two – a hull with less initial stability

Hull design also determines how a kayak tracks, or stays in a straight line when paddled. An angular hull acts as a keel and allows a kayak to track very well. A completely flat bottom or rounded bottom kayak generally tracks poorly. Other hulls are designed with keels somewhere between these two extremes and generally vary in tracking ability proportionally to the amount of keel. A kayak that tracks well is much easier on you on longer trips and on windy days. Tracking is also important if you plan to use the kayak on lakes. Personally, I prefer a kayak that tracks when I’m float fishing from it. With a boat that doesn’t track I find myself making a cast then having the boat turn or spin giving me an awkward angle to try to work the lure and get a hookset from.

There is a tradeoff here again with the proper amount of keel. The more keel you have the better you track. But more keel also means the bottom of the kayak is deeper, and may hit rocks that a kayak without a keel would miss. A pronounced keel is more likely to roll the kayak if you are floating sideways and hit a ledge that runs across the river. One common kayak fishing technique is to wedge the front of your kayak on an exposed rock to anchor you while you fish an area. A pronounced keel makes this slightly more awkward.

Accessories

Here are ballpark prices on some of the accessories you might want to consider. A nice Voyager paddle holder that doubles as a rod holder with tiedowns is about $25 (this is the same one that comes on the Wilderness Systems Pungo Angler), Harmony Gear has a drain plug for $9, footbraces for $30, a flush mount rod holder for $16, a fishing rod holder for the edge of the cockpit for $25, and a deck rigging kit for $15. A tube of silicon sealant, a drill, some bits, a screwdriver, adjustable wrench, and a few minutes is all you need to install any of these yourself.

Price

The main reason the accessory prices were provided is so that you can adjust the prices of new kayaks so that you are comparing comparably equipped boats, or apples to apples, instead of apples to kumquats. For example, I recently saw Old Town Otters for about $320, but they didn’t have footpegs, whereas every other kayak I compared it to did. So I adjusted the price from $320 to $350 for a fair comparison. I’d recommend that you do that with all the options so you can truly compare what you are getting for a quoted price. Also note that several kayaks on the list come with a basic and an "expedition", or deluxe model. In all cases, the chart below uses the MSRP for the basic model.

Several companies market models ready to fish from. Consider what it would cost you to outfit a basic model yourself, versus buying a ready to fish model.

I’ve tried to list manufacturer’s suggested retail price below, and had to contact some companies directly, while others list MSRP on their web sites. Keep in mind that these are suggested prices, and may vary either way depending on the retailer.

Don’t be afraid to consider a used kayak, although these can be hard to find. My experience is that used kayaks tend to sell for 50% to 75% of their original price, with the 50% range being more common in September when all the outfitters are selling their rental boats.

Bottom Line

There isn’t a single "best" kayak model that suits everyone. Likewise, there isn’t a single kayak model that is best for every use. I may have left you even more confused with your choices than you were before you read this, but stop and think about the questions I’ve asked. In my opinion, what you want in a kayak depends on what you plan on using it for (and I can’t overstate that).

I put the following spreadsheet together recently when I was kayak shopping for Christmas presents. As I bought kayaks for my 12 year old daughter, my wife, and my father-in-law, I was looking for different features in each boat. There are many more companies and kayaks out there, but the spreadsheet gives you a place to start your comparison of different models. Each model name is hyperlinked to the manufacturer’s web page for that kayak model. This will be outdated as each manufacturer changes their web site. Please feel free to pass it to anyone you know who might be interested.

Manufacturer Links

Dagger Kayaks - http://www.dagger.com
Necky Kayaks - http://www.necky.com
Old Town Kayaks - http://www.oldtowncanoe.com
Perception Kayaks - http://www.kayaker.com
Walden Kayaks - http://www.waldensports.com
Wilderness Systems Kayaks - http://www.wildernesssystems.com