is 10' to small?

krazo84 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:46 am

Is a 10 foot yak to small for inshore fishing?

JeffreyMcGovern · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:03 pm

Nope not at all. One of the best small sit on top kayaks is the Malibu Mini X used by a number of the folks here. At 9'6" it may be small but it handles well and is fine for inshore fishing.

JohnYaksJax · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:46 pm

Hey krazo84.....Actually, a better question would be "are you too big" for a 10' yak???

Dunno how big you are, but I was 214# when I got my Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 and it fits me fine.

Their 10' model, the Tarpon 100, has a weight capacity of 325#, so if you weight about 200# you should have PLENTY of capacity!!

http://www.wildernesssystems.com/produc ... reational/

Several of the guys in here have them, so hopefully they will chime in...."Chef" has two!!

Whatever you purchase, try to test paddle it first!!!
JohnYaksJax

syl17 · **Joined:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:08 pm **Posts:** 83

I have the malibu mini-x and love it. I weigh just over 200 and have no problem. TRY before you buy and you won't have any regrets.

chef · **Joined:** Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:05 pm **Posts:** 306

as jyj said i have 2 t100's. an 08 and 09 ... i personally like the 08 better but the 09 track/rail system is nice.
i'm 6' and 175 and it has plenty of room for me. you definately loose speed and tracking with a 10' or smaller yack. they just don't seem to "glide" through the water like a 14 footer. but if your limited by storage and transporting you can't go wrong with a 10 foot yak. your hight and the length of your legs will be the difference. alot of the newer models have the slideing foot pegs ilo the molded foot well. if you are over 6ft you will probobly not be comfortable with the slideing pegs. they are setup to adjust for children more than adults and don't quite go out far enough to be comfortable for a full day on the water. this is the big reason why i only fish on the 08 (molded well) and use the 09 for friends to fish on or to play at the beach in the waves. thats the other + for the 10ft yack. its small enough to get out in the surf and manuver through the waves. i would recomend hitting the local dealers and test paddel as many different models as you can before you buy anything. and when you do get a yack. spend the money on a great seat with a high back and PLENTY of cusion. no matter how nice the yack is you won't use it if your ass and back feel like sh*t after every trip.

yakityak · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:56 pm

chef could you not remount the tracks for the foot pegs to sit farther forward? i have a redfish 14' and the foot pegs are on tracks that are screwed into the yak.

krazo84 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:50 pm

Wow! Thank all of you for replying so quickly. I'm 5'5" and weigh 170# btw. I'm looking at the 10' range due to transportation issues. I have just a small Sonoma truck and a ford focus. I want something I can haul on either. Also my wife and I rent right now so I need a space saver too. I've been looking at the Malibu mini-x, the Feelfree Molken 10, and the Shakespear 10 foot sot. If any of you have had experience with those please chime in and thanks to those who already have. Oh, and as for testing them out, right now I live in BFE Alabama. The only place close to me that sells kayaks is Dick's Sporting Goods and they ain't gonna let me test anything out lol! I plan on moving to Jacksonville within a year or so and so look forward to being that close to saltwater fishing. The nearest beach/bay to me is in Panama City, FL and it's an hour and thirthy min from here. Thanks again everyone!

jsuber · **Joined:** Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:15 am **Posts:** 2269

I haul a 16' Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160 on top of a Jeep Compass from Florida to Virginia and Tallahassee to Jacksonville and all over the Forgotten Coast. It takes me less than 3 minutes to fully unload and get on the water. You just got perfect your technique. Don't buy a kayak to haul, because your gonna spend more time sitting in it than hauling it. Buy one thats comfortable. I made the mistake of buying a Tarpon 120 in 2003 and moved to the 160 in 2006. I just didn't know any better. Oh yea, I'm 6'3" and 285.

JeffreyMcGovern · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:59 am

After reading all the replies from others I'll stick with my first recomendation. That Mini X for a man your size should be on the money considering your mention of storage concerns as well. At around 40lbs it can be easily stored locked up on a apartment balcony. With prices as they are you folks could get two right now with hatches, seats, and paddles for under a thousand dollars. That way you have a fishing or paddling buddy for the long term. The Mini X is easy to get around and travels well on small cars or little trucks. Besides eve though it's a smaller boat is losing nothing in being able to get to and catch fish. My daughter in her pink Mini X has done 12 hour paddling trips with me and keeping up the entire time.

grateful red · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:45 am

Go with the Malibu over the others. There's no comparison between it and the other two brands. I agree with Chef on the "glide" of a 10' yak though. I had a Tarpon 120 and it was a good boat, but not nearly as stable as my 14' Malibu and it didn't track or glide as well as the longer boat. 10' has limitations that you will eventually discover through use. I would personally go with a longer boat but get the Malibu if you go with a 10' yak.

Morgorin · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:42 am

I've had my Mini-X for about 15 months now. I'm 5'11 and 188 lbs and have no comfort issues. I transport it on top of a Saturn L300. Its weight is easy to carry down to the launch and back and no issues getting it up on the car roof.

I'm very happy with it. I found that on the fishing model, the front rod holders were worthless for me - they're too far forward to easily reach and they sit too close to the water. I installed a Scotty rod holder in the center console and that works perfectly. The front hatch I don't find too much of a need for - I use it to store things I am not going to want until I get off the water (wallet, phone, etc). The broad beam makes it very very stable, however I think it does limit the tracking significantly. It's a little bit of a tank, IMO, but for fishing, I take the stability over the speed.

As everyone will tell you, however: if at all possible, try several out before you buy. It really is worth your time to do so as not everything about a yak is immediately apparent until you paddle it some.

VT87Hokies · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:04 pm

As you've heard here before, try before you buy if possible. I have 3 kayaks from 10'-14' and all work for me at 6' and 220lbs. The 10' is a sit in. It's what works for you based on your size, flexibility and where you plan to fish. I've shared these kayaks with guys from 5'6", 120 to 6', 240 and, while all worked, all had advantages and disadvantages. Bottom line is you need to find what works for you.

is 10' to small?

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