- Is a sounder needed? In theory? No. In practice? Yes, it makes a huge difference and the sounder not working is usually enough for me to pack up and go home.
- There are so many different brands of kayaks out there - I'm more tempted to spend the extra money on a Hobie. Am I just falling victim to name brands? You probably are although that isn't to say they aren't decent kayaks. I prefer the drive on my Native Watercraft Slayer. I'd suggest trying a few different kayaks out before you pull the trigger on one, it's a lot of money to spend only to find yourself unhappy with it. That said, most people have Hobies so if you're looking for a second hand yak those are what you are most likely to come across.
- how old is too old for a second hand yak? I wouldn't worry so much about age, have a good look over the hull for cracks (the scuppers are notorious spots for cracks due to the use of scupper wheels) and patches of wear (around the keel and rudder mostly). Some of the older Hobies may not be compatible with the newer versions of the Mirage Drive but that isn't something I'm super familiar with so it might pay to do a bit of research before you pull the trigger.
- Unfortunately none of my friends have a kayak, and I don't really want to be going fishing alone, are there any clubs out there, particularly as I'm a beginner and never had boating experience (for rules etc) Join Vyak:
https://www.vyak.net/
It's got a pretty chill culture and the people are very helpful towards people new to the sport. You'll be able to find someone to go out with for your first few trips without any hassles.
There's also facebook groups, they can be a bit hit and miss though; I've seen some downright dangerous advice being offered on those places.
- I'm leaning towards a pedal kayak, not sure why, I think it's just because that's what I've seen most people using. Any reasons for/against?
The big advantage is that you can move around essentially hands free, so you can fish at the same time.
The cons are that the drives can be complex and it's another thing to break down on you. You may want to carry a few spare bits and pieces out on the water with you in case something breaks. Having a paddle in your hand gives you a bit of extra stability in crap weather because you can use it to brace the kayak.
Personally I have two kayaks to get the best of both worlds, a pedal yak (Native Watercraft Slayer 13) for inland and the bay, and a paddle yak (Stealth Fisha 500) for offshore. I don't 100% trust the drive of the pedal yak and I wouldn't want it to break on me miles offshore, whereas there's nothing too complex about a paddle so it's considerably more reliable in that situation. I mostly troll or drift offshore so there's no huge advantage in having pedals doing those things. However for pure fish-ability you can't beat pedals I think, so on the bays where I'm more likely to be trying to use squid jigs or plastics I much prefer to use the Slayer.
- Other than a fishing licence are there any other requirements before I actually go out? Safety gear! If you buy a second hand yak you'll probably already have a PFD. An EPIRB or PLB is not mandatory although it probably should be, being able to summon a rescue chopper to within 50m of your location has it's benefits compared to the alternative. Flares aren't super expensive, handheld VHF radios are good too. Have a way to keep your phone dry if you call in so you can call 000 if you have to. Make the rescue crews jobs easier by wearing something hi vis, I have no idea why there's camo pattern PFDs on the market.
Also:
Practice falling out and climbing back in your kayak.
Watch Mav's video series on YouTube - Kayak Fishing Unboxed:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDLW8 ... g8Q9BDTgQw
