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BEST TANDEM FISHING KAYAK: INTRO
Tandem kayak fishing is one of the most fun ways to spend an afternoon, or entire day, on the water! Before you read up on KFC’s review of the Best Tandem Fishing Kayak on the market, we suggest that you take a look at our Tandem Kayak Fishing Ultimate Guide.
The Ultimate Guide is a thorough review of all things tandem kayak fishing related and will serve as a great educational resource for beginners and experts alike!
Unbiased Review
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Overview
This post includes all of the important details about the best tandem fishing kayak. With so many unique features and functions, each making this fishing kayak an easy choice to be named best of the best, we’ve had to organize this article into a number of separate categories.
We begin with a quick overview of the basics of this particular fishing kayak. This overview briefly touches on some selected features from a high level. Next, we’ve included a brief “how to use” section which will serve as a guide for your reference to ensure that you use this fishing kayak to its fullest capabilities. Next, we go into a detailed analysis of each of the most important features of the kayak, explaining why each is important to the sport of kayak fishing.
After that, we have included link to this particular kayak’s product page where you can find more detail and decide whether this specific kayak is the best choice for you. Finally, we’ve included a short write up about our own experiences with this tandem fishing kayak! Are you ready to get started? Let’s do it!
The Basics
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Shortcut to Best Tandem Fishing Kayak Review
The most obvious feature of the Best Tandem Fishing Kayak jumps right out at you. The two seats! After all, the word “tandem” means, “having two things, one arranged in front of the other”. Here, of course, the two things are the kayak seats!
You’ll also note that this fishing kayak comes with six kayak rod holders on each side, and one on the front! Yes, seven total rod holders, right out of the box! We’ll get into more detail on the two different styles of rod holder and the ability of this fishing kayak to allow for the attachment of even more rod holders purchased as after market products.
There are also two waterproof storage hatches. These are great for keeping dry gear (like your wallet, phone, etc.) dry while you are out on the water. These are located between the kayak fisherman’s legs to ensure easy access. This is the perfect location to allow the fisherman to access his or her material quickly, then quickly screw tight before the next big wave!
Finally, there is an inset cargo hold near the stern (or back) of this fishing kayak. Cargo can be safely secured in this area through the use of the included bungee cord. This is a great area to store your tackle box, cooler or even a few extra life jackets!
How to Use Properly
Take a quick look at the checklist below. We have written it to show you the best way to ensure that you properly use all the great features that make this kayak the best tandem fishing kayak on the market today.
- Start by attaching the included seat backs to the kayak by securing the ropes to the connection points (see the image above).
- We always like to sit in these seats to make sure that they are adjusted to support our backs and put us in a comfortable kayak fishing position.
- Next, assuming you are in the water, you can place your rods in the deck mounted kayak rod holders and tighten them down to ensure a good grip on the pole.
- After that, test the side mounted kayak paddle holders to make sure that they keep a tight grip on the shaft of the paddle.
- These paddle holders, or paddle “rests” as they are sometimes called, are adjustable, so you shouldn’t have any trouble creating a snug spot for your paddles.
- Place your extra kayak fishing gear into the water proof storage hatches. Make sure to twist down all of the way, but not to tight that you can’t get them unscrewed and opened when you need quick access!
- That’s it! Now you just need a little bit of luck on the water. Come on, even the Best Tandem Fishing Kayak can’t make the fish bite!
Side Note: Tandem kayaks can be heavy! Learn how to use a kayak anchor or a Minn Kota Talon to help keep you where you need to be!
Best Tandem Fishing Kayak: Important Features
Rod Holders. This tandem fishing kayak comes with plenty of rod holders, seven to be exact, saving you from having to buy them on the after market. There are three “articulated” rod holders, which are sometimes referred to as “deck mounted”. In addition, there are four flush style rod holders. You can see the different types in the image below.
As every fisherman knows, the more lines that you have in the water, the more likely you are to catch more fish. Aside from just increasing your odds, rod holders are great because they essentially give you an extra set of hands. This is particularly helpful when you are navigating with a kayak trolling motor, or your need to pick up your kayak paddles to move from location to location.
Paddle Holders. This tandem fishing kayak comes with two paddle holders. One for the left side and one for the right side. We like these paddle holders because they accommodate paddles of nearly any shape or size. They are able to do this by using a rope and hook system, as opposed to a clamp system. Check out the image below to see how this is done.
Paddle holders, much like rod holders, are very important because they provide you an extra pair of hands. Aside from that, if there is one area where a paddle holder is a superior benefit, it is in terms of space maximization. Let’s face it, space comes at a premium on fishing kayaks, regardless of whether they are solo or tandem models. Kayak paddles are bulky. Without a proper location for storage, you’ll likely have to sacrifice some space. These paddle holders keep a strong grip on the paddles, while allowing for ease of access in case you need to grab hold of your kayak paddle quickly!
Waterproof Storage Hatches. I am slowly becoming famous in my kayak fishing circle for being the one who is prone to drop items overboard. Whether its my car keys, iPhone, wallet or any number of other things, the chances are that I have dropped them to the bottom of the lake. This is why I so highly value the waterproof storage hatches on this tandem fishing kayak. If you’ll notice in the image below, the waterproof storage hatches have been located in a convenient spot, just in front of the kayak fisherman’s seat!
These waterproof storage hatches serve as an ideal water repellent for your sensitive belongings. By our estimation, they can hold about 1 square foot worth of contents, and can still screw down to create a water tight barrier. There are a number of after market water proof bags on the kayak fishing market these days, and some are quite expensive! If you move forward with this tandem fishing kayak, you’ll save some money on such water proof bags, as the need has already been resolved by the waterproof storage hatches!
Cargo Area. This is one of our favorite features of this tandem fishing kayak. We’ve used the bungee tie down cargo area to store any number of things at this point. Whether its camping gear, a cooler, a tackle box, and even a picnic basket, the bungee tie down cargo hold featured by this tandem fishing kayak is a very beneficial feature. Take a look at the image below to see the depth of the cargo hold and notice how the bungee system has been designed to criss cross for added holding power.
Remember that the bungee tie down cargo hold is going to be exposed to the elements. Because of that, we’d suggest that you limit the items you store in the hold to those that can get a little wet from time to time. If you are low on space, you can always consider use of dry bags or even basic tarps within with to insulate your water sensitive gear. One thing you can be sure of is the strength of the bungees. Simply put, once you’ve secured your gear into the bungee tie down cargo hold, it isn’t going to bounce out!
Carrying Handles. Moving a solo fishing kayak is a tough task. A tandem fishing kayak is going to be that much more of a challenge! This tandem fishing kayak is 12.5′ long and weighs approximately 70 pounds. While you could use a kayak cart to help assist you in moving the kayak from A to B, sometimes its easier to simply carry the kayak with your friend – after all you are tandem fishing! But what if you can’t get a good grip? That’s where this tandem fishing kayak’s carrying handles come in nicely!
As you can see above, the carrying handles are bolted directly into the frame (or hull) of the fishing kayak. They are crafted with an ergonomic design which makes them easy on your hands after a long day on the water. There are four handles in total – two on the side (like those pictured above – one on each side), one in the back and one in the front. The ones on the front and back are styled as “T Handles” which allow for a great grip when carrying from front or back, rather than the side.
Buy the Best Tandem Fishing Kayak
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As you’ve read above, this tandem fishing kayak truly has it all. Not only is it a well built, high quality kayak, it is decked out for kayak fishing purposes! A couple other features that we didn’t point out above – this tandem fishing kayak has an 34″ beam. Remember, a “beam” is just a fancy way of saying “width” in nautical terms. The 34″ beam is wide enough to provide a balanced surface capable of managing the weight of two actively fishing occupants. The kayak had a load capacity of 440 pounds, but for heavier kayak fisherman, we’d suggest that you look into getting a kayak outrigger to help keep your kayak balanced (learn how to use kayak outriggers)!
Also, this tandem fishing kayak is built with eight “scupper holes” along its bottom. Remember, scupper holes are small ports that allow water that comes into the kayak’s hull to drain out, without allowing water to drain in. This ensures that the kayak doesn’t get waterlogged. Next, the kayak comes with two 86″ long aluminum kayak paddles, which are the perfect length and material for kayak fishing. The aluminum is light weight and durable, and the length is long enough to allow for a proper paddle stroke, while being short enough to keep from getting in your way! Finally, the two kayak chairs that you see in the images above are also included. This tandem fishing kayak is ready for use – right out of the box!
My Experience
I knew that I wanted to get started in tandem kayak fishing without having to go to much effort or without having a conflict with my partner. Why? Well, one of the reasons is that my tandem kayak fishing partner (his name is Sean) is notoriously picky in the type of gear he likes to include on his kayaks! We couldn’t agree on whether to use deck mounted rod holders, how many to use, or where they should be located. Much worse, we couldn’t decide on what kind of dry bags we would need for purposes of keeping our shared gear dry from splashing waters.
This tandem fishing kayak solved all of our problems! How? Because the manufacturer wisely included all features that could possibly be desired for kayak fishing! This meant that Sean and I didn’t have to argue about rod holders or dry bags – they had already been included! Even better was that the features that were prebuilt into this tandem fishing kayak were far better than the ones that Sean and I would have settled upon if left to our own choices. Simply put, it was way easier, and less confrontational, to just buy a tandem fishing kayak that already included everything we needed for a great kayak fishing outing!
BEST TANDEM FISHING KAYAK: CONCLUSION
I hope this article has helped you learn more about why we are certain that this is the best tandem fishing kayak on the market today. If you’ve read through everything above and you still have questions as to whether this is truly the best tandem fishing kayak for your own particular style of kayak fishing, please comment below! We would love to discuss whether this model would be the best choice for you and we are happy to make alternate suggestions if there is something unique that you require which isn’t offered by this particular model of tandem fishing kayak!
For everyone else, if you are looking to get into tandem kayak fishing, and don’t want to spend a bunch of time identifying a which after market products you need, or which ones are right for you, this tandem fishing kayak is the best choice for you. This model is as close to “ready for use” as there is on the market. Please make sure to write in to KFC and share your experiences with us! We’d love to hear your favorite parts about tandem kayak fishing and whether this tandem fishing kayak lived up to your expectations! While you’re here, learn about other kinds of fun outdoor activities for two!
Want to discover a new favorite spot? Take a look at this list of kayak fishing destinations in Colorado!
Comments
Do you own or have you ever used a tandem kayak? Did you have a good experience? How did it perform? Any other features you find to be important? What overall score would you give it? Do you agree with our opinion on the Best Tandem Kayak? Remember, if you have any questions, we’d love to discuss them with you! Please share your knowledge with the KFC Community by posting a comment below. I read and reply to all comments, and I love interacting with our readers!