Their relatively light weight makes kayaks easy to transport, and they tend to be easier to use than canoes.
Old Town Topwater 120 PDL
This kayak is a sit-on-top that comes with Old Town’s PDL pedal drive, which is one of the best in the business. You can maneuver this 12-footer without hands, which makes it great for drift-hunting or any fishing. The hull has a 500-pound capacity, so you may want to bone out any deer you want to transport, depending on the total weight in the craft. The kayak is narrow but quite stable.
Weight: 106 pounds
Capacity: 500 pounds
Length: 12 feet
Width: 36 inches
Hull construction: Polyethylene
Colors: Four colors, including a camo-style
Manufacturer location: Old Town, Maine
Price: $2,149
Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14
The Mirage part of its name refers to the propulsion. Hobie’s Mirage 180 drive is an industry trendsetter, and this year, has been upgraded to “kick up” when you’re in shallow water and you hit a log or other obstruction. With Hobie, you get a proven sporting kayak. Features include a non-skid deck, H-Rails, which is Hobie’s proprietary accessories attachment system, plus a large amount of storage for shells, decoys, trail cams, lunch and whatever else you’d like to bring to or home from your hunt. This photo shows a kayak ghillie kit, one of many accessories you can buy to outfit a Pro Angler for hunting.
Weight: 120 pounds fitted hull weight; 144 pounds, fully rigged
Capacity: 600 pounds
Length: 13 feet, 8 inches
Width: 38 inches
Hull construction: Polyethylene
Colors: Three colors, including a camo option
Manufacturer location: Oceanside, California
Price: $3,889; $4,089 in camo
Jackson Kayak Kilroy HD
If your customer needs a price break, then a paddle kayak, like the Jackson Kilroy HD, might be right for him or her. It’s a sit-inside kayak that was recently redesigned for more storage and stability. A large bow deck is a great place to tie down gear or game. Jackson’s solution to keep the paddle out of the way but handy is a keeper on the bow that secures the blade until you’re ready to grab the paddle and get moving.
Weight: 93 pounds
Capacity: 450 pounds
Length: 12 feet, 10 inches
Width: 36 inches
Hull construction: Polyethylene
Colors: Four, including two camo options
Manufacturer location: Rock Island, Tennessee
Price: $1,599
Old Town Discovery 119 Solo Sportsman
Here’s a hybrid craft that has some of the best parts of a canoe and a kayak. The seat is a comfortable kayak-style seat with an adjustable backrest. It makes all the difference on a long paddle. And from the canoe tradition, there is a lot of storage space in this craft. The Sportsman also handles much more like a kayak than a canoe. But it might be the price that turns the heads of your customers.
Weight: 56 pounds
Capacity: 345 pounds
Length: 11 feet, 9 inches
Width: 32.5 inches
Hull construction: Three-layer Polyethylene
Colors: Three, two of which area. Camo style
Manufacturer location: Old Town, Maine
Price: $899
