Best Fishing Kayaks Under $1000

From a features perspective, the Vibe Sea Ghost really excels in terms of storage capacity with its easy to reach 20 inch front storage hatch and its 8 inch rear hatch, and a massive rear tank well with adjustable bungees as well as a large sealed center console for additional storage (with even further accessory mounting points as well). Basically no issues for carrying all your fishing gear and then some. What we really like are those additional features that other kayak manufacturers charge extra for (in fact you would be hard pressed to find a kayak with all these features for the same price).

From the extra rod holders (2 capped flush mount fishing rod holders) to the foot controlled rudder system and even the tackle tray holders (2 of them that fit Plano 3600 tackle trays), the Vibe Sea Ghost is fully specced for a fishing expedition! Comfort wise, the kayak comes with the comfortable Vibe Hero seat and we also had no issues sitting in the kayak for those longer fishing trips. With its included toe-controlled rudder (normally an add-on with other kayak brands), the Vibe Sea Ghost tracks extremely well and is truly an exceptional kayak, and is suited both for novice anglers or even more experienced fisherman.

From a storage perspective, the Prowler 13 has a large rear tankwell with deck bungees to keep everything secure. In the front of the yak cockpit is the 6″ Cam lock hatch where you can keep all of the smaller items that you want at your fingertips. The bow of the kayak features a large clickseal hatch compartment so all your storage needs are catered for. Fitted with 2 flush mount rod holders behind the seat, a moulded in seat well and the Comfort Plus Seat Back, longer fishing trips are not a problem in terms of comfort. The fact is that you could get a far sexier yak, and definitely find a more expensive fishing kayak out there, but what sets the Prowler 13 fishing kayak apart from its competitors is that the so-called Ocean Kayak P13 is not truly great at any one thing, but it does almost everything else quite well indeed. For an all-rounder fishing kayak that is both rugged and affordable, you can’t go past an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 sit on top kayak.

With a massive 7 Rod Holders, 4 flush mounted for stability and another 3 that are adjustable for convenience, you can see that the UH-TK181 is made for fishing, allowing you to get multiple line in the water at once. With a maximum capacity of 450lbs, and weighing in at 68lbs, the UH-TK181 is easily transportable by 2 paddlers, but you would probably be looking at a kayak cart if trying to haul it on your own. Talking about going solo, the UH-TK181 is also great if youre just fishing alone, and stability is not hampered by just having a single paddler in the kayak. What we really liked about BKC kayaks, is that all kayaks come standard with two high-quality aluminum paddles and two deluxe kayak seats with your purchase. So you can spend your extra money on extra fishing gear or whatever takes your fancy, as this tandem fishing kayak is complete for an all-in price of under $1000. Fantastic!

Transporting the kayak around is made easier with some great grabs for both front and rear and the kayak weighs in at a mere 29kgs which is fairly lightweight for its size. As we mentioned in our in-depth review, what we really liked about the Pescador 12′ kayak was that it was stable on the water. In fact, to say that the Pescador 12′ Angler is extremely stable in the water would be an understatement. And of course stability on the water is exactly what you want when you go fishing.  You are even able to swing your legs over the side and wade them in the water without rocking the boat or affecting the stability. The 2 flush mount rod holders go really deep to fit most rods and we could fit any rod that we tested the holders with.  Being only 28 inches wide, the Perception Pescador 12 tracks really well through the water, and once again, we have to stress the stability of this kayak in the water. All in all a lightweight yak that is suitably priced.