Article by: Dale Oakey (JustFishin)

Over the years I’ve probably canoed and waded a few thousand miles on rivers and streams east of the Mississippi.  As I’ve gotten older the two-man canoes I use seemed to have gotten much heavier. To compensate for age and to extend my river fishing life I purchased an Old Town Discovery 119 which has become my go-to boat. Why a canoe over other options? Primarily because Read the full story

Item reviewed: Malibu Stealth 12
Condition: New
Number of trips used: 6-10 trips
Gear Review Submitted by: Just Fish

How it performed: I purchased the new Malibu Stealth 12 after owning an X-Factor and a Malibu Extreme. My plans were to get a smaller kayak for my river trips since I seem to be fishing the river a lot more than the lake and I already have an 09 Ride that goes to the lake with me.
The Stealth is wide and stable for all big guys and is great for kayak fishing. It is shorter than the X-Factor but built with the same design features. The thing that I like the best is the storage capacity that the Malibu kayaks are known for and the new cockpit design is designed so you are able to stand up and fish if you desire.

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Tarpon 120 – This is a very solid kayak that has been around for a while.  It was one of the original, most used boats by river fisherman.  The popular 140 and 160 versions are commonly used by saltwater and lake fisherman.  The brand has been around for a long time and is a proven commodity in the kayak world.

Positives: It is very solid and abrasion resistant to handle more wear and tear than some other brands.  Even though it is not really a boat I would endorse standing in, it is still a very stable boat.  Read the full story

This was my first river fishing kayak and it served me well as I was able to catch many nice river bass out of it.  I liked it so well I bought a second one and used it as my spare for friends.  It has many positives and over time proved to have several negatives as well.  Hey, I’m a positive kinda guy, so let’s start there.

Positive: The good thing about this kayak, and all Ocean Kayak boats is that they are light weight.  The kind of fishing I do can be very tough in getting kayaks in and out of the river. Sometimes bridge access points can be very steep and having a light kayak can save some wear and tear on ones back!  Another good thing about these boats is the fact that they are very stable.  I realized I could stand and fish out of my Caper soon after I put it on the water, and I haven’t been sitting and fishing a river since. Read the full story

This question is a little more complicated because there are so many different types of rivers, but I will attempt to break each type down and discuss the best river vehicle for each. If you are in the United States you are living in one of four topographical categories - mountain, piedmont, coastal plain and internal plain. Each of these land sections have different types of rivers and to best assist you we must take a close look at each area. Read the full story

There are many advantages to raising the seat in your Ultimate from the stock location. You gain a better view of your fishing area, you gain storage room, and it makes going from a seated position to a standing one just easier over a long day out on river. I’m going to show you how to do it yourself, for cheap. Now this way is just one way to do it, there are other options out there. One option is to buy a seat riser from Native which will run you about $60.

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Reviewers Name: Brian Cope

Item reviewed: Native Ultimate 12 Seat Riser

Condition: New

Number of trips used: 3-5 trips

How it performed: Read the full story

This answer to this question is a little more complicated because there are so many different types of rivers, but I will attempt to break each type down and discuss the best river vehicle for each. If you are in the United States you are living in one of four topographical categories – mountain, piedmont, coastal plain and internal plain. Each of these land sections have different types of rivers and to best assist you we must take a close look at each area. Read the full story