Again, thanks for all of the great input!! It's great to see some comparisons b/w the different models, especially from you guy's whove owned a few different kinds! This is exactly what I was hoping for, really appreciated!!
I found a pretty good website for reviews and general info:
http://www.paddling.net/
They have at least some info on just about every Kayak model on the market, along with a lot of other info I haven't even gotten into yet, hopefully this will be usefuil for other first time buyers.
Right now it looks like either the ride 115 or 135 are the front runner's, but there are a couple of other models that look good as well, Jackson Big Rig, Prowler BG II, etc.
I'll end up with at least 2 of these within the next year or so anyway because I'm pretty sure my wife will want to get involved at some point too, so I'll get sort of a do-over on the purchase and re-evaluate priorities on the 2nd one after logging some hours on the water.
I'm about 5'9 / 200 but I like to bring a lot of gear along too, so the wide/higher capacity/higher stability boats are looking good to me.
I'm also a year round fisherman, so tipping the boat is not an option for me if I can help it
I haven't seen anything in the lower end of the price range that seems to meet the requirement of 11-13' length and somewhere in the mid 30's in width, and really after researching a little more I'm starting to see some differences in the higher end models that appear to be worth paying for anyway.
I'll try to get over to hook1 sometime after Thanksgiving and look at some in person before making a decision. It will be a huge help to see them and be able to ask questions in real time.
MidTN, those Hobies look awesome, I checked them out at the link above, and they do look like the Caddy of Kayaks
The weight looks pretty substantial, and the price does too, but I'm glad to hear that they fish as good as they look from someone who's owned one!!
tenn keith - The rudder sounds like solid advice, definitely something I'll look at when I get to hook1!
Thanks Alpha, I just looked at that Native Slayer 10. That is an AWESOME looking rig!! It's out of my reach right now, but maybe if I fall in love w kayak fishing I'll grow into it. Is that propulsion systen OK in rivers or is that intended to be a flat water boat? Just curious, that looks like a great option for sure, As does the Hobie Mirage drive.
tsuggs - Thx for the pics, I can't wait to get something and start rigging it up! Especially the electronics.
Are y'all using full sized batteries or the smaller types like this?
http://reviews.cabelas.com/8815/0180...=5&sort=rating
Thx,
Rob