My Yak

Last March Derek called and told me Gander Mountain had a kayak on sale that I'd drooled over the summer before. We went to look at it and I saw the price was about $300 cheaper than it had been. I went home to think about it and see if I could somehow scrape up the $600 I'd need after a long winter of not working. We went back the next day to pick it up, only to find when we got to the register it was marked down to a dirt-cheap $450!



It's an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler edition. They call it an "Angler" because they added the two pole holders behind the seat on each side. Whoo hoo. If you're familiar with the Prowlers, it obviously doesn't have all the bells and whistles like the newer ones. However, it's light years beyond the little 9 footer I've been using. It's great for lakes and it's a little slow turning in creeks and rivers which can be a pain in the ass... but there's so much storage space and even plenty of room for Trout. It takes on a little water through the scupper holes so I plugged them to keep my feet from standing in water and to keep my butt from getting wet. The seat is thin so I need to buy a pad to make longer trips more comfortable, and I plan to add extra pole holders in front of the cockpit as well as a few other accessories. I bought a cooler from Coleman called "The Stacker" that fits perfectly in the back and holds a case of refreshing beverages (beer) as well as perishable food items.

We've had it out as many times as we could this last year and it's been a pleasure to paddle. It'll float in 4 or 5 inches of water fully loaded which makes it ideal for shallow rivers like the Arkansas. BTW, Have I told you about our recent yak trip down the Ark? I need to post about that sooner than later!