new kayak recommendation

because i refuse to have to fight for a fishing spot on the shore of any lake that is within 2 hours drive from TO i decided to buy a kayak, but i have a hard time deciding on which one.

from my research i can see that will have to go with a 12' paddle kayak. old town topwater seems to me like a good one and the budget is almost there (trying to limit myself at $1000). Pelican, Ascend, Wilderness Systems also have similar ones in the same category, both budget and functionality.

Any advise of practical differences between them?

Also some questions i have: will a 12' allow me to troll lake Ontario? or at least to cross the harbor to make it he islands? lake simcoe? eerie? provided wind is not too bad (i see many recommending wind < 20kmh). smaller kawartha lakes should be ok i think.
How do i safely lift a 100lbs kayak on the top of the suv? toyota highalnder owner and both the antena fin and the rear top tailgate would make it difficult to load from back.
How do i store it for winter? (single car garage, 10' height, so not much space available)

if any one has opinions on the new kayaks on the market please share. i say new, as i looked for pre-owned but it seems like those are both going real fast and the they're not much cheaper than a new one.

also, even though i am a beginner, i am fairly fit and i tend to learn my tool in not that long of a time. i gave some thought to go first with something cheaper and smaller and upgrade in a year or two but i think kayaks would be like any other outdoor thing: don;t go cheap cause that first sign of trouble it will ruin it for life.

sorry for the long letter i have sooo many questions... do i worry too much?

First of all welcome to kayak fishing.

When I started with kayaking, I bought Hobie Revolution ($1600)brand new back then. It was 13ft long kayak and I used it everywhere from Lake Ontario to small lakes up north.

What do you what to use it for the most? If for trolling, then paddle kayaks are perfectly fine. If you want to use it for casting then peddle kayaks has advantage.

Most of my fishing is trolling far from shore so I use relatively (for fishing kayaks) narrow and long kayak -Kaskazi Marlin that has no issue to cover 10-15 km.
This set up would be overkill for smaller lakes where shorter and wider kayaks have advantages.
All mainstream brands make pretty good kayaks. Wilderness Systems Tarpons, Ocean Kayak Tridents, Hobies, Jacksons are good choices.
Personally, the light weight is important for me as I cartop my kayak. I would look for something less then 75lb.
Ones, I had heavy kayak and many times I didn`t go out as I didn`t want to hassle with heavy beast.
Another thing to consider is how often do you want to use it. It doesn`t make sense to spend lot of money for something that you use 3 times a year.

I have a Ocean Kayak big game 2. Like fishing a big surf board sitting on a good lawn chair. Only real down side is weight 80 pounds and awkward to move unless on a trolley, Also a b#### to get on top of a truck unless you're fit. I'd recommend something similar 12 feet long maybe lighter weight,

A Jackson Bite is a great starter kayak and is in your price range.

I also have a buddy selling a Perception Pescador Pro 120 with paddle, life vest, fish finder and safety kit etc around your price range. Let me know if interested and we can take it offline for deets/pics

thanks for your thoughts so far

fishing i am not single species. i enjoy fishing. sometimes i don;t even care if there is a bite. i keep telling my wife that fishing is not the same thing with catching fish so it will range from local pond to lake O as long as both myself and the kayak can handle it. and while i know i will handle it fairly quickly, the kayak has its final limitations so that is why i am bit concerned about what i will be spending the money on.

that is how i feel about old town topwater: it is described as very comfortable but lifting that on top of the SUV... maybe i need to hit the shoulders a bit more often when go to the gym. it's 82lbs. and get longer hands. well.. get taller overall would help best (not gonna happen though, is it?)

sounds like a great deal, but i am not ready to put the money down just yet. it is in line with what i am looking for though.

i guess it is not really possible to have someone tell me "buy that", (well, it is, but i should doubt it, at least a little bit) and i get it. so perhaps the main question would be "would a 12' paddle kayak allow me to troll for steelhead in lake Ontario or chase a walleye in lake Eerie?

thank again for your thoughts.

As far as the kayak goes the options are many. As far as a tool to get the kayak on the roof of your suv I found the options to be few.
I settled on a Malone load assist rack. I load my 80lb kayak onto the roof of my Grand Cherokee relatively easy.
Make sure when you calculate your budget you include all the accessories required. These extras can range from $100 to $500 depending on your needs.
Good luck with your new hobby.

buy that Perception , I have one love it ,sounds like a good deal !!

Salut Gunoierule.

Your question:
"So perhaps the main question would be "would a 12' paddle kayak allow me to troll for steelhead in lake Ontario or chase a walleye in lake Eerie?"
thank again for your thoughts.

My answer:
I am into kayak fishing since 2010.
I start on small lakes like: Scugog (the swamp aka the bog), climbed to Simcoe perch deep water, trolling for lakers, and ending up in last 4 years on the big lakes: Ontario, Erie, G-Bay for trolling the big game.

In all these years I meet online and face to face many folks from GTA/Ontario in kayaks that troll the big lakes for what you are looking for.
There are at least 3 categories of kayaks/dingy you can get for that job (disregard the order):

I) A Hobie tank Pro Angler 12 feet (You don't need the 14 - too big)
Pro: stable.
Cons: heavy, expensive drive gear, you need strong feets to pedal for trolling, you need to be a Hulk type person. The guy I know he motorized the Hobie with an electric motor. He loves to troll for silver in Ontario, but electric has short range, you have to troll close to shore. Walleye on Erie are not close to shore.
Most probably you need a trailer if you don't have a truck.

II) Kevlar kayaks.
Pro: light weight kayaks
Cons: long kayaks in range of 14-16 feet, you need stamina for trolling to paddle, you will need to troll jet divers, torpedo divers, dipsy divers that have drag. So if you have strong arms go for it. I know a guy that don't fish but he likes to cross the Ontario lake in such kayak from Tronto to US and back in one day just for fan. There is another guy in Missiassauga athat loves his Kevlar and he troll's for silver in Ontario and another one that does both: Ontariao & Erie.

III) A skiff that has a transom mount and is not heavy.
After years of investigation and search this was my choice that I use today.
My choice is a Skiff named: Wavewalk model S4 (I owned initial a W500 model)
This skif has a solid transom that can take and outboard up to 10Hp or any Minkota trolling motor.
Gas motorization does give you the range and the speed to get on the right spot/location. Electric is good as well but is difficult to achieve good speeds to reach the spot fast. Even if we will be able to buy a 3000W lithium battery that will cost you same $ like an new small outboard, not really a bullet proof solution. German Electric Torquedo motors are good but the gear is plastic weak and super expensive. I know two guys that got the for short period of time and now they sell them. Electric is great for small lakes and rivers for short range (under 10km round trip). For great lake you need stamina (gas), the electric is progressing but still super expensive. A 2Hp electric motor from Minkota will cost you more than a small outboard. And the battery you need for that is in order of $2000. If you can afford that kind of money go for it.

Disregarding the type of kayak you get you need a reliable (SOLID) car to carry your kayak. Top car option I don't like it because on highway in strong wind you are a danger to the traffic. Hence I am a van guy, I like to carry the kayak inside the van with the back door open. The advantages of a truck bed or van is that you don't need to lift the kayak and you don't need to mount dismount your gear when you launch or go home. I keep all my gear inside the skiff. To launch or pack up will take me 5-10-15 minutes depending on the location.
I usually stay away from the boat ramps, I use a boat ramp only if I have no other choice close bay.

If you need more details drop me a message in PM.
Cheers, have fun nd be safe.
Tight lines (fir intins).

hai noroc!

i settled for feelfree moken 12.5 v2. placed the order but it will take a while till it comes.

12.6 ft / 85 lbs raise a lot of question about maintenance and logistics (single car garage and a fairly tall SUV) but i think a much more important question would be: where are those walleyes in lake eerie? it is one of the few species that i didn't get to eat (caught by myself). several years of Nipissing ice fishing still did not get me one within the allowed slot size

cheers!

My best record was the limit of 6 walleye last year on Erie in 40 minutes.
You have to know the lake, the right time, your equipment.
Tight lines.