I grew up with a trusty old Grumman aluminum canoe - great for a lake and it was my fishing machine. Around here there are several creeks & streams with rapids and good fishing, we've rented kayaks at a few places and they are a blast... but I think it's time to buy one so I can hit some of the mountain reservoirs and wet a line. Looking at fishing type kayak either a Perception Pescador 120, or moving up to a better seat in a Wilderness systems 120. Lots of reviews out there anyone here with firsthand experience for multi-purpose kayak stream/creeks/ponds, maybe I'll take it to the coast but that would be a stretch occasion
I just got off the water with my wife and 7 year old daughter about an hour ago. The wife was in the kayak, and I took my daughter out for her first run on a local river on our old Grumman aluminum canoe (she's only paddled on a lake before this). Everything was class I, and she got scared the first bit of riffles we hit, but by the end of the 6 mile trip she was squealing with joy every time the front of the canoe would bounce her and splash her with a little water. I don't have experience with the kayaks you mentioned, mine is an Ascend FS10. I wanted a 10' to fish the local larger streams, and also something that was maneuverable because I try to get at least one trip in during the spring when the smaller creek by me turns into a class III-IV after heavy rains. But it's really a compromise, and I wish I had a 12' for fishing. A longer canoe just tracks so much better than even a 10' does.
There are several streams here with class III+ most stuff is I-II, and personally as fun as the rapids are am I'm not at the point where that's what I'm after. Looking at sit on top models a recreational yak with fishing features. We're doing a short float ~2miles from my house that is all spring fed streams in a couple weeks. I did it last July and the water was 65 and the creek was full of fish. North of here ~35mi is Terrapin Creek which has 5-6hr floats in either direction depending on the water levels. Upper float has better rapids, lower float is a more chillaxed ride with a few bends
