Heritage Kayaks Redfish 14

Summary

This is a great fishing kayak designed with an angler in mind. It has usable space, as well as storage for all your gear. Handles on both sides, and at both ends, help with mobility out of the water.

Well, I had this kayak for close to 3 years. I bought it used, so it had a bit of oyster rash already on the bottom, but it was solid. The first thing you notice when you get in is how stable it is for such a long kayak. It has a wide beam, so using those floating docks isn't an issue. Once you start paddling though, it tracks straight and true, and has just a touch of rock back and forth, just enough to put you into a nice steady rhythm.

The folding seat that comes with it isn't necessarily bad, it's just basic. It's comfy enough, but the backrest is a bit thin, and can bend when pushing back on it for leverage while paddling. The cockpit is well laid out, and foot stirrups added to it will keep your feet from wanting to slip around when inevitably you get some water inside.

The 6 scupper holes drain water out very quickly, and even when loaded down, do not let very much water in, save when in big water obviously. I used the rear cargo area for the tackle box and cooler, and my emergency supplies, and felt it was more than big enough for all the gear for 1 person.

The front cargo area has a large waterproof lid that snaps into place firmly. I can say from experience, that a sleeping bag, tent, cooking kit, first aid kit, hatchet, tarp, backpack, camp shovel, anchor and anchor rope will all fit in the front, and you will still have a bit of room to spare, and more importantly, with 30-40lbs of gear in the front, it won't affect the waterline of the kayak.

I've taken this in everything from little farm ponds to the ocean, and it performed flawlessly. In the ocean, the stability is nice for jumping in to cool off, and getting back in is easy without tipping it over on top of you. In ponds, it glides through the water effortlessly and silently, and can get way back in the shallow water, draft with me (180 lbs) and 30-40 lbs of gear is a scant 3" max. The bottom of the hull is solid and thick enough to handle beaching and surf launching in sand. The middle rib helps the tracking stay straight and allows for "ramming speed" paddling.

I outfitted mine with a few extras after I bought it. Adjustable rodholders, anchor trolley system, spiderweb cargo net, stirrups, and scupper plugs. The nice thing is, there's so many areas to mount things, that there is an almost endless amount of accessories that can be used. Everything from fishfinders and GPS to sails and trolling motors.

For the price these can be had for now, I'd say there really isn't another kayak out there, for the same price, that can compete with the size and space the Redifish 14 offers.