Fluid Bamba vs Legend Trident vs Stealth Fusion 480

[DJP]

I'm looking at getting a plastic kayak (have a few launch areas with plenty of rocks so want to keep away from the fibre glass).

Will mostly be doing bottom fishing for kob and red fish, not too much trolling unless there are some odd Bonnies or tail near shore.

Fluid Bamba R10600
Legend Trident R14600
Stealth Fusion 480 R15600

I'm a bit undecided which route to go. Not much in the price between the Stealth and Legend kayak, both get good reviews.
Bamba is quite a bit cheaper but also heavier and slower.

Alternative is to get a cheaper plastic kayak for kelp/rock mission e.g. a Vanhunks or fluid kayak. And then save up for a proper Stealth fibre glass kayak again?

 

[SPARRABOS]

Ek 2 bambas gehad vir rivier... My neefs dit oor gekoop... Een op gouritz.. Een in kaap... Hulle kayak Mal... Ek te bang vir see... Hulle gaan by Kanon en yster vark fontein en gouritz sommer op Plat dag tussen klippe uit... Lol.. Vang Roman's poensies... En Bonnie's... Fluid taai.. My een neef gaan oral met hom.. Trident Meer stabiel... Hulle sommer Paar kayakke op plaas.. Lol...lyk soos n kayak fabriek... Watsup my 0722277950...stuur ek jou n link vir kayak groep.. Kan manne jou raad gee... Ook beste gaan test drive AL 3...besluit Dan...

 

[zulu-X-treme]

I think I purchased one of the first Bamba's in 2015 and still to this day I'm super happy with my choice - There's stacks of posts from when I first got my Bamba on Sealine.

Trolling speed has never been an issue with numerous fish being landed from Cape Vidal to Ballito, but yes you are right, 'she's heavy, however the new Bamba's are substantially lighter with a few minor changes/improvements - Also since when was this a race? There will always be the debate around the perfect trolling speed.

She's 'bullet proof' with a few dings against the Dolos here in Richards Bay which atest to the crafts build quality - I have a tendency to fish toward the piers hence the odd bump or scratch and that's exactly why I bought 'her'.

As for a stable fishing platform I don't think you can get better, really the ATV's of kayaks with lots of room to attach fish finders, rod holders, etc.

As per the previous comment, test them all and that's really the best way to decide.

 

[zulu-X-treme]

Here's 'she' is...

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

I got a plastic "Tarpon" Kayak...and trolling speed aside, the weight is a killer...Unloading from and to the car is a nightmare LOL But its great fun and easy to launch among the rocks and great to fish off. I'd get a lighter plastic if I got a new one for all round fishing, estuaries, close inshore etc..

 

[DJP]

Thanks for all the feedback.
With the kayaks it's always such a battle to choose. I had a Stealth BFS, great kayak, very stable but probably not the quickest out there. However, kayak speed was only really a problem when you fish with guys that have faster kayaks, and it was still quick in comparison to the plastic kayaks available at the time.

Now a I have plastic Vanhunks SUP (used mostly for farm dam fishing), still great for the lagoon and a have taken it out on the kelp but the flat deck isn't ideal for when there is a bit of swell and it's slow which means it's hell to paddle into any head wind.

So I'm looking for something that will give me a bit more peace of mind and allow me to fish (or at least get home) when conditions aren't 100% perfect. The other side of the argument is that I just buy two 9ft to 10ft kayaks which I can pop in the back of my bakkie. Easy to transport and carry but then I'm limited to fishing kelp areas and lagoons... which is probably where I will fish 80% of the time in any case.

@Zulu and Sparra I'm confident the Bamba won't let me down. Looks like there is a guy that does rentals here in Hermanus that I will contact to test them out. Seems for the other kayaks I will have to travel to Capetown side.