The holiday season is upon us, so it’s time to start thinking about a gift for the paddler in your life. One thing any kayaker can never have enough of is MORE kayaks, but we don’t advise pulling just any old boat off the shelf and putting it under the tree.

Even for experienced paddlers, the wealth of boats, brands and features can be overwhelming when you’re looking for a new rig. What’s the best fit? A fishing kayak with pedals? A fishing kayak with motor? Have you considered a lightweight sit-on-top fishing kayak or a 2-person fishing kayak? Our ARC warehouse has more than 500 boats, and nearly 100 of those are specifically for fishing. We’re really just a red suit and pointy shoes away from being Santa and his elves.

To help you sift through our many rigs and pick the perfect fishing kayak for your friend or family, we’ve pulled together a holiday gift guide listing a few of our favorites for your consideration.

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Vince’s Pick: Hurricane Sweetwater 126
Our general manager Brian Vincent is quite the angler, and he’s fought many a fish from the seat of many a kayak. His choice for the best fishing kayak? The Hurricane Sweetwater 126, which offers one of the best bangs for your buck in our fleet. At 12.5 feet long, 33 inches wide and 52 pounds, it ticks all the boxes for versatility, speed, stability and weight.

The Sweetwater benefits from an adjustable seat to help you navigate between comfort and leverage, depending on what’s at the end of your line, and its 10-inch bow-hinge and 5.5-inch day hatch provide plenty of room for storing your gear.

Best Value: Native Watercraft Falcon 11
Searching for an affordable fishing kayak? One of the most budget-friendly, upper-tier boats on the market, the Native Watercraft Falcon 11 is a fantastic choice for the entry-level kayak angler or somebody looking to add a feature-rich rig to their arsenal.

At $999, the Falcon 11 is absolutely packed. Its 11-foot, 32.5” frame boasts hi-low frame seating, console with battery and transducer scupper access, stand-up pads, ample groove track and dual flush-mounted rod holders. At 60 pounds (65 fully rigged), it’s still on the lighter side but retains outstanding stability on the water.

Buy Once, Cry Once: Blue Sky Boatworks 360° Angler
If you’ve ever gone kayak shopping, you’re probably used to compromising somewhere to get the boat you want – whether it’s size, weight, features or something else. That’s not the case with the Blue Sky 360° Angler. This is an elite rig specifically built for fishing, and it has all the features you’ll ever need.

This is basically a bass boat in the form of a kayak. It rides like a dream, has ample space for you and your gear (and your catches), and a Flex Drive pedal system that can take you from shallow to open water – and back – with ease. Make no mistake – this is a big boat at 13 feet, four inches long and a loaded weight of 170 pounds. However, the 48” deck width will have you wondering how you ever fit in anything smaller.

Jackson Bite Angler
Another great value is the Jackson Bite Angler, which is one of the best rated fishing kayaks you can get for under $1,000. It has all the quality Jackson is known for, from its solid hull to the flush-mount rod holders and a well-designed, open-concept deck that provides plenty of room to stand while you reel in your catch.

It’s also a great platform to build on with room for an accessory mounting bracket that can house a PowerPole or Torqeedo trolling motor. Put it out on small lakes and rivers, ponds, streams, or inshore saltwater and let the fun begin.

Old Town Sportsman 120
The Old Town Sportsman 120 is defined by its superior stability and drivability. Buoyed by an ultra-stable DoubleU Hull, a frame that measures 12 feet long and 33.5 inches wide, and non-slip EVA foam deck pads, you’ll have no problem standing up or moving around to access your gear – of which it also fits plenty.

And if you prefer to sit, the Textilene-lined seat provides excellent durability and breathability, along with high-low adjustability. That will come in handy while you’re waiting for one of your three mounted poles to get a bite, thanks to a mounting setup that allows for one forward-facing and two rear-facing rods.

Bonafide RVR 119
If you’ve outgrown your current fishing rig or you’re looking for a boat you can grow into, check out the Bonafide RVR 119. It’s packed to the gills with features and has plenty of room for upgrades, including internally run tubing that provides space to add a single or double Anchor Wizard system. It’s also ready to take on a Torqeedo throttle and an SS Pod system and built to house a 16x16” YakAttack BlackPak fishing crate to store your catches. Essentially, it’s an upgrade platform waiting to be made your own.

That’s not to say the base RVR isn’t ready to put in the water right off the delivery truck. It’s capable in both moving and flat water, and its 425-pound load capacity means you’ll never hurt for storage space. That’s not to mention the impressive maneuverability, made possible by a frame that measures 11 feet, nine inches long and 35 inches wide.

Native Watercraft Titan X 10.5
Pedal fishing kayaks allow anglers to keep their hands free to do more of what they love – fish. The Native Watercraft Titan X 10.5 comes equipped with a Propel Pedal Drive, but that’s far from the only highlight on this one. Start with the 360 PivotPro swivel seating for exceptional comfort and maneuverability on the deck. Then check out the two battery-ready storage compartments with “PowerLink” access points that allow you to run wire and mount switches for your favorite electronics with ease. It’s ready to take on your fish finder, GPS, monitors, motor and more.

But back to the pedal drive system: It’s connected to a Springblade rudder that allows for exceptional maneuverability through all types of water. All those features sit in an economic, 10-foot, eight-inch frame that boasts a fully-rigged capacity of 149 pounds and a roomy width of 38 inches. Load it up and enjoy a full day on the water.

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The popularity of fishing kayaks has skyrocketed over the past decade, and with good reason. We stand by every boat we sell, but they’re not all created equal, and every paddler has their own unique needs and preferences. You can’t go wrong with any boats in this 2024 holiday gift guide, or any others in our store, for that matter, but the devil is in the details.

If you’re still unsure about which rig is the perfect fishing kayak for you or your loved one, or you’ve narrowed it down and just need a nudge in one direction or another, feel free to give us a call to talk it over. Putting people in the right boat for them is what we do – and so is talking about kayaks!