# Perception Bimini



## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

I did a search and did not find the info I needed. At 27 inches wide and 15 ft long is this boat suitable for BTB. I have found one for 800$ with rudder, FF, two rod holders and other acc. Any opinions are appreciated. Any other pro's and cons on this boat?


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

I can't offer boat specific comments... but Perception makes a quality product... better then the shelf OK products for sure... the best bait yakker I've ever paddled was a Perception Swing that my friend paddles baits with and fishes btb... I had a Perception Prism from 98 to 2004 and it was tops in the flats... kicked arse at paddling baits until the hatch straps needed replacement and it began taking on a lot of water in the surf... I currently have an Aloha 8.5 which is a great small surf yak, but blows for paddling baits any distance if there is wind or surf above 2.5'... but the quality Perception brings to the sport is top notch in my opinion... I'd say paddle it and see what you think... a 15' touring yak will track nice on the sraight course... major downfall will be coming in... the touring beam Perception puts on the hull will allow a wave to grab you you if you're not careful... once you start going sideways, you WILL be rolled...

jc


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## rod dawg (Jan 18, 2006)

Fast flat water kayak...great for the smooth waters....

IMHO..Not so BTB friendly (unless you hit the perfect day for ice cream conditions).

Stability would be difficult in 3-4' swells plus challenging if you are fighting a rather large fish. Going through the surf, the yak will tend to punch through the waves rather than over the waves. And coming in...we'll thats a different story for a lot of us BTB'ers...

good luck...

rod dawg


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## fish Drill Team (May 28, 2007)

I've got a 15' Perception Bimini. I got it around this time last year. It is my first and only kayak at this time. I think most will agree with me that it is a great boat and hard to beat in the bays and marshes. With a rudder, it turns well enough. It's plenty fast as well. About the only thing I would change on it would be to lose the front hatch and turn that into a deck well. You can't reach the rear hatch while seated, so that is functionally useless on the water. However, you could easily slide forward a little bit to grab something in a forward deck well. If you plan to make trips lasting several days and you're carrying all your gear in your yak, you may want to keep the enclosed hold, but not me.

It is not the best BTB boat out there. It is functional. Going out is not a problem, in fact, this boat may be better than shorter/wider models because it will not get pitched about by the waves quite as much. This puppy just slices right through them! Be prepared to get slammed in the chest with a wall of water. On the flip side, your time in the breaker zone will be greatly reduced because of its speed.

Coming back in is a different story. One must be very aware of the wave sets and how to deal with them. You can't just shoot for shore. You do that, and the back end will get picked up by a wave and the nose will slice into the water and head for bottom. When that happens, you have increased drag in the front and then the boat will want to swap ends on you in a hurry. Only problem is that at the half-way point, you will get rolled. This can be avoided by taking the waves at an angle and then using a technique called 'bracing'. There are several videos on youtube that can show you how it is done. Basically, you go at an angle to the wave and then lean INTO it with your paddle outstretched towards the wave with the blade almost flat so that it skims across the surface of the water. In this manner, you make your footprint much wider and shift your center of gravity to a point between the keel of the kayak and the outstretched paddle, making it very difficult to get rolled. 

I've been BTB numerous times and have only been rolled twice - and that was on the same trip in! I unloaded and went back out to practice my re-entries in heavy surf and was successful.

All that said, my next kayak will be a little more surf-friendly. My brother has an OK Prowler that seems to work pretty well in those conditions. If I were to get an additional kayak, I'd probably go with one of those or one of the Fish & Dives. Not because the Bimini can't do it, but because I need two similar boats like I need an alternate....

I hope this helps.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

You need a kayak with a good rocker on the front. I have an old Prism, which is pre Bimini and it works great in smooth water such as Bay's and Marsh, and lakes. I would advise looking and trying a wider and stable yak such as a Fish and Dive. There are more good yaks out also.
You can go to the TKF site and go onto the forums and go to BTB site and you can get alot of info and meet some like Roddog who posted above. The guy's are happy to get you started in the BTB fishing and can cut your learning time in half.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Thanks troutless, If I were only going to be fishing BTB It would be a no brainer on which kayak I ouwld get, Ride, F&D, or X-factor. I will be doing probably just as much bay fishing as BTB. I was just getting suggestions on a yak that would give a little in both catagories but work well in both. Need to narrow it down to a few, so I can go paddle a couple and not have to paddle the dealer's whole fleet.


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## rod dawg (Jan 18, 2006)

I feel your dilemna. It's hard finding a median, especially if you're going to do both (Bay and BTB) about equally. Different shoes fit different folks. 

I'm still trying to find my universal yak....but I always think to myself..."Do I want stability or do I want speed??" Heck, I'll just buy another yak for flatwaters.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Well the WS ride 135 looks like a great yeak for me..I have read over many yaks reviews and all the stuff i can..I hear it is fast enough for its sze but stable enough too. I seem to believe it is the best median yak. I just need to paddle one when I get home and see if it is what I like.


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