^^^ what he said^^^ I own two; Jackson Cuda 12', and a Tarpon T130 and these are great because of their width; not too wide. Unfortunately, these new kayaks are heavy and wide for my usage. I think my next purchase will be a used Tarpon 140.

Everyone has their preference. I went through the same situation a couple of years ago when deciding what I wanted. I ended up buying a used 2021 Native Slayer Max 12.5. Last year, my wife decided she wanted a fishing kayak and we ended up getting her a new Hobie PA12 360. Both are great and each has its own set of pros and cons. I dove deep into the weeds when trying to decide on my first rig and made the usual mistakes everyone warned me about. The second go-around went a lot quicker and easier. Here are some suggestions based on what I learned. Hope it helps.

BUYING SUGGESTIONS
1. First, figure out what aspects are most important to you. Fishability/stability vs. ease of transport/storage, simplicity vs. adaptability, budget limits, etc. If you buy a 120-pound kayak that is a nightmare for you to transport and store, you won't use it. If you buy a small, lightweight kayak and try to carry 9 rods, 100 pounds of tackle, and try to rig a ton of electronics on it, you'll hate it and won't use it. If you spend way too much on the kayak and don't leave anything in the budget for rigging, it will look cool in the garage, but you probably won't use it. Figure out what fits your style first before you ever lock in to a certain brand or configuration.

2. Identify the "MUST-HAVE" features you need on your kayak so it fits your style, but try to keep an open mind. I think you should only have one, maybe two "must-have" features on your list. When you first start out, you don't know jack [censored] about fishing kayaks or all of the options out there. But you do know how YOU fish and how YOU are going to use it, but that's all you know. For me, I was 100% sure I wanted a pedal kayak. I wanted the ability to have my hands free while fishing and still be mobile. I was also pretty set on having instant-reverse because I always fish docks and the heaviest cover I can find. I didn't rule out other options, but it was the best solution I found for horsing fish out from under docks, without getting pulled into or under the dock in the process. This narrowed my search tremendously since that only left prop-style drives. I weighed the pros and cons of prop drives and decided it was the way to go. For some reason, I feel the need to carry a lot of gear/tackle with me all the time, no matter what. Not sure why, but that's just how I am. This made weight ratings and good storage options a determining factor as well.

3. Identify all the makes/models that check your "MUST-HAVE" boxes and demo them however you can. Dealer demo days, borrow, rent, whatever. Do what you can to test as many as possible. Pay attention to the little things. Fit and finish, replacement part availability, rigging options/adaptability, maneuverability in situations you will be using it in, etc. It is the hardest thing in the world to make yourself not buy the first one you jump in, but seriously it's worth it. Side note, you aren't going to feel 100% stable in any of them if you've never used a kayak. Just pay attention to how stable each one feels for you, and then try to compare the feel and decide from there. You'll get used to it and more confident in standing up/moving after a while.

4. Once you've figured out which kayak is the one for you, decide whether you want to buy it new or used. Consider the cost of repairs vs. the warranty on a new one and whether you have the patience to wait for a good, used one to become available or not.

5. Congrats! You are now the proud owner of a sweet fishing kayak. Now the fun begins! For the love of all things holy, DO NOT immediately start buying every accessory, gizmo, and gadget that fits on the sweet new revolutionary rail system that's on your new boat. You will waste a lot of money, deal with an unnecessary number of headaches trying to rig EVERYTHING, and end up with a pile of unused stuff. Ask me how I know... Instead, just buy the bare necessities and go fishing! As you use it, make a list of issues you run into that you want to fix or improvements you want to make. Then, explore all the options available that will solve the issue. Make sure each item you're considering works with other items on your rig and that it all fits where you need it to. For example, my Native Landing Gear is handy and is a must-have in most places I fish, but it's ALWAYS in my way. It makes rigging an anchor wizard, storing my paddle, storing rods, using grab handles, storing the kayak, etc. all more difficult, but I have to have it. If you don't NEED something, don't put it on there. (This goes for stickers too. My wife's new nicknames are "Stickers" and "Showboat". ) But seriously, you won't know what you NEED until you've used your new rig enough to figure it out.

Good luck with everything and enjoy it!

Congrats and good luck on the new baby also. Fishing is cool but seeing your kids experience it early on is a pretty amazing feeling. Here’s my oldest son giving his approval of my purchase shortly after I bought my Native.

A fantastic point! I was the baby in a canoe and kayak way early. Started in the early 80's and now I'm old and still love it. I've always been super thankful my dad took me out and showed me how to do it. It's been a lifetime of amazing experiences that can never be replaced. My son also started a few weeks after birth.