re: Kayak buying tips...

Yep. I have an Ascend D10 I modified the way I wanted for fishing and cruising.

I'd get the exact same thing if I'd be buying another one today.

I've been fishing in a kayak over two years now. One thing about a kayak is do not go cheap. If you buy the cheaper kayak it will cost you more in the end. You'll want to look for a few things.
First is comfortability and adjustability. Both are a must because sitting on the water paddling around you want to be comfortable. You need to be able to adjust it to fit your height, especially the foot pegs and seat. Its a must to really enjoy a kayak.
Second get good paddles. Don't go with a $20 paddle from academy, they are crap. Get you a name brand like Aquabound, Harmony, Bending branches (they make a good one for a decent price). You need an effecient paddle to make it enjoyable and not a constant workout. Trust me paddles are very very diffent from each other. Get the right legnth also. The paddle should measure to the top of your fingers when you are standing with your arm stretched out above your head
Third is size, small ponds, bayous etc go with 10-12 ft. Bigger bayous or open bodies of water you'll want 12-14ft. The longer the legnth the better they will track in the water on open bodies of water. 10 ft is alot smaller in the water when you are in it then it looks out of the water.
Good luck to you. If I were to recomment a brand it would be WIlderness Systems, Native, Jackson, or Redfish which is a great starter kayak