We have 500 dollar john boats on craigslist all the time with electric motors. I went with a modded 15 foot john boat for 750 dollars and it came with a 9.9 how merc and 45# trolling motor. Also had basic electronics. Had a little home built trailer and loved, I live in river and big lake country and most the ponds or small lakes have a 10hp limit for me. So I stick with the boat. If I was fishing primarily ponds, and short distances on rivers or small lakes, I'd go with a kayak.

I'd go Kayak to start.  Its's less expensive, easier to get around places and get around in once you're on the water- and you are almost completely silent.  If you end up getting crazy into it, you can always get a jon boat down the line too or even trade the yak in towards one.  

 

 

Besides, the Ride 115x is a freakin Cadillac!  I'd cut off a pinky to trade my boat up to a 115x haha stop wasting valuable fishing time and GO GET IT !  

LOL your picture is awesome..  Riding the shark LMAO

Not to offend any Kayak fisherman, but I've own one (Old Town Predator), fished out of it, and still use mostly to duck hunt, and I always wonder......Why the heck you would want to fish out of one compared to a myriad of other more comfortable choices, like Gheenoes, River Hawks, Jon boats, etc. The only reason would be portability and if that is not a hindrance or you fish with two people or can trailer than its no contest get a Jon Boat!  

Not to offend any Kayak fisherman, but I've own one (Old Town Predator), fished out of it, and still use mostly to duck hunt, and I always wonder......Why the heck you would want to fish out of one compared to a myriad of other more comfortable choices, like Gheenoes, River Hawks, Jon boats, etc. The only reason would be portability and if that is not a hindrance or you fish with two people or can trailer than its no contest get a Jon Boat!  

I love a Jon boat on a nice calm day, but when its windy (almost always here in KS) the wind slapping against the metal boat drives me bonkers!

With that said I get where you are coming from and would have to say that the reason I own a kayak is for 2 main reasons:

1) Portability, I don't have to own or store or tag or find a place to launch a trailer. I can just slide the kayak in the back of my SUV and launch it just about anywhere. Also you don't have to tag and pay registration on a kayak in KS.

2) Kayaks can go where other boats can't, shallow water and narrow paths are a kayakers dream.

 

Hope this helps.

 

2) Kayaks can go where other boats can't, shallow water and narrow paths are a kayakers dream.

 

 

 

 

This is the key for me.  I actually do have a nice little 8 foot jon boat that I keep for times when 2 friends need a boat since it is just more work.  Also I like to drag my yak through woods to get to places that don't have normal access and that is near impossible with a jon boat.    

I own a canoe, and looking @ 10 foot kayaks.If you are a largemouth angler, a jon boat set up your way, is the ticket for the control you need, for all the technics we love in bass fishing.

+1 for the jon boat

I went with an inflatable raft. Kayak was not a good option for me because of prolonged sitting, high rate of wakeboarder traffic and getting wet asspect.

 

Jon boat wouldn't have worked because I had no place for trailer back then.

 

About occasional company that you mentioned...I was thinking about the same thing when I bought my boat. Turned out I wasn't fishing with someone as much as I thougth.

 

Looking back, I would have been better off with going with something like Sea Eagle 285, easier to launch, no problem standing. And when I want to take someone with me, just go to some place with rental boats.

 

Sleep on it for a while before you jump.

I would go with the Jon boat, it is a boat after all and I believe is more practically for fishing..... you can stand up in it after all, and when standing up while fishing you have better feel, I guess that could just be personally ideas, but I would go with the Jon