Bank to kayak

[jasondaily]

How many people have converted from bank fishing to kayak? Was it worth it? I move every couple of years and never know where I'm moving to and if the new location will have lakes near by to kayak fish in. I'm debating on if buying a kayak is worth it. All opinions are welcome. Thanks 

[Subaqua Adinterim]

If you have a way to store it and to transport it; most definitely yes.  It will open up many more possibilities for you.

You can still fish from the bank if you own a kayak, however, you can't fish from a kayak if you don't own one.

Best of luck in deciding.

[Bass_Fishing_Socal]

How about a tube? Easy to storage and move around.

[Quarry Man]

10' jon  boat and 36lb motor

[Outdoor Zack]

I like a canoe a lot more than the kayaks I've been in.  More storage, stability, and room for a passenger.  Can also use it for other activities (hunting, sightseeing, etc.).  Just my opinion.

[Yakalong]

Kayak fishing is great, you can get into places boats can't and bank fishing isn't practical. I have a boat but still love to fish out of the yak 

[Darren.]

On 3/25/2017 at 1:47 PM, jasondaily said:

How many people have converted from bank fishing to kayak? Was it worth it? I move every couple of years and never know where I'm moving to and if the new location will have lakes near by to kayak fish in. I'm debating on if buying a kayak is worth it. All opinions are welcome. Thanks 

 

Heck yeah it was worth it!!!

 

You open up 99% of the REST of the water you

dock fish. It is a *major* upgrade, IMHO!

 

After going the kayak route, I found that I wanted

to stand and fish, so I upgraded to a kayak that 

allowed me to do just that.

 

Another "worth the price" upgrade, if you ask me.

[Hawkeye21]

Sooooooo worth getting a kayak.  I've always been a bank fisherman and had to rely on friends to get out on a boat.  If I really wanted to I could get a boat but it would just be too much work for me and I know I wouldn't be able to maintain it.  Here are a list of the pros and cons for me.

 

Pros:

Can be inexpensive to get started.

Little maintenance.

Requires no gas.

Depending on the state you may not have to register it.

Can be transported with just about any vehicle.

Very easy to store when not is use.

Can be as simple or complex of a setup as you want.

Allows you to get on the water and off the bank.

Can access waters other boats can't.

There are more pros other than these yet...

 

Cons:

Without a motor you can't cover as much water.

May be considered a little unsafe on larger waters.

Certain models may tip over easy but any fishing kayak that can be stood in is more stable than a canoe.

I honestly can't think of too many major cons.

[Bluebasser86]

I already had a boat, but if I was shore bound and had the option to get a yak, I'd be jumping at the chance. Mine lets me fish a lot of water I can't in my bass boat, and the simplicity allows for quick trips I probably wouldn't bother with making because I didn't want to have to hook up the boat, load and unload, along with setting up my graphs and everything else that goes along with boat use. Just being able to dump the yak off the top of the car and toss a couple rods and the paddle in it and go is really nice sometimes. 

[22hertz]

Owning a kayak is well worth it.

 

I used to fish from the bank and see spots down or across the river, lake or cove and think 'if only I could try that spot'. Well now I can and I don't have to walk a mile tromping through the woods to get there.

I also used to go fishing, pick an empty spot and fish for a few minutes when all of a sudden here comes a truck load of people to fish the same spot. That's what pushed me over the edge to get a yak.

I can throw my yak on the roof rack of my car and load a rod, paddle, life vest, tackle box and two bottled waters in under 10 minutes and I'm ready to hit the road. I still get 30MPG and can put in anywhere I can walk to.

Owning a kayak has opened fishing possibilities I wouldn't have had without one. 

I also do a lot of exploring with it.

 

Get one, you'll love it.

If you plan to paddle far buy the best lightest paddle you can afford.

[Hawghead]

I have 4 brothers.  At one point the my family had 5 bass boats and I had a open bow ski boat.  I sold my boat, two brothers have sold their as well.  We all fish out of kayaks.  We have 5 kayaks between the 3 of us.  

 

One brother has a place at Lake of the Ozarks, so he is keeping his for sure. My other brother with a bass boat uses his quiet often.  My dad just got to old to use his.

 

Moving from the bank to a kayak is a no brainer.  

[BrianSnat]

Anything that will get you off the bank and out on the water will be a huge plus to your fishing.  Personally I like canoes over kayks for fishing and I prefer a regular boat over both. Even a small jon boat, float tube or an inflatable dingy would open up so
much more for you.

[Tracker22]

Oh hell yeah! Love my yak! Game changer.

[fishingfuji]

Well I think it is clear, get the kayak

[AlexCastaway]

I'm a new shore to kayak fisherman and I can say it's totally worth it. Went out for the maiden voyage of my Ascend 10t and even though I only got two fish and it was raining I loved every minute of it. I went to a lake that I've pounded plenty of times on the bank and with the yak I had access to some really money spots. 

[68camaro]

I am shore guy and really have come to despise it. In the ponds & small lakes I fish the algae, scum and weeds around edges and even on middle are so bad I barely fished last year because it gets too frustrating, add fighting the trees and shrubs and it can get even more frustrating.  You can fight through it but it gets very old. 

 

Last year I bought waders and it helps to walk out several to quite a few feet but still not perfect. This year I may actually get a kayak, narrowing down now, last year almost got canoe but my anal overthinking wrecked wasted too much time. This spring I will not overthink.

[Paul Roberts]

Defintiely opens up tons more fishing water to you. Everything is now reachable, and all angles are open. I use a float tube and have not added a yak bc the waters I fish are small enough that a tube does just fine. I will add a yak as my range, and water sizes, expand. If your waters are small, or you are content to fishing smaller pieces of larger waters, a tube could suffice. Since you travel a lot, a tube can be deflated and packed pretty small.

[Caliyak]

On 3/25/2017 at 10:47 AM, jasondaily said:

How many people have converted from bank fishing to kayak? Was it worth it? I move every couple of years and never know where I'm moving to and if the new location will have lakes near by to kayak fish in. I'm debating on if buying a kayak is worth it. All opinions are welcome. Thanks 

I went from bank to kayak. It was worth it. And I would never go back or buy a boat. You can take the kayak with you and you can fish any body of water. You can hit the Pacific with any kayak. I would highly recommend a kayak. Go with a 10 footer like a Tarpon. Small, light and easy to carry and transport. 

[crankbait2009]

I am going to repeat some of what others have posted on this topic, but here is my experience.

 

I went from bank fishing for a couple years, to a jon boat for a couple years, to what I have now.....a kayak.

 

I always fished solo, so loading/unloading and fishing alone took it's toll on me.  I loved being on the water, but it's a lot of work when doing it alone.  At least in my opinion.

Other than the maintenance alone....making sure batteries are charged, keeping oil in the motor/in the gas, lights are all working, trolling motor working as it should, trailer tires, trailer lights, trailer bearings, etc etc. etc etc.  A lot of time, money, and upkeeping to keep the boat in tip top shape for each season.  that's my issue with a boat.

 

bank fishing wasn't all bad, but I was very limited to the shores I could fish from.  whether it be obstacles I couldn't get around, to people always fishing my local holes, to the waters just being over fished.....it made the bank fishing experience less than fun after awhile.

 

my kayak, well, that changed everything for me.  SInce I am always solo, I throw the yak in to the bed of my truck, strap it down and go.  The only maintenance that I have come across thus far is my kayak wheels.  Just need to keep the frame oiled so it slides apart easily.  I don't have a trolling motor or lights so that all went away.  My yak is very simple.  I added an anchor system to it, and made a rod rock, but other than that, its quite simple.  This is my second season having it but I think my upgrades/modifications are complete.  It's definitely easy to load/unload alone.  load the yak on the wheels and walk it where I want to go.  The lake I go to has tons of lilly pads and they are very deep, meaning distance from the edge to the shore.  I have seen all the boats on the water come to these pads and stop.  they dont go deep into the beds for obvious reasons.  I on theother hand will paddle through them and fish the middle or other edges no one else can get to.  I find that as a huge benefit.  No worrying about props getting tangled in the mess.

 

I have the Ascend FS128T kayak from BPS.  I have the 2016 model.  It is very stable and you can stand up to fish.  The yak is 100#, but stable.  I don't need to get anywhere fast so speed was not an issue for me.  I will say that the wind has kicked my arms a$$ a time or two.  but that has taught me to not be such a sally and use some muscle.

 

But I would definitely ditch the bank and get a yak.  I think you'll enjoy it a lot. 

 

I know you just wanted to know whether you should go yak instead of shore, but I gave you more info than you wanted.  sorry.  I hope it helps

 

Here is a picture of my yak from about two weeks ago

Ascend FS128T

[PECo]

Heck, yeah, it's worth getting into a kayak and off of the shore. I have a bass boat, but would never get rid of my kayak, er, kayaks.

[RPreeb]

I grew up fishing from a canoe in the 50's and early 60's, and I still owned an Old Town Pathfinder until just a few years ago (I also paddled a whitewater kayak for several years back in the 80's).  My wife and I moved out of the country for 2½ years and the canoe just didn't fit our plans.  Now I'm back and I really prefer the performance pluses of the fishing kayaks I see for sale now.  I'm going to get the Ascend H12 Hybrid (12 feet long and 76 lbs) from Bass Pro Shop here in the next month or so.  I can put a Yakima rack on my F-150 Supercrew, throw on the boat, hook up the camping trailer, and I'm ready for fishing or for the apocalypse - whichever comes first.

 

One consideration for me from my canoeing experience is that they can be quite difficult to keep a full size canoe on track when paddling solo in any sort of a stiff breeze.  The kayak will have some of the same problem but it presents a smaller surface area for the wind to grab, so it will be somewhat easier to maneuver.  

 

Another benefit - if my wife wants to come along, she has to get her own kayak.  That will make it much more relaxing on the water, whether fishing or just exploring. 

[the reel ess]

I'm a big boat-to-kayak convert. Also, I'm a big lake to smaller, more private waters convert. It has been the best thing I've done for my fishing since I bought a baitcaster.

 

I was getting very tired of competing with other boats and inconsiderate boaters for a little peace and solitude. I have a few places that I have access to within 10 miles of my house and I get exercise and avoid the trailering, boat ramps, upkeep, etc. associated with the boat.

 

As for your situation, you'll be amazed how much easier it is to sneak up on fish and catch the bigger ones and there won't be any part of the pond/lake you can't access. It will open a whole new world for you. 

[HeavyTwenty]

The thing about kayaks is you don't really lose money on them if you find a decent deal, used off of craiglist. So even if you move in a year, you probably won't take a loss unless you have to get rid of the kayak ASAP instead of waiting for a good buyer.