So I want to get my first boat this year, so I can get off the bank and into some better spots.  At the moment a real bass boat is out, because then I have to buy a truck, so realistically it needs to be a smaller boat or a kayak, or an inflatable Kayak. I would like to stay under 3K for this. 

At the moment I am leaning towards an inflatable Hobie or similar(used), or buying a used Jon to Bass boat type deal.  Thoughts?  

16 minutes ago, newyorktoiowa57 said:

So I want to get my first boat this year, so I can get off the bank and into some better spots.  At the moment a real bass boat is out, because then I have to buy a truck, so realistically it needs to be a smaller boat or a kayak, or an inflatable Kayak. I would like to stay under 3K for this. 

At the moment I am leaning towards an inflatable Hobie or similar(used), or buying a used Jon to Bass boat type deal.  Thoughts?  

If you're capable of doing some work - a modified canoe is what I have. Canoe, trailer and mods (so far) came to about $1400 and about 30 hours of work. More mods this winter will bring the total cost to around $1600 and 45-50 hours. With the outriggers, this is stable enough to stand and cast. That cost includes the Sonar, TM, battery, battery box and charger.

 

I would definitely start looking at fishing kayaks.....they keep progressing in design and are well within your stated budget. 

 

I have a Jonny boats bass 100 and don't miss my 18ft Skeeter at all.

8 minutes ago, Bird said:

I would definitely start looking at fishing kayaks.....they keep progressing in design and are well within your stated budget. 

 

I have a Jonny boats bass 100 and don't miss my 18ft Skeeter at all.

Any experience with inflatables?

Yes, they are compact once deflated, can throw them in your trunk, more durable than expected. 

 

Take a while to inflate and my biggest complaint......the floor is like moving on a cloud, no stability and you won't stand.

You can get into a nice pedal drive kayak for that budget.

22 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

You can get into a nice pedal drive kayak for that budget.

Yea, only issue is storage and would need a trailer. Do you have any recommendations outside of Hobie?

I’ve been using an inflatable, personal pontoon for over 15 years. No matter which kind of watercraft you use, there are positives and negatives. On the positive side, personal pontoons, are very stable, they can be deflated and transported in the trunk of a car. You can carry a pretty fair amount of gear, you can customize them in many ways. You can use oars or add a trolling motor. If you add a floor, that they don’t usually come with, you can stand and fish. Prices range from $300 to well over $1,000. They really excel on floating downstream on a river.  On the negative side, they aren’t great in the wind. If you don’t use a motor, they don’t row as easily as a kayak. They do take about 10-15 minutes to inflate and assemble using an electric pump. 

9 minutes ago, Scott F said:

I’ve been using an inflatable, personal pontoon for over 15 years. No matter which kind of watercraft you use, there are positives and negatives. On the positive side, personal pontoons, are very stable, they can be deflated and transported in the trunk of a car. You can carry a pretty fair amount of gear, you can customize them in many ways. You can use oars or add a trolling motor. If you add a floor, that they don’t usually come with, you can stand and fish. Prices range from $300 to well over $1,000. They really excel on floating downstream on a river.  On the negative side, they aren’t great in the wind. If you don’t use a motor, they don’t row as easily as a kayak. They do take about 10-15 minutes to inflate and assemble using an electric pump. 

I think I am going to get an Inflatable Hobie.

4 hours ago, newyorktoiowa57 said:

Yea, only issue is storage and would need a trailer. Do you have any recommendations outside of Hobie?

Old Town Topwater 106 PDL. Small enough to get a rack for your car

There was a thread going a couple of months back about inflatable kayaks.  

I think the general consensus was in most cases an inflatable kayak is less than ideal, but someone that has the inflatable Hobie may be able to get you better information.  

8 hours ago, CountryboyinDC said:

There was a thread going a couple of months back about inflatable kayaks.  

I think the general consensus was in most cases an inflatable kayak is less than ideal, but someone that has the inflatable Hobie may be able to get you better information.  

Thanks! 

Old Town Topwater PDL 106

10 minutes ago, Tizi said:

Old Town Topwater PDL 106

Can you stand in it? 

They advertise that it is super stable. Have not use it yet.  Watched videos on it, looks very easy to stand on. It’s a tunnel hull design.

 

1 hour ago, Tizi said:

They advertise that it is super stable. Have not use it yet.  Watched videos on it, looks very easy to stand on. It’s a tunnel hull design.

 

Do you think the Pedal Drive is worth the extra money? 

19 minutes ago, newyorktoiowa57 said:

1 hour ago, Tizi said:

They advertise that it is super stable. Have not use it yet.  Watched videos on it, looks very easy to stand on. It’s a tunnel hull design.

 

Do you think the Pedal Drive is worth the extra money? 

If it’s your primary fishing rig then, the yes. If it’s a rig you use occasionally to get on waters you can’t take a boat then maybe not.If it’s a rig you use occasionally to get on waters you can’t take a boat then maybe not.

Can you fish without a pedal drive, yes. But it will make your life much much easier. If you plan to fish in the kayak for a few years, get the pedal drive.

2 hours ago, newyorktoiowa57 said:

3 hours ago, Tizi said:

They advertise that it is super stable. Have not use it yet.  Watched videos on it, looks very easy to stand on. It’s a tunnel hull design.

 

Do you think the Pedal Drive is worth the extra money? 

I have a Jackson paddle kayak that I really like.  I will be keeping it.  The reason for pedal:  bigger waters, windy days.  Having my hands free is going to be huge.  Worth it?  I am hoping it is.  To me, being able to manage wind with a pedal drive is going to be worth it.  You can manage wind with a paddle, anchor/trolly, drag chute etc.  with this yak, I will have the PDL for breezy days.  Not to mention the range should increase.

 

I also have a 12 foot semi-V Smokercraft with 5 HP Honda.  I use this for the largest lakes.

I ordered the yak from ACK on Black Friday.  It was 10% off.  They were fantastic to work with.  Kayak arrived flawless.

26 minutes ago, Tizi said:

I have a Jackson paddle kayak that I really like.  I will be keeping it.  The reason for pedal:  bigger waters, windy days.  Having my hands free is going to be huge.  Worth it?  I am hoping it is.  To me, being able to manage wind with a pedal drive is going to be worth it.  You can manage wind with a paddle, anchor/trolly, drag chute etc.  with this yak, I will have the PDL for breezy days.  Not to mention the range should increase.

 

I also have a 12 foot semi-V Smokercraft with 5 HP Honda.  I use this for the largest lakes.

I ordered the yak from ACK on Black Friday.  It was 10% off.  They were fantastic to work with.  Kayak arrived flawless.

What’s ACK? 

Austin Canoe and Kayak

Class 1 trailer hitch for you car and small light weight trailer solves your problem. 

Todays small trailers can carry 350 to 800 lbs easily, some fold up for storage.

Tom  

I can’t imagine choosing a kayak over even a 14ft Jon boat, but maybe that’s just me. The ability to stand up, add an outboard, customize etc., and the low initial cost make it the natural choice to my way of thinking. I fished for a LOT of years in my grandpa’s old Sears Jon and even pulled it behind my old Dodge Dart with no issues.

 

You can probably find a used one on a trailer fairly cheaply. There seem to always be Jon boats for sale. Just as one local example $2200 gets you a 1448, trailer and 15hp Yamaha. Add $200 for a trolling motor and battery and you are ready to fish. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/bardstown-jon-boat-1448/7023723973.html Or here’s a boat and trailer for $725. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/stamping-ground-lowes-14-jon-boat/7025934990.html These are just a couple I found on the first page. I’m sure there are similar deals where you are.

13 minutes ago, Elkins45 said:

I can’t imagine choosing a kayak over even a 14ft Jon boat, but maybe that’s just me. The ability to stand up, add an outboard, customize etc., and the low initial cost make it the natural choice to my way of thinking. I fished for a LOT of years in my grandpa’s old Sears Jon and even pulled it behind my old Dodge Dart with no issues.

 

You can probably find a used one on a trailer fairly cheaply. There seem to always be Jon boats for sale. Just as one local example $2200 gets you a 1448, trailer and 15hp Yamaha. Add $200 for a trolling motor and battery and you are ready to fish. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/bardstown-jon-boat-1448/7023723973.html Or here’s a boat and trailer for $725. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/stamping-ground-lowes-14-jon-boat/7025934990.html These are just a couple I found on the first page. I’m sure there are similar deals where you are.

You can stand up in a jon boat? 

26 minutes ago, newyorktoiowa57 said:

You can stand up in a jon boat? 

I have a Lowe 1648 right now and I’m perfectly comfortable walking from front to back, and as long as it’s not too rough I will plant my feet wide and stand up in the middle very comfortably. And I’m not nearly as agile as I used to be. I don’t remember If I stood up in my old 14 but I normally fish from an elevated seat so it’s not a huge priority to me.