Vehicle Recommendations for Bank/Kayak Angler

[SpellCaster]

Howdy, I'm curious to know what y'all think would be the best vehicle solution if you found yourself in my circumstances.

I primarily bank fish (90% of the time) and sometimes take a 10' kayak out. My fishing outings are brief when bank fishing, usually going out an hour before work or an hour between church services on Sunday, plus a variety of other times. When kayak fishing I devote more time to fishing and I picked a kayak I can load on top of a car by myself as I don't want to bother with a trailer. 

 

I take with me multiple one-piece 7' rods. Not that I carry all my rods to the bank - maybe a couple depending on the day - but I almost always end up leaving one or more rods in my car. 

I currently drive a Kia Soul, which I can load my kayak on top easily (because of the car's low height) and I can easily fit 7' rods into by laying the back seats down (because I hardly ever need the back row seats). If I'm taking the family we go in our minivan and I have some bungee cords hooked to the ceiling handles and suspend my rods from those. I've been considering getting a small/midsize truck or SUV and I'm not sure which would be better overall. I'm not necessarily looking for specific model recommendations - more for category rec's - but I'm happy to hear whatever you have to suggest, including other alternatives like external rod lockers and such...

 

Here's how I currently see things...

TRUCK PROS:

- Easier to load kayak in bed and strap down

- Easy rod storage in bed

- Opens up a lot of other possibilities to haul all kinds of other things 

TRUCK CONS:

- The rods I leave behind when fishing are now vulnerable to theft

 

SUV PROS:

- Same as what I'm already used to, just more space (and I'd probably use the bungee cord set up for holding my rods)

- Secure rod storage

SUV CONS:

- Higher clearance to load kayak

- A little less utility in hauling other things

 

Thanks in advance...

[Swamp Girl]

I drive a crossover (Honda CRV). It has big tires and all wheel drive, so I'm comfortable driving it down dirt roads and into the woods to launch my canoe. My 7' 3" rods fit, but they do extend through the front two seats. It's been a good vehicle for me and averages about 31.5 mph, which doesn't deter me from fishing when fuel is more expensive. 

[casts_by_fly]

I'm a kayak guy and use a truck.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  The kayak goes in the bed.  Gear goes in the back seat and front seat (rods).  I'm in a full size ram with the short bed (5'7").  I don't typically bring any gear with me that isn't going in the boat, but if I do leave anything behind its in the cab of the truck nice and secure.  I also have ramboxes on the side which fit a 2 pc 8' rod if I want (and I keep my trout rods/gear in there from March to June).

 

The only downside of a truck is the size and accompanying fuel economy.  Mine has a big back seat to fit 3 adults comfortably.  I can haul anything in the bed.  Its incredibly easy and comfy to drive.  I get 16 mpg around town and general driving.  With road biased tires I can get 20 mpg on the highway.  I have a more agressive set of tires on it since I don't do that many miles and I get ~18 on the highway (19 if I keep it to 65 mph).

 

Whichever you pick, pick it for what you're doing most and then adapt what you do less often.  You'll get your biggest benefit that way, even if your 'fun' activity is a little tougher to do.

[volzfan59]

When all I did was go bank fishing or wading I had a Ford Ranger with a camper/ bed topper (depending on where your from). I even used it to pull my first jon boat. Anything I didn't use was locked in the truck bed. No matter what you decide, I would recommend either four wheel drive or all wheel drive.

[Swamp Girl]

25 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

No matter what you decide, I would recommend either four wheel drive or all wheel drive.

 

Agreed.

[TnRiver46]

There isn’t such a thing as a truck con……

 

rods fit in the cab, even my single cab (a dying breed ) 

[MediumMouthBass]

Not sure what kayak you have, but most have an open front tank well compartment that has access to the whole inside of the kayak. (if not a you can cut one).

I have 3 different fishing kayaks that have this feature and store the rods inside the kayak while going to and from the lake. The 1 kayak only holds 2, the others can fit up to 6/8 combos.

 

Ive tried putting the rods in the truck, its almost always a mess. And when i put them in the back of the truck they either get broken or need to be tied down somehow to avoid falling out.

 

Trucks are really nice for kayaks, get a cheap bed extender and it will make it even easier and nicer to load/unload. Just figure out what method of storing the rods works best for you, my family takes the kayaks out alot, and we couldnt do car topping on the suv, the proper mounting system would cost quite a bit, and these kayaks get heavier and heavier each year, the amount of time, and potential wear and tear on our bodies, and the vehicle just isnt worth it.

Take the kayak and put it on the cart (such a great investment that was) drag it to the truck, slide it on the extender and right in the truck bed it goes, strap it down and off to the lake.

Less than a minute or 2 to load/unload and our bodies barely have to lift a thing, the cart/extender do all the work.

 

For bank fishing/all around vehicle its hard to beat an suv, they can hold so much and when fishing just throw a towel or blanket over the rods, reels, and tackle you are leaving behind.

Car topping a kayak can either be pleasant or a frustration depending on several different factors, so keep that in mind. But heres something else, ive seen a few people at the local lakes actually just put the hatch on the suv up and load their big fishing kayaks inside and just strap it in.

 

Both vehicle types have their pros and cons, and both work for either type of fishing, take a few different suv's and trucks for test drives, ive been on over a hundred test drives for various types of vehicles, its amazing how much you like a car or truck until actually are sitting in it.

[Bigbox99]

Honda Element.  You can even sleep inside of it like a homeless person.  They're 6 feet of room on the flat floor between the front seats and rear when the seats are shoved forward.  I actually keep a Colman cot in mine for sleeping.  All the rods go on a headliner rack.  Kayak on top of the roof rack with a Rhino rack loader bar that allows for one man one hand even loading and unloading of a kayak.

 

[Alex from GA]

We have an older Ford Ranger for my kayak fishing.  Throw the kayak in the bed and rods in the cab or the bed.  It's an extended cab so the rods fit.  I can also tow my 16' tin boat with it.

[Bigbox99]

I also have a 4 door truck with a 5.5 bed.  It works for hauling kayak and I can put the rods in the cab to protect them instead of the bed.  The downside is I can't sleep in it and my 11.5 kayak hangs past the tailgate so I have to run a red flag and it affects my ability to park in parking lots or otherwise use the vehicle normally with the kayak in it.  This is not the case for the Element.  You forget it's even up there.  You can also load it in like a pickup but it's not recommended even though I do it for short 5 min jaunts to the local lake.  You will breathe exhaust.  

[wisconsin heat]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

There isn’t such a thing as a truck con……

 

rods fit in the cab, even my single cab (a dying breed ) 

What he said, I drive a small truck ford Maverick and my rods fit in the cab. I never store my rods in the bed of the truck, that’s where the kayak goes! I find myself wanting to take out the kayak much more often now that I switched to a truck vs cartopping my old ford escape. If you want to take out the kayak more, get a truck! 

 

 

 

 

[Bigbox99]

3 minutes ago, wisconsin heat said:

What he said, I drive a small truck ford Maverick and my rods fit in the cab. I never store my rods in the bed of the truck, that’s where the kayak goes! I find myself wanting to take out the kayak much more often now that I switched to a truck vs cartopping my old ford escape. If you want to take out the kayak more, get a truck! 

 

 

 

 

I so upset that the maverick doesn't have roof rails for a rack to car top or the ability to fold down the back seat to extent the bed length into the cabin for rods.  The stupid Baja did this and its just a hacked up Outback.  A fwd hybrid base model Maverick would have been the perfect vehicle for me.  I will never not be upset about this.  

[Bankc]

A truck would be nice, if I only used it for fishing.  But for all of the other things I need a vehicle for, a truck is a bad investment for me.  I went with a compact SUV.  I doesn't do anything great, but does a little bit of everything, and since we use my car for everything (my wife drives a Miata), everything is what I need out of it.  I'd hate to have to choose between a truck and Miata for a two week road trip. 

 

Plus, I have a personal aversion to trucks.  They're fine vehicles if you need one.  I'm not against the truck itself.  But the prices people charge for them are absolutely ridiculous these days!  Trucks are among the cheapest vehicles to make, even cheaper than most sedans, but they often cost twice as much!  The markup on them is insane!  I refuse to reward that kind of corporate greed.  I get how capitalism works and I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to charge what they do.  They have a right to ask whatever they want.  But it's also my right to say "enough is enough" and not reward such behavior.  So I just have no desire to own a truck at this point in time.  Or, should I say, buy a truck.  I'd still be mighty thankful if someone gave me one!

[Bigbox99]

The world needs a modern Honda Element.  Curious to see what the Toyota Compact Cruiser turns out to be.  Will it be a Toyota Bronco Sport or a Toyota Jimny.

 

[Functional]

My vote is a Ranger/Colorado/Tacoma with a Diamondback bed cover. Thieves will go for convenience and smashing a window or cutting a soft cover off is more tempting than a locked aluminum cover or trying to drill the locks. 

 

I traveled a LOT with firearms for competition and that was my pick since at the time I couldnt find any reports of theft with this cover. 

 

Easy to pull off and you still get all the benefits of a pickup. 

[Boomstick]

If you can swing a truck, it’s the way to go. Much easier to launch a kayak.

 

For rods, you can add a truck rack and a Yakima Topwater or similar rod holder and you can lock your pre-rigged rods in that box. Alternatively you can get a trailer and a tonneau cover.

 

I can also fit at least 6 rigged rods in the front passenger seat in my crew cab

[Zcoker]

Ranger all the way. Easy load. Easy Road. All rods fit inside the cab. Silky smooth. All the bells and whistles. Tows 8k lbs. Loads of power, gobs of torque, and I've been getting 27MPG city at that! Truck is a dream. It really is! 

 

[TnRiver46]

Ok 27 mph catches my attention!!! Good to know @Zcoker

 

i also forgot to mention I’ve fished from Michigan to the Atlantic coast of SC and the gulf coast of Florida mostly with my wife’s Honda fit and an aluminum canoe 

 

[Zcoker]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Ok 27 mph catches my attention!!! Good to know @Zcoker

 

i also forgot to mention I’ve fished from Michigan to the Atlantic coast of SC and the gulf coast of Florida mostly with my wife’s Honda fit and an aluminum canoe 

 

 

27.1 lol. That's average city driving, btw, with weekend trips into the glades. All road would push to 30. That sold me. I had a full sized F150 before I got this truck and lived at the gas stations. Not with this truck. And it ain't no slouch, either. Fastest truck I've ever owned. With just a chip tune they can do 13 seconds in the quarter mile! 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

If I need to replace the ole ram one day I might look into that 

 

do they still have one with 4x4? 

[Zcoker]

19 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

If I need to replace the ole ram one day I might look into that 

 

do they still have one with 4x4? 

 

Yes. Mine has the electronic locking diff, which is wonderful! For 2024 there's one in the Raptor version that is making some big waves. 

[FishTax]

I have a newer Honda Ridgeline. It gets about 22/23 mpg mixed city/hwy and has AWD. It is perfect for me, because it rides very smooth like an SUV but does everything I need a truck to do. Rods fit in the cab very easily, as do car seats, and hauling the kayak in the bed is a piece of cake. I make road trips regularly on it of 3-4 hours each direction and am very comfortable. It also has a trunk below the bed that locks, which is really cool for security and a great place to store tackle and/or guns. 

[ThatFishingGuy]

I also drive a CRV ('05) and think its great. Had to buy aftermarket roof rack cross bars because mine didn't come with any, but I'm 5'6" and had no problem loading my 12' kayak on top. I use straps that hang from the ceiling to store my rods, there are spots for 5 but I can lay more on top. Leaves the trunk and back seats open for storage and/or people

[airshot]

On 5/24/2024 at 11:48 AM, TnRiver46 said:

There isn’t such a thing as a truck con……

 

rods fit in the cab, even my single cab (a dying breed ) 

That is what I used to think in my younger days.  Hauled firewood for years to heat our home.  When I brought home a full truck load, I had to unload it before going to work the next morning.  Then I bought a heavy duty trailer...excellent as it would haul more than the truck alone and when I got home I could just unhook the trailer and unload it when I felt like it. Actually learned to back up a trailer at age 13 as I worked at a marina, so getting a trailer into tight spaces was never an issue.  Went to an SUV and have multiple trailers for different needs. Trailers and SUV are cheaper than a truck and get far better fuel economy.  Never will I go back.   However, each to his own, truck lovers are not gonna change their likes, and I guess I am just to cheap to shell out the cost of a truck. I just find trailers far more versatile for my hobbies.

[Bigbox99]

It depends on what you want out of the vehicle.  Trucks are great but it didn't fit my criteria for a dedicated kayak fishing vehicle.  My criteria were:

 

Must be able to car top.  I didn't like driving around with a 11.5 kayak sticking out of the back of my full size truck with a red flag.  Fine for short trips to the lake but for anything longer let alone taking it to work to fish after work made it a pain.  It really limits your ability to park an already long vehicle.

 

Must be able to store rods without interfering with vehicle occupancy.  I want to put a bunch of rods in there and leave them for a bit if needed and still use the vehicle normally.

 

Must be able to sleep in the vehicle with 6' or more of flat floor.  I wanted the ability to travel hours to new fishing destinations and stealth sleep in the vehicle on the way there or at the campground by getting up from the driver's seat and go lay down in the back without exiting and re-entering the vehicle.  Also a low floor and high ceiling would be nice to sit upright on a chair to put on pants ect.  

 

This left the van or minivan as the only option.  Add in the ability to daily drive which means up to a foot of snow in my driveway or as drifts on the road in certain areas as well as slippery snow packed roads and rwd was off the table.  This left only fwd minivans and all of those have garbage transmissions that rarely make it to 200k paired to a v6 actively working to destroy it.  This left only the Honda Element since it is basically an enemic but ultra reliable k24 powered weird box shaped minivan that still met the criteria.  The bonuses of the Element is that it comes in manual if you really want immorality and in slip and grip AWD.  Although rare, you can even find the two together with a manual AWD transmission.  Also you can still just shove a kayak into the back like a 6' pickup box.