21 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I see a lot of posts about them.  I see several of them on the water.  Some are in places that I consider to be dangerous because of motor powered boats in the area especially the green and brown ones.  I've never been in one and am too old to even try.  I am just wondering why you kayakers use them instead of a bigger more seeable boat. 

The visibility thing is a real issue.  In the private lake I fish they limit kayaks to no wake zones only and I think this is a smart practice so I enforce it on myself on other public lakes.  That means I have to hug the shore to get anywhere but it's safer than taking a straight line across the lake.  I do not practice this on no wake or similar electric only type bodies of wager since there aren't boats on plane to worry about.

 

 

The advantages of a kayak off the top of my head:

 

Easy to transport by one person car topping.  My bass boat is a bass boat and therfore a big thing to move around.  I can't just take it to work to go fish after work for a few hours.  There is nowhere to park my truck and boat.  Even my pond prowler is the heaviest thing I care to lift and shove into the back of a pickup on 35s on a semi regular basis.  The kayak is just so much easier.

 

Can deploy the thing nearly anywhere and be taken down trails on a cart ect to access water not normally accessible by boat

 

Human powered.  No need for a motor and in some cases, this offers greater endurance.  I can stay out longer with my kayak and paddle than with one battery and my pond prowler with a trolling motor

 

Greater mobility in shallow weedy water.  I can paddle and slide over weed mats that wouldn't be able to take my boats through.  

 

No registration.

 

Better suited for quick fishing trips with little time.  Sometimes I only go out for 2 hours on a whim and it's easy to grab the kayak and drive 5 min to the lake throw it in and off I go vs all the nonsense of my boat.  If I'm taking my 19 foot glass boat by myself,  waiting in line at the ramp, getting the outboard to stay running, going to courtesy dock, drive back to parkign lot, going back down to the boat, doing all that again in reverse and dealing with trying to drag that barge back up the trailer with a crank then it's going to be all day deal.  I'm not doing all that nonsense for anything less than 6 hours on the water.

 

 

Obviously, adding a motor and making the kayak so heavy it has to be trailered defeat some of this but people like doing this.  I personally think they would be better suited with a small fishing boat.

21 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I am just wondering why you kayakers use them instead of a bigger more seeable boat. 

I have a bass boat and fishing kayak. There are more waters where I live that I can’t launch my boat at that I can my kayak.

 

The membership’s presented many other reasons. No need to repeat them.

57 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

I personally think they would be better suited with a small fishing boat.

You can’t enter a “kayak” tournament in a boat,,,,,of any size. Another big reason for the majority of kayak owners.

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

The downside of the kayak was that I had to load and unload it every trip.  That meant 4-6 rods, tackle bag, fish finder, etc.  Not terrible, but I always had to make a choice of what rods were being left behind, what tackle I wanted to carry or not, do I bring rain gear today, etc.  Lifting in and out of the truck wasn't great but I'm still young enough to be able to do it.    

This was a major aspect when I decided to go back to a bass boat or with a new and improved kayak. In the new one - I gave it considerable thought how to load up and break down quickly and efficiently.

 

I leave the electronics and trolling motor on reinforced mounts and braces on the kayak. It is sturdy and strong much like transporting those items on my boat. 

 

I leave the blackjack Pro with all my tackle on board with heavy duty buckles to hold them down. 

 

The seat, pliers, net, etc also all stay inside the hull during transport. 

 

The only 2 things I have to do is take the rods down (I switched to a Yakima rod box which is quicker than the time-consuming rod tubes I had on the previous trailer).  I throw a cover on the hull to keep anything from flying out going down the road. 

 

I've got it down now to about 10-12 minutes each way.  My bass boat was probably 5-10 minutes if I usually put all the rods in sleeves, and added reel covers before putting in the rod locker. 

 

Not perfect, but much better ~

Agree with those who cannot afford a full on bass (or any) boat.

I've had mine for going on 18 years, I guess? It has served me 

well in all the environs I like to fish. I have even fished it along 

the sides of the York River, away from fast moving boats. I will

avoid them at all costs.

 

When visiting larger lakes like Gaston and Smith Mountain Lake,

I stayed close to shores and coves avoiding wide open areas where

the big boys go.

 

All that said, my 3rd son like boats, has a few projects he's bought

with his own $$. We fished the Chickahominy the other week in

his jon boat. Was a good time. Obviously can get further faster 

with a 25 horse motor.

 

I can get places bigger boats cannot, so there's that, too.

3 hours ago, Motoboss said:

You can’t enter a “kayak” tournament in a boat,,,,,of any size. Another big reason for the majority of kayak owners.

 

I meant you can.  At least once…

 

 

3 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

I leave the electronics and trolling motor on reinforced mounts and braces on the kayak. It is sturdy and strong much like transporting those items on my boat. 

 

I leave the blackjack Pro with all my tackle on board with heavy duty buckles to hold them down. 

 

The extra heavy mounts and trailer are a good chunk of the difference in how much you spent on it.  It also makes the difference in loading and unloading for sure.  I was just using basic yak attack quick attach mounts which aren’t cheap, but they aren’t a BBT double graph cockpit mount or similar.  That’s a really nice setup and certainly helps a bunch with the setup and tear down.  Before I settled on buying the boat I was pretty close to rigging up a trailer for the kayak and would have done something similar to you.  Alas, i went boat.

 

 

 

When I started fishing from the bank, I could not wait to get on the water. When I got a belly-boat, it was awesome! But could only take a rod or two, very limited tackle...and I could only get as far as my legs and kick-fins could get me. Then a buddy got a canoe, and boy did we explore some water! Great fun, easily fished 200+ acre lakes. Nice to be sitting down (and not in the water!). 

 

In 2000 I found the boat on the left, with motor and trailer, for a song. Added trolling motor and fish finder. It served me well and could fish two easily. Plenty of room for up to 8 rods and all my gear. Loved standing while fishing, and the 20HP Merc could push that little V-hull right at 20 MPH. 

 

After renovation, adding decking and storage, and new fish finders...I probably had $2k in that boat total. Easily get any where a kayak could, as long as there was a boat ramp to get in the water. 

 

Always knew I wanted a bigger boat some day. Ability to fish big waters in South Dakota was a must. My Lund Adventure is great and does everything I need it to do. Bonus -- the wife really enjoys getting out on the water with me...sometimes we even bring the doggos. I have way more storage than I need, can put up the bimini top when it gets hot in the summer. It's great in the 40 acre lakes near my house, and running 40 MPH up Frances Case lake in SD (It's 107 miles long!)

 

 

I never really understood the lure of a kayak. Probably because they became popular after I had my old V-hull. I could not see a reason to move back to kayak. 

 

I have MUCH respect for kayak fishermen. Sitting all day, positioning / maneuvering and fishing at the same time, limited storage, all that twisting around to access rods and tackle...not my cup of tea.

 

From what I have seen, I really like how kayak tournaments are run...take a picture of the fish, and turn it loose. Much rather do that than keep a bass in my live-well all day, waiting for weigh in. 

 

It's interesting reading all the reasons why people went kayak or boat. That is one of the great things about this forum / board...lots of different view points / opinions, all very respectful. 

 

Tight lines friends!

 

 

4 hours ago, Motoboss said:

You can’t enter a “kayak” tournament in a boat,,,,,of any size. Another big reason for the majority of kayak owners.

This is a two way street you know.

 

Cant enter a “boat” tournament in a kayak either.

 

Just sayin’

26 minutes ago, gim said:

This is a two way street you know.

 

Cant enter a “boat” tournament in a kayak either.

 

Just sayin’

Mostly yes, but not all. I was AOY in a 32 boat fishing club... and only one in a yak. I think I won because I didn't have another partner in the boat to alternate casts with. Half as many anglers per boat in a kayak and you can make twice as many high percentage casts lol...

Because I live in a neighborhood where our HOA doesn’t allow anything other than a vehicle to be parked in your driveway over 48 hrs. My back yard isn’t conducive to backing a trailer into it to be behind the fence.  I can’t put an 18’ Nitro in the back of my truck either. 

I went from bank fishing to fishing out of a Coleman scanoe with a TM to a boat. I would never choose a kayak over a boat. I felt like I was so limited in where I could go without a boat. Now I feel like the sky is the limit. I’ll never be able to wrap my head around it.

 

that being said if you enjoy it go for it! Be safe and have fun doing it. Just don’t ever be shocked if a jet boat pops up next to you. 

A fishing boat with a motor doesn’t have to cost 60-100 thousand dollars either. Most of the ones you see around here cost about as much as a hobie 

I’ve have had an inflatable fishing tube, canoe, Kayak, Jon boat,  and my current boat…… a glorified Jon boat. A 15/48 mod-v with 25hp. 
I would choose a canoe over a kayak any day, I don’t mind going out and kayaking. Paddling around exploring, enjoying nature. Just didn’t like fishing out of one, casting from water level is one of my biggest hang ups. A canoe…. I’m up just enough to make casting easier, plus more accurate.

 

For the majority of my fishing life I was shore bound (or beach bound). More times than I can count I've seen baitfish boiling on the surface just outside of casting range. Terribly frustrating. When I finally got a kayak, it was a budget one that I built on to suit my needs. Just this year I upgraded to a 12' sit in (used) and I'm over the moon about it. It suits my needs and my style of fishing perfectly. If I was given a bass boat for free, I would flip it. I have no time nor the inclination to go down that rabbit hole. The majority of my "free" time is devoted to a cat rescue/sanctuary that my wife and I have that "specializes" in special needs cats. I'm not impugning bass boats, but it's just not for me for many of the reasons previously mentioned.

 

Every time I launch I feel so thankful/grateful for having the ability to move anywhere I want to on the water and think of the times that I couldn't do this. That's just how I roll.

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

A fishing boat with a motor doesn’t have to cost 60-100 thousand dollars either. Most of the ones you see around here cost about as much as a hobie 

The big caveat to this is what type of fishing you want to do the most. I absolutely prefer tournament fishing vs fun fishing. I love the competition and it makes a sport I adore genuinely more exciting. Before I moved three times in the last year and a half I was fishing 3 events a month from March-October in and around Tennessee. If I wanted to do that competitively in a boat I’m looking at minimum 40K. Even for a more affordable used fiberglass boat plus scope, talons, graphs, and associated odds and ends I’d be in trouble keeping the total under 50. 
 

A fully decked out yak with motor, graphs, power pole, scope I was in less than 14k. 
 

That price difference alone is what sells me on kayaking. I can fish more water, more tournaments, and travel pulling the entire rig with a lightweight trailer on my wife’s SUV. 

2 hours ago, Crow Horse said:

The majority of my "free" time is devoted to a cat rescue/sanctuary that my wife and I have that "specializes" in special needs cats.

thank you. please tell your rescues i say "pspspsp" and i love them.

10 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

A fishing boat with a motor doesn’t have to cost 60-100 thousand dollars either. Most of the ones you see around here cost about as much as a hobie 

The kayak crowd doesn’t believe this. They all think you have to drop 100 grand on a tricked out bass boat.

 

Heck, my Ranger is worth about $25 grand. Yes, repeat. It’s worth about $25,000. It’s not loaded up with 5 giant screens, twin power poles, a 250 horse outboard, and a bow mount with spot lock either. How is this possible?

1 minute ago, gim said:

Heck, my Ranger is worth about $25 grand. Yes, repeat. It’s worth about $25,000.

Heck - Bass Trek can get me where I need to go, got what I need to find them....and I think I've got a grand total of $4k into it.

Absolutely. That thing is sick for a $4k bass boat!

I also remember a couple years ago the BASS kayak tournament on the susky when they were complaining it was to low. It was literally at a level I could run my jet boat just about anywhere. 

My two Nucanoes cost about $3k apiece. My tin cost $4500 with a 20hp. My first kayak cost $350 (I think) but that was the 90s. I was fishing out of a kayak way before it was cool, and still enjoy it. My wife and had a canoe when we lived in DC and I would cartop it and then prop it up on our deck for storage. To quote Digital Underground (I think) Do What You Like!

Here's a few off the top of my head.

 

1. I strap my kayak to the roof of my car. Pretty sure that's not gonna work with a bass boat.

2. $0 on gas for my pedal kayak per year and the annual maintenance is very, very low. For example you don't have to register a pedal kayak here every year since there's no motor.

3. I also get a good amount of exercise from kayaking and am in better shape than I have been in a long time and it's better than going to a gym and staring at a stupid screen.

4. Turns out I like pedal kayaking anyway but I also like it better when I'm fishing.

5. Some places including one of my favorite spots is non-motorized boats only. Even on weekends there's hardly anyone there and even though it's a park with a fair amount of people that fish from the bank when it get's busy almost none of them can reach the spots where a lot of the fish are in the summer / winter.

6. I can still go out on the bigger lake too and just stick to creek channels and spots that boats can't reach if there's a lot of boat traffic or a lot of fog.

7. You can just cast a moving bait out and then pedal backwards and at that point it's similar to being able to cast a shad rap 1000+ yards.

8. 4 rods is enough for me 99% of the time and I can fit that and my net and enough lures in my bag that I won't have time to fish them all on any given day.

9. I can take some of that money I didn't spend on boat maintenance and try out new tackle.

10. Less chance of spooking the fish in a kayak than a big motorized boat.

 

TBH there's obviously some disadvantages and I wouldn't mind a bass boat and will probably get one at some point but no rush on that for me at the moment...

I started fishing from boats with my father when I was 8 or 9.  I’ve fished alone from a boat or canoe since I was 15.  I’ve fished lakes, ponds, rivers and bays from a kayak for more than 40 years.  I now fish almost exclusively rivers that have stretches of slow water interrupted by stretches of current, exposed rocks, drops and various levels of rapids.  I own a 17’ Xpress jet, 2 kayaks and a kayhack.  While I enjoy fishing from any of them, unless there is a compelling argument against it, like strong winds, I will always choose a kayak.  Fishing from a kayak provides a number of advantages and experiences that simply aren’t possible in a boat or today’s kayhacks.  Cost, maintenance, transport, storage, or the number of rods or accessories I can carry has never risen to a level worthy of concern.  The advantages are with river fishing in mind.  Some may not matter too much on a lake or pond, but they do remain permanently available and are never a disadvantage.

 

-accessibility/portability…

If I can see the water and there is a spot to park my truck, I can fish.  I don’t need a trailer.  I don’t need a ramp.  And I don’t need batteries.  Heck, I don’t even really need a path to the water. 
There are places in the rivers I fish that at times are just not accessible with pedals, a trolling motor or even a jet.  And on the occasion I encounter low water or a wall of rocks or other obstacle, it is nothing to either drag or portage my 38lb or 46lb kayak over or around whatever is in the way.  

 

-maneuverability…

You’re not going to sweep stroke or stern draw a boat or kayhack to miss a rock, an overhanging tree branch, or quietly eddy out to fish a current break while the current  in a chute wants to rush you downriver.
 

-It provides exciting challenges…

It is especially rewarding to navigate a river’s rapids or drops to reach and fish a spot that likely only the whitewater guys have touched.  Or fighting and landing a  smallie while sculling one-handed to maintain position in current or to avoid rocks or to ensure going river right and not left.

 

-It’s an eremitic experience…

There is something very special about silently launching at dawn and witnessing, without interrupting it, the sights and sounds of the river (or lake) and woods come to life.  Or taking out at nightfall when the growing silence is broken only by the sounds of night creatures starting their nightly ventures.  I believe a kayak (and canoe) simply provides a level of communion with the water and nature that is nearly impossible to achieve with a boat.  

If I decide I want to go fast, I’ll take the jet.  If I decide I want to stand and flyfish, I’ll take the kayhack.  But 90 out of hundred times I’ll take one of the kayaks, and the experience never disappoints.

It’s a kayak thing. If you get it you get it. 
 

it’s the challenge. It’s harder by a long shot. It’s why that kayaker cheated w a boat. Haha. similar to cooking on fire. I could use a stove, sure……

 

a boat feels like easy. 
 

if I get a boat it will be because a kayak got to difficult, oritceill be for the ocean.  Because- sharks.

I have 8 kayaks(One for each family member) and a boat. My "kayak" is a 13.5 Native Titan Pedal drive. I started off in a kayak because i couldn't afford a boat, but, being a disabled vet it was only a matter of time before the kayak became too much of a demand on my body that i just couldn't handle anymore, so I got a boat. It is much cheaper to operate a kayak and I think that's the most alluring part of it for most. Each trip in the kayak cost me approximately 40 bucks in gas if the truck is empty. Each trip in the boat costs me 100 bucks in gas if the truck is empty and the boat is ALWAYS empty. I still take the kayak from time to time but I am recovering for a week after taking it. I love kayak fishing just as much as boat fishing but for me a boat will be my best choice.