7 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Bummer that a kayak is considered “going backwards”. 
 

I had a boat and I stepped into new challenges physically and territorially. 
 

im the best fisherman now in my entire life.  And most physically fit.   Coming back up this hill will kill some people.  To me it’s just a Monday.
 

 

A good cart is definitely a necessity on that hill. I love my Yak Attack bar cart. It's great for kayaks and canoes. 

I originally bought a kayak to get off the bank. I started with a sit in kayak and upgraded to a sit on top. There are a lot of HP restrictions in PA, so that’s one reason I go the kayak route.
 

The other is for the simplicity. I have a 12’ paddle only kayak that is not too heavy and can be lifted into the back of my truck, with proper technique. 

 

It’s very relaxing to limit distractions, take a few rods, a lunch and some tackle. I don’t want to overcomplicate the kayak deal. If I want to fish an unlimited hp lake or fish a tournament I will take the boat. 

@Darth-Baiter I can’t take my dog or dad with me in a canoe or kayak. I can’t run the river the way I like in a kayak/canoe. I can’t walk all around in a kayak/canoe.I can see better out of a boat. 
 

I do not want to paddle. I don’t want to make a kayak into a no boat with a TM and no gas engine. I fished out of a canoe with a TM before. I wanted a boat to be comfortable. I wanted a boat to feel safe. I wanted a boat to be able to run. I wanted a boat to take my dad or wife. I don’t want to struggle just to hold a spot or throw an anchor to fish areas. 

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

@Darth-Baiter I can’t take my dog with me in a canoe or kayak. 

We’ve put all of our dogs in canoes and kayaks, including the one that weighed about 95 lbs 

 

I LOVE fishing out of a kayak. To this day still my favorite way to get out. I lived in a 1 bedroom apartment and was able to fish out of the kayak anytime I wanted. I'd say for me it was a step above the beating the bank which opened up way more places to fish. I also love smallies, and a kayak can go in about 4" of water like it's nothing. I'd like to get a jet boat, but I'm probably still 15 years away from being able to afford on of those (my goal is to get one by the time I'm 50, 36 now).  I like a barebones kayak that weighs next to nothing. Just throw it in the water and go. I don't understand the appeal of trolling motor, fish finders, batteries etc on kayaks but I haven't tried it yet either. I'd rather have my aluminum boat for that stuff. 

@TnRiver46the way mine doesn’t like flys, bees, wasps, loud noises and other animals it wouldn’t work for us.  I’m glad it worked for you.

@Susky River Rat, 😂! We trained that one in the photo to eat carpenter bees but then she started eating stink bugs and burping in our face haha

3 hours ago, jitterbug127 said:

 I don't understand the appeal of trolling motor, fish finders, batteries etc on kayaks 

 

Come to the dark side...

 

Just wait until you see the upgrades I'm making to my kayak this weekend!

4 hours ago, jitterbug127 said:

I LOVE fishing out of a kayak. To this day still my favorite way to get out. I lived in a 1 bedroom apartment and was able to fish out of the kayak anytime I wanted. I'd say for me it was a step above the beating the bank which opened up way more places to fish. I also love smallies, and a kayak can go in about 4" of water like it's nothing. I'd like to get a jet boat, but I'm probably still 15 years away from being able to afford on of those (my goal is to get one by the time I'm 50, 36 now).  I like a barebones kayak that weighs next to nothing. Just throw it in the water and go. I don't understand the appeal of trolling motor, fish finders, batteries etc on kayaks but I haven't tried it yet either. I'd rather have my aluminum boat for that stuff. 

I think the fact that you have another boat gives you the option to keep the kayak fishing simple. I like to keep it simple as well in my kayak. I do have a non-color 2d fishfinder that I like to use, so I have a small lead acid battery in the kayak.

 

If I solely fished out of a kayak, I would probably get one with a pedal drive and maybe I would consider a trolling motor for larger lakes. 

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

We’ve put all of our dogs in canoes and kayaks, including the one that weighed about 95 lbs 

 

I’d be safer carrying a hand grenade in my kayak/canoe than my Australian Shepherd. He’s an absolute lunatic, but a good dog at the same time. 

I've always had a 2 man...from Bass Hunters to Pelicans.  I don't understand wanting a Kayak over a more stable platform.  Most Kayaks I see can't be put on top of your Camry.

73 yrs old now, had boats pretty much my whole life both fresh and salt.

Been in a kayak now for over 20 years, due to an accident involving a boat and was informed by my mother and wife absolutely no more boats!!

I was lucky to have one of the forerunners of kayak fishing here in the northeast living close by.

He was selling sot kayaks out of his backyard at first then moved up to having a storefront.

He also had a quite active forum where a lot of stuff now taken for granted was first figured out, like can you have a fishfinder on a kayak, can a trolling motor be mounted on a kayak.

Unfortunately that website has been lost, there was a ton of history on there on the beginnings of kayak fishing here in the northeast.

Compare to many on here I'm still pretty basic, strictly a paddler, a 2d fishfinder with gps mapping and a  handheld vhf radio.

Do I miss being on a boat sometimes, yeah, the ability to stand and stretch, be able to make a run miles away.

Being in a kayak though puts me more in touch with my surroundings, concentrate on small area's, and quite frankly more challenging to me. 

So I've seen both sides of boating and kayaking, there are great conscious participants on both sides, unfortunately there are also jerks too on both sides. 

Don't get me started on jet skis  

 

38 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

I've always had a 2 man...from Bass Hunters to Pelicans.  I don't understand wanting a Kayak over a more stable platform.  Most Kayaks I see can't be put on top of your Camry.

I’m going to guess the key factor there is weight. My Old Towne predator weighs somewhere in the 70-80 lbs range unloaded.
 

To get it loaded in my truck bed I need to drag or trolley it over, swing one side over the tailgate, then lift and push it all the way in. It’s not always easy but once you form a routine it’s not too bad. 

For the record:    Fishing from the bank - I don’t consider going backwards either.  One of my favorite trips is my annual shore fishing Striper-fest.  
 

Some of you all apparently have a fishing pecking order:D

13 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

For the record:    Fishing from the bank - I don’t consider going backwards either.  One of my favorite trips is my annual shore fishing Striper-fest.  
 

Some of you all apparently have a fishing pecking order:D

Yep. It’s definitely not a downgrade, but if you want to fish offshore, you don’t have any options unless you have a boat. 

The purchase of a boat in 2015 is largely what brought me to this site.  It's fairly likely I would not have even became a member if it weren't for my boat.  The first thread I contributed to was the "show your ride" one.

 

I'd also say that if bank fishing was my only option, I wouldn't be fishing very much, if at all.  There's a high likelihood that fishing would not even by a hobby of mine.  Part of it is access to quality fishing locations here.  We're the land of 10,000 lakes, but the vast majority of shore fishing is private land, which isn't accessible.

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Kayak Koz said:

 

Come to the dark side...

 

Just wait until you see the upgrades I'm making to my kayak this weekend!

Very nice! If i didn't have a 4 year son that fishes with me I'd very well be inclined to get a fancy kayak. 

Saw a kayak recently that peaked my interest, very stable, high seat, easy to stand up and fish. 

Jackson bluesky boat works 360.

Would never get rid of my bass boat but we have several lakes without ramps that I know hold big fish.

Nothing beats a float down river with 1-2 rods. Its the simplest and most productive fishing I do. Causes me to get creative and cover a bunch of water in a hurry. I fell in love with bronzebacks in a kayak. Kayak fishing is the foundation for all the fishing I've done since.  

Fishing out of a kayak clearly isn't for everyone, but I love it.  If I had space to store a boat, I'd consider getting one.  But even if I did, I'd still have and use recreational kayaks, and I'd still probably fish out of them on occasion when it was convenient. Also, having kayaks hasn't made me stop bank fishing and wading on occasion either. 

 

I have two kayaks that I use for fishing, one of which is equipped with 2d sonar, but otherwise I haven't sunk too much into upgrades - no pedals, no motors. They have definitely cost me less than a boat. They don't consume gas and require little to no maintenance. Both are light enough that I can lift and car top when unloaded (at least for now while I'm still strong and and healthy).

 

I fish almost exclusively small waters up to a few hundred acres, some of which boats cannot launch on.  A couple are fished pretty infrequently by anyone. I don't often have a lot of open water traffic to deal with.  I fish alone, and don't do tournaments. I do wish I could move from spot to spot faster. But this is only a minor inconvenience given the size of places I fish.  Several minutes of paddling is usually enough to take me any distance I need to go.  

 

I couldn't get here with a boat:

 

or here:

 

or here:

8 hours ago, Kayak Koz said:

Come to the dark side...

You’ll be in the dark side soon as a boat owner 😂

 

6 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Some of you all apparently have a fishing pecking order:D

not at all. There is not a single place I fish or would fish where a kayak would be an advantage or more fun. I’d be putting in more work to own a kayak.  I work for a living I don’t need to work to fish.

2 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

You’ll be in the dark side soon as a boat owner 😂

 

not at all. There is not a single place I fish or would fish where a kayak would be an advantage or more fun. I’d be putting in more work to own a kayak.  I work for a living I don’t need to work to fish.

Probably wasn’t referring to you then   

I live 5 minutes from my home lake and the St Croix River.

 

I can be in the water ready to go in 7 minutes. 

 

Simplicity and minimalism rule for me and my kayak is a huge part of that. 

On 12/31/2025 at 6:48 PM, MIbassyaker said:

If I had space to store a boat, I'd consider getting one. 

 

Me too. I've owned at least half a dozen boats with motors and loved all of them. Now I own two canoes, a canoe/kayak hybrid, and a fishing kayak, so buying and owning and storing a motorboat would be too much for me. However, in ten years, when I'm 80 and living at my pond, a motorboat sounds so appealing for the room and stability. However, I'd be reluctant to let others use it at my pond because there are so many rocks under the surface. I'd be happy to take them fishing, of course!

 

Speaking of motorboats, this one costs twice what I paid for my pondfront acreage:

 

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2025-vexus-dvx22s-9630503/?utm_source=Google+Shopping&utm_source=google+shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=goog_bt_us_shopping_high&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21821205118&gbraid=0AAAAAD_I7eDuxcQl5ltvDc7ce_Rlt2Eth&gclid=Cj0KCQiApfjKBhC0ARIsAMiR_Itq_L5nfvydREjCsfTiRfXmXUemootL2lPneU_bF2Xm0bYvhSZmZWUaAkZiEALw_wcB