First boat for under $1,000 - Nice kayak or old aluminum boat?

[badgerboyng]

I'm on a tight budget, and want a boat for under $1k. I've never had a boat before, and my car is a Nissan Altima, so I know I can't tow much (1,000lbs). Nobody in my family and only one of my friends that lives near me has a boat, so I don't get to fish much. I'd like to get my own boat so I can finally get out on the water whenever I want, but I have two limitations: my budget ($1k) and my car (1,000lbs). 

 

One option is to get a really nice kayak (emotion, vibe, or feel free) for under 1k, and then upgrade it with time. I do not have a roof rack on my car, but I'm thinking maybe I could just buy soft roof racks for $100 and make it work. I can see this working well for the small ponds and lakes around me, however, I'm not sure if I could take a kayak out on the Wisconsin River, which can run pretty high/fast. 

 

On the other hand, my friend got really lucky on Craigslist before and got a nice little boat with a motor, trolling motor, and trailer, all in excellent condition, for about $600. I am confident that I could tow that with my car. I could use a small old aluminum boat and motor on small lakes and ponds, but again it might not be strong enough for the WI River. 

 

Or I could just keep saving my money for a few years until I have a vehicle capable of towing more and then buy a larger aluminum boat for a few grand.

 

What do you guys think? Kayak or small old boat? Or should I suck it up and wait a few more years?

[RUSS9999]

I would go with the small boat. Would not waist any time, young or old there may not be a tomorrow or next year.

[scaleface]

Personally ,  I would pick a small  boat over a kayak but a lot of people like kayaks .   I do a lot of fishing from a fourteen foot Jon boat .

[Angry John]

If your waters are small the yak is unbeatable.  500 acre and less is where yaks thrive.  Big water not so much.

[badgerboyng]

Mixed opinions so far. I just think I could get a really nice kayak for the money, compared to a pretty junky boat. However, I forgot to mention that I already have an old 7.5 horsepower motor in my shed, which might make a boat the better option. 

[CenCal fisher]

I would get a kayak. The boat might give you problems down the road, the kayak won't. A kayak will be easier to transport, launch and store. The downside to a kayak is that the wind can be a pain and you can't bring a friend unless they have one too. 

[Looking for the big one]

A lot of kayak guys on here, but a small Jon boat with a trolling motor is more stable, comfortable, and will give you more space. You could put that motor on their. You could get a brand new 10'-12' Jon boat for around 600, less if you buy used on Craigslist(aluminum Jon boats are practically indestructible, just need a thorough cleaning). Plus you already have a motor, and you could still have money for a decent fish finder.

[badgerboyng]

1 hour ago, Looking for the big one said:

A lot of kayak guys on here, but a small Jon boat with a trolling motor is more stable, comfortable, and will give you more space. You could put that motor on their. You could get a brand new 10'-12' Jon boat for around 600, less if you buy used on Craigslist(aluminum Jon boats are practically indestructible, just need a thorough cleaning). Plus you already have a motor, and you could still have money for a decent fish finder.

$600 is pretty cheap. Where can I find that?

[scaleface]

I'm not young anymore  . I would have a hard time spending 4 hours in a kayak . I can fish from dusk to dawn out of  a boat .

[fishnkamp]

Look at this https://northernwi.craigslist.org/boa/6155467432.html  Just $499

 

and this  https://wausau.craigslist.org/boa/6152886805.html

 

and this  https://greenbay.craigslist.org/boa/6109066690.html

[fishnkamp]

I found these in just 10 minutes while searching craigslist.  I live in MD, so I do not know where these places are in terms of distance from you.  Take 30 minutes a day looking on different Craigslists within WI till you find what you want.  It is out there!   I like the kayak as your best answer.  I do not think any boat your car could pull is going to help you fish any better or fish any bigger water.   I have owned 11 bass boats, canoes and jon boats during 40 plus years of boating.  I have had a chance to fish out of plenty of boats and learned quite a lot from each experience.  If you have local streams, small rivers,  larger ponds and even smaller lakes then the kayak will fish as good as any boat your car can pull and still fall in your budget.  Your car's trailer towing capacity, as well as your budget, will restrict how big of a body of water you can SAFELY boat PERIOD!!!!

Go enjoy the smaller bodies of water and forget big water till you can spend enough money to buy and tow a big boat.  You will probably need a big deep vee aluminum or large fiberglass to fish the big waters, these cost more than $30,000, not $1000. Even my current Lowe Stinger 170, a 17 1/2 foot aluminum bass boat ( costing more than $15,000)  can not safely run where my ProCraft 20 foot bass boat ski boat could go. It had a 200 hp outboard on a big wide hull and cost $30,000 back in 1998.  It could handle water like Lake Erie and the Potomac River here in MD. I fished out of that boat on lakes and rivers in MD,PA, VA, NY, MO, NC and SC and KY. 

 

[Neil McCauley]

The boat is a no brainer if there's great fishing options nearby, like giant Browns in early spring on Lake Michigan. That would be very dangerous in a kayak. It's hard to see how limited the kayak is now when you just want something that floats, but you wouldn't regret the boat. The downside of the boat is the responsibilities and logistics of it...installing a tow hitch and brake lighting, registration, inspections, launch schedules and fees, etc.

[Looking for the big one]

Academy sports and outdoors has them at that price near me, however I don't know if you have one near you. 

[Hawkeye21]

If you're like me you'll pick a kayak and here's why.  Your initial investment in the kayak is pretty much it.  There is very little maintenance and not gas to fill it up with.  It's easier to store and transport.  It doesn't require registration is many states.

 

I had wanted to get out on the water for years but not only did I not have that much money but I didn't want to put up with the maintenance.  Just because you find a boat for under $1,000 doesn't mean that's all it's going to cost you.  Almost every used boat I've seen has needed some improvements regardless if it was under $1,000 or over $5,000.  You'll not only have the maintenance of the boat but also the trailer.  You'll need to get the boat and trailer registered and need a license plate for the trailer.  Don't forget having to fuel up the boat each time and making sure you take care of the motor, especially with storing it each winter.  Almost forgot about the batteries.  Many people will have at least two batteries on the boat.

 

A boat doesn't have to be as complicated as that but it usually is.  It was more work and money than I was willing to put in and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with it.  Eventually it was just going to cost more money than I would get enjoyment out of and that's not good.  I've had my kayak for about a year and I have it completely setup the way I like it all for under $1,000.  I don't have to stick another dollar into it if I don't want to.  I also love how I can store it easily in my garage, have it loaded up in 10 minutes and out on the water quickly.

[scaleface]

I dont know what bodies of waters you have to fish . Here in upper Missouri there are a whole bunch of small public lakes from thirty to two hundred acres that a kayak or small boat will work well on .These small  waters harbor a lot of bass and big ones too.  Some of these lakes have rental boats .All you need is a battery , elec motor  and a portable depth finder . Thats what I do .  

 

 .

[Hawkeye21]

5 hours ago, Neil McCauley said:

The boat is a no brainer if there's great fishing options nearby, like giant Browns in early spring on Lake Michigan. That would be very dangerous in a kayak. It's hard to see how limited the kayak is now when you just want something that floats, but you wouldn't regret the boat. The downside of the boat is the responsibilities and logistics of it...installing a tow hitch and brake lighting, registration, inspections, launch schedules and fees, etc.

 

LOL  I found it funny that you said there wouldn't be any regrets but then list all of the things that may make a person regret buying a boat.  Buying a boat under $1,000 will still cost over $1,000.  There will always be maintenance on a boat.  Oh, and don't forget insurance.

[Munkin]

Borrow someone else's Kayak and try it out first to see if it will work for you. I have a back injury from a parachute jump in the Army that still gives me problems. My wife bought me a Kayak and it is painful to sit in after about 15 minutes.

 

Allen

[J Francho]

15 hours ago, Angry John said:

Big water not so much.

 

Totally false.  I fish Lake Ontario and Erie from a kayak.  The original fishing kayaks were developed guys going out into the ocean. 

 

To the OP, In either choice, you will have additional expenses.  You'll have to register the boat and trailer.  You'll probably have to do some maintenance on it as well.  Things like gas lines, spark plugs, impeller, etc. add up quick.  With a kayak, you need a paddle, and you don't want to skimp here.  You'll also want some anchoring system.  With either, there's also the list of required safety gear: PFD, whistle, throw-able flotation, rope, etc.  Either way, unless you score a sweet used deal, you might want to be more realistic about your budget cap.

[scaleface]

My brothers have kayaks , though they are not high quality fishing kayaks , , I dont like them . I have long legs and have a hard time getting in and out .   The bigger more expensive ones have to be more comfortable . I have a canoe for small rivers and a plastic Bass Baby that has wheels . I fish all sorts of waters big and small . I do better in general on the smaller ones .

 

 

 

See the background in this pic .Thats an irrigation ditch and I'm fishing out of the Bass Baby . A kayak would work great in a place like this .

 

[NYWayfarer]

For under a $1000 you can get a nice new square backed canoe for that motor you have.

 

I have a 15.5' Canoe that I transport on top of my Hyundai Elantra with no roof rack. I bought one of those car topper kits with the foam blocks and tie downs and it works.Very hard if almost impossible to get it on the roof by myself though. I don't have to travel to far though. For longer trips I borrow my Father in laws trailer.

 

I will be trying out a Kayak next month for the first time. If I like it I think it will be a great option when I want to go solo.

[badgerboyng]

There are a lot of lakes around my house and my cabin up north that are under 500 acres. Many of my favorites are about 200 acres. I would love to also go on the Wisconsin river and possibly Sturgeon Bay for massive smallmouth, although it might not be possible from a small watercraft. Although J Francho says it can be done, maybe after I get comfortable with paddling if I choose a kayak. I've looked at a few kayaks that are unbelievably stable.

 

My friend's parents have a boat with a very deep V hull that we can use for large water, but we can only take it out rarely. I want something that I can load up by myself and go fishing alone whenever I want and my friend with the boat is busy. 

 

Everyone made good points about the cost... Both options have a lot of hidden costs that pile up. I guess I'll have to increase my budget to accommodate for the extras (paddle or gas tank, etc). I'll admit that getting a boat registered and taking a boating class and all of that seems like a huge pain in the butt. 

[J Francho]

34 minutes ago, badgerboyng said:

I would love to also go on the Wisconsin river and possibly Sturgeon Bay for massive smallmouth, although it might not be possible from a small watercraft. Although J Francho says it can be done, maybe after I get comfortable with paddling if I choose a kayak. I've looked at a few kayaks that are unbelievably stable.

 

The right boat, and pick your days.  I good kayak can put up with more than a bass boat can.  A deep-V hulled boat is probably the best option for rough water.  My little 15' tiller was great for getting out of trouble in rough water.  My 22' Bullet, not so much. Like I said, pick your days and pay attention.