Kayak or Jon boat

[Michael Robbins]

I have a nitro z20 and I fish rivers and big lakes near me but Ive been looking to buy something smaller to fish electric motor only lakes. Should I buy a Jon boat or a peddle kayak. I have a price limit of $2,000.

[CroakHunter]

I'm a bigger guy and wouldn't consider a kayak. And for 2 grand you can get a nice jon boat ready to fish

[Hawkeye21]

I think it all depends on how simple you want it to be and the regulations your state has.  Where I live a kayak under 13 feet is not required to be registered but a jon boat would need to be.  A jon boat most likely will require a trailer for transportation which also would need to be registered.  A boat, motor and trailer require more maintenance than a kayak.

 

These were all reasons why I wanted a kayak over a boat but I'm not like everyone else.  I like to keep it simple.

[FishDewd]

Let's see... I have paddled around in a few kayaks, but never fished from one. They are surprisingly stable depending on the weight inside of it. However, I have fished from a few john boats, and I have to say, I would probably feel a lot safer in the boat lol. There are alligators and such in the waters around here, I wouldn't jive too well with that in a kayak. So I pick kayak for fun and recreation, and leave the fishing for the boat.

[haggard]

If you're going to have two boats I'd consider making them as NOT similar as possible (while still being well suited to the fishing task). In other words, if you've got a bigger powerboat for bigger waters, spending $2K on a smaller powerboat basically gives you a smaller version of what you've already got. Consider going more extreme: a pedal powered fishing yak ($2K will get you a nicely outfitted one) and will give you a very different experience and possibilities compared to the big boat. Your decision making process is also easier: boat selection becomes very obvious depending on the water you're fishing. Can't take the Nitro on skinny shallow rivers but the yak, no problem. Crossing a big lake in chop? Nitro. If you said you were going to have three boats, then I'd recommend the Nitro plus jon plus yak. But if it's two? Nitro and yak. Make them different. Yak is a very different animal, very simple compared to powerboat - no motor, easier to manage and maintain, etc.

 

Of course all this depends largely on what waters you typically fish so more info on your specific situation would help.

[bassguytom]

I have an 18 foot bass boat for the big lakes. I got a used jon for $200 and a little trailer for $100 off Craigslist. I also got a 6 hp motor for $400.00. I use the Jon on electric only lakes and with the motor on the Delaware river draft is only a foot or so so I can get to some pretty skinny water with it. I think you will use the Jon more. I also have a Wilderness 120 yak that I have not used after getting the Jon.  Good luck either way. 

[the reel ess]

I have a kayak and I love it. No boat will allow you to get into the spots you can with a kayak. There are big fish a lot shallower than I ever knew they were. That said, I still want a flat bottom jon boat with a good trolling motor and a raised front deck. I'm getting older and sitting for hours makes my feet fall asleep and my back ache. I'd go in the order of kayak first, then start saving and looking for a good deal on a jon boat. But that's just my personal preference. I fish a lot of smaller places.

[JustJames]

Go for a change. On kayak you will learn how to become minimalist, you also get to exercise more and you might be able to fish where you never fish before.

That also remind me to take kayak out more often, ever since I got my Jon boat fix I hardly ever take my kayak out. My wife started to complain that I wasted money again.

[RenegadeBassin]

I tried kayak fishing after I sold my first boat. I got one to hold me over until I could buy a new boat. I wasn't a fan. Having a boat is much easier in IMO, this includes jon boats. Spend more time fishing and not paddling to where you want to fish, and you'll have more storage and fishing area. I'm 23 y/o and not afraid of paddling a kayak around; I just sometimes believe in working smarter not harder. Can't bring your buddies in a kayak either!

[Hawkeye21]

1 hour ago, RenegadeBassin said:

I tried kayak fishing after I sold my first boat. I got one to hold me over until I could buy a new boat. I wasn't a fan. Having a boat is much easier in IMO, this includes jon boats. Spend more time fishing and not paddling to where you want to fish, and you'll have more storage and fishing area. I'm 23 y/o and not afraid of paddling a kayak around; I just sometimes believe in working smarter not harder. Can't bring your buddies in a kayak either!

The body of water your fishing can make a big difference as well.  I know I can only cover so much water in a day on my kayak so it can take me days to cover a lot of area on one lake.

[Florida Cracker2]

Been very happy with my 12/36 jon. 17lb troller moves it well and a 15 Evenrude makes her fly. Stable enough to stand up in and light enough to drag completely on shore. Also slides in and sits flat in the bed of my truck.