Yesterday I saw more kayaks WITH motors than without.

[Darth-Baiter]

14 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I don't want a motor on mine because then I have to register it with the state. As long as I keep pedaling, I don't have to put numbers on it. I covered over 7 miles in strong winds in a tournament a couple months ago, I get around just fine. 

7 miles is a good day!  I’m good at 8 easy

My friend put a 30lb minnkota on his Nucanoe.  I’m happy to report I can keep up with him easy with my Hobie.  I was afraid I was gonna have to hold onto his boat for a tow. 

[biancitwo]

I am a novice. Love my SS127. Days with little wind or current, I prefer paddling. Most of the time I have been fine. But, I’m trying to learn creek bass fishing. Last week, I spent four hours on a moving creek casting beautifully, but with all my time spent after the cast trying in vain to hold my position so I can present the bait. I was unsuccessful for four hours. Of course, there were also times when I couldn’t cast because my kayak was swinging in the wrong direction. The creek was too deep for my anchor. That’s when I first thought seriously about a motor. Suggestions?

[OldManLure]

12 hours ago, biancitwo said:

I am a novice. Love my SS127. Days with little wind or current, I prefer paddling. Most of the time I have been fine. But, I’m trying to learn creek bass fishing. Last week, I spent four hours on a moving creek casting beautifully, but with all my time spent after the cast trying in vain to hold my position so I can present the bait. I was unsuccessful for four hours. Of course, there were also times when I couldn’t cast because my kayak was swinging in the wrong direction. The creek was too deep for my anchor. That’s when I first thought seriously about a motor. Suggestions?

Welcome to fishing a river or creek from a kayak!  An anchor is a more reliable and much less expensive solution.  There are considerations for safely using an anchor,  mostly regarding flow rate.  And my experience has been if a river or creek is flowing too strongly for safely anchoring, a trolling motor won’t be of much use either.   In fact, an argument could be made that if a river or creek is flowing too strongly to safely anchor, it may be flowing too strongly to fish effectively (unless there is an abundance of structure that creates a lot of eddy water).

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, OldManLure said:

Welcome to fishing a river or creek from a kayak!  An anchor is a more reliable and much less expensive solution.  There are considerations for safely using an anchor,  mostly regarding flow rate.  And my experience has been if a river or creek is flowing too strongly for safely anchoring, a trolling motor won’t be of much use either.   In fact, an argument could be made that if a river or creek is flowing too strongly to safely anchor, it may be flowing too strongly to fish effectively (unless there is an abundance of structure that creates a lot of eddy water).

A lot of the waters I fish are as you described. I just try like heck to paddle into the eddies, sometimes tie off to a tree branch instead of anchoring 

[padon]

23 hours ago, biancitwo said:

I am a novice. Love my SS127. Days with little wind or current, I prefer paddling. Most of the time I have been fine. But, I’m trying to learn creek bass fishing. Last week, I spent four hours on a moving creek casting beautifully, but with all my time spent after the cast trying in vain to hold my position so I can present the bait. I was unsuccessful for four hours. Of course, there were also times when I couldn’t cast because my kayak was swinging in the wrong direction. The creek was too deep for my anchor. That’s when I first thought seriously about a motor. Suggestions?

alot of my kayak fishing is on the susquehanna river . its a very large river with alot of current. the motor wont help you. you need to learn to use the current to your advantage.look for the current breaks, eddies,seams etc.if you see a boulder sticking out of the water which creates a soft spot ehind it paddle into the soft spot and gently anchor. now work the edges of where the current meets the softer water. also in the soft water behind the rock. work your way up to the rock repeating the process. thats just an example but it gets you thinking about what im talking about

[OldManLure]

10 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

A lot of the waters I fish are as you described. I just try like heck to paddle into the eddies, sometimes tie off to a tree branch instead of anchoring 

I’m with you!  I purchased a 6” spring clamp at Lowe’s that I often use to clamp to tree limbs, exposed roots or branches of submerged trees that stick out above surface.  It’s attached  to a 6’ length of paracord that I secure behind my seat or, on occasion, at the front or my cockpit.  Works great!  Easy on, easy off.

[Darth-Baiter]

My friend told me it cost him $400 to register his motorized kayak.  Ugly.  Good for two years 

[flyfisher]

Motors are a fantastic thing to have in current.  I fish a river with some heavier current and it absolutely helps.  I am able to do one person shuttles and go 5+ miles upstream and float back if needed.  I did the paddle thing for years and worked the currents and eddies and could cover  water close to the launch spot very thoroughly and maybe a mile or 2 upstream if I worked at it.  With a motor I follow the same principles as if I was simply paddling I just have more propulsion and can cover a lot more water.  

[JbroBass]

On 6/11/2021 at 6:07 AM, David 7 said:

When watching the KBF tournaments, I sometimes wonder why they allow peddles, fish finders and all these other accessories. It would be cooler IMO if it was just a yak and a paddle. Far as a motor is concerned though, it’s a bit silly because at that point you should just get a john boat. 
 

But to each their own, whatever encourages people to get out and fish is a good thing. Personally I’ll stick with my 10 ft kayak, paddle, ugly stick and tackle box.

 

If you rig the kayak smartly, you can always choose to go without the motor, electronics, etc., and therefore the kayak is suitable for more applications than a john boat. At least that's how I'm thinking about things in theory, having just bought a kayak that I plan to rig like a mini bass boat most of the time. But I like that I'm not completely restricted to waters with boat ramps and retain the ability to go "bare bones" most of the time. The only thing remaining on the boat when I'm bare bones will be the quick release plate for the motor, which at most weighs a few pounds. 

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

My friend told me it cost him $400 to register his motorized kayak.  Ugly.  Good for two years 

That’s a little outrageous . I think most places you can register a two story ocean liner yacht for less 

[Darth-Baiter]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

That’s a little outrageous . I think most places you can register a two story ocean liner yacht for less 

Truth.  My motorcycle was less. 
 

 

[DogBone_384]

On 5/24/2021 at 2:51 PM, Junger said:

even a fishing kayak had it's own rabbit hole to go down.

This whole sport is a rabbit hole! ?

2 hours ago, JbroBass said:

you can always choose to go without the motor, electronics, etc.,

I chose FeelFree’s Lure 11.5 for this reason. Their Overdrive and Motordrive units are a-la-cart.   

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, DogBone_384 said:

This whole sport is a rabbit hole! ?

 

Only if you let it! 
my wife turns walking up a mountain and sleeping on the ground into a rabbit hole of buying stuff at REI (that of course I have to carry up the mountain haha)

[Smalls]

6 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

My friend told me it cost him $400 to register his motorized kayak.  Ugly.  Good for two years 

I'm gonna call BS. Pretty sure California has the highest fee at $49.

 

6 hours ago, JbroBass said:

When watching the KBF tournaments, I sometimes wonder why they allow peddles, fish finders and all these other accessories. It

 

You'll never see a tournament without graphs for pedals. That's like BASS doing the elites without trolling motors. 

 

But if you have an issue with motors, there's other trails that don't allow them.

[JbroBass]

12 minutes ago, Smalls said:

I'm gonna call BS. Pretty sure California has the highest fee at $49.

 

 

You'll never see a tournament without graphs for pedals. That's like BASS doing the elites without trolling motors. 

 

But if you have an issue with motors, there's other trails that don't allow them.

 

Weird, that's not my post about motors that's attributed to me in your reply above.

 

But since I'm replying to this post, the lady at my town hall in NH told me it's going to be $75 when I register. (Since it's annual and not pro-rated by month, I decided to wait until January, so I'm not 100 percent sure she is correct. But it seems reasonable to believe that she should know.)

[Smalls]

38 minutes ago, JbroBass said:

lady at my town hall in NH told me it's going to be $75 when I register. (Since it's annual and not pro-rated by month, I decided to wait until January, so I'm not 100 percent sure she is correct. But it seems reasonable to believe that she should know.)

You would think she would, but apparently she's trying to pocket an extra $50

 

https://www.dmv.org/nh-new-hampshire/boat-registration.php

[JbroBass]

14 minutes ago, Smalls said:

You would think she would, but apparently she's trying to pocket an extra $50

 

https://www.dmv.org/nh-new-hampshire/boat-registration.php

 

Looks like it will be ~ $55 when adding in all the other required fees, so she wasn't too far off considering that she only took a guess. (But my post should have made it more clear she was spit balling, which is why I said I wouldn't be sure until I actually do the registration in January.)

 

[Smalls]

5 minutes ago, JbroBass said:

Looks like it will be ~ $55 when adding in all the other required fees,

I wasn't going to get super invested in diving into every states registration fees. 

 

I'm sure we can agree that while one of the 50 states may even charge more, that $400 isn't likely?

[flyfisher]

29 minutes ago, Smalls said:

I wasn't going to get super invested in diving into every states registration fees. 

 

I'm sure we can agree that while one of the 50 states may even charge more, that $400 isn't likely?

unless it is a sales tax thing but even then that would be one expensive kayak.  I registered and titled mine here in VA and I think all in for three years was a around $40 but that included the initial titling fee of $10.  I am good till 2024 now.  Hard part was tracking down the bill of sale but luckily the company I bought the kayak from was able to look me up in their system and send me a copy of the receipt.  

[Darth-Baiter]

3 hours ago, Smalls said:

I'm gonna call BS. Pretty sure California has the highest fee at $49.

 

 

You'll never see a tournament without graphs for pedals. That's like BASS doing the elites without trolling motors. 

 

But if you have an issue with motors, there's other trails that don't allow them.

Agree it’s heresay at this point.  I have not seen the bill myself.  But that’s what he told me.  He was running his motor right next to me.  I could keep up easy. 

3 hours ago, Smalls said:

I'm gonna call BS. Pretty sure California has the highest fee at $49.

 

 

You'll never see a tournament without graphs for pedals. That's like BASS doing the elites without trolling motors. 

 

But if you have an issue with motors, there's other trails that don't allow them.

Hell!  I might agree with you!  All I can find mentioned is $49. Hmmmm

[flyfisher]

21 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Agree it’s heresay at this point.  I have not seen the bill myself.  But that’s what he told me.  He was running his motor right next to me.  I could keep up easy. 

Hell!  I might agree with you!  All I can find mentioned is $49. Hmmmm

What motor was he running?  no fishing kayak could maintain speed to keep up with my motor if I was running wide open.  I have heard people claim speeds in the low 3mph range when running bow mounted trolling motors though which I could easily keep up with in my ATAK if I was paddling.