Why a Kayak?

[DaubsNU1]

When I was a kid, kayaks were not a thing.

 

I started shore fishing...then got a belly-boat...then fished from a friend's canoe. All were GREAT upgrades from previous!

 

I have mad respect for kayak fishermen! If I didn't have a good tow-vehicle, and a place to store my boat...I too would be getting a yak.

 

A few buddies have transitioned from boats to yak's, and keep trying to talk me in to one. Nope. I have my boat just the way I like it.

 

So why did you get a kayak??

 

 

 

My boat for reference...It is old. It is paid for. I can stand. Makes 20 mph on it's best day. I can fish two if needed.

 

 

[gim]

5 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

If I didn't have a good tow-vehicle, and a place to store my boat...I too would be getting a yak.

 

This is me too.  There's no doubt that having a boat requires a larger towing vehicle, a place to store it, and a lot more maintenance.

 

If I didn't have a truck/SUV or a garage spot to store my boat, I wouldn't have one.  I'd almost for sure have a nice fishing kayak.

 

They have exploded in popularity.  Not just for fishing purposes, but for general recreational purposes too.  I think that its really cool that there's kayak bass fishing tournaments.  @Bluebasser86 has well-documented his experiences participating in them.

 

For now, I'm sticking with my boat too.

[Darth-Baiter]

Daubs.  if i got a boat, i would go for something like yours.  i LOVE yours.

 

why a kayak?  funny you mentioned a boat.  my wife actually was possessed by someone entirely else and uttered the words, "you should get a bass boat"

"WAAAT?"

i looked for a bit, cost, maint, storage, etc..and i decided to buy a kayak.  (i am still needed to unsubscribe from Vexus).  i liked the kayak for the simplicity.  i dont burn gas, and in fact i burn cheeseburger fuel.  it is powered by me.  i need to really strategize where to launch, because i am pretty much commited.  there is always that nagging and exciting element of danger (minor) in a kayak.  i assume it is amplified in the ocean.   it's difficult.  a boat can race off to way far away..i cant.  i have to decode the area i am in.  i love the thing.  

 

i have fished a lot.  a lot a lot.  boat free lakes, and rivers.  skinny waters, and all with stuff i am powereing around with my own juice.  storage is cake.  no tow vehicle needed.  almost zero maintenence.  and again. i find it d**n challenging.  wind blowing me around, no spot lock, etc.  crappy fish finder.  SO MUCH FUN.  profound level of fun.  which brings me to fun.

 

Steven Rinella put into words how i thought for decades.  from my backpacking days.  there is two types of fun.  IMMEDIATE fun.  example.  like a roller coaster.  you "WEEEEE" have fun and it is over.  fleeting.  then there is the LONG TERM/SLOW fun.  it might not even be fun while it is happeing.  you might in fact be suffering some.  uncomfy, tired, hot, hungry...but you do it.  and when you are home and thinking about your adventure. you smile and relish in the fun.  the fun is lasting, in your thoughts and memory.  you actually forget some of the hardships.  Kayak fishing is the second type of fun for me.  hahha..

[KSanford33]

@Darth-Baiter has an excellent answer, so mine will be much briefer.

 

I don’t like people, and my kayak takes me to places where I’m very far away from people. 

[Deleted account]

Yak guys talk about preferring them over other water craft, and getting to places others can't, being closer to the water, in touch with nature, blah, blah, blah, but the truth is $.

[flyfisher]

50 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Yak guys talk about preferring them over other water craft, and getting to places others can't, being closer to the water, in touch with nature, blah, blah, blah, but the truth is $.

ignorance is bliss and that is shown by this comment.....

 

When I was looking at getting a boat I took an inventory of all the areas around me and noticed that many were electric only or HP restricted.  I started looking at kayaks before kayak fishing was a thing and decided to go for it.  It has served me well for the 20+ years or so I have been kayak fishing and the cost was not a primary driver of the decision in the slightest.  My current kayak setup, including trailer I could easily get a bass tracker style aluminum boat but again, I would be limited to where I could take it so it wasn't the best option.  I have multiple smaller rivers near me as well that even a small jon boat would be difficult to navigate with but my kayak makes it pretty easy.  Sure there are things i don't like but overall it suits what I need and does it pretty well.

 

I am looking to increase the fleet to include a jet boat for rivers though in the next few years.  Kayaks can be cheap for sure but those who are into kayak fishing have no issues spending money on them. It is funny how the boat crowd seems to think that people get into kayak fishing solely because of cost.  

[Matt Hoo]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

Yak guys talk about preferring them over other water craft, and getting to places others can't, being closer to the water, in touch with nature, blah, blah, blah, but the truth is $.

Yeah, I don't know that's actually completely true.  I can tell you there is way more tied up in my kayak than most boats I see on the water.  There are things about both that I enjoy.  I do like the fact I can go to places most boats cant.  It has proven to be very fruitful.  Would I like a boat, yeah probably.  Is it money?  Not really.  It does deal with a lot of other factors to include cost, storage, maintenance, etc.  

[Bird]

Factor in age and lack of flexibility.

 

Did the fishing kayaks and struggled mightily. Can't reach anything behind seat and the advertisement of standing is exaggerated, very unbalanced.

Young? Yes I can see the appealing effect but standing is exaggerated period.

[Deleted account]

46 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

ignorance is bliss and that is shown by this comment.....

LOL.

38 minutes ago, Matt Hoo said:

Is it money?  Not really.  It does deal with a lot of other factors to include cost,

Is this Yogi Berra?...

[Matt Hoo]

1 minute ago, Deleted account said:

LOL.

Is this Yogi Berra?...

Let me clarify for you.  I have about 20K in my kayak, trailer, electronics, etc.  While there are lots of people with boats that have more than I do in their boat, there are way more that have less.  Now when I say cost im more thinking of the 50-100k setups.  Yeah I'm not spending that.  I also consideration the cost of fuel and maintenance as "A" factor for comparison.  Im obviously not going to change your opinion and thats okay, but to assume that its solely a money thing is not necessarily to case.   

[flyfisher]

7 minutes ago, Bird said:

Factor in age and lack of flexibility.

 

Did the fishing kayaks and struggled mightily. Can't reach anything behind seat and the advertisement of standing is exaggerated, very unbalanced.

Young? Yes I can see the appealing effect but standing is exaggerated period.

definitely a factor.  I do think going from a boat to a kayak the learning curve is steeper but having never owned a boat myself I have zero issues standing in mine and all the kayaks i have owned.  With the height of the seats on a lot of kayaks now, standing isn't as necesarry as it was in years past.  I stand when needed for sure though. There are so many kayaks out there now that you will fall out of before flipping but again, knowing that line is an experience thing.  I have noticed as i get older, 45 now, that flexibility is more of an issue than in years past so I am working on that anyways.  

[Koz]

2 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Yak guys talk about preferring them over other water craft, and getting to places others can't, being closer to the water, in touch with nature, blah, blah, blah, but the truth is $.

 

Sorry, but I think that's a downright ignorant comment.

 

There are a ton of reasons why people prefer kayaks, and I think convenience is one of the leading reasons. But for me, it's something I find more important.

 

Everything in life today seems to be fast paced. We live in this Walmart, Quickie Mart, next day delivery, dopamine fed social media instant gratification world. At work, I go non-stop every single day, get a few hours of sleep, and then do it all over again.

 

Being out on my kayak gives me the opportunity to slow everything down. I cover miles of water and even pedaling as hard as I can I'm not getting anywhere fast. So I slow down, relax, and clear my mind. I don't think about work or any good stuff or bad stuff going on in my life. I might not even be thinking about fishing while I'm fishing. 

 

I find it to be a zen-like, meditative experience. I think a lot of other kayak anglers feel the same way, even if they don't realize it. And in today's crazy, fast paced world I think that we all could use a lot more of that.

[Darth-Baiter]

It wasn’t about the money for me. 

[padon]

i fish from a boat primarily . i do fish skinny water rivers from a kayak. i think alot of it as mentioned has to do with the waters in your area. if you have alot of small waters with not the best of ramps or electric only lakes a kayak may be the best option. if i didnt have a place to store it inside etc and if my state didnt have ridiculous laws on the electric only lakes id probably have a hobie. probably with a torqueedo on the back and a spot lock motor on the front and 2 possibly 3 graphs. total price for this would be about 12k or more. is that less than a 80k dollar boat yeah but it still aint cheap. and i cant use that boat on those lakes anyway.

[VolFan]

For me when I started fishing from a kayak (96 or 97), it was simplicity, availability, and cost, in that order. No viable place to store a boat in college, but I could carry a kayak through my apartment and prop it on the balcony. I had a Dagger Delta sit-in that I could stand in, barely, but really never did because I liked paddling more than standing. Fast forward through a canoe and a couple Nucanoes, a marriage and a family, and now I have a small, simple aluminum boat. Doesn’t take up much space, simple to launch and operate, and I can take my wife and son along if they want to or handle it myself if they don’t. It’s about balance, low stress, and enjoyable time on the water for me. Kayaks are a great tool for many people that don’t need/want/can’t store/can’t afford a larger boat. Or just really like some solitude. My boat wasn’t appreciably more than my last two yaks fwiw.

[newbiedmv]

If my legs still worked well enough and my balance was also better i would sell  my wanna be bass boat and truck and buy a Kayak and a Subaru Forrester. In a heart beat. They can go places i can only dream off getting to. 

[casts_by_fly]

I have a pretty tricked out kayak. Electric motor, spot lock, nice graph, horizontal rod holders, lights, lithium, etc. it’s a great boat.  The past two days I fished with my dad from his 15 year old tracker 165.  We fished electric only places so ignoring the gas motor on his and comparing equally, I’d have a small aluminum decked boat in a heartbeat so long as I could rig it as my own.  I love my kayak. I can do 4 mph at top speed. I stand to fish and have nothing in front of me to be in the way for casting or pitching. If you are beating a bank or locking into a spot and picking it apart, it’s an awesome platform to fish from. 
 

That said, even a basic 165 (or a home made decked out aluminum) is far more capable and more stable (and my autopilot can’t flip). I wish I could leave my rods and tackle in the boat and just launch it. I wish I didn’t have to decide which rods I’m leaving home because I can only take ~5 comfortably (ideally I’d rig ~8-9 and leave them in the boat).  I wish everything didn’t get soaked when I go in the rain and I wish i didn’t get soaked myself when launching. I’d like to store my rain gear and maybe a spare shirt or hoodie in the boat and not have to plan to the Nth degree and decide last minute if I was taking something. Tackle isn’t a limiting factor- I have 5 3700 plus a bit- but it would be nice to put it all in dry storage and not have to load and unload it every trip. And, even with the most basic outboard you have far more range and speed than running a 4 mph electric.

 

An electric kayak like I have (I can’t speak for pedal or paddle) is great for 300 acres and under. Really great for 150 and under. If you know the water really well and know where the fish will be then you can go straight there.  If you like to fish ‘big ponds’, I.e lakes with no ramp and up to 30 acres then that’s the optimum solution really (easier than a truck bed Jon boat I’d say). If you like to explore little backwater areas then great. That’s not my preference.  I grew up and still fish ‘tournament style’ with a compliment of rods rigged on deck and fishing maybe faster than a lot of people. I have rigged my kayak that way and choose places that suit my style.

 

for me, money isn’t a limiting factor so much. We have a 3-car garage but it’s small doors (just over 7’ wide) and only 19’ long so it limits what you can fit. Also my wife said no to a boat but a kayak was okay. Yard storage isn’t an option. On balance, it’s a fine solution for here in north Jersey given how many electric only and horsepower restricted lakes we have. But given free reign, I’d have a 16’ aluminum tiller boat with a full deck and compartments. I’d have a 9.9 on the back (maybe electric) and spotlock on the front (like I have now).  I might have a 40-60 on the side for a couple bigger lakes but that’s a luxury.  It would store a full set of rods and tackle, plus have dry storage for rain gear/clothes, snacks, gear, etc.  i don’t need a livewell but if it fit I’d have it.  

 

for reference, I grew up in a 14’ aluminum and then an 18’ glass boat with a 150. I fished in a kayak first in 2002.  I’ve done it seriously over the past 18 months since we moved back.  

[ChrisCrawley]

I absolutely love my Oldtown Sportsman 106 powered by Minn Kota. I’ve caught a ton of fish on it and it continues to pay itself off in memories I’ll have forever or at least until I get Alzheimer’s. I do have a boat but haven’t used it since November due to me traveling. 

[schplurg]

Add me to the "I wanted a kayak and not a boat" crowd. If I did get a boat it would be one like in the OP and I could easily afford it.

 

My reasons:

Easier to launch, therefore I will use it more.

No maintenance, it always runs. Therefore I will use it more  

 

Blasphemous maybe, but I don't like bass fishing enough to spend 120k on a truck and boat (or even 1/4 of that). I just don't, especially since this year started (don't know why). I may not be into it enough in later years to want a jon boat either. 

 

Guy has a bass boat parked in the street around the corner from me and I've never seen it move. That would be me.

[Sphynx]

This is the year I finally am going to get off the bank, and the reasons you named sum up my reason for looking into (and probably settling on) a kayak pretty well, I will be towing with a 77 K5 Blazer, and storage space includes the roof of the aforementioned K5, it isn't as fast, roomy or as cool as a boat, but it gets me off the bank and able to fish previously unavailable water. 

[KSanford33]

8 hours ago, Koz said:

 

Sorry, but I think that's a downright ignorant comment.

 

There are a ton of reasons why people prefer kayaks, and I think convenience is one of the leading reasons. But for me, it's something I find more important.

 

Everything in life today seems to be fast paced. We live in this Walmart, Quickie Mart, next day delivery, dopamine fed social media instant gratification world. At work, I go non-stop every single day, get a few hours of sleep, and then do it all over again.

 

Being out on my kayak gives me the opportunity to slow everything down. I cover miles of water and even pedaling as hard as I can I'm not getting anywhere fast. So I slow down, relax, and clear my mind. I don't think about work or any good stuff or bad stuff going on in my life. I might not even be thinking about fishing while I'm fishing. 

 

I find it to be a zen-like, meditative experience. I think a lot of other kayak anglers feel the same way, even if they don't realize it. And in today's crazy, fast paced world I think that we all could use a lot more of that.

I think this response (and those like it) are exactly what he was trying to elicit. Sometimes it’s just fun to kick the hornet’s nest. 

[Deleted account]

53 minutes ago, KSanford33 said:

I think this response (and those like it) are exactly what he was trying to elicit. Sometimes it’s just fun to kick the hornet’s nest. 

No, just a added plus, no need to quote Shakespeare me thinks...

[Functional]

for the time I did some kayak fishing before my boat I enjoyed (and still do) the bit that its exercise, it makes my pick apart smaller chunks of the lake instead of zooming off to a "promising" area and it takes up far less space to store.

 

I sold my kayak but recently went out with my brother in law with his spare. After that experience I was reminded of all the crap I struggled with. Wind blowing you off spot fast, waves moving you off your spot, hooking a fish and it reeling YOU in. After that I've decided I'll never own another kayak without at least peddle drive. Was impossible to fish slow and complete more than 2 casts before you were way out of the area. 

 

All of that said, I love my boat, but theres not a month that goes by I'm not missing kayak fishing and wondering if I should sell my boat and go all in on a nice peddle drive kayak rig. Just something about it.

[gim]

8 hours ago, schplurg said:

Guy has a bass boat parked in the street around the corner from me and I've never seen it move.

I think there's a fair amount of people who went out and bought a toy like this during the pandemic and now they're wondering why they even have it.

 

I used to think the same way about why people would spend $25 grand on deluxe ice castle for winter fishing here when they really could only use it for about 1-2 months at the most.  Then they started outfitting them for all season purposes, like a weekend camper equipped with AC.  Most people I know that have one now rarely even use it in the winter, they primarily use it as a camper in the spring, summer, or fall.

 

My point is that you really need to decide how often you intend to use a bass boat, kayak, ice castle, or whatever that new toy may be.  If you are only going to use it four times a year, is it really worth buying?  Probably not.  If your going to use it at least once a week or more, then its an easy decision.  Sounds like the guy down the street made a mistake.  The other thing is, I would never park my boat on the street, EVER.

[Choporoz]

29 minutes ago, Functional said:

for the time I did some kayak fishing before my boat I enjoyed (and still do) the bit that its exercise, it makes my pick apart smaller chunks of the lake instead of zooming off to a "promising" area and it takes up far less space to store.

 

I sold my kayak but recently went out with my brother in law with his spare. After that experience I was reminded of all the crap I struggled with. Wind blowing you off spot fast, waves moving you off your spot, hooking a fish and it reeling YOU in. After that I've decided I'll never own another kayak without at least peddle drive. Was impossible to fish slow and complete more than 2 casts before you were way out of the area. 

 

All of that said, I love my boat, but theres not a month that goes by I'm not missing kayak fishing and wondering if I should sell my boat and go all in on a nice peddle drive kayak rig. Just something about it.

I fished from a paddling kayak for a few years, primarily because I lived in a townhouse and didn't want to pay to store a boat at a remote (no electric hookups) place.  It was great, but certainly a struggle.  Wind and current could make for a lousy day.  Four years ago, I bought a pedal kayak and the fishing experience is night and day.  

 

  No question that I fish much more than if I only had a boat.