Fishing kayak recommendations

[AClark888]

I'm new to fishing kayaks. I want to buy one that is a sit-on-top with a trolling motor. Also, the ability to stand up in it while fishing would be pretty cool but not a necessity.  I was considering the ascend 133x tournament. Any thoughts or recommendations or anything I would need to know about buying my first fishing kayak would be really appreciated. Thanks. 

[casts_by_fly]

There is only one factory boat with a trolling motor that I know of and that’s the old town autopilot (two lengths).  Have a 120 and it’s a machine. Spot lock, cruise control, heading. I would go 136 if I did it again, but the difference isn’t enough for me to spend the time and effort to upgrade a 136 with what I have in my 120.

[Bankc]

What are you wanting from the trolling motor?  Do you want speed or control?  What's your budget?  

 

If you want speed, for traveling long distances, probably look at getting a normal kayak and then adding a Torqeedo to it.  They're going to be almost twice as fast as a standard trolling motor.  You'll either have to install it yourself or pay someone else to install it.  It'll have to be mounted on the stern.  If you want control, then you're probably looking at something with spot lock and maybe GPS waypoints.  You'll want to get a compatible fish finder for that as well.  There are lots of options here.  You can either buy a bow mount trolling motor and install it yourself (or have it installed) or buy one with a trolling motor already attached, like the Old Town mentioned above.  

 

If your budget is small, your best bet is to get a small trolling motor (like a 30# Minn Kota C2 Endura) and install it yourself.  There are several options, like mounting it on the stern or on the side.  The stern will give you more control and speed, but the side will be a lot cheaper and easier to set up.  

 

The Ascend kayaks aren't very highly regarded, but the 133x with a trolling motor might be alright.  One of their biggest complaints is that they're hard to paddle, but with a trolling motor, that's not an issue.  Still, for the money you could probably get a better setup for less if you built it out yourself.  But that depends on how handy you are and how much time you want to spend on it.  

[flyfisher]

10 hours ago, AClark888 said:

I'm new to fishing kayaks. I want to buy one that is a sit-on-top with a trolling motor. Also, the ability to stand up in it while fishing would be pretty cool but not a necessity.  I was considering the ascend 133x tournament. Any thoughts or recommendations or anything I would need to know about buying my first fishing kayak would be really appreciated. Thanks. 

If i remember right that kayak isn't motorized per se but it does come pre wired to throw a motor on it easily.  My preference will always be a good paddling kayak that you put a motor on rather than a kayak that is designed to be motorized.  Kayaks that are designed to be motorized are pigs to paddle and not as efficient.  my dad has the AP 136 and it is a good boat but it does depend on where you fish.  I like to fish rivers and that motor isn't strong enough to maneuver rivers with much current or if they are able, they do it very slowly.  That boat is also super heavy, as are many designed with a motor in mind, i think you need a trailer to make things easy. there are places on rivers that my dad couldn't go upstream but i could easily and on lakes i would be at 40% throttle while he was at full tilt. It doesn't paddle well either which may or may not be an issue.  The spot lock is nice though for sure. 

 

I personally have an ATAK 120 set up with a NK180s motor.  It allows me to paddle easily when needed and gets me almost 6 mph on lakes and motors upstream on rivers easily and then i can float back and have a easy to handle boat.

 

Best advice after all that mess i posted is to go out and try them and think about all the other stuff you need, paddle, PFD kayak transportation etc...

[Scott804]

Don't go Ascend. In my opinion if you want the trolling motor up front, either go Bonafide + Xi3 or just shoot for the stars and go Old Town Autopilot. Autopilot you should really plan to get a trailer though, the boat is darn heavy. 

[FryDog62]

For me the electric motor is required as well as the Spot-Lock. Otherwise you spend as much/more time getting into and staying in position. Who goes fishing to spend half the time fussing with the paddle or pedals. 
 

Autopilot is the way to go but it’s dam heavy. Get a trailer and/or Wilderness Kart. Skip the Boonedox wheels IMO. 

[madbass20]

If weight is an issue and spot lock isn't a critical feature 

 

Has anyone used the Bixpy or the Texas Power Paddle? 

https://texaspowerpaddle.com

https://bixpy.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx_uLq7Xx_gIVLRHnCh32rwSOEAAYASAAEgLkSfD_BwE

 

How are these for rigging the Kayak with a motor? 

 

 

[flyfisher]

8 hours ago, madbass20 said:

If weight is an issue and spot lock isn't a critical feature 

 

Has anyone used the Bixpy or the Texas Power Paddle? 

https://texaspowerpaddle.com

https://bixpy.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx_uLq7Xx_gIVLRHnCh32rwSOEAAYASAAEgLkSfD_BwE

 

How are these for rigging the Kayak with a motor? 

 

 

I haven't used either but there is a lot of information out there on the bixpy and it is pretty underpowered for fishing kayaks from what I have read.  It was high on my list when I was looking to motorize my kayak but it seemed to be geared more towards assited paddling situations and not stand alone motors.  

[AClark888]

Thanks everyone for the replies. All of them have been helpful. Truthfully, I would like to spend around 1500-1700 all together. Any thoughts on the cheapest setup for the best value? 

[casts_by_fly]

In that case, I’d find a used old town sportsman 120 paddle and add a motor guide xi3 kayak.  The motor is $750 brand new. You should be able to find a 120 used for $750, probably with a paddle and maybe other accessories.  I’d pair it with a cheaper Amazon lithium for the remaining $200. That would get you fishing in a very capable setup which is stable, has the motor, and has spot lock. 

Also, the topwater 120 is the same boat as the sportsman 120 and you can probably find one of those also.