Looking to upgrade my kayak on a budget

[Mossman]

I started fishing out a kayak 2 years ago and really fell in love with it. I want to do more and with that I would like to upgrade my setup, but money is an object! Looking to get the most bang for the buck that won’t leave me wanting to upgrade again in 12 months. 
 

Current setup: Pelican Strike 100 NXT. Basic box store sit inside kayak that I added a couple of rails to for a rod holder. It’s served its purpose, but I want something that I can expand with. 
 

items that I want moving forward:

 * Fish finder- nothing crazy, but want to see water temps and depth (as a baseline). Was looking at Garmin 4 series, but most want to upgrade pretty quickly because of the screen size, so looking to go up to the Striker 7 series. 
* propulsion- leaning toward trolling motor, rear mount. Was initially just going to go with a pedal system, but see that many people end up going to a trolling motor eventually. 
 

kayak wants - not picky, but want to go with a sit on top to get a better vantage point, and stabile platform for standing up. I don’t pack too much when I go, so storage isn’t super critical. Want manageable weight, I can trailer it, but often I’m going alone so need a way to get it to the water. 

 

Money - I don’t have any issues going with used, I would prefer it actually. I would rather spend money on the propulsion and fish finder. I would love to keep this under $1500 

 

Where / How it’s used - I am in Northeast Ohio, so doing small inland lakes and maybe some rivers. No plans to venture out on Lake Erie, just not my gig. 
 

Are there specific models that seem to be solid options out in the used market? Any thing to stay away from? 

 

Anyone else been down this path and have some helpful advice to help me avoid any mistakes? 
 

[flyfisher]

With that budget I think it is going to be tough to go kayak, electronics and motor.  

 

What I would do if I was in your position is find a motor that you can use on your current kayak and a future one and same for electronics.  Then start saving and keeping your eyes open for used or even end of year new sales.  One thing to consider is many kayak manufacturers do not extend warranty to a new owner and that can come in to play down the road.  I had a warranty claim on my kayak after 8 years of owning it and the first thing they asked for was a bill of sale.

 

I am a fan of the ATAK 120, used to have a 140 before the warranty, as it is a great paddling boat that I also have a motor on.  I am a proponent of putting a motor on a boat designed to paddle as opposed to have a motor/pedal designed boat.  I can stand and fish all day and float down rivers while standing and fly fishing so stability is not a concern.

Honestly though there are lots of good options out there though and best bet is to try and paddle some and make sure you are looking for something that will serve your needs and not the needs of what someone else says they are. 

[Bankc]

I constructed my kayak setup with what you want for within your budget.  All new too.  The problem is, it was a LOT of DIY work on my end.  I can't say how long it took to get it all together, because I did it little by little, but I added it all up once and it came in at around $1,300, probably not including taxes.  Plus, prices have inflated since then, so going the same route I did will probably still blow you budget.  But I still believe it's going to be the cheapest route.  

 

And not everyone who fishes from a kayak winds up with a trolling motor.  A lot of people prefer pedals over trolling motors because unless you get a really expensive trolling motor setup, like one with spotlock and a remote, you'll usually have more control with a pedal kayak.  

 

My kayak is a Lifetime Yukon.  It was a really good deal when I got it (I think I paid $450 for it) though its price has gone up a good bit since I bought mine (I think around $600-700 now).  Then I installed a trolling motor on the stern, which was VERY difficult because there's no access to the underside of the kayak back there.  And you have to reinforce the mount from underneath to keep it supported so it doesn't break or tear out the plastic.  AND I had to build the mount and reinforcement pieces myself, as there's not an aftermarket solution for this kayak.  Then I took a Minn Kota Edura C2 30 and hacked the top off and built a PWM speed controller.  Then I removed the original foot pedals, installed new ones (with controls), and installed teflon sleeves and SS wires through the hull (again with no inside access) so I could control the trolling motor.  My point being, it's doable, but if you don't buy a kayak specifically designed for a trolling motor (which tend to be pretty expensive), it's not going to be easy to do yourself.  But, it's not impossible either.  

 

So, if you love making stuff with your hands as much as I do, then there are options.  And just about any kayak can be retrofitted with a trolling motor.  But, if putting in a ton of work doesn't appeal to you, then I'd recommend saving up your money and buying a kayak that comes with a trolling motor already built in.  However, the other good thing about DIYing a trolling motor is that you can buy the kayak now, fish out of it, and then save up more money to install the motor at a later date.  

 

Installing a fish finder usually isn't too hard.  There are tons of aftermarket add-ons that are fairly cheap and make the process pretty easy.  

 

Though really, if you can find a used one, that's the way to go.  However, I suspicion that it won't be easy to find a used kayak with a trolling motor already built in.  I don't see too many on the lakes I visit and rarely see one for sale for less than about $4k.  Though, they're typically high-end setups with tons of add-ons included in that price, so they're still a significant savings over new.  They're just not cheap.  But hey, I'm sure they come up for sale from time to time, so if you're patient and keep vigilant long enough, one or two is bound to pop up occasionally.  

[Susky River Rat]

Between a battery TM sonar you are easily in $600-700. I had a Newport vessel stern mount that was around $200. A battery will be around $100 for a cheap one lead deep cycle. unless you already have one. And I think those sonars are around $400. 

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

Between a battery TM sonar you are easily in $600-700. I had a Newport vessel stern mount that was around $200. A battery will be around $100 for a cheap one lead deep cycle. unless you already have one. And I think those sonars are around $400. 

A Garmin Striker 4 is just a little over $130. 

 

Still, there's all of the mounting hardware, tools, nuts and bolts, and other little things you have to buy to make it all work.  So you might still be in the $600-700 range, all said and done even if you go on the cheap end.  

 

One thing I did for the first year I had a trolling motor on my kayak to help keep costs down was I installed my trolling motor off to the side, right behind me.  Then I hooked up the battery along the opposite side to balance the kayak, side to side.  You lose some speed and a good bit of control that way.  It won't go straight unless you turn the motor slightly into the kayak, you can't turn very sharply, and going in reverse is just a mess.  But it was better than no trolling motor and allowed me to upgrade to the stern mount method later using the same kayak, trolling motor and battery.  It cost a bit more in the long run to do it that way (I bought and made two motor mounts) but made it easier for me to afford by spreading it out.  Year one: kayak and fish finder.  Year two: trolling motor and battery.  Year three: stern mount and a bunch of other little things to make the kayak experience more pleasurable and efficient.  

[Susky River Rat]

@Bankc he was looking at upgrading to the striker 7. 

[Mossman]

I wish there was a way to test a pedal version. I have never used one, heck, it might suite my needs. 
 

I don’t mind fabbing or wiring (raced RC cars for a while, lots of wiring! And have a welder for car projects), that’s part of the fun. 
 

Maybe I am asking too much to go from where I am, to trolling motor within my budget. The less I spend, the less painful the upgrade is (aka significant other!). 
 

A decent fish finder and the ability to move while I am fishing (not having to pick up a paddle) might be a big enough change. 

[Susky River Rat]

@Mossman ask forgiveness not permission. I am only kidding. I am extremely lucky my wife doesn’t care what I buy as long as the bills are paid.

[Bankc]

Well, if you don't mind the work, I'm sure we could give you some pointers and inspiration.  You'll probably still run over budget, but maybe not teriibly so.

 

So what I did to access the inside of my kayak was drill the appropriate holes in the hull, tie a steel bolt with the head cut off to some braided fishing line, and then fed that through the hole and either used gravity or a powerful magnet to pull the bolt and braided line up to the front hatch.  I then tied on what I needed and pulled on the other end of the braided line to pull whatever back through the inside of the hull and out of the hole I drilled.  For the TM mount, I had to make a bracket out of some sheet 304 stainless steel and I soldered (should have welded, but I don't have a way to weld) some SS bolts to it, because you can't clamp the reverse side of the bolt down, so they'll spin freely if you don't.   Getting all four bolts on the bracket to come through the holes was not easy.  It probably took a good three hours of fiddling before I got it perfectly lined up.  

 

Below is a picture of the final assembly.  The brackets up top are some SS shelves I found online.  Then I used lock nuts to hold it down, as if that bracket ever falls through, I might never get it reinstalled again.  But with the large backing plate, it's rock solid.  

 

The cables are SS saltwater fishing leaders with a Teflon coating.  And they're fed through some Teflon tubing that I fed through using the same bolt/braid technique.  I then flared out the ends to hold them in place with a soldering iron.  

 

There's a million ways to do it, and that's just what I did.  Definitely not impossible, but also not the type of thing most people would waste their time on.  But you'll always want to keep a paddle with you.  Trolling motors can break or get jammed with weeds or fishing line.  And sometimes, it's easier to push off a tree or rock than risk breaking your prop.  But yeah, being able to travel a few miles without having to paddle is a godsend, especially in wind or current!  

[airshot]

Being on a tight budget and boating do not go well together, ask anyone wirh a boat !!

[Susky River Rat]

@airshot you know how to make a small fortunate? 
 

Start with a big one then buy a boat.

[Bankc]

12 hours ago, airshot said:

Being on a tight budget and boating do not go well together, ask anyone wirh a boat !!

My dad would disagree.  He says owning a boat is cheap.  But he owns an airplane, so he lives in a different world.  

 

The best thing about kayaks is once you've gotten over the initial cost of purchase, they're really cheap to maintain.  All you've got to pay is registration and license fees and gas to and from the lake (and sometimes lake fees).  The only maintenance I do on mine is wash it down and replace the Gorilla tape on the keel once a year.  

[TheSwearingAngler]

Used Sportspal/Radisson Canoe… I have it all for about $1100.

 

Used canoe, used TM, Blem battery, Lowrance HDS Live 7 on clearance. A lot of elbow grease and a little ingenuity.

 

Everybody sleeps on canoes.

 

 

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

Used Sportspal/Radisson Canoe… I have it all for about $1100.

 

Used canoe, used TM, Blem battery, Lowrance HDS Live 7 on clearance. A lot of elbow grease and a little ingenuity.

 

Everybody sleeps on canoes.

 

 

I roll around too much in sleep to sleep on a canoe 😜

 

But seriously, check your local laws and regulations before going too far down this rabbit hole.  It could change your math.

 

Where I live, you don't need to register your kayak if it has an electric trolling motor.  But in most states, you do.  And it's illegal on most of the lakes I fish to have a trolling motor on a canoe, but not a kayak.  It's also illegal to eat or drink on a boat and you must have a PFD available at all times, except in a kayak.  AND, it's illegal to swim but not illegal to waterski, which means you better be darn good at waterskiing!   

 

Why all of these silly laws?  Because who are you gonna vote for?  The boring guy that makes sense when he talks or that monkey riding a dog with a saddle?  You already know who gets my vote! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

3 hours ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

Everybody sleeps on canoes.

I fished out of a canoe for 4 years before my boat. I would quit before I went back to a canoe or kayak. 

[TheSwearingAngler]

53 minutes ago, Susky River Rat said:

I fished out of a canoe for 4 years before my boat. I would quit before I went back to a canoe or kayak. 

I hear ya, but some of us can’t swing a boat… and the ponds I fish mostly can’t accommodate boats.
 

My point is with the popularity of kayaks the canoe market is depressed and some canoes make a great fishing platform. I bought a canoe that’s like a kayak and is designed for fishing and I can tell everybody my Sportspal is better to fish from.

[Zcoker]

My recommendation would be to get what you want now because if you're a really serous about kayak fishing, you're gonna be getting it anyway. So if you've been dreaming about that Auto Pilot 120 or Hobie Pro Angler or something similar, then break out that credit card lol I know a lot of guys who are the same way with fishing reels. They start out with a cheap reel and then move on to the next reel and after about three or so reels, they end up with a dream reel--that high quality reel that they always wanted but because of money they didn't get it. They only spent TWICE as much money getting there! lol That can add up big time with everything....imho. 

[airshot]

9 hours ago, Bankc said:

My dad would disagree.  He says owning a boat is cheap.  But he owns an airplane, so he lives in a different world.  

 

The best thing about kayaks is once you've gotten over the initial cost of purchase, they're really cheap to maintain.  All you've got to pay is registration and license fees and gas to and from the lake (and sometimes lake fees).  The only maintenance I do on mine is wash it down and replace the Gorilla tape on the keel once a year.  

All true, but man us never satisfied with what he has, always wanting more !!!   I totally understand the airplane money hole...but they are so much darn fun !!

Kinda like boats !!

[Boomstick]

I am in the same boat as you are. I refuse to put a motor on my kayak, because my fat ass next the exercise. I also camp a lot, where I can't charge the battery. But even so, the cost of a motor and a battery with good life is about as much as I'll spend to upgrade to a pedal kayak and sell mine. So I demo'd several models, thought about going all the way with a Hobie Pro Angler 14 but ended up deciding to go with the Old Town Sportsman Bigwater 132PDL. I will lose the open hull layout and added rigability and horizontal rod storage of the PA14, but save myself a few thousand dollars, back strain loading it and gain a lot of reliability, speed and manuverability - the Biigwater was the fastest kayak I demo'd for sure, even faster than the Outback.

 

I will second the advice of others when I say buy go out and buy what you really want, since you know you'll be using it. Buy once, and cry once as they say.

 

The other piece of advice I will say is when you look at different models. Look for places that demo them - I had to take a few weeks and drive a few hours this summer/fall to demo all the models I was interested in but it was worth it - I never would have decided on the Bigwater if I didn't. Then figure out how you are going to rig it before you buy it. Learn your options. Go online, maybe Youtube and look at others setups. Sometimes searching something like "Old Town Sportsman Tournament setup" will pull up videos on youtube and you might get ideas from others. If you find a really good setup on one kayak, then maybe it's worth it. If you find a really good setup for the kayak you already have and just haven't put in the time or effort, then maybe it's time to go that route.

 

The Old Town Sportsman 120 is a very good budget friendly kayak. There are also pedal drive and motorized versions out there. You might be okay in the shorter 106 as well. There's a lot of cheaper models out there that aren't worth the savings. The Native SlayerMax 12.5 also isn't bad, but I found the added features weren't really done in a usable way and for the extra $500, I could add back tracks to the 120 and save $400 and I can actually use the slots in the 120 they give you to lay down rods where if you use the rails on SlayerMax, the rod holders are worthless (the edges of the plastic are also very sharp and will cut your line).

[Hawkeye21]

9 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

I fished out of a canoe for 4 years before my boat. I would quit before I went back to a canoe or kayak. 

A boat doesn’t fit me at all. I’m a perfect non-boater and kayak angler. 

[Boomstick]

On 12/13/2023 at 1:59 PM, Mossman said:

I wish there was a way to test a pedal version. I have never used one, heck, it might suite my needs. 

If you search for kayak stores near you that are by bodies of water, they should let you demo them. You can call and ask if they do demos before making the drive out and make sure they have the models you're looking at in stock.

 

I find that pedals and a motor effectively go about the same speeds in the same kayak and serve the same purpose (hands free fishing). You can reposition yourself while standing with a motor, but you can pedal all day and don't have to worry about your battery dying while getting cardio with pedals.

[Koz]

There's lots of good advice here, but let me tell you my story and maybe that will help.

 

Three years ago when I moved to a big lake I decided I was going to buy a pedal kayak. I did a ton of research and looked at a lot of price points and decided upon the Seastream Angler 120 PD. I think I payed about $1,400 for it including shipping.

 

Then came more purchases - a paddle, a crate, and rod holders. I also needed a Railblaza cart to move it around. Since my hotel is right on the lake, I stored my kayak at the hotel and only had to transport it around the property to the lake.

 

Then I decided I wanted to add electronics. I made a good decision and bought a refurbished 5" Lowrance with both down imaging and side imaging right from the Lowrance website. But then I needed a battery, the head unit mount, a transducer arm, and battery storage.

 

Fast forward a year later and the 5" screen wasn't cutting it for my aging eyes and I bought a Lowrance 7" with DI and SI and upgraded my battery.

 

This year I decided I didn't want to keep the kayak at the hotel and I wanted to launch from other areas so I bought a Malone trailer with bunks. I also bought a kayak cover.

 

I've enjoyed my Seastream Angler a lot. It's been a workhorse. But it gets tiring and it pedaling 4 or 5 miles to go somewhere to go fish and then have to pedal back, especially in the summer heat. I toyed with adding a trolling motor to my kayak, but the deeper I looked into it the more I decided not to do it.

 

First off, there are weight considerations with the trolling motor, mount, and battery. Run the numbers. You may find your kayak may not support the weight or you have to pare down elsewhere, especially if you're not using a lithium ion battery and those can be very expensive to power a trolling motor.

 

Second, you have to worry about shearing forces created by the kayak when it's in motion or even just pushing down on the bow or stern of your kayak. Contact the manufacturer and see if they have any information or suggestions.

 

So, what did I do? About a month ago I bought an Old Town Sportsman 120 Autopilot. It was on sale for $500 off so I bit the bullet. But that $500 "savings" was spent elsewhere.

 

First was buying a 100mAh lithium ion battery. Next, because this kayak is so heavy I needed to modify my trailer and install rollers so I could get it off and on. I also had to buy a keel roller for my dock out back of my house so it was easier to get it in and out of the water.

 

If I had to do it all over again I would have bought the Autopilot and the trailer right out of the gate. But that's hindsight. There's no way I could have convinced myself three years ago to drop that much at once on that setup.

 

So my advice to you is to spend a LOT of time thinking about everything you might want on a kayak and then buy a base kayak that can eventually meet all of your needs.

 

For example, can that paddle kayak easily upgrade to a pedal kayak and then a kayak with a trolling motor? Maybe it is better suited for a lighter motor like a Torqueedo or something similar than a trolling motor. Or do you want a motor with spot lock? BTW, the answer to that is probably yes, you do.

 

My mistake was winging it and not having a planned upgrade path that included the fact that I'm in my 50's and only getting older and weaker.

 

I would either go all in on an actual fishing rig like the Autopilot I just purchased or find the best base paddle kayak that I could with a clear upgrade path.

[Mossman]

Koz thanks for the details, very helpful. All the info here is great and has me thinking through this process a bit more. 
 

There seems to be a few paths:

 

Cheap: buy a decent fish finder and keep what I have. Downside is the sit inside is limited for space and how I can physically move around. I don’t think I would put a trolling motor on this one. 
 

Middle Option 1: Buy a cheap sit on top and invest in a good fish finder, maybe it has ability to add pedals or trolling motor in the future. I get a better platform to move around on and grow into. 
 

Middle option 2: Increase budget slightly (maybe to $2k) and find a good used higher end setup (I’ve seen some Hobie Mirage with pedals and fish finder for $2k)

 

Option 3: Save up for a $4k budget and just get whatever I want! Most unlikely with a kid and wife in college and another in private school! 
 

 To be fair though, I am still lucky to get 2 or 3 fishing days a month, with kids sports and work. I don’t need a $5000 kayak that gets used so little (north east Ohio winter also limits usage). 
 

I am going to keep looking and see if I can get lucky and find what I am looking for on the used market. 

[king fisher]

I recommend a pedal kayak.  I own a Hobie Outback, and thought the Monkey had drugged me when I got home after buying the kayak.  I couldn't believe I had spent so much money on a plastic boat.  I really couldn't believe my wife had encouraged me to buy it.  

        Best purchase I have ever made.  I have fished in the ocean, both from the beach and offshore, and have landed up to 50 pound yellowfin tuna.  I have fished many lakes for bass, and have never felt I was at a big disadvantage bass fishing compared to having a boat.  The pedal system is simple and works great.  I am 60 years old and in less than average physical condition.  I can peddle all day in strong wind, and still not be exhausted at the end of the day.   I would not upgrade to motor if some one gave one to me.  The peddle drive works fine, it is simple, light, and doesn't require a battery.  I have had the Kayak for 4 years now, and I am certain I would have spent the money on something that I got far less enjoyment out of if I hadn't bought it when I did.

        I am not saying you should buy a Hobie, they are expensive, but I would recommend you try some type of peddle kayak before you buy a kayak with a motor.  The difference between a peddle kayak and one you paddle is night and day.  I have fished with a paddle kayak, and would rather fish from shore than deal with the constant hassle of trying to cast and paddle at the same time.

 

         

[Mossman]

KF, I am leaning toward the pedal. I don’t fish big lakes, I can’t imaging that a motor would be all that much better, at least when you consider the cost and additional weight. I think the pedal is a great next step. I am looking at two right now, the used Old Town Sportsman and used Hobies. Probably going 12’, a little more stable than my current 10’ and not too big to haul around.