Thinking of upgrading my kayak

[Smirak]

I currently fish out of a Bonafide SS127. I love the boat and have used it quite frequently over the past 4 or so years. However, I’m tired of paddling. I’m also tired of loading a 13’ kayak in the back of the truck. 
 

So, my thoughts below. Let me know what you think of each please?

 

1) upgrade to a 10/11’ pedal kayak. Old Town PDL 106 or something of the like.

 

or upgrade SS127 specific 

 

2) bixpy through hull pod adapter and motor/battery

3) trolling motor bow/stern mount

4) torqeedo 

 

Note options 3/4 would require me getting a trailer as well. Would sell the 127 to offset some costs…

[casts_by_fly]

it depends on how you fish as to which of those are going to be better choice for you.  The decision of motor vs no motor is the first one.  A lot of guys love their pedal drives.  And with the old town style pedal you have instant hands free reverse for holding position.  You never have to worry about the batteries dying either.

 

That said, a motor is just a lot easier if you don't mind dealing with the added complexity of a motor and battery setup.  Since you're going to trailer anyway, leaving the motor and battery hooked up will be fine.

 

Then which motor depends on your style of fishing.  A bixby or torqueedo will give you a bit more speed and range, but a bow mount (or autopilot) will give you spot lock.  For me, I've found that spotlock (and navigation!) are incredibly useful in a kayak.  Having used an autopilot for 4 years now I wouldn't be able to fish out of a kayak that doesn't have it.  I stand to fish so using the remote to motor around while I'm standing fishing is great.  Set a navigation heading/speed and just go down the bank making casts.  Hook a fish?  Hit the spotlock button and don't get pulled into the cover by the fish.  Want to pick apart a patch of pads or a dock?  Spotlock on one side of it, fish it, jog 10' to the other side of it and repeat.  

 

It's a shame you're not closer.  I'm selling my autopilot currently and it would be a great upgrade for you.

[Motoboss]

I think the decision would be between pedal and power. If content with loading into the truck I’d opt for the pedal power. If wanting something faster then a motorized kayak is the solution, but then you’re adding additional expense (motor, battery, trailer) and complexity.

 

Personally, I found my OT Autopilot 120 to be a hassle, heavy and cumbersome. Spotlock was nice(ish) but not an end all do all option as any motor is not “hands free” at all. There’s the constant push button remote control which seemed to be in my hand constantly. Cruising a bank with the motor and using foot control to steer was simple but the constant simple adjustments always required the remote in hand. Spotlock was great, if you don’t mind a constant repositioning motor whirling around. In strong current or high wind it was a plus when fighting fish but otherwise, mehhhh. If going power a rheostatthrottle control would be a better option than a remote.

The only true hands free propulsion is pedal power and instant reverse is a spotlock!

 

All in all I wish I would have went with a pedal power (OT 106) for the overall expense savings  and a better fit to the majority of my fishing. After selling the AP I went with a Sportspal canoe ($150 facecrook deal) which paddles easier than my kayak, faster, way more room with a larger carrying capacity and at 60# much lighter. I have recently added a 55# thrust trolling motor with LifePo4 battery for the longer runs and bigger waters which only adds 10 minutes to launching time but still not used all the time as it paddles very well.

 

Anyhow, if wanting something bigger with power go big and get a trailer. If you like compact, fast and efficient go paddle, the less expensive route.

[nso123]

I have had both paddle and pedal. Pedal was nice and seemed to require less physical effort. I have a PA12. I finally got to the point that I wanted more range to chase the fish, so I bought a boat. I kept the PA12 in case I wanted to do some kayak fishing still, but believe this will be the year I let it go. 

[TnRiver46]

Tired of paddling ?? I ♥️ paddling 

[BassKat]

Suzuki makes an extremely light 2.5hp outboard that you could consider vs electric options. 

[DogBone_384]

If you choose to change brands, I fish out of a 2018 FeelFree Lure 11.5 with their Overdrive (pedal) unit.  It's a very good fishing platform because you can paddle, pedal, or use their Motordrive unit that plugs into the Overdrive unit.

 

The hull weighs about 75 pounds.  I'm 58 and can lift it onto my Tundra's ladder rack.  It weighs about 125 lbs fully rigged w/ Overdrive and isn't a problem loading into my truck's bed.  The best part of the kayak is its seat, which is ALL DAY comfortable.  The keel mounted wheel is great for crossing packed terrain, but a cart is necessary for beach sand and longer distances.

 

I have a Elite Ti7 mounted on the right side rail and keep the battery in a Pelican box in the hull's storage.  A milk crate keeps my tackle organized in the rear storage.

 

My kayak gets a lot of usage and replacement parts are readily available.  FeelFree's customer service is outstanding.

 

Like @nso123, I bought a boat when I want to cover a lot of water.

 

Just food for thought.  Good luck choosing your next rig.

[Koz]

I have both a pedal drive with instant reverse (Seastream Angler) and a motor drive (Autopilot 120) and I can make a case for both of them and none of them.

 

1. With the pedal drive I felt more connected to the lake and to nature. Holding position by jogging the pedals and bumping the rudder became intuitive in no time. I could cover a lot of water at 2.5 - 2.9 mph. But in the southern heat it was brutal out there in the warm months. I was either completely spent and on the verge of heat exhaustion or I simply chose not to fish as much. Weight limitations forced me to make choices. I trailered this kayak.

 

2. The Autopilot with spot lock was an immediate game changer. But it was a beast to load and unload until I was smart enough to add a winch to my trailer. Now I am quickly in and out of the water. Absolute game changer. My pedal drive was stable, but this is levels above that. This is important not only for standing, but also with big boats and rough weather on bigger lakes. Spot lock can be both friend and foe. You have to plan your attack angles with wind and currents. Shifting winds can drive you nuts. With my moisture wicking pants and shirts, hot weather is no issue because the motor gets me where I want to go. But with the motor up front, weeds can be problematic even with a weedless prop. Lakes like Guntersville and Toho took a lot of patience with their heavy weeds. On the flip side, I can carry a ton of gear, batteries, and electronics. The only real issue is speed. With a tournament setup I max out at about 3.3 mph. My competitors with the rear mount motors go 5 - 8 mph meaning they can cover a lot more water. Another downside with that front mount motor is that it’s not suitable for river fishing. That’s why I still have my pedal drive.

 

I’m not about to get rid of my Autopilot, but if I had to do it all over again I would buy a 12-14 foot pedal drive kayak that was also purpose built to add a fast, rear mount motor. I would sacrifice the spot lock for the extra speed and use the pedal drive and/or an anchor system or Power Poles to hold position.

 

And before you think about adding a motor to a kayak, make sure you understand how it mounts, if it will cut down on your cargo area, how you will run the wiring, how much or how many batteries you need, where you can place those batteries, and how they will impact stability, center of gravity, and tracking.

 

 

[Smirak]

Thanks all. I’m still debating everything at this point. I’m not Bonafide loyal, though I do love their products. I’m fortunate enough to live in Huntsville, AL where KBF is headquartered. I’m also fortunate enough to have Chad’s phone number and we chat often. So, I won’t have any issues with rigging and such as there is a large room in the HQ bldg that is for outfitting and video productions. 

[Motoboss]

I totally agree with @Koz  Get a pedal kayak that you can add a motor to and have the best of both worlds 

[Boomstick]

I went from a SS127 to an Old Town Bigwater 132PDL, for largely the same reasons. In my case, I did not want to go with a motor, I can actually get cardio from pedaling and it gives me hands free fishing.

 

I did not really consider the Bonafide P127 not because I had any issues or complaints about the SS127, but they donked up the execution of the P127. It's basically a Slayer Max 12.5" and didn't get the same thought out execution of the SS127 and PWR 129. At the time I bought my kayaks, the P127 was $500 more than the Sportsman 120 PDL and the Sportsman 120 will still probably win in a race. But the only feature of any potential value for me was the addition of rear tracks (which I have only used for my flag since I got my Bigwater). They tried to solve some issues by adding rod holders on the rails, however if you use the track mounts, the rod holders are no longer accessible. Additionally, those plastic edges are very sharp and I have no doubt will cut your line.

 

I ultimately went with the Bigwater 132 PDL because it was much faster than any other sit on top pedal fishing kayak that will hold me. I will note it is a bit easier to flip, but if you know not to learn you won't have any problems and it gives warning before it goes. My first day out, I got that warning maybe a few dozen times. Once I learned not to learn or how to lean against sharp turns, I never got to that warning point. I've been out on Lake Champlain with 30+ mph wind gusts and did not feel that warning point once.

 

I would recommend is first find out, do you want to go with a motor or pedals? If you go motorized, the SS127 is a great motorized candidate for that already and is still one of the best laid out kayaks on the market a few years later so you have a great candidate for that direction. If I go motorized, I would get a motor with spot lock, personally.

 

I will also note that the Sportsman 106 with the pedal drive in it still weighs more than the SSS127, although without the pedal drive, the 106 or even 120 is a little bit lighter.

 

One other thing I will note here. I haven't carried an anchor since getting pedals, but it's a bit of a learning curve to be able to jog yourself in place. Basically you want to point directly at or away from any current and pedal slowly enough to counter it and not move and you can hold a spot for 20+ minutes.

I posted this in another thread, but you can see my setup here. I have since added a mount with rod holders from Navarre Kayak on top of my pedal drive, which gives me a place to put up to two rods down which is very useful but I can't find any pictures since I got that, which was at the end of the year.

 

The front rails are from Pacific Yak Angler. Such a nice upgrade. Navarre Kayak fishing also makes some for the 106, 120 and 132, but Pacific Yak Angler makes the best rails for the 132.

 

In order to mount the fish finder on the Bigwater mounting plates, I had to buy solid mounting plates from Navarre Kayak fishing. The stock plates wobbled a lot and I didn't trust them.

 

I recommend getting a spare prop and sheer pins and keeping that in the kayak (I learned the hard way last summer when I dropped my prop in the water cleaning fishing line out of it).

 

Also if you go Old Town, the first thing I recommend is getting the rudder bolt from Navarre kayak. I also got the Navarre steering handle (I went short, it's more than tall enough). Basically with the rudder bolt, your rudder will stay in position without needing the annoying screw to tighten to hold position and loosen to change it, so you can simply not need the tension screw. The rudder bolt itself is $5 or $10 with all the washers you need.

 

 

I po

[Smirak]

Thanks all. I’m leaning more toward just motorizing what I’ve got. I don’t fish tournaments or need “speed”, so looking at more of a trolling motor with spot lock idea now…

[Boomstick]

4 hours ago, Smirak said:

Thanks all. I’m leaning more toward just motorizing what I’ve got. I don’t fish tournaments or need “speed”, so looking at more of a trolling motor with spot lock idea now…

Speed is relative. If you get a powerful enough motor and a large enough battery, you’ll still get good speed. If you put the same motor on a faster kayak, you’ll get better speed. But you should be able to get something that will do 4mph for hours and at 4mph you can cover a fair amount more water then you can paddling around 2mph.
 

I fish a lot of lakes around 700-1600 acres. In my Bigwater, I can get from one end of the lake to the other in 40 minutes or less which was maybe almost 80 minutes on a couple of the same lakes paddling as fast as I could maintain. So that really lets me get spot to spot better. Of course I still have to be smart about it

[IYAOYAS]

I have a Native Titan 13.5 and its a freaking battleship. I had to buy a trailer just to get it to the lake. A 5 foot Tacoma bed just won't haul a 14 foot kayak comfortably. I say a 12 footer if you can get away with it is the way to go.

[casts_by_fly]

19 hours ago, Smirak said:

Thanks all. I’m leaning more toward just motorizing what I’ve got. I don’t fish tournaments or need “speed”, so looking at more of a trolling motor with spot lock idea now…

 

Are you thinking about a bow mount on the current boat or a new boat?  I think your choices are limted for the most part.  Now that Motorguide is no more, the xi3 Kayak edition is gone.  You might find new old stock or a used one, but there no more new stock being made.  You could get a 45" shaft like a powerdrive and cut it down (or deal with a long shaft).  You could go to an autopilot.  If a bigger/heavier/more stable boat and 4 mph is fine for you, then the autopilot is a great choice.  I loved my 120 which was just sold.  Koz noted the many benefits.  The fishing aspects of it are incredible.  Stand and fish easily, lock into offshore structure, navigation down the bank at constant speed for covering water.  You name it.  On smaller lakes (500 acres or less) it's pretty ideal.  You can make bigger ones work if you have time and/or amp hours.  The 1200 acre lake around here is a 40 minute ride from the ramp to the top end at 4 mph.  I would never run it straight up there (I'd fish my way up in a couple jumps) but I did run it back once to go home.  But a 40 minute run at full speed is going to draw 30 Ah or so.  Do it twice and that's most of an 80 AH battery gone.  If you're planning to make those kinds of runs, then a 125 or 160 ah might be in the cards.  A big newport on the back and in a 136 might see 6 mph or so.  Then again, if you're planning for that level of running (and not in a tournament) a kayak probably isn't the right boat.  

[Boomstick]

20 hours ago, IYAOYAS said:

I have a Native Titan 13.5 and its a freaking battleship. I had to buy a trailer just to get it to the lake. A 5 foot Tacoma bed just won't haul a 14 foot kayak comfortably. I say a 12 footer if you can get away with it is the way to go.

 

You will need a bed extender for a 12 foot kayak in a 5' bed

7 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

Are you thinking about a bow mount on the current boat or a new boat?  I think your choices are limted for the most part

I'm not sure what's left with spot lock. Might have to go with a nk300, but motorizing without spotlock is like driving without a steering wheel

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

 

You will need a bed extender for a 12 foot kayak in a 5' bed

 

in a straight 5’ bed probably. My ram is 5’7” and a 12’ kayak was fine. The tailgate adds about 2’ on mine.  It also kinda depends on the boat. The autopilot is butt heavy and I loaded butt first into the bed. It was very stable and not going anywhere even without a strap (ask me how I know…).

 

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

I'm not sure what's left with spot lock. Might have to go with a nk300, but motorizing without spotlock is like driving without a steering wheel

the ss127 has a factory bow plate for motor guide motors. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a minn kota mount available somewhere. That would allow for a powerdrive or terrova with a self rigged way to stow and deploy. Or an ulterra with auto stow and deploy. You’d probably want to cut down the shaft though. Even a 45” is going to be long.  There is the auto boat add on but you still need a short shaft motor. Or you have the autopilot. 
a cut down 

[Darth-Baiter]

if you go with a rear elec motor:  I see you noted torqueedo.  

 

I would opt for the Newport Vessels version.  you can choose your battery on your own. having said that, that company came out with a GENIUS battery that is flat like a briefcase.  it can sit underneath most kayak seats, which is really where you want the weight IMHO.  it is brilliant and I hope they had the best patent attorneys to let them milk it for the years they can.

 

having said that.  I still only use my motor on the really big lakes.  my Hobie is so nimble without that extra weight of the battery and motor, I just reserve the PIA to the giant lakes.  Clearlake, and the Delta mostly.  I'll take on Berryessa and Shasta with leg power.  I dont travel that far to find fish at those lakes. 

[IYAOYAS]

13 hours ago, Boomstick said:

 

You will need a bed extender for a 12 foot kayak in a 5' bed

 

Aside from my titan I also have a Jackson which is my river kayak. It is 12 foot and I haul it on a boat cradle on my bed racks. I also built a 6 place trailer to haul the family's kayaks to the river. A bed extender really doesn't work for me since if I'm taking a kayak 90% of the time I'm hauling at least 4 of them.

[Smirak]

I’ve got the short bed version of a 24 Titan. I put my SS127 in there all the time. I think it sticks out like 3’. Thought about an extender, but what’s the point? I live in Alabama. 3-4’ of a kayak sticking out of the back of a pickup is not bad considering other stuff we’ve seen 😂😂

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Smirak said:

I’ve got the short bed version of a 24 Titan. I put my SS127 in there all the time. I think it sticks out like 3’. Thought about an extender, but what’s the point? I live in Alabama. 3-4’ of a kayak sticking out of the back of a pickup is not bad considering other stuff we’ve seen 😂😂

I added an extender for my ram but not to support the boat. I used it for lifting. Instead of lifting the stern while standing next to the bed and twisting my body, I stood between the bed and extender, or at least I stood next to it, lifted, and shuffled a couple steps between it. Then no twisting while holding a heavy load. 

[Boomstick]

21 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

in a straight 5’ bed probably. My ram is 5’7” and a 12’ kayak was fine. The tailgate adds about 2’ on mine.  It also kinda depends on the boat.

I had a 6.5’ bed in my old truck and my SS127 was too long for iy. My kids 12’ Topwater was as long as I’d put in the bed.

9 hours ago, IYAOYAS said:

Aside from my titan I also have a Jackson which is my river kayak. It is 12 foot and I haul it on a boat cradle on my bed racks. I also built a 6 place trailer to haul the family's kayaks to the river. A bed extender really doesn't work for me since if I'm taking a kayak 90% of the time I'm hauling at least 4 of them.

The trailer is the way to go. I got a Rack and Roll trailer and it doubles as a hand cart.