Paddle, Peddle, power -- Whats a kayak

[Slackdaddy]

There was a poll here a few weeks back about Elec, paddle, peddle.
I have Kayak fished for about 6 years now, but it was all mountain rivers,, paddling was the ONLY option. just in the last month have I done saltwater.
In the poll thread I voiced my opinion,, but now after the OC M&G and seeing some of the riggs in action, I'm impressed. Heres the problem (in my mind)

I have always enjoyed the simplicity of the kayak,, But the peddle boats looked nice, then I was thinking about how to add a very small motor for positioning (not travel), then I saw a Pro Angler,,, Hmm, add a very small motor for positioning,, at that point (in my mind) why not just get a 14' CC skiff with a 20HP,, around my mind goes, where it stops,,,,,,, Back to the basic kayak,, but the pro angler "is" nice

What is considered a kayak in the kayak fishing tournaments??
Seems I get the idea of what is a great fishing kayak,, keep adding things onto it, till I hit a tipping point, them I am back to the basic Tarpon 120.
Anyone else struggle with this? or have I been in a canoe to long ??

Slack

[DOGFISH]

Well yes, but when I hit that tipping point, I generally wake up in the water.

Its a balance. Even an electric kayak is stealthy. I have gone from paddle, sponge block roof top carriers, to fancy roof top racks, to electric motor and to a single kayak trailer. If a kayak is what you like, then go kayak. If bigger floats your boat, then there's your answer. Most of the people with big boats started out with smaller boats. For me the kayak brings out the inner child. However, do I miss being able to pick up and move 5 miles to another spot. Yes. However, with that said, a kayak makes you plan your fishing trip and fish your plan. That is also interesting. It possibly makes you a better fisherman or fisherwoman. I also find it easier to launch my kayak from the trailer than unloading the kayak from the roof. After fishing for 8 hours, the last thing that I want to do is load a kayak onto the roof of my car or truck. Then, I would also have to unload it when I get home. That is also the beauty of a kayak. They are so utilitarian. They are also a hell'uva lot less work, than owning a boat. Besides, a simple electric motor setup is not that difficult.

Just a thought, just a thought.

PS: Besides, what are you some kind of subversive or something, raising this subject again.

[Memory Maker]

Yeah ........ you can get the 14 ft w/20 hp .......... in fact I'll sell you a 16 w/25 hp if ya want. Like Dogfish said ......... what ever floats your boat.
but the PA is definitely not a 14 ft w/20 hp ......

I have all of them, center console, 16 ft bass boat type and a canoe but I like the Yak .......... forces ya to fish your area instead of jumpin and runnin every 10 minutes ........... usually you'll catch as many or more fish than the gassers ........ and besides your right on the water and can get into places the big guys can't go and if ya find em breakin you usually don't spook them ............ just a better experience .........

[Memory Maker]

Yeah ........ you can get the 14 ft w/20 hp .......... in fact I'll sell you a 16 w/25 hp if ya want. Like Dogfish said ......... what ever floats your boat.
but the PA is definitely not a 14 ft w/20 hp ......

I have all of them, center console, 16 ft bass boat type and a canoe but I like the Yak .......... forces ya to fish your area instead of jumpin and runnin every 10 minutes ........... usually you'll catch as many or more fish than the gassers ........ and besides your right on the water and can get into places the big guys can't go and if ya find em breakin you usually don't spook them ............ just a better experience .........

and for a fishin yak .......... try the PA ...... I love mine

[M3_Monstar]

I have the PA and a 24ft 250hp boat. Yes it is very nice to go searching for the fish in the boat, but its soo much more relaxing in the kayak for me. Plus no gas fees, repair fees, maintenance and that stuff. I was actually out with Pinch on my boat when it broke down and now have to get the lower unit replaced. Went out the next day and bought the PA. Haven't looked back yet.

Yes the PA is expensive and big. But i went with the PA for its stability/room and comfort ability. I'm a big guy and before the PA, I wouldn't be caught dead in a canoe/kayak/ >15 boat. The only down fall to the PA is that it can be hard to more around some times by yourself. Truck with 7ft bed or trailer is a plus.

[Slackdaddy]

Good to get others opinions,,
I like the "closeness" to the water in a yak,, something I don't want to loose.
I don't get that same feeling even in the canoe.
I was no way used to all the "hardware" that was out at O.C.,,
I was curious if going with something like the PA was going to be past the tipping point for me.
Like I said, when I had made my original comment about peddle/elc, that was when I had mainly river experiance.

Planning, yeah,, I am looking into my next trip to O.C., 1st thing I did was look at tide tables, want to fish sunrise on an incoming tide

Lots to learn for me,,

Slack

[MetroMan]

When I first became interested in kayak fishing I saw the torque and thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Mytmouse can attest to me gawking over it since day one. My first yak ended up being a paddle yak. I got it for cheap...an offer that I couldn't refuse. I went in head first and customized itnto my liking. I loved it.

Then the torque came into play...40% off of msrp for a used one. I've been hooked ever since. Every yak has it's purpose, pros & cons. Electric yaks have their cons. But in my experiences, the pros have outweighed them. It's kinda pointless for me to say that. Ask anyone about their own yak...they'll tell you the pros outweigh their cons. Hands free fishing (while steering), hours of trolling, increased range, effortlessly running crab traps, towing your buddies around lol...all fun

The cons: lugging a group 24 battery, losing mid-yak storage, care of electrical connections exposed to salt water.

The beauty of it for me is having the option to make it a regular paddle yak with ease. My last two fishing trips were sans motor. The simplicity is a wonderful thing.

People see the price of the torque and the immediate response is "why not get a boat?". With the boat comes gas, maintenance, storage, transport, insurance, (higher) launch fees. No thank you!

I enjoy being out there with all different types of kayaks. Thats the beauty of it! I had a guy approach me as I came to the ramp one time. After a brief conversation, he says "well that defeats the purpose!" I asked him "what's my purpose?"

[MetroMan]

Looks like I went on a rant and kinda missed the point. Lol

[missedshed]

I want a center console but right now I still have other things to pay for. I now enjoy my kayak more that Im able to get it up on my suv. I was thinking the other day when I was out at the Bay Bridge....I don't have to pay for gas and maintenance. I have a paddle kayak but I also like the peddle ones. However they are still way too much, I will get a boat first so I can get my family out. I caught more fish off my kayak so far than the dumb charters in the ches. bay that I have been on. Cost me an arm, kayaking not much but good exercise and good old fun.

[Slackdaddy]

You didn't miss the point, I wanted peoples feelings about there yaks, not a step by step how too. You hit the mark

Slack

Looks like I went on a rant and kinda missed the point. Lol

[jffoley]

Been there, done that. All of it! Depends on your situation. Like everyone, started as a shoreline fisherman, moved on to a small boat, then a bigger boat, then... a family. Next, discovered surf fishing. (the best and still my favorite.) Kids grew up, moved out and... back to a boat. But this time, a boat club. No maintenance, no insurance, no marina costs, no storage, etc. Still a part of it and it's great. Summer outings with the missus, can troll the trophy season, replace the gas I use then hit the Yellow Fin or Madigans! I haven't seen Boat Zoap in years! No hassles.

Then, I discovered kayak fishing. For fishing, as close to surf fishing as there is. I'm right there, almost in the water with 'em. Economical, yes, gotta plan the outing, yes, no running 5 miles to a different spot. Much more satisfying when your plan comes together.

Whatever is right for you. The PA is a boat. Heavy. Needs a trailer or a truck. I have a Hobie Revo. Peddlng is much better when fishing. And so far, can handle loading / unloading it on my own. In the yak game you might need multiple craft. I have two. The Revo for the bigger water of the bay or coastal waters and a paddle Cobra Explorer for the freshwaters of the upper and Tidal Potomac.

I have found this to be a good mix for myself. So, it depends on your personal preferences and where you will be fishing the most.

Power to the peddle!

[ictalurus]

When I was a kid, I fished with my father almost every weekend from a jon boat rented at the local reservoir. At $10 a pop, we could've bought kayaks after a few summers. That was pre-internet, and the only kayak we'd heard about were white water yaks.

My officemate in grad school had a canoe, and we took that out in the York River a couple times. It wasn't well suited for two tall guys, and we had a couple close calls. He suggested a touring kayak, but I still didn't like the idea of something that could fill up with water if something stupid happened. I didn't know about sit on tops then. This was a while ago, Google had just been invented, and everyone was still using Altavista.

When I moved to southern Maryland, a buddy had a couple kayaks and took me out to Allen's Fresh for the yellow perch run. We fished out of Pungos without the kayaks filling up with water and killing us. I even caught a white perch that day when nobody else caught anything.

I was hooked and started looking into kayaks and came across sit on tops. I found a place to demo Ocean Kayaks, and my father and I test drove a Prowler 15 and a Drifter. I loved the Prowler, but I wasn't sure I could store it. The Drifter seemed almost as fast, but I didn't like the wet seat. I caught Hank Parker fishing out of an Outback on TV. I found a place in Oregon that had them and would ship it for free. My father had just retired, and we ordered the yaks to celebrate without even trying them. That was a gamble that paid off in spades. Of course, we went through 4 or 5 hulls each since then, but that's a different story...

After about a year, we took the Outbacks down a smallmouth creek (which is another good story), and it became apparent rapidly that we would need different kayaks for that kind of thing. That's when we test drove some yaks at Appomattox Canoe and Kayak, and we came home with a Tarpon 120 and a Manta Ray 12 (which I later sold for a Tarpon 120). Despite my preference toward Hobies, I do enjoy paddling, and I'd love to get a really fast paddle yak like a 15ft Trident or 16ft Tarpon one day when I have room to store it.

I'm not mechanically inclined, so I skipped the whole boat part. The only downside I see is the relative lack of access to the Bay in Maryland compared to Virginia. I wish Maryland was a bit more kayak friendly.

[MetroMan]

^post #666 for bill^

I forgot all about altavista

[CB kayak 02]

I'm young only 22 and I own an 18ft center console, a hobie outback (used to be a OK PRowler), and a hobie cat 16 sail boat.

I shopped around a lot for all of them and found good deals and saved up my money for them. And I've realized at a young age that all boats cost lots of money!! I worked at a marina for 4 years and I kept the boat there, fished everyday after work and didn't really save any money. I now use the boat when I take my friends, family or the fish I want to target are just not reachable by kayak. Otherwise I prefer the kayak, esp. my Hobie now.

I love the challenge of catching those big fish from such a small platform. I'm really looking into all the tournaments I'm getting into I'm a pretty competitive person (played college baseball for 4 years) and the intrigue of being able to compete in something else I really enjoy now that baseball is over is really awesome.

I also have a good size lake in my neighbor probably 20-25 acres and I think when I fish it this fall in my outback I will probably go without the Mirage Drive because of some of the shallows. That's whats nice about the Hobie it can be strictly paddle as well.

[Pinch]

Ive owned a torque, own a Revo, and paddled my buddies malibu. I like the revo