anybody fish from a kayak?

[DirtyBear0311]

Good info guys. So for the kayakers who also own jon boats, which one is your preference?

 

[WMAn]

I have fished out of both and I prefer a kayak. It really comes down to where you fish.

I fish the Duck River, TWRA family fishing lakes, farm ponds, and Pickwick. The kayak can handle all of those well enough for me.

 

[Crosshairy]

I highly recommend a Jackson Coosa. Super stable, tracks well, fast enough if you get on the open water and the high/lo seat on the Jackson's are awesome. Plus they are made right here in Tennessee. Kayak fishing is amazing and is growing everyday.

If I could afford one of them things, I would probably just go ahead and get a jon boat. Im looking at a price cap of around $500 at the most.

If you watch the classifieds on here, Craig's list, etc, you can likely find a decent jon boat in that price range. For small waters, a cheap electric trolling motor to power a little jon can put you into a bunch of fish. The $$$ usually start to add up due to the outboard motors. I've seen some boats on here over the years where you could have bought the boat, trolling motor, and battery and stayed in your price range.

The other cool thing about the small to mid-sized jon boats is that you can put them in the back of a pickup truck, which saves on needing to buy a trailer. I would venture to guess that, after the outboard motor, the second biggest boat expense is the trailer, and the associated wire, bearing, and tire costs that come with them.

I personally loved having a jon boat with a clamp-on trolling motor to allow me to fish in waters with a buddy. Fishing by yourself gets old, and it's nice to have someone to share in the work/fun/memories/cost of the trips.

The other big plus (for me) is that jon boats can double as hunting boats for deer, ducks, or whatever. Of course SOME of those applications might require a small outboard, but not necessarily. Most kayaks don't have enough cargo capacity to do the same, and being that close to cold water makes me pretty nervous

 

[WMAn]

The other big plus (for me) is that jon boats can double as hunting boats for deer, ducks, or whatever. Of course SOME of those applications might require a small outboard, but not necessarily. Most kayaks don't have enough cargo capacity to do the same, and being that close to cold water makes me pretty nervous

A whole deer (not field dressed) can be floated out behind a kayak. For floating one out, it's best to hunt upstream so that the current does the work for you on the way out. My 10' sit -in has enough room for me, my gear, and a quartered deer.

As for being that close to cold water. Well, it's not fun until the water you splash in the dark freezes to your kayak.

 

[moondawg]

I think kayaks are lighter than jonboats. Kayaks can go just about anywhere a jonboat can...you just have to paddle instead controlling a motor.

Downside to a kayak: they don't hold as much gear as a jonboat. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You just have to lighten the load a little and take the essentials. They are a little closer to the water...but that's not a problem in the summer.


Downside to a jonboat: They are a little heavier, but maybe a little more durable, especially if you go over shallow rocky bottoms. Most jonboats will use a trolling motor/battery, and you have to keep the battery charged. Or you may have an outboard motor, which has its own set of headaches. Not so with kayaks...YOU are the motor. You also have to register the boat with the TWRA (or similar state agency if out of state). Don't let the registration expire, or you'll get a ticket. Again, not so, with a kayak...no registration for kayaks.

I had a jonboat until I sold it two years ago. I liked it. But it was a hassle to load in my truck. It was also a hassle to keep the battery charged. i didn't have a garage to store it, so I had to drag it through the backyard, lift it over the gate into the bed of my truck. Then I had to tie it down. Once I got to the lake, I had to untie it, drag it to the bank, put the (heavy) battery in the rear of the boat. Then attach the trolling motor...hoping the battery was charged up. When I got on the water, it was great. But then I'd have to go through the process of getting it back in the truck....and then back in the the backyard. I got tired of it. LOL If I had a bigger yard or a garage to store a trailer or somewhere I could just drive to and load the boat, it would've been better.

 

[Crosshairy]

I think kayaks are lighter than jonboats. Kayaks can go just about anywhere a jonboat can...you just have to paddle instead controlling a motor.

Downside to a kayak: they don't hold as much gear as a jonboat. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You just have to lighten the load a little and take the essentials. They are a little closer to the water...but that's not a problem in the summer.


Downside to a jonboat: They are a little heavier, but maybe a little more durable, especially if you go over shallow rocky bottoms. Most jonboats will use a trolling motor/battery, and you have to keep the battery charged. Or you may have an outboard motor, which has its own set of headaches. Not so with kayaks...YOU are the motor. You also have to register the boat with the TWRA (or similar state agency if out of state). Don't let the registration expire, or you'll get a ticket. Again, not so, with a kayak...no registration for kayaks.

I had a jonboat until I sold it two years ago. I liked it. But it was a hassle to load in my truck. It was also a hassle to keep the battery charged. i didn't have a garage to store it, so I had to drag it through the backyard, lift it over the gate into the bed of my truck. Then I had to tie it down. Once I got to the lake, I had to untie it, drag it to the bank, put the (heavy) battery in the rear of the boat. Then attach the trolling motor...hoping the battery was charged up. When I got on the water, it was great. But then I'd have to go through the process of getting it back in the truck....and then back in the the backyard. I got tired of it. LOL If I had a bigger yard or a garage to store a trailer or somewhere I could just drive to and load the boat, it would've been better.

You bring up a good point - storage options for boats have been a huge driving force in pushing me away from buying one so far. I would probably prefer having a lightweight trailer for a jon boat, but I don't have a place to back it in. That's probably the thing about my house that I hate the most - access to the back yard is along a narrow walkway beside my house, so I will never have the ability to put a boat there. That means....no trailered boat, I move, or I rent a storage area at a place nearby (no idea of that cost). None of those options are terribly appealing to me at present time, so I just keep borrowing my dad's boat

 

[WMAn]

Storage is a big advantage to having a kayak, even having more than one. I use two pieces of rope to store mine under my deck.

My dad has a high ceiling in his garage. He rigged a pulley system and hangs his two kayaks from his ceiling.

When not in use, both of our kayaks are out of the way and not taking up room that is needed for other things.