Kayak vs Boat

I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to go through this dilemma. Looking to get a Hobie PA 14 to fish the bigger lakes around Seattle (Lk Washington, Lk Sammamish) for bass and cutthroat, and kokanee in other lakes a little farther away. For that much money, one could argue that you can get a used boat.

For those of you who were in a similar situation - why did you choose one way or another? What was your decision making process?

For those of you fishing Lk Wa and Sammamish from a kayak - what does a typical day of fishing look like for you? How long does it take you to get from launch to your fishing spot? Any issues sharing the water with bigger boats?

Cheers!

license, registration, maintenance, and storage.  As long as you are only needing a watercraft for yourself,  kayak is the way to go.   Avoids the license and registration, and much less maintenance plus easy storage. IMO.  Look at the used market to save some dollars.  Be patient,  there are some great deals to be had at times.

Aluminum skiffs .... $30-$50 a day to fish, fuel and maintenance, larger boats say 20+ ft $50++ a day. My buddy has an alumiweld intruder, 2? Ft I go out from time to time with him, he keeps meticulous records of everything for expenses on that boat... it’s a minimum $100 a day to fish or crab. His engine alone if needed to replace is over a grand!
 Kayak maintenance wash it.... couple of hamburgers for fuel, peddle drive breaks $50 or so bucks, f#€k up and loose said drive $800 or so bucks..... exercise, meditation, and feeling of satisfaction for powering it with your physics ..... PRICELESS!! 

I had a boat and it sat for 9 years next to my house after I moved here from AZ.  Down there the lakes were big with few launches.  Up here, you can find a launch every couple miles and the fishing is great near them.  So, I started fishing from a kayak for a few years then finally got rid of the boat.  I find I get out a lot more fishing with a kayak because I can throw it on top my car and leave it there so it is ready to go.  I can find a spot and launch pretty much anywhere I want to fish.  With a boat, you have go home from work, hook up the boat, drive to the launch, and wait in line.  I hate lines. Also, I do it for the exercise and the peace and fresh air of not having a motor. 

That being said, you are looking at a boat if you are looking at a PA 14.  You will most likely not be tossing it up on top your car, or humping it down a steep river bank to an out of the way launch. So, a lot of what I said may not apply.  If I were just fishing lakes and wanted something bigger like that and didn't care about the exercise factor,  I would get a jon boat with a small engine.  I actually have a Jon boat and it is lighter than a Pro Angler.  But not with the engine.  If you want to fish the ocean as well, a PA 14 will be far better than most boats at that price range. 

Aluminum skiffs .... $30-$50 a day to fish, fuel and maintenance, larger boats say 20+ ft $50++ a day. My buddy has an alumiweld intruder, 2? Ft I go out from time to time with him, he keeps meticulous records of everything for expenses on that boat... it’s a minimum $100 a day to fish or crab. His engine alone if needed to replace is over a grand!
 

I would venture to guess that the engine is worth 10 times what you are giving him credit for.  If he's running a 20+ foot Alumaweld Intruder, then he has at least a 150hp motor.  Those are easily $10K-$15K.  My 40hp Yamaha 2 stroke was over $4k when I purchased my 16' Fish-Rite Rogue new.

So......yeah, kayaks are the way to go on most waters.  The bigger question is how big of a kayak does a guy need?  Is the PA14 the right kayak, or will the Outback, or Revo fit the bill and be much easier to manhandle?

You guys are making me feel better, seriously.

I bought a new PA 14 this year, power pole, locator, accessories on top of accessories and the total outlay in cash is scary.

Truth is the boat would have been more and I would have put the same accessories on the boat and then those accessories would have cost even more.

I was at a fishing expo earlier this year and speaking with Gene Jensen.  Flukemaster on YouTube.  He said that he was in a tournament when a guy pulls up in one of those $80K bass boats and started fishing.  He said that it hit him, "we are both fishing".  The guy in the big dollar boat might get from here to there quicker, but in the end "we were both fishing".

The simplicity of that statement takes a while to sink in, but it does sink in sooner than later.

For many, it's not about money vs functionality.  It's about the silence, the voyage and meeting our quarry 1:1.  I like boats and fishing with friends from them but I prefer the satisfaction of earning my success.

But then I'm weird that way.   

-Mark-

Boats are cool. There is something really special about fishing from a kayak though. Kayaks are magical fish magnets.

For many, it's not about money vs functionality.  It's about the silence, the voyage and meeting our quarry 1:1.  I like boats and fishing with friends from them but I prefer the satisfaction of earning my success.

But then I'm weird that way.   

-Mark-

Your weird in every way, that’s why we all like ya! I prefer the satisfaction and the tranquility also.

I started with a kayak and added a small boat (13') for 2 reasons:

1) If my back or knee is bugging me I can't manage the kayak but I can the boat
2) I can't invite a buddy to go fishing with a kayak unless he also has one.

I enjoy both modes.

I think the big reasons I like kayak fishing so much is that I am always the captain - I chose where, when, and how I am going to fish with no need to take heed of any passenger's desires. Boat fishing is often a (small) community affair. On a kayak, even when fishing with others, I am doing it my way.

Personally for me I prefer a kayak if I am fishing solo. It's faster to launch (can launch almost anywhere if you're willing), much more peaceful without a motor for some reason.
You are a lot quieter and fish don't know you're there. It's not just about the peacefullness though, for me a kayak was the cheapest way to get out into the ocean and get some bottomfish. 

It does come with some compromises though, space being the biggest. You get used to managing your gear and get used to a smaller area so it doesn't become an issue after a while.
As others have also said usually if I plan on fishing with others (non kayakers) I take my powered boat.

You won't regret the decision if you get one! They're so much fun to modify into your own, there's so many mods and cool things you can do. 

Thanks for all the replies...

Definitely, total cost of ownership is included in my decision making process.... When I think about the other limitations I'd have with a boat (would have to fit in the garage because of HOA, etc etc etc) the kayak seems like the way to go.

The plan is to get it early next year, so I'm doing as much research as possible. This includes trying the PA14 out, and most importantly, safety considerations specific for that kayak for when it does flip.

I'm not new to kayak fishing - I totally love the sport and have been practicing it for 5 years out of an Advanced Elements Convertible. Looking to upgrade to something more tailored for the equipment required for fishing I plan to do (bigger lakes, downriggers, targeting cutthroat, kokanee, bass, perch, and potentially salmon in the salt).

Thanks again!

Just remember the PA line of Hobies are rather large as well as heavyweights. If you want to try out the Native line I have a Slayer propel and a Mariner propel, I never fish alone so your welcome to tryout both of mine either a local lake, or Tillamook Bay (tides dictate launches) while we try to harass the aquatic life. Plus for the bay is crabbing and rockfish. Good luck and you can also rent different kayaks at the better shops.

Depending on where you are in the Seattle-ish neighborhood, you can come over to the Gig Harbor Fly Shop and try out both the new Hobie and the Native Propel models. Blake sells both and is a great guy.

Jim