Motorboats and Kayaks: Any boat owners out there?

I'm curious if any folks on this board own a fishing boats besides a Kayak?  And if so, do you still use both?

I got into Kayak Angling from the fly-fishing side and becoming frustrated about my limited mobility while float tubing in lakes.  Kayaks open up a lot more stillwater.  That grew into looking at other places to use the kayak, and has opened up a lot more fisheries that I wasn't initially interested in (Salmon, Sturgoen, Warm Water fishes etc.)  However, the more I fish for Salmon and Sturgon though the more I envy the efficiency of the powerboats.  They seem to launch/retrieve about 4 times faster and cover more area in a given day. 

I had inherited a small fishing boat (16ft Jon Boat, 30hp) that's been sitting for the last year, and have recently fixed it up to a useable/sellable condition.  Last weekend took it out to Hagg Lake with my step-father to put it thorugh it's paces and learn how powerboats work.  I gotta say, I actually had a pretty good time - although I missed my Kayak fishing buddies (however, I would have loved to put that 15" rainbow I caught on the AOTY)!

Now, I'm wondering if if I should try to sell SWMBO on keeping both boats. I would not use the PB on the salt, which I'd love to try in the Kayak, and there are some area's where it's kayak only for me: Tualatin River, Trillium Lake, high lakes, some metro water like Swan Island, Sauvies island lakes etc.  But am thinking there are some days that Sturgon, Salmon and Lake fishing could be more fun in the boat.  Plus I can take a buddy along...4 legs or 2.

Any thoughts on if boats and Kayaks can live together in the same house?  Oh, and don't beat me up too bad, I didn't BUY the boat.

Power boats have no place in the lives of kayak fishers!

That being said, I have a.... a friend... who will take it off your hands for $150.00.   

Power boats have no place in the lives of kayak fishers!

That being said, I have a.... a friend... who will take it off your hands for $150.00.  

Spot, weren't you the one who had a 40 Sturgeon day on the Willie in a Power Boat a couple of weeks ago?  Cheater!    You're the one that made me think there can be a happy medium between both crafts.

I think many different boats have their place.  I love fishing off my kayak, but there are times and places for different types of boats.  I had fun fishing rivers on my kayak last year for salmon, and had a lot of fun, but a drift boat best fits the conditions. 

I can see having a powered boat in my future. 

-Jesse

Funny you should bring this up because my 2008 Lund (that's a powerboat) catalog arrived yesterday.  I think your fishing evolution is similar to mine.  Started from shore, move to float tube, move to yak and so on.......  I'm completely sold on them yet because --- damn they are expensive but I want one really bad.  Strange thing is the wife thinks it is a good idea.  She enjoys fishing (not as much as me), but cant take her along right now.

I think there is a place for both especially, as you mentioned, you didn't actually buy a boat!

I have both - a 20' Trophy walk around and a couple of fishing yaks.

Usually tote the yaks along on board the Bayliner.

Have found that as long as the yak is no longer than my 13' hobie mirage, it's fairly easy to lash them to the bow rails so that they rest in the walk around deck.

Fishing in the salt, like having the yaks to work around the kelp beds and throw plastics - leave the trophy at anchor and prospect with the yaks.

So far so good - wifey has a venus 11 and my hobie ride on the deck, kids little pelican gets stuffed up in the cuddy (hangs out a bit, but not too bad) haven't figure out where the fourth one will go....yet....may be that I need a bigger boat.

SC

i like spoonchuckers idea.. have been wanting a power boat for a while myself and almost bit on a left over demo model 20 ft  mako @ a weekend spring sale last year at the bass pro shop in harrisburg penna. just didnt know how i was gonna get it back out here, and towing it, i was gonna need a bigger [ more powerful] truck too! 

trust me, i'm loving the new way to fish off'n a yak.. but i love the mothership idea just as much... just the cost of fuel now is going to stop me from realizing that idea.

GBS, don't let 'em get to ya.. both have their place, and in my book, sometimes it's side by side, plus, you did say you inherited the boat.. can't really count that against ya now can they?

I'm curious if any folks on this board own a fishing boats besides a Kayak?  And if so, do you still use both?


Any thoughts on if boats and Kayaks can live together in the same house?  Oh, and don't beat me up too bad, I didn't BUY the boat.

GBS,

Are we detecting at least a small measure of some kind of guilt here?  Ahhhh, then our job here at NWKA is paying off.

Seriously though, if money were no object then I think my approach would have to be something like what Spoonchucker has going on.  Maybe with more emphasis on the kayaking part, but still I'd LOVE to have something like that Trophy "mothership" that he's telling us about.

Fishin-T

Spring to Thanksgiving I'm fishing in my kayak, the rest of the time I'm in the drift boat. This combo works really well for year round fishing options.

It's nothing to be ashamed of Scott.  I have several friends with boats and take advantage of the mobility on a regular basis.  On the flip side, a couple of them have seen all the fun I'm having in my yak and are jazzed to try it out themselves.  I find it ironic when someone with a 25' North River asks ME to take THEM fishing.   

If the guilt is still eating at you, my offer....errrr....I mean, my friend's offer still stands.

Well when I left Eastern WA for SoCal I sold a 19' Alumaweld sportjet I used on the snake. When I got to Cali I bought the yaks. I think if you started out a fisherman and went to yaking that you would own a boat, If you started out a kayaker that you may not. I am a fisherman first, kayaking was juat a way to get on the water that I could afford. Now that I do it I like it. Would I own a boat? Oh yea, I miss my jet. But I love the access the yak gives me. Why cant you have your cake and eat it too? Oh yea! Cake!

As I get older my mobility has decreased and I can't fish like I used to out of my kayak or canoe.  I've thought about putting a small motor on my drift boat for tidewater salmon and steelhead fishing.

Guess we'll see what the future brings.  But, with the price of gas you can't beat a gallon of elbow grease!

i own a motor boat and a fishing yak...the big boat i take my family out on for camping trips and use the kayak for personal fishing trips...i dont want to spend the money on gas for just me to go fishing on by myself when i can paddle off the beach or off the swim step

I  like all kinds of boats, from kayaks to the QE2.  My favorite personal craft is the Hobie Sport.

I friend of mine has a very nice StarCraft 25', and he kindly took me out during our very brief nor cal sport salmon season opening from Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, after he spent a bundle filling the tank.  While we were out, we had engine trouble.  Back at the dock with the mechanic, we found out he needed a new carburetor for $1,200..  I just kept thinking that the same money would buy an on-sale Hobie or two Malibu Mini-X's.

I like the idea of having a small zodiac "mother boat" around during group kayak-diving excursions, just in case of emergencies. 

Before I got the Hobie I got an electric tandem Bobcatboat Pirogue.  The Bobcat is great with the family, and can go 15 miles up and down the river on a single 12v battery, but the kayak simply makes me feel much more in tune with the water.

To each there own, I reckon.

My retirement plan is this:



One of the new Arima 22 foot cruisers with a kayak rack on the roof, cruising the islands between Belingham and SE Alaska. 

Contributions to said retirement fund are gladly accepted.