Sit on top vs sit in?

Im trying to find myself a kayak but I can't decide between sit on top or a sit in so I was hoping to get some opinions. I live on the coast and probably wont fish the ocean but probably the columbia mostly salmon some steelhead and occasionly bass and trout.

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I like the SOT since it's easy to get into, no worry about needing to seal up the entry area to prevent water intrusion AND since I have a Hobie, it has the Mirage drive for hands free fishing.
I know some other guys like the SIS models......just personal preference and in some cases, more of a kayak "purists" 

If the yak is mainly for fishing and crabbing then go with a sit on top.  All the deck space, the 'sealed' (OK closed) hull and the easy entry and exit make a huge difference.

-Spot-

SOT.

SOT there is a reason why most kayak fishermen have SOT's they are a great fishing platform.  There are a lot of issues with fishing from a Sit in Kayak (SinK) not much deck space, getting in and out, and re entry if you roll.

If you fish from a sit inside are you required to use a handline? 

I am pretty familiar with sit-inside kayaks, having been a whitewater kayaker since 1985.  And I sometimes fish from a whitewater kayak with a telescoping rod.  However, sit-inside kayaks are not well suited to kayak fishing.  You can bungie a couple of items on top of a sit-inside sea kayak, but it's difficult to mount rod holders and other equipment on the top deck of a sit-inside kayak.  About the only way to store fishing gear inside a sit-inside kayak and have it available when you're on the water is to stuff it between your legs, and there isn't much room there.  For example, in most kayaks it would be awkward to stuff a break-down rod inside a sit-inside kayak, and then you'd need to assemble the rod when you wanted to fish. 

Sit-on-top kayaks, on the other hand, are great for fishing.  You can mount fish finders, rod holders, downriggers, and other equipment all over them.  You can put multiple rods, tackle boxes, nets, coolers, and other tools in readily-available storage areas. You can turn sidewise and hang your feet in the water while fishing, or when getting at things which are stored behind you.  In shallow water, it's real easy to get in and out of a sit-on-top kayak.  It's easier to get into a sit-on-top kayak to paddle out through surf than it is to get into a sit-inside kayak for that purpose.  And if you don't know how to roll a kayak, if you get dumped over, it's much easier to get back into a sit-on-top kayak.

The advantages of a sit-inside kayak are that in cold weather your legs and butt are protected by the kayak and spray skirt, so you can be a lot warmer, and you can roll a sit-inside kayak.  So if you had to go through big waves in cold conditions to get to a fishing area, and you didn't need to use much fishing equipment, there could be some minor advantages to a sit-inside kayak.

This posting may elicit some irritated responses from people who like to fish from sit-inside kayaks. All I can say is, I use both kinds of kayaks on a regular basis, and this is my opinion.

I currently have a sit inside and plan on getting a sot at some point. I go light when I fish, I have a few poles set up for plunking, jigging, and spinners, and polyethylene is easy to work with. I like my sit in for fishing in cold weather especially saltwater and have even crabbed in a sea kayak.

Right now I'm making outriggers with a seat behind entry so on warm days I can sit on top and have no worries about tipping.

To each there own, personally...I want both 

I have a sit-in touring/sea kayak and have no problem fitting all the tackle I own in the day hatch and a couple of rods fit fine on the deck. 

While the learning curve may be a bit steeper, SINK's have their own unique set of advantages. They are faster, meaning I get to my fishing grounds --and more importantly if the weather changes-- back on shore quicker. Having learned a few braces and rolls, I also feel a lot safer in a SINK when It get's rough.

Having said that, I do hope to someday own a lot more tackle and a SOT to haul it all with 

I have a sit-in touring/sea kayak and have no problem fitting all the tackle I own in the day hatch and a couple of rods fit fine on the deck. 

While the learning curve may be a bit steeper, SINK's have their own unique set of advantages. They are faster, meaning I get to my fishing grounds --and more importantly if the weather changes-- back on shore quicker. Having learned a few braces and rolls, I also feel a lot safer in a SINK when It get's rough.

Having said that, I do hope to someday own a lot more tackle and a SOT to haul it all with 

Some SINKs are faster than most SOTs. There are fishing specific SOTs that will hold their own in the speed department some are even faster.

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I don't believe the learning curve is steeper for the sit in kayak. In fact I think it's the way to go if you want the best experience. If I would have known two years ago what I know now, I would have bought the sit inside kayak and it would have been a smarter move. My buddy told me try the 24 inch wide models about 16 foot or longer. Perfect for the lakes, ocean, rivers. The sit on top kayak is somewhat limiting with respect to rivers and somewhat for speed in the ocean. It's actually much easier to deal with rough water with the sea kayak. Natives have been using sit inside kayaks to fish from for thousands of years. I guess to sum it up, if you want to fish in the sea from a kayak, then a sea kayak is probably the most appropriate tool from my perspective. The learning difference has more to do with dealing with limited deck space and the fact that I can't take a leak down the scupper hole is pissing me off.

I am going to have to disagree with you here. First off I am a SOT guy but there are a few principles that apply regardless of your back ground or ability. A SINK relies on a paddler and paddle for most of its primary stability. When you are fishing you do not have a paddle in your hands, you have a fishing pole. In most cases you are going to be fine with the boats great secondary stability but when you rely on the secondary stability you loose the fail safe of extra stability that a SOT affords you.
Basically what it boils down to is if you want to catch big fish from a kayak you better be one hell of a boatsman in a SINK or just buy a fishing specific boat.
Get the right boat and you can hang with nearly any sea SINK.

Another advantage: In more efficient SINK kayaks, you can cover more water and reach productive areas with less energy. If your goal is reaching productive areas with less fishing pressure, spend your day catching, maybe camp out on a remote beach and catch more the next day, then efficiency matters.

Modifications like backing plates under the deck, rod tip protectors and adding storage can compensate for the limited storage of a SINK vs a SOT fishing kayak. But at this point you have to design and build these modifications yourself.

As kayak fishing matures in the PNW I foresee a subset of the SOT folks moving to the lighter and more efficient SINKs to expand their range and fishing opportunities. The problem is, once you find the fishing areas that are currently beyond the horizon of your SOT range, you might not see your usual areas as all that exciting.

This matter is very subjective and I respect disagreement. The pole in my hand argument is interesting but I don't even think about my paddle much when fishing and therefore I don't have much of a concern about that matter. The Hobie is simply not going to make my collection right now because it's not a good choice for some of the rivers we hit. The drive would explode on the first rock it hits but I do understand the desire to fish without having to deal with a paddle. However I think there is far too much emphasis on this one subject that it begins to sound like people are getting paid by Hobie. LOL. Anyway, the way I see it, if you are comfortable in your boat then that's a good boat for you.

I am going to have to disagree with you here. First off I am a SOT guy but there are a few principles that apply regardless of your back ground or ability. A SINK relies on a paddler and paddle for most of its primary stability. When you are fishing you do not have a paddle in your hands, you have a fishing pole. In most cases you are going to be fine with the boats great secondary stability but when you rely on the secondary stability you loose the fail safe of extra stability that a SOT affords you.
Basically what it boils down to is if you want to catch big fish from a kayak you better be one hell of a boatsman in a SINK or just buy a fishing specific boat.
Get the right boat and you can hang with nearly any sea SINK.

Does this mean you'll be joining me rounding Cape Flattery? In 10 years I've never seen a SOT fish out there.