When most people think about fishing from a boat, they visualize a big bass boat. The screaming outboard motor, the big open flat deck and unlimited storage. When most think of a kayak, you visualize a small plastic vessel with very limited room and the risk of flipping over easily. One for serious fishing and one for exercise. What if I told you there was something in the middle? Something that has the pros and cons put together? Let’s talk about big fishing kayaks vs boats and breakdown the pros and cons of each and where they meet in the middle.
Bass Boats
In 1948 Holmes Thurmond patented the first design for Skeeter Boats in Texas. In 1961, he built the first bass boat from fiberglass, a huge leap forward in performance and durability from wooden boat designs. This advancement gave bass fisherman a big advantage with faster lightweight boats.
From there, the technology and design advancements continued. In today’s world, an average bass boat can drift in as little as 12-14” of water depending on hull design and weight load. These boats can also easily be equipped with a 300hp motor, multiple electronic fish finders, trolling motor, 30+ gallon live well, 40qt built in coolers and storage for 20+ fishing rods and enough tackle to outfit a small bait shop.
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These larger bass boats are 21’ in length and up to 96” in width. This type of boat will weigh around 2300 lbs without any gear or people added. That all sounds amazing and luxurious for sure, but comes with a hefty price tag of around $80,000 and up.
Costs of Boats
Now, don’t get me wrong, having a top of the line bass boat is very nice and convenient in some ways, but let’s talk about some of the cons besides the ever growing price tag.
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The old saying is that owning a boat requires you to understands that the word B.O.A.T. As an acronym actually means, “Bust Out Another Thousand”. Meaning that boats are very expensive to purchase-but even more expensive to maintain and repair.
I will tell you from personal experience that boats can definitely cost a lot to own. I would call this its biggest negative. The last year I had my bass boat, I had to replace a prop shaft, a lower unit, a prop and a trolling motor shaft all in one season and all on different occasions. Notice how I said this was in my last year owning a bass boat. I would try to get into areas on lakes that I probably should not have been trying to fit into. I would hit boulders, tree stumps and other debris.
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Yes, I was being stubborn and a tad reckless, but this is common for most bass boat owners on tournament days. Find the fish no matter where they are and push your boat to its limits. Well, I learned the limits of my boat that year. Besides the shallow water limitations, I learned that I was limited to lakes that had larger parking, larger boat ramps and that allowed gas motors. Then I was also limited to where I could fish due to the size of some canals and bridges/tunnels on each lake. After you figure in the oil and gas, having to trailer the boat and the expenses — I was ready to look into a secondary option for those hard to reach fisheries.
Kayaks Are Not Just Toys
My first kayak was a wilderness riot kayak from around 2001. It was about 10’ long and maybe 24” wide. It was a sit on top kayak. There two main types of kayaks. Sit on top and sit inside. They both have their purposes and needs. The sit inside kayaks have more of a purpose for speed and ease of transport.
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A sit on top kayak will have more stability, much easier to get in and out, carry more weight and will not fill with water if it roams or it is flipped over. For fishing, I highly recommend a sit on top style. Going back to my first kayak, I always felt that it would flip over if I sneezed too hard. It was not stable, had no room for gear or storage and I absolutely never thought of it as an option for fishing. Fast forward to 2015 when I discovered newer fishing kayaks. This is why 2015 would also become the last year of my bass boat ownership.
Why I Chose A Kayak
In my search for a fishing kayak, I discovered a brand called Feelfree Kayaks. They had a seat that lifted up 10”, a stable platform that allowed me to stand up in the kayak and plenty of room for storage among other unique features. I had no idea a kayak was capable of everything at this level.
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Fishing kayaks also allow for plenty of rod holders, fish finder mounts and even electric motor options. You can get accessories and options from brands like YakAttack that make everything from cup holders to tackle storage crates. With a kayak, you learn to manage your gear better and organize what you truly need on the water.
I learned quickly that I could now go in the places that the boat couldn’t go — but also the places the boat could go too. I was no longer limited to boat ramps, having to trailer a boat around, worrying about stumps or debris in the water. I could drift in water as shallow as 6” with no issues. This unlocked a whole new way of fishing for me. The lakes that were less traveled now became my targets. My adventures were no longer limited by gas tanks or easily accessible waterways. I felt free.
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Which Is Best For You?
The big question-which one is right for you? I always say that you are the one paying for it and fishing from it, so you need to be the one that makes the choice of what to fish from. Your height, weight, fighting type all come into play. More importantly, your budget, how you can haul and store it and what fits your body type best have to be factors in your decision. I prefer the porridge method-one choice will be just right if you try them all.
Final Thoughts
There are many pros and cons to both options. A bass boat can get you to spots faster, haul more gear and more people. With those features, you lose ability to haul your vessel on top of your car or truck and limit yourself to lakes that allow motors and boat ramps. With a kayak, you get freedom. A level of peace that is indescribable. A new standard of the outdoors and adventure.
Just remember, Whether your needs align with bass boat or a kayak, the fish do not care what you fish from.
