Kayak Fishing With Motor | Is It Worth Upgrading?

Kayak-fishing is on the rise in popularity lately. People are trying out different equipment and upgrades to enhance their experience. With the rise of demand, companies are also responding by adding new features to the kayaks. 

One such upgrade is motors. Many kayaks, including fishing kayaks, are pre-rigged or can be rigged to use a motor. But how useful is fishing kayak with a motor?

Fishing with a motorized kayak has a handful of benefits. It will increase your trolling range drastically while keeping the low profile of the kayak. 

An automated kayak will give you a hands-free experience that will not only increase your chance of securing a catch but also increase your overall experience. 

If you want a motorized kayak, you can either buy one or rig your existing kayak and motorize it.

A common argument against motorized fishing kayak is, “why not use a boat?” The answer is simple. Boats are chunky. They are heavy and take an effort to bring them to the lake. 

Even if they manage to do that, they can’t access all the water bodies, especially narrow or shallow rivers, creeks, or canals. The motorized kayak combines the sleek profile of the kayak with the freedom of the boat.

Why Should You Use A Motorized Kayak?

There are various reasons why you should consider using a motorized kayak. Starting from –

1. Cover Longer Distances

Using motorized kayaks, you can easily cover more distance before settling down for fishing. You can argue that you could travel there in your car and deploy the kayak after reaching the spot, and you are probably right. 

But what if the spot does not have a dock or a proper shoreline to launch the kayak? What if the spot is deep in the middle of the lake? What if it’s an offshore spot where it’s physically impossible to go with a car? 

Motorized kayaks also save stamina. Since you no longer have to paddle to your destination, you are not tiring out your hands just to reach there. Thus, You can spend all your stamina fishing rather than struggling with the oar. The greater the distance is, the more you will benefit.

2. Travel Faster

With a motorized kayak, you can travel significantly faster, reach your destination earlier, spend more time fishing than traveling. So, you can understand the importance of an electric motor for kayak fishing. The top speed of an automated kayak depends on the model of the motor and the weight of the total setting. 

But it is always faster than manual paddling. Hence, it will cut down your traveling time significantly. Another situation where it will have a huge effect is tournaments. 

Every single minute is vital there. And when going to the fishing spot, every single second count. If you are the first one at the spot, you will be casting the first line with the first bait. This can have a huge influence on the overall outcome of the day.

Even outside of tournaments, when planning for a fishing trip, we want to spend as much time fishing as possible. No one wants to dedicate more than a few minutes paddling there.

3. Fight The Current

With a motorized kayak, you can leave the task to the kayak and focus on fighting the fish. When fishing in rivers or other streamy sources, fighting the stream is an essential part. You will either have to constantly fight with the current to keep the yak at the spot or have to use anchors. It is true even on the slowest flowing river.

An anchor seems like a beautiful option until you have your line tangled with the anchor line. Sometimes the stream does it for you; sometimes the fish pulling the line and almost strategically wraps it around the anchor line. But it is bound to happen. And trust me, when it does, it’s not pretty.

With a motorized kayak, you can face the kayak strategically and set the motor speed matching the stream and lock the kayak at the spot without manual balancing or anchor. Some kayaks even have autopilot dedicated for this. 

Another thing to consider is the water current that you have to face unavoidably. Either going to the fishing spot or the way back, one of the times, you have to travel against the flow. It’s unavoidable. A motorized kayak will ease your efforts significantly at the task.

So, How To Get A Motorized Kayak?

There are two ways you can get yourself a motorized kayak. You can either buy yourself a factory-made motor kayak or rig the kayak yourself.

Both procedures work fine, and none is superior to the other. It’s just a matter of choice and opinion.

What To Look For When Buying An Electrical Kayak?

If you are not interested in taking the time and going through the effort of rigging a kayak, you can simply buy one. Many companies produce and sell factory-made electrical kayaks. 

These kayaks are designed to be operated with an electric motor and optimized toward that intention. When buying an electrical kayak, be sure to check –

1. The quality of the kayak. Powered or not, it is a kayak, after all. So, it has to have all the quality of a regular kayak. It is very easy to only focus on the automation part and overlook the ordinary aspects of the kayak.
2. It has to be comfortable to sit and operate, roomy enough to accommodate all the useful tools and equipment. Check if it has enough carrying capacity to load the gears, fishes and still be able to float and move decently. Also, the kayak itself mustn’t be too heavy to pose a challenge to load and unload it on the car. 
3. Simplistic control and ease of use. You don’t want a kayak that is filled to the brim with functionality and controls. It will be tedious to learn and master, and you will lose interest in no time. Besides, It will be a challenge in times of emergencies. 
4. Check the power of the device. The more powerful it is, the faster and stronger it will be, but it will also need a bigger battery, adding unnecessary weight.

How To Rig A Kayak?

Rigging a kayak to install an electric motor is also a viable option; some even prefer to do it over buying a ready-made one. If you are interested, it’s not tedious at all. Engine and rudder setups are available in most kayak shops and also online.

With the tools, you will get the manual which is plenty to properly rig the kayak. Additionally, you can find guides and video tutorials addressing the whole process and specific problems you might encounter. It will be an experience on its own.

Summary

Many anglers prefer kayaks with motors for fishing. To them, it is more than just an upgrade, more than just a power-up. It behaves more like an essential. It assists the angler in not only covering uncharted territories but also helping them keep the ground against the stream. 

Motorized kayaks are an essential element in tournaments (if they are allowed), giving the angler an upper hand over the other competitors. 

When fishing in the ocean, a motorized kayak can assist you not only in holding your ground against the relentless wave of the sea but also in bringing you to the shore considerably faster in times of emergency.

Overall, motors are a useful upgrade for a fishing kayak. If you have the freedom, definitely try it out for yourself.