Kayak vs. Jon Boat for Lake Casitas

benarsenault · Post by **benarsenault** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:55 am

Hi all,

Hoping for a little advice on a decision. I drive a compact car (Toyota Yaris) and I live near Casitas. I'm trying to decide between buying a kayak and roof rack, or a 12' or 14' jon boat with a small outboard and trailer. I'm pretty sure the Yaris can tow up to 1,000 lbs., and a jon boat with a trailer is well under the limit. I'm feeling pretty torn about this decision and would appreciate any advice. I know that neither option is great, but these are my only options given the fact that I drive a tiny car. Thanks in advance!

AnglersPursuit · Post by **AnglersPursuit** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 12:27 pm

Hey dude! Sent you a PM.

Newbassfisherman · Post by **Newbassfisherman** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:05 pm

you said u could do a jon boat and a trailer, so assuming thats the case i would stand buy the jon boat completely. I know some people are obsessed with kayak fishing, but the reality is you just can't cover as much water. Some times that doesn't matter, but a lot of the times "Running" spots seems to be the bite. Secondly you can customize a jon boat, you can pretty easily put boxes in and make a deck. Thirdly, IDK if you're into bed fishing, but its pretty hard to stand in a yak (Unless u spend lots of money which at that point it's cheaper to buy a jon boat). I just picked up a jon boat fro fishing small electric only lakes, and can def say I like it.

Chad Sweitzer · Post by **Chad Sweitzer** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 9:16 pm

You can trick out a 14 foot boat way better than a kayak. It'll be more expensive, but some of my best days have come out of my grandpas 14 foot aluminum. It's got a new 24 volt Minn Kota and a 7" Lowrance Elite up front. The TM and casting deck make the difference for me, I've been dragged into trees flipping from a kayak!

benarsenault · Post by **benarsenault** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:07 am

The manual says I shouldn't tow anything unless I live in Canada, where I can tow 700 lbs. I'll have to call my insurance company to find out what happens if I get in an accident while towing. Argh. This might have made the decision for me, haha.

On that note, if anyone has any suggestions for what I should be looking for in a kayak for Casitas, I'm all ears. I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm trying to get away with under $1,500. Have been scouring Craigslist for deals.

stubbs · Post by **stubbs** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:47 am

In terms of a kayak, you will want something at least 13 feet...the longer the kayak the better they paddle/track. Also you will want to look at width as well...naturally the wider the kayak the more stable but the harder it his to paddle. I would say your best bet is to demo a few kayaks before you buy. There use to be a kayak shop in Channel Islands Harbor (not sure if its still there as I moved out of Ventura county 8 years ago). That may be a good place to demo/try one. If your budget is $1500 you should be able to get a great used kayak, Craigslist is tough. Try kayak fishing websites like bigwatersedge.com to find a good price on a used one. Also you may need to venture into LA/OC/San Diego to find a good used one.

Mark-C · Post by **Mark-C** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:50 am

If you really prefer to fish out of a small boat instead of a kayak, you might want to take a look at a portabote. Even though I have a 20 foot bassboat, I bought a 10 foot portabote for fishing ponds and small sloughs. you can put it on roof racks on top of your car. Personally, I wouldn't pay for a new one as you can find them on Craigslist and eBay for alot less. I used to take my son out in when he was young. At any rate, I would recommend the 12 footer, you can use a small gas engine or just an electric trolling motor. I even stand up to cast sometimes in mine as they are very stable. Kayaks are cool too, its just depends on how you want to fish.