So I grew up on the coast but live in College Station now. I'm trying to sell my little tracker because it's just to small for my family and it's a pain in any kind of wind. I mostly bass fish now but head back to the coast occasionally. I was thinking of upgrading to a center console or bigger bass boat but started thinking about simplifying and just getting a kayak. I've fished out of them a few times. My biggest complaint about the kayak was the wind again. But if I sell my boat I could afford a used mirage, shallow anchor, and another kayak for my wife with money to spare.

If I buy another boat it will be used and 15+ years old. I have a 3 year old and another on the way so I don't have a ton of time to work on the boat and the costs add up even in a small boat. But if I buy a kayak I'll mainly be fishing by myself and can't bring the wife and kid (I'd need a sitter to take the wife if I got two yaks). I would also be limited to certain areas and wouldn't be able to travel as far on the water to fish. I'm not fishing that much maybe once a month on average.

Anyone with similar experience as far as boats and family situation? Would you rather have the boat to take the family or the yak to keep costs and maintenance down? Anyone with experience giving up a boat for kayak?

Kayak. No fuel required. No registration fees. No trailer or the fees associated with that. Put in lots a places you can't put a PB in. Easy to store, doesn't take a lot of space. Good exercise. Make you a better fisherman.

Im a kayak fisherman for life. I dont care if I ever see another motor boat again...ever.

I sold two bass boats and haven't looked back.

If you're on a budget, BOAT means Break Out Another Thousand, and you'll be spending more on a 15+ year-old boat than on a kayak.

I had a nice 16' BassTracker for several years (while living in Bryan, I spent a lot of time at Gibbons Creek and Lake Somerville), sold it, and was boatless for a long while. Now I have 2 kayaks and love them. You won't go as far as fast, but that's not the point of kayaking for me. I sure like getting to places I couldn't get to with the BassTracker.

It really depends on how you fish. Look at a SoloSkiff; it's the best of both worlds.

I own an offshore boat and I can tell you the maintenance on a saltwater boat is WAY beyond anything for a freshwater boat and one 15+ years old is going to be a money pit. That said I ain't giving up my offshore boat just yet...nothing like a big marlin or monster mako doing backflips across the water.

If you are young and have family and can only afford one or the other I'd go with the boat first.
It's easier to include everyone with a boat.

Around my house the wife and I are the only ones that really enjoy the yaks. Ever since I bought a mota boat the boys are wanting to go more and more.

Klockness, I have thought a bunch through the same issue. I have a four year old and a two year old. After running a bunch of numbers through a bunch of scenarios and weighing our values, I finally decided that for the same or less money than buying a boat, I could kayak fish a bunch, including with the kids, fish from the beach, and then go on a few guided trips a year. This allows me to fish a lot, but also have some great, unique experiences, for both myself and the kids. It does mean letting go of some of that desire to do it all myself, but in the end, we get to live all the great values of the kayak fisherman while still both some comfortable, cooler filling fish hauls, i.e. whites or stripers, and some unique experiences. At least, I hope, as most of this is as of yet still in theory since they are young. But I can say, my four year old has over a dozen species to his name and thinks that fishing is supposed to be from a yak!

Thanks for the input. Good to know several guys have gone kayak only and not regretted it. Surprisingly my wife wants me to get another boat but we'll see what happens. I had a tracker 16 ft that just sold.