I do not have a Peddle kayak. But I would like to be able to go a little further from my put in location. My question is. Is mounting a Trolling motor a good idea? nothing real fancy. My kayak has a 450 lbs capability I am 225 lbs and my gear is no more that 20 lbs. So i have some wiggle room to add some weight. Thinking about a side mount. I just need to be talked into or out of doing it. This is a major move for me.

Plenty of folks have done it. Once you mount a TM your kayak becomes a powerboat; you'll have to register it, display the numbers, and your requirements for lights and safety equipment will change. One of my kayaks is an OK Torque; it has a drop-in trolling motor module. I learned to determine the maximum range and take into account winds and currents. You don't want to get a long way from the launch and have the wind shift, and run out of battery on the way back. Your paddling friends will mock you, but at the end of the day they will all miraculously find tow ropes, and will be your new best friends......

I have thought of doing this my self, what has stopped me is texas regulation requiring yearly registration and fees. I guess I'm just either Lazy or Frugal

If you've added a motor to your kayak or canoe, it will be considered a motorized vessel. This means that in accordance with Texas law, you will need to register your craft. As well as being required to register your vessel with a motor, it is also necessary to have a safety whistle on board your craft.Apr 12, 2019

That is what I thought also.

I just checked. You guys are correct. I will not be adding a Trolling Motor. Getting registration was one of the reasons I got rid of my last boat.
Thanks guys.

I thought about adding a TM motor a few years ago for the reasons you mentioned, and I had the TM and everything to install it, but I never pulled the trigger of getting it registered.
When I thought about having to place TX numbers on the kayak, and paying the (tax) every year just like my boat registration I decided not to do it.
It's the reason I bought the kayak in the first place for the simplicity and freedom.

Amen Jimbo. Maybe one day I will upgrade to a peddle power. I do want to get a second kayak so I won't have to go by myself all the time.

How far do you want to go? Good paddling technique and a good paddle should enable you to go many miles on an outing. I typically go 9-12 miles on an outing and have done 18 miles.

Also, consider a Bixpy Jet over a trolling motor, there are a number of YouTube videos of Bixpy Jets on kayaks.

my current plan (at age 58) is to paddle for as long as i'm physically able to. i enjoy the trip up a creek or river or small lake almost as much as fishing. when i'm older i plan on putting a trolling motor on my kayak so that i can continue to fish. maybe in between now and then i'll upgrade to a peddle kayak.

There is nothing wrong with a trolling motor. Personally i dont use them but have paddled vast distances since i was in diapers thanks to my dad. Distance can be concoured in one season with proper instruction. Ive thought about a trolling motor many times before but always decided if the battery went out when im a couple miles away from my launch id just toss it and the trolling motor on shore for someone else. Hahaha. Good luck with your decition. Either way its fun.

Most paddlers, self included struggle with paddling distance due to improper technique and to some extent the wrong kayak and paddle
And improper loading of the kayak itself.
I opted for a TM because it made my kayak more fish able, especially on breezy-windy days.
The registration and additional equipment is a non factor for me.
I still love to get out and paddle at times.

I’m still at the point where I can throw the kayak into the bed of the truck along with my gear and be on the road in ten minutes. That’s one beauty of kayak, the ease of getting everything situated and quickly. Another benefit to kayaking that I personally enjoy is the experience of paddling. I think that type of exercise helps maintain good health and well being.

As long as I can load up the kayak and paddle without any pain, I’m going to keep on keeping on. I go out on boats from time to time, friend’s boats, but I like the kayak experience every bit as much if not more than the boat.

The batteries weigh as much as a kayak. Do troll motors really push you along much or any faster than paddling? How many hours will a good deep cycle battery last? ~4 hours. 2 hours in one direction at 2.5 mph 5 miles. Then the other 2 hours coming in. 10 miles maximum. That’s well within paddling range for a lot of people. Is lugging a battery, troll motor, the extra set up and break down time and the additional expenses really worth it?

Thanks guys for all of your input. I also enjoy the paddling aspect of kayaking. It keeps my one little arm muscle in good condition. I am getting better and better at my technique. The more I go the better I get.

OP I started out with a paddle kayak. I didn't like the way I was pushed around by the wind so for that reason I added a TM. For me that was not a good experience. The kayak wieght capacity rating on an Ascend 12T kayak is extremely overated (I believe it's 350 lbs). With me, my fishing gear, TM & a 50 lb battery (which was about 325 lbs) overloaded the kayak. The rear tankwell would hold about 2" of water. I tried scupper plugs but it sat so low in the water the pressure blew the scuppers out. Even if I had a kayak with better weight capacity lugging a 50 lb battery to and from the truck got old quick and ended up being the reason I got away from that set up.

From there I went to a peddle kayak. I bought a larger kayak than I was looking for (Pro Angler 14) but I couldn't pass up the price. This kayak is fine for fishing lakes. I've had it offshore too. But I've started fishing the shallow water bays more and this is a horrible kayak for that. So I went back to a paddle kayak (Viking Profish 400) and that's what I use for the bays. I don't practice paddling to get in shape like I should but the Viking is soooo easy to paddle it doesn't take much effort unless there's wind/current. Huge difference from paddling my old Ascend. I still have the PA and still use it when I fish for whiskers on the lake but that's mainly cause I have a fish finder on it. If I was only fishing lakes I would use the peddle kayak.

I will say if I ever get to the point where I need a TM on my paddle yak I'll go with a Bixpy or something similar. Yes they are pricey but the entire unit only weighing a little over 10 lbs is big. You can get a 12 volt lithium battery and a TM but you're basically looking at the same price as a Bixpy but with more weight.

Fear of distance?
I remember that old (if my memory is correct) Dirty Harry movie where Clint Eastwood said, "A man needs to know his limitations!" or something to that effect.
That pretty much applies to kayaks.
That also applies if you go out in the morning with calm water like glass, and end up far from the launch and the wind kicks up 15 to 20 and you have to head back into the head wind.
I think a trolling motor can give a person a false sense of security and get you into trouble.
Kind of like that saying about a 4 wheel drive vehicle where having 4 wheel drive just means you get stuck further off the road than you would in a 2 wheel drive.

LMBO Jimbo. I do not know my limitations on my kayak (YET) LOL. But I do know my physical ability. So not that I am afraid of going further. i just know that the way I fish. I will have to cut it a little short if the wind picks up. but getting into fish sometimes makes me not think correctly.

I like this topic Sirjet because it helps me remember how many times I've had a trolling motor let me down.
If it's not spinning a prop off and not having a spare, to a wire harness having a bad connection to a battery dying at the worst possible time, you name it, it's happened to me.
That had a lot to do with my decision to scrap the TM idea and not look back!

You shouldnt feel it in your arms very much. It should be felt upper shoulders, back and abs.

Sooo did you put a trolling motor on it ? I fished Freeport a few month back and this guy came flying by me in a trolling motor kayak. I watched him go out of site in little time, about three hours later I was headed in to the launch and he was already there . What I’m getting at is he covered a lot of ground in a short period with little effort. BUT what’s he gonna do if the motor goes dead or the kayak flips over . I enjoy paddling and do very good , I have learned to pace myself and not to hurry . I always pack a lunch and drink and snacks so if the trip gets long it’s not a problem I’ll be able to take my time getting back.

Trust me. I do feel it all over. All I need to see is a little progress on every stroke. I am starting to go out further and further. I am just a forward thinking. On that one time the wind wants to mess with me. LOL

I try to use paddling as a workout. Almost every time out at some point I'm going into an all out sprint to hit a certain speed and try to hold it until I'm worn out. If I'm struggling to hit my number for the conditions I'm in that day, I'll pull my transducer arm out of the water and pick up an extra 2 tenths of a mph. I'll usually move up to a mile or two between spots I fish and sometimes its just to exercise or to see a different part of the area I'm in, if the fishing is slow.

You're a Marine, Sirjet... push, push.

That is all I know Iconn4. I Love making it a workout.

Christian do you think this is the case with heavier wider kayaks? When I paddle my Profish 400 it's my shoulders and back that get a little sore. I've had to paddle my 150 lb 38" wide Pro Angler a mile or so and my arms, shoulders and back were toast. I think the wider platform made me use my arms more.

Yes. Educate us. this might help someone in what Yak to get.

Longer and narrower kayaks paddle best. Wider kayaks are more stable. You need to evaluate your specific needs; how you fish, how far you paddle, how much weight you carry, and decide where in the scale you need your boat. Some folks can stand up and fish in a 28" beam kayak. Some aren't comfortable standing up in a 34" boat.

A boat that paddles well is not all that hard to paddle. I used to have a Wilderness Tarpon 16, very old one. No way I was going to even attempt to stand it in, but it was stable enough that I could sit side saddle with my feet in the water and fish. Paddling was effortless(well almost) and fast. Tracking was superb. Hauling it was a nightmare.

A boat that doesn't paddle well sucks no matter. Trolling motor would be a blessing on one of these. My first Kayak was a Feel Free Lure 11.5. That thing was a barge. Paddling it was miserable. Standing up to fish was awesome, Tracking when using the rudder was good for a short kayak.

I now have a Hobie Outback. I CAN stand, but not very comfortably. Hands free fishing will spoil you very quickly. The only down side to a Kayak like this for most people is cost. Tracking is better than the Feel Free, not nearly as good as the Tarpon. Hauling it is a piece of cake. It is a little hard to load in the truck, but I am 73. You young guys would just throw it in there.

Wayne

My first kayak... Perception Illusion.. 14'3 and just under 27 inch beam. It is actually a touring kayak but after trying out almost every kayak made for fishing in 2003, it paddled so much easier than any kayak I tried. At only 62 lbs, its like a feather on the water compared to most of the "fishing kayaks". Never had any problem with stability as you sit so low to the waterline. Its not a big guy kayak, I weigh 170, but for anyone under 200 lbs its a winner. I find the surf to summit high back seats much more comfortable for paddling than any of the high chair seats.

How many times have you paddled your p.a.? My guess is very seldom. Could it be your just not used to the proper tec when paddling it? The style of seat also is prob a bit to blame. The taller wider backrest doesnt allow for good torso rotation.
My paddle tecnique starts with my toes. I push with my leg on the downward swing, forcing my butt to rotate in theseat. I also almost a crunch type motion keeping my chest and shoulders parallel to my paddle shaft. Only in really high wind situations do i use my arms more than just a little. I have puney arms and if i had to rely on just them to move me in my yak i wouldnt get anywhere. I use everything from my toes to my shoulders and can paddle as far as long as anyone i feel like. I also always use a very high paddle swing. Since i came from a canoe many years ago i tend to swing a paddle similar to that. It is the most efficiant swing. Less lateral movement. Low angle may be more relaxed but is less efficiant. Just my 2 cents.