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.