More and more fishing kayaks are now coming with engines and motors built-in to the kayak's hull design. As kayak fishing continues to evolve and grow, so does the demand for covering more ground and increasing efficiency on the water. Boat anglers scoff at the notion of a motorized kayak and kayaking purists do as well.
The most common response we get when discussing motorized fishing kayaks is, "Just buy a boat!" This is, and always has been, a lazy response. The truth of the matter is, even if adding a motor to a fishing kayak blurs the lines of what is kayaking and what is boating, you can still reach locations boats and pure paddling cannot.
Fishing kayaks in general are less efficient to paddle than sit-in kayaks. There are certain water conditions where this matters. If you are covering large expanses of open water in a fishing kayak, having a motor can help you cover far more ground. If the weather and wind change, a motor offers some security in getting back to shore. And perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of a motor on your fishing kayak is the ability to move up river systems. By motoring up river you remove logistical barriers like shuttling vehicles or the risk of being swept downstream from your vehicle.
Fishing kayaks with engines and motors are not for everyone and that's OK. However, if you're an angler that wants the advantages a kayak offers with the securtiy of covering more ground or protection against wind changes, a fishing kayak with a motor might be for you. Let's look at the handful of fishing kayaks that come with integrated motors and then the plethora of motors that can be added to almost any fishing kayak on the market.
