Kayak vs tinnie

[scott171287annon]

Hi guys, after being boatless for a while I am in the market again. I am looking for something to mainly fish the creeks and estuary's around the gold coast and bribie. I was either looking at a 12 foot tinnie or a single kayak, I will be maily fishing for jacks, flathead trevs etc. What would be the better option?

[Noelm]

tinny every time for me.

[Mossy247]

I like the tinny option at least you can always take a mate along to catch more fish! Thats how it works for me, get a deckie and get a donut.

[pipifin]

Hey Scott

Good question.... I currently have both. I originally bought the yak for fishing + fitness, and as the economical solution to spending a day on the water. I bought it 3 years ago, and have loved it dearly. I know when I say "economical" there are people that spend more on their kayak set up than I have spent on the tinny (to date) but I just wanted to get on the water, and reach places I couldn't by land based fishing. I have spent countless hours, fishing and crabbing from it (pretty successfully I might add), and all it has cost me from purchase date, was a small anchor, rope, berley bucket, tackle and bait. I have very rarely come home without a feed of some sort.
The prep work is virtually non existent, just throw it on the roof, the seats and tackle in the boot. No trailer parking issues. No need for a boat ramp at all.
Wash down at the end of the day takes about two minutes.
No service costs, no rego or insurance costs, in fact, no ongoing costs at all.
HOWEVER
Six months ago I bought my first second hand tinny... only cost fractionally more than the 1k shelled out for the yak with 12 months rego on trailer and boat.
I have used the yak about 6 times in those 6 months and do still enjoy the fact that I get home and "feel" like I have had a workout.
I have spent very little on the tinny as well, trying to do repairs and mods myself which does give me a sense of achievement.
The boat takes more prep work, and wash down after a day on the water, but is more comfortable. Although I can stand in the yak, it's tentatively. In the boat, I can stand, sit, walk around, hop on one foot, even lie down and have a wee nap. If you are sitting in a yak for a 6hour stint, you start wishing you could do all of the above.
That is probably the only con of the kayak. If you like the full day session like myself, you can really end up uncomfortable for the paddle home.
I can go further, faster in the boat. I can take my kids/wife with me in the boat.
My 5 yr old used to come fishing with me in the kayak too, just not for long sessions, and she loved it. She loves the boat more though.
I guess, back to the topic, in summary..... I'm glad I spent 2-3yrs paddling around the spots you cant get to in a boat, but I'm grateful I can go to those spots that are too hard to get to by paddling.
No doubt I will keep spending money on the boat, but I will enjoy EVERY minute in it.... in the yak was ALMOST every minute (hated the paddle home against wind and current with a few fish on board.... mind you, worse with NO fish on board).
So if you want to buy a yak, so I can spend more on my tinny.... then give me a hoy.

[GBC]

what type of yak might that be?

[FishHunter]

ease of use and getting into skinny water the kayak wins hands down.

[tunaticer]

Two different realms of fishing in my experience.
I take the tinny if i am planning to cover more than about 10km in a few hours or if i am planning on being on the water longer than about 5 hours.
The tinny has good legs and you can move about and cart lots more gear and a deckie. Downside is noise, dropping things, bumping things, wave slap, the sound of a fish thrashing on the deck etc. Yaks avoid nearly all of that.
Yaks are the ultimate solo stealth machine and if I am searching for extra good results the yak will be my transport.

[pipifin]

what type of yak might that be?
Viking Tempo
yellow with two paddles and two seats (the second one can clip into the storage area in the front of the yak for a child.)
I guess I should really do something about taking photos and putting it in the classies section lol