Motorized kayaks are, without a doubt, the newest frontier in recreational watercraft development. Since the popularization of the fishing kayak, anglers and other serious paddlers have schemed, plotted and planned ways to free valuable space, save energy and get to that prized fishing hole faster.
Of course, you could just buy a fishing boat with an outboard engine. But what fun is that, really? Unlike bulkier boats, a fishing kayak with a motor offers speed, efficiency and maneuverability unmatched by bigger vessels, saving your energy for casting, snapping photos or whatever else your heart desires.
Of course, most kayak motors won’t give you the raw power or muscle of a powerboat, but you don’t need that. Electric kayaks — or even kayaks with a gas motor — are more than capable of towing you and your gear around the lake for hours on end.
Some of the best kayak brands on the market, including Hobie, Wilderness Systems and Old Town, offer models that can be outfitted with kayak motor mounts to make installing and uninstalling a breeze. Even inflatable kayaks can be outfitted with a trolling motor. Below are American Paddler’s picks for the best motorized kayaks of 2023. (Click links below to see prices on Amazon.com)
A QUICK RUNDOWN: THE 8 BEST MOTORIZED KAYAKS OF 2023
(CLICK LINKS BELOW TO SEE PRICES ON AMAZON.COM)
| PHOTO | KAYAK | PHOTO | MOTOR OPTIONS | WHY YOU WANT IT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Systems Radar 115 | Wilderness Systems Helix MD Motor Drive | Remote throttle; inboard console can be swapped with pedal drive system, or removed for lightweight traditional paddling | ||
| Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14 | Hobie Evolve V2 Motor Kit | Inboard console can be swapped with Hobie MirageDrive pedal system; Bluetooth compatible for pairing with iPhone app | ||
| Old Town Predator MK | (No photo available) | Minn Kota Motor Console (included) | Powerful removable electric Minn Kota motor console; foot-controlled rudder for hands-free fishing | |
| Feelfree Lure 13.5 | Feelfree Overdrive Pedal System (Motordrive console sold separately) | Seamless switching between pedal and motor drive in same system; lightweight unit can be swapped out while on the water | ||
| Native Slayer Propel 10 | Minn Kota Endura C2 Trolling Motor | Lightest premium fishing kayak on market; versatility of motor mount allows for use with wide range of trolling motors | ||
| NuCanoe Frontier 12 | Minn Kota Endura C2 Trolling Motor | Gas or electric motor can be bow-mounted or transom-mounted with hand-operated controls; kayak features wide open deck | ||
| Sea Eagle 380x Inflatable Kayak | Watersnake Asp T24 Trolling Motor | Inflatable kayak for easy storage and transport; transom-mount motor rated for saltwater and freshwater | ||
| MACraft Power Ski Jet Powered Kayak | (No photo available) | Four-stroke, 152cc, 20-horsepower gas engine | Simply put: Speed |
If you’re a kayak fisherman looking for a little more oomph, these popular kayaks with a built-in trolling motor can be swapped out with pedal-drive systems — offering you the best of both worlds depending on your fishing needs.
For those considering the power option, the Helix MD motor drive features German-engineered Torqueedo technology with speeds reaching up to 6 mph and a range of 20 miles — which is pretty solid for a kayak motor. The lithium battery lasts up to 8 hours, and the entire unit weighs just 15 pounds, so transporting the motor when not in use is a breeze. The Helix MD also features a remote throttle that displays your current speed, remaining battery life and expected range so you know when it’s time to turn around.
Apart from the motor, the Radar itself offers plenty of prowess for a fishing kayak, including a comfortable AirMax seat, SlideTrax gear rails, a performance-style hull and super-stable fishing platform — not to mention plenty of gear storage space.
While the Radar is Wilderness Systems’ only kayak with motor and pedal drive capabilities, the Helix MD motor can also be used with the paddle-powered A.T.A.K. 120, A.T.A.K. 140, Thresher 140 & 155 and Tarpon 130X kayaks.
From its luxury, fully adjustable stadium-style Vantage seat to its myriad options for storage, gear mounting and steering capabilities, the Hobie Pro Angler 14 is one of the most customizable fishing machines out there. Hobie’s award-winning MirageDrive pedal system comes standard for the Pro Angler, but it can be upgraded with the versatile Hobie Evolve kayak electric motor kit.
The LCD Hobie Evolve control unit mounts to your gear rail and displays information about your battery life, speed, range and power use. For even greater functionality, you can pair the unit with the Torqeedo TorqTrac adapter, which pairs via Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad to turn your phone into a real-time map tracker to see visually how much farther you can go.
While the Pro Angler 14 is Hobie’s flagship fishing kayak, the Evolve motor is compatible across Hobie’s other pedal-powered kayaks. The unit easily lifts in and out of place so you can switch back and forth between foot and gas power.
While the kayaks above offer groundbreaking versatility allowing both pedal- and motor-drive systems in the same kayak, plenty of other top-quality kayaks offer easily installable electric motor options. Two of these — the Old Town Predator MK and the Feelfree Lure 13.5 — offer unrivaled thrust and control with motors fitting seamlessly into what are already excellent kayaks. If you’re looking primarily for ease-of-use and versatility in a motorized fishing kayak, check out these much-heralded boats.
At the heart of the Predator MK a specially designed Minn Kota onboard motor console that delivers 45 pounds of variable-control thrust, adjustable forward and reverse speeds, and a saltwater-grade kayak electric motor and prop built to withstand any fishing conditions. The entire unit weighs just 22 pounds and easily lifts in and out of the kayak for quick transport. A rechargeable, sealed marine battery is mounted behind the seat and pre-wired into the kayak — which also makes removing for storage and reattaching a literal snap.
The entire unit is designed to provide stealthy, quiet power that gets you where you’re going without scaring the fish — all while leaving your hands free for casting and adjusting gear. A foot-controlled rudder means you never have to take your hands off your fishing rod, except to adjust your speed.
The motor unit includes displays indicating battery life, dual kill-switches for safety, gear storage and USB ports for charging smaller electronics. Atop the unit, you can mount fishfinders and sonar tranducers, or any other marine electronics to help you with your catch.
On the kayak itself, you’ll find many of the top-quality features loved by loyal Old Town enthusiasts, such as an adjustable high-back seat, wide and stable fishing platform and customizable gear options. Like its sister kayak, the Predator MX, the Predator MK motorized kayak is loaded with options designed to make fishing easy and enjoyable.
As far as we can tell, FeelFree is the only major kayak brand to offer both pedal drive and motor drive in the same system. In other motorized kayaks such as Hobie or Wilderness Systems, the drives must be swapped out (usually on shore, as the motor units are quite heavy) to switch between the two; not so for the FeelFree Lure. To add motor capability to the Overdrive pedal system, simply slide the Motordrive power unit into the open slot on the console, and away you go!
The Motordrive power unit is sold as an optional add-on to FeelFree’s Overdrive pedal system, but the unit can be swapped out and used with any compatible FeelFree kayak. In addition to the Lure series, the FeelFree Dorado also makes use of the system.
In addition to the convenience of being able to easily switch between the two systems, anglers can also lift the entire Overdrive unit out of the water and lock it into place to navigate shallow waters, weeds or to bring the kayak ashore.
Native Watercraft has made this easy with its Transom Motor Mount, which comes in two sizes to fit its Propel kayaks in the Slayer, Ultimate FX, Manta Ray and Titan series. The mount can be attached and detached in less than 30 seconds, allowing you to drop a trolling motor such as a Minn Kota into the slot where the Propel pedal drive system goes. When you’re done, simply remove the mount and drop the pedal drive back into place (or, do what this guy did and keep both systems).
While installing an aftermarket motor is easy with the Propel 10, anglers who want to use the built-in pedal drive system will find superior control, since the pedal drive system works in both forward and reverse. Add in other feature-rich amenities such as easy-to-install rail accessories and generous storage space, and you’ve got a kayak worth its weight in goldfish.
The spacious and agile NuCanoe Frontier 12 is designed for anglers and hunters, which includes the ability to add either a bow-mount or transom-style electric motor to the kayak. If mounted to the squared-off transom, a lightweight kayak electric motor can be easily controlled from the seated position with NuCanoe’s telescoping, handheld Tiller Extension Handle. If mounted on the bow, the motor’s speed and direction can be controlled with a handheld remote for superior control and maneuverability.
NuCanoe offers motor mount plates, brackets and extensions for any of these setups. And thanks to NuCanoe’s spacious deck and generous legroom, the battery box can be stored safely out of your way.
But adding a motor? Is that even possible?
Well, yes, actually. It is.
The highly rated Sea Eagle 380x and 420x inflatable kayaks, which can be used for fishing, recreational boating, calm-water paddling and even light whitewater, each can be outfitted with the Watersnake Asp T24 inflatable kayak motor, which is specially designed for both fresh and saltwater fishing and boating.
The lightweight Watersnake motor features a 24-inch shaft and 24 pounds of thrust, easily mounted to the transom of most Sea Eagle Explorer or FastTrack inflatable kayaks (excluding the 300x). The motor features forward and reverse capabilities and an anti-corrosive exterior.
The Asp isn’t the only inflatable kayak trolling motor compatible with Sea Eagle kayaks; the Watersnake Venom SX offers better thrust (34 pounds) and more speed options for a little more money. And for a cheaper option, the Minn Kota Endura 30 offers a little better performance as well — although it’s rated for freshwater only. All three options offer portable chargers and battery packs.
Sea Eagle also offers inflatable kayak motor mounts to outfit any of these setups.
If you’re the “Tim the Toolman Taylor” type, maybe you’re looking at the kayaks above and thinking, “That’s it? I want more power!”
Although not recommended for casual anglers or recreational weekend paddlers, there are kayaks out there that can satisfy your need for speed. American Paddler isn’t comfortable recommending any particular model, but if you’re checking out options, the MACraft Power Ski claims to offer speeds up to 24.9 mph with its four-stroke, 152cc, 20-horsepower gas engine. Aquanami and Mokai are two other brands offering jet-powered kayaks with speeds up to 25 mph.
For those wondering, that’s really fast for a kayak. Adrenaline junkies looking for a kayak with a jet ski motor would be well-advised to check local boating laws to make sure all safety regulations are met before taking one of these vessels out on local waterways. And if you do decide to spring for one, be advised they’re not cheap! (See the latest price on Amazon)
These vessels are basically small speedboats with the capacity to keep up with bigger vessels on the water. But if you’re headed on a long fishing excursion and just want to get there quicker, a jet ski kayak might be just your speed.
Though your options for adding an electric kayak motor to just about any rig are almost limitless, the motorized kayaks above offer a seamless blend of efficiency, power and fishing features that will make any outing a roaring success.
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