fishing kayaks with a trolling motor buying guide

For anglers who want to cover water without paddling or pedaling at all

Beyond pedals: kayaks built to run a motor

A pedal drive still takes leg effort. A trolling motor takes none -- point it and go. The Old Town Sportsman 106 ships with a 45 lb-thrust Minn Kota motor already installed, while the Pelican Catch PWR 100 gives you a pre-wired transom and lets you choose your own motor.

See the motorized picks

Quick answer: Our top pick for fishing kayaks with a trolling motor is the Old Town Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota (Best Overall (Motor Included)). If you're looking for best motor-ready, the Pelican Catch PWR 100 is a strong alternative.

A motor changes what a fishing kayak actually is

Reviewed by the ReelPaddle team · last updated 2026-08-28

A pedal drive still takes leg effort to move -- a trolling motor takes none. Point the kayak and it goes, which matters most for covering a lot of water, fighting current or wind on the way back in, or fishing longer stretches without the fatigue a paddle or pedal drive eventually adds up to. It's a real step up from pedaling, not just a faster version of the same idea.

The two realistic ways into a motorized kayak are covered here: the Old Town Sportsman 106 ships with its Minn Kota motor already built in, so there's nothing left to source or wire -- you pay more upfront but get a complete, tested system. The Pelican Catch PWR 100 takes the opposite approach: it's engineered with a pre-wired transom ready for a motor, but you choose and buy that motor separately, which costs less upfront and lets you pick a motor sized to your own kayak weight and water conditions.

Neither route is free of tradeoffs. A motorized kayak is heavier and more expensive to buy and launch than a paddle or pedal hull, and a battery needs charging and storing between trips like any other electric equipment. For anglers covering large stretches of open water or fighting current regularly, that added weight and cost usually pays for itself in range and reduced fatigue.

Motor-included vs. motor-ready is the first real decision

A bundled system like the Old Town Sportsman 106 costs more upfront but removes the guesswork of matching a motor, mount, and wiring to a hull yourself. A motor-ready hull like the Pelican Catch PWR 100 costs less to start and lets you choose your own motor and thrust level, but that motor and its battery are a separate purchase and installation step.

Thrust needs scale with total loaded weight, not just the kayak

A commonly used rule of thumb is roughly 2 lbs of motor thrust for every 100 lbs of combined kayak, gear, angler, and battery weight. A loaded fishing kayak with a cooler, tackle, and a battery on board adds up faster than it looks, so size the motor to that total rather than the empty kayak's weight alone.

A motor adds weight and a charging routine most paddle kayaks don't have

Between the motor itself and a marine battery, a motorized setup typically adds well over 20-30 lbs versus the same kayak without one, which changes how it car-tops and launches. It also adds an ongoing task a paddle kayak doesn't have: charging the battery between trips and keeping it maintained over the off-season.

Product Best For Price Rating
Old Town Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota Best Overall (Motor Included) $2,999 - $3,350 4.6/5
Pelican Catch PWR 100 Best Motor-Ready $960 - $1,200 4.3/5
Best Overall (Motor Included)

Old Town Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota

★★★★★ 4.6

A 10'6" fishing kayak with a 45 lb-thrust, 12V saltwater-ready Minn Kota motor built in at the factory. Foot brace steering keeps both hands free for fishing while underway, and a 525 lb max capacity leaves room for the motor, a battery, gear, and the angler.

  • Motor comes factory-installed -- no separate motor purchase, wiring, or mount to figure out
  • Foot brace steering leaves both hands free to fish while the kayak is moving
  • 525 lb capacity comfortably covers the motor, a battery, gear, and the angler
  • Battery sold separately, and the all-in price runs roughly 3x a comparable non-motorized kayak
$2,999 - $3,350 View on Amazon
Best Motor-Ready

Pelican Catch PWR 100

★★★★★ 4.3

A 10-foot sit-on-top built from the keel up for motorizing rather than converted after the fact: a pre-installed transom rated for gas or electric motors up to 2.5 hp, pre-wired so the battery sits in a front compartment while the motor connects at the stern, plus an Ergo360 seat that slides and swivels.

  • Pre-wired transom skips the drilling and aftermarket mounting most motor conversions need
  • Costs roughly a third of the Old Town's all-in bundle if you already own or separately budget for a motor
  • Ergo360 seat slides and swivels, useful once a motor frees up both hands
  • Motor and battery are a separate purchase -- budget extra for a compatible trolling motor
  • 2.5 hp transom rating caps how much thrust you can add versus the Old Town's integrated 45 lb-thrust motor
$960 - $1,200 View on Amazon
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Frequently Asked Questions

How much motor thrust do I actually need for a fishing kayak?

A widely used starting point is about 2 lbs of thrust for every 100 lbs of combined weight -- kayak, gear, angler, and battery included, not just the empty hull. The Old Town Sportsman 106's 45 lb-thrust motor is sized for a fully loaded solo fishing setup; a lighter or heavier loadout may want more or less.

Can I add a trolling motor to any fishing kayak, or does it need to be built for one?

It depends on the hull. A kayak with a rated transom, like the Pelican Catch PWR 100's 2.5 hp mount, is designed to handle a motor's weight and torque safely. Adding a universal aftermarket mount to a kayak that wasn't designed for one is possible but riskier -- check the hull's own weight capacity and the mount maker's compatibility notes first, since an unsupported hull can flex or take on water under motor torque it wasn't built for.

Do I need a battery, and is it included with a motorized fishing kayak?

Almost never included. The Old Town Sportsman 106 ships with its Minn Kota motor pre-installed but the marine battery is a separate purchase, and the Pelican Catch PWR 100 is pre-wired for a battery compartment but includes neither motor nor battery. Budget for a marine deep-cycle or lithium battery sized to your motor's draw as part of the total cost, not an afterthought.

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