Pure rec user, no fishing on my boat! I'd have liked a runabout but can't really afford maintenance and gas. Never thought about a kayak, they seemed too small and claustrophobic to me until a coworker mentioned sit on tops and there we go, like someone mentioned above, I'm happy with a top of the line kayak than a second (third, fourth) hand boat, it gets me out on the water where I tootle around, explore and go swimming. And get exercise.
I'm big so I like how stable it feels, I'm on a small lake with big boats (with big wakes) and I like how safe I feel on it. Bet of all, it's of a size I can get back on it when I go swimming (or should I ever fall off it) which beats out a canoe.
Between the 12 and 14, the size of the front hatch sold me.
And I'll go there, the attention is fun
. Not too many of them in my parts, I've only seen two kayak fishermen, one on a PA. Just last week someone followed me - jumped in his car and followed me to my launch site - to check it out. He knew about Hobies, knew about the Mirage drive, was not shocked it could be sailed but by the amount he was checking it out at the back where my two PVC pipes stick out, I believe I snookered another into thinking it was jet powered