Pros and cons of sit on top Kayak vs sitting in Kayak

Just as the title says.  Pro and cons of a sit on top Kayak vs sitting inside kayak.  Any and all help is appreciated.

So many differences between the two this could be a long thread  . There are also so many versions of each that it's hard to be specific when being general.  But to start here is my 2c.

Sit On Top:
1. Comfort and ease of use, anyone can get on one an paddle
2. The are easier to launch, sort of like #1 anyone can launch them
3. They generally don't sink when you roll over, reboarding takes practice though
4. Many more options for fishing and mounting "stuff"
5. Stability, generally speaking SOT's are a lot more stable due to hull design
5. Peddle options

Sit IN Kayak
1. Speed and maneuverability, they are fast and designed to go long distances

I think the biggest difference is the re-entry difficulty.

Thank you so much.  It is appreciated.  Trying to figure out how much I want to spend.

- SOT biggest advantage is self bailing scupper holes.
- Generally speaking,  SOT is a wet ride compare to SI.

Before sit on tops people fished from sit in very comfortable
Should really think about were you will be fishing and what for
Lake, river, ocean ?
Most sit on tops have way to much equipment loaded on them, to heavy , to slow for any distance
If piece of mind then outback
M2 cents

I've never fished from a Sit-IN-Kayak, but I find the abbreviation SINK to be a major turn off...

I've never fished from a Sit-IN-Kayak, but I find the abbreviation SINK to be a major turn off...

And if you’ve ever seen one go…not quite as bad as a low profile speed boat when it goes, but still leaves an impression

What list of Manufactures would you recommend?

Hobie!!
I bought mine about 5 yrs after I started this sport and wondered why I didn’t buy one sooner!!!
Scotty

Hobie!!
I bought mine about 5 yrs after I started this sport and wondered why I didn’t buy one sooner!!!
Scotty

+1
I've owned at least half a dozen various kayak brands and ended up with Hobie kayaks.

Another vote for Hobie.

Hobie kayaks are expensive, but the resale value tends to be high, in case you end up being one of those weirdos who doesn't like to kayak fish...

I fished a bit out of my Necky Looksha Sport in the ‘90s and other than lake trolling, it was not ideal at all. It was a great sea kayak but integral to good sea kayaking is secondary stability and bracing with your paddle. Hard to brace with your paddle when you are holding your fishing pole. Also I never had a system for peeing in the kayak and would limit sessions because of that.
Now if you are talking about a recreational sit-inside, then you are limited to calm freshwater.

Where is a good place to purchase from?  I noticed Dick's sporting good sells some.  Or does Dicks sell the lower end Kayaks?

Dicks only sells lower end models not intended for saltwater.
California Canoe and Kayak (CCK) in Oakland is where I have bought all my kayaks since the '90s.
I think they still do the $50 rental deal where you can demo yaks and then apply that to the purchase.
See if they have any demo or used ones also. Or demo there to see what you like and look for used on FB or CL.
MBK also has lots of yaks - OldTown, etc. .