I have been looking into kayaks for fishing. My neighbor is wanting to get me out... I have been through a lot over the last few years and miss fishing. I recently sold my dream offshore boat. It was a hard day.
Anyway, I am not getting any younger and would love to be able to get out and find my passion again.
I have tried a few kayaks and am leaning pretty hard towards the Lynx. It would be a stretch but cry once, right?
I appreciate everyone sharing information here and hope to be able to contribute myself in time.
LawyerBob:
Hello and welcome to the board. Sorry to hear about the boat, but kayaks can be a lot of fun. I got rid of my drift boat for one.
Picking one out depends a lot on how you plan to transport it and what types of water you plan to fish. What do you want to do with yours?
Motorized kayaks are also becoming a lot more common, but they usually need a trailer or pickup truck to transport (are heavy).
BentRod:
Welcome! Hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us do!
Mr. Fisherman:
I have a small 4*4 van and a pickup. I plan to do day trips fishing rivers, lakes and ponds but have always wanted to surf launch and fish offshore. From what I have seen the lynx is very capable and is light and easy to load, launch and retrieve. I'm not as young as I once was and I know if I keep it simple and easy I will use it more. It has been a long time since I have been able to get away and I sure need some quality time. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of getting back to my roots. Walleye is in my short bucket list. So is flounder.
LawyerBob:
I don't have any experience with the Hobie Lynx, but there's a ton of great content on youtube.
This guy posts some pretty good rundowns, understanding he's a guide (is out multiple times a week and likes to haul a lot of gear):
Here's another one I thought was helpful:
Have you had the chance to try a Hobie mirage drive system? Some people find the stair-stepping mechanism unconformable. But the same can be said for the bicycle-style drive systems.
Otherwise, keeping things light is a great idea if you're going to be car topping or launching/retrieving unassisted. A good kayak kart is also a great investment.
If you're not yet sure you want to fully commit, and can paddle, you may want to consider trying an entry-level kayak. E.g., a Lifetime Tamarack Pro can be had for $350-400 and should be plenty good for most casual in-shore activities. I just wouldn't take it off-shore or plan to troll for multiple miles with it (peddle > paddle for that).