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Topic: My first fishing kayak  (Read 9289 times)

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bkyak

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Chino Valley, Az
  • Date Registered: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 23
We the wife and I are looking into buying yaks. We think we are sold on Hobie with Mirage Drive. Is it worth the extra money ? We could get 2 paddle type kayaks for about the same price as 1 mirage drive unit. I like the proangler and I think she leans toward the outback. I love to fish she will fish if they are hitting. I know this is vague, I am new to this site and kayak fishing.
We are open to suggestions/recommendations
THANK YOU for any and all replies


fishnut

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • 1st Recipient of 2012 A$$hat Award
  • Location: Marysville,Wa
  • Date Registered: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 660
bkyak. As in ALL previous posts. Demo,demo,demo. Pro angler is heavy but stable.Would not have this as a primary yak. All mirage drives are great for trolling(leaves hands free) and folks with bad shoulders. Also
depends on what type of fishing your doing and distances you're going. I have aRevo and it's great. Ocean kayaks makes some fine paddle yaks. Just DEMO and take your time to make the right decision. search previous posts.


ndogg

  • ORC
  • Sturgeon
  • *
  • "Fists of Fury"
  • Location: SW Portland
  • Date Registered: Sep 2009
  • Posts: 1767
I second what fishnut said.  The more boats you try the more likely you are going to get the right one. 
 


jstonick

  • Guest
Definitely what Fishnut and Ndogg said. The good news is that there is no such thing as a bad fishing kayak. However, there is also no such thing as a perfect fishing kayak. Think about what you want, try models that meet your criterion and take the plunge. It is a very shallow optimum. Once you decided peddle or paddle you are into shades of gray.


Justin

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Baker City, OR
  • Date Registered: May 2011
  • Posts: 1899
I disagree with the posts above..... RUN AWAY AND DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!! lol  :P

Whatever you decide to get, welcome to the addiction.
aka - JoeSnuffy

Stand UP! Stand Up and Shout!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/OutdoorsJustin?feature=mhee


ZeeHawk

  • Administrator
  • Sturgeon
  • *****
  • Sauber is my co-pilot.
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 5506
The Pro Angler is awesome. It's absolutely amazing for ponds, lakes, bays, and slow moving rivers. If that's what I was going to be fishing all the time it would be PA all the way. If you want to cast from a standing position the PA is the best Hobie for that. The Outback is similar but lighter and less stable. Pedaling performance is very similar but the PA's turning radius is far smaller compared to any other Hobie kayak. The Outback can handle rougher water and the ocean as well.

Like the guys said, demo as many as you can and find what works for you.
2010 Angler Of The Year
2008 Moutcha Bay Pro - Winner
Jackson kayaks, Kokatat, Daiwa, Werner Paddles, Orion, RinseKit, Kayak Academy


sherminator

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Tigard, OR
  • Date Registered: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 844
bkyak -

my wife loves the water, and she was open to getting a kayak, but I was blown away at how quickly she was sold on a Hobie. We demo'd an Outfitter and an Oasis (both tandems) and she was ready to hand over the credit card before we got off the water. The Mirage drive makes a huge difference to us, probably because at 50+, our legs are definitely stronger than our upper bodies. It has been well worth it. The hands free aspect is also a huge bonus.
15x tournament loser
2011 Hobie Oasis (yellow)
2014 Hobie Revo  (red)
2017 Aquaglide Blackfoot HB Angler XL


D rock

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • www.kayakshed.com
  • Location: Hood River, Oregon
  • Date Registered: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 144
DEMO!! Get in as many boats as possible!  If you do that the right boat will find you!  ;)
        


INSAYN

  • ORC_Safety
  • Sturgeon
  • *
  • **RIP...Ron, Ro, AMB, Stephen**
  • Location: Forest Grove, OR
  • Date Registered: Aug 2008
  • Posts: 5415
Be forewarned though, kayaks breed like bunnies.  It doesn't take long before you find yourself looking at a family of kayaks in your yard/garage.   ;)
 

"If I was ever stranded on a beach with only hand lotion...You're the guy I'd want with me!"   Polyangler, 2/27/15


CraigVM62

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Sumner
  • Date Registered: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 579
"Paddle, Set Down Paddle, Pick Up Rod, Cast, Reel, Set Down Rod, Pick Up Paddle, Repeat as Needed"
 :-\ :-\ :-\

I should have read the instructions before I bought 3 paddle kayaks.    I now stare at the Hobie brochure each night before I fall asleep so I can have dreams where I just cast, cast and cast.
 
I used to think that Bigfoot might exist. Then I saw the reality shows where they are looking for them.  Now I am certain they don't


sumpNZ

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Sedro-Woolley, WA
  • Date Registered: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 2304
"Paddle, Set Down Paddle, Pick Up Rod, Cast, Reel, Set Down Rod, Pick Up Paddle, Repeat as Needed"
 :-\ :-\ :-\

I should have read the instructions before I bought 3 paddle kayaks.    I now stare at the Hobie brochure each night before I fall asleep so I can have dreams where I just cast, cast and cast.

Assuming that I turn out to enjoy kayak fishing as much as I think I will, my hope is to get as a second (or third) yak a tandem Hobie.  That way I can take one or more of the kids at a time out fishing.
2012 ORC 5th Place



troutnut

  • Perch
  • ***
  • Date Registered: May 2009
  • Posts: 57
Back when gas prices flew out of control the first time back in 2007, I started looking for gas free alternatives. Just starting the bass boat cost me a $20, and driving to the marina, launch fees, soda, lunch and beers and boat fuel was running $100 to $150 a day. Add in $250 a month for covered boat storage, and I could have a Tahoe rental house for the same money I was bleeding to go fishing a month in the delta, in order to "save money" not driving to the Hat Creek area to trout fish. I had pontoon boats before but wanted something to cover more ground. I saw some guys fishing the delta and Clear Lake from kayaks, and I thought it would be perfect. My first kayak was a Cobra Fish n' dive, just like theirs. Paddle kayak. Big and fat like a barge. And slower. Met a guy with a Ocean Kayak Trident 15. I was filled with kayak envy, it was much faster and better laid out for the type of fishing I did. Sold my Cobra in less than a month and bought an Ocean Kayak Trident 15 Angler. Paddle kayak. Loved it. Showed the Striped Bass and black bass in the California delta NO MERCY. Great for longer distances, the rudder made crosswinds a breeze to fight, I could surf launch and rockfish, it opened tons of new waters to me that didn't entail 400 miles and $150 of roundtrip driving to fish trout streams (remember, I lived in The Peoples Socialist Republic of Kalifornia) per trip.  I was fat and happy  with "Big Yellow"( my nickname for my Trident) until those BASTARDS  >:( at Hobie came out with the Pro Angler and had a test drive session in SF Bay where I was Striper fishing. I fell in love. Not only was it twice as fast and easier to operate, but I could fish and travel at the same time. Standing up and sight fishing was easy. Seat was comfortable.  So I maxxed out a Visa card and took one home. LOVE IT. Best one person platform that is human powered for less than class II water. I drift the Willamette for smallies and LM, salmon, I have drifted the John Day, Columbia, punish the salmon and rockfish at the coast ( surf launches are pretty easy, you need a paddle too), and Crane Prairie trout fear me. I was originally "worried" about the weight, but you NEVER benchpress the boat onto the roofrack, and with a set of wheels it goes everywhere. My only wish was my garage door was higher so I could drive into the garage with it on top, I would never take it off at home and fish even more. Then those BASTARDS at Hobie went and improved the steering, added a grab bar to make standing up and fishing easier yet, and now I almost feel the need to buy another new one. 5 people have "dibs" on my PA the minute I want to pull the trigger on a new PA. I guess I better do my taxes soon to see where I am for the year.

I keep my Trident to work out my upper body and rougher surf launches, but here in the PNW I mostly use my Pro Angler. Pedal, Pedal, Pedal.  ;D

Get a Pro Angler, bite the bullet and drink the Koolaid. You better get the wife a Hobie pedal boat too. If you don't the first time she tries you PA, you'll never get it back.


bkyak

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Chino Valley, Az
  • Date Registered: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 23
Well we, wife and i, took out our first demo. We went to Hood River, Kayak Shed, great folks, made us feel at ease. We took out a Revo 11 and an Outback.
Wife liked the idea of a smaller yak for herself to control. She saw a 10 foot sport and then I showed her the 11' Revo and she loved it. I sat in it, I'm 6'1 200 pounds, felt WAY small to me. MY water line seemed close to top edge of kayak. I will test a 13 foot Revo I hope soon.
The outback felt nice, I had free board and it felt safe and I do think I will get used to it quick.
OK now my questions:
Outback or Revo, is revo that much quicker? I was in an 11' Revo and it felt small to me, but it did turn quick, almost biffed it LOL. Will I feel a difference in a 13" Revo vs 11" ?
The Pro Angler looked huge. Still consider it though. LOL. Again any input will be appreciated greatly.


Foul_hooked

  • Perch
  • ***
  • I'd rather be fishing
  • Location: Renton Wa
  • Date Registered: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 70
I have two outbacks. They can do anything and hold a ton of weight for camping. I can do over 6 mph for very short bursts and 4 mph all day. These are awesome!


ndogg

  • ORC
  • Sturgeon
  • *
  • "Fists of Fury"
  • Location: SW Portland
  • Date Registered: Sep 2009
  • Posts: 1767
Performance wise the Revo 11 is a bit more nimble than the 13, but not by much.  They are both more nimble than the outback.  Adding turbo fins and a sailing rudder to any of the boats will increase performance a lot. 
The cockpit in the Revo 13 is a bit longer than in the Revo 11, so you will have little bit more room.  I am 5' 11" and love my Revo 13.  I keep my peddles set to 6 and unless I slide forward I can't max out my stroke.  I took a revo 11 out awhile ago and had the peddles set to 7 and was able to max out the stroke pretty easily. 

If you are in the Portland area Next Adventure has a Revo 13 you can demo.