Thinking about giving this a try

oh yeah, this is a concern too... What about whales and seal lions? Especially given that I want that mirage system. It looks like a giant topwater bait from under water!

moose in kayak = Pro Angler 👍

Mount his rack on your bow, send the pics to Hobie. The guys in Cali would go ape for that!

Welcome to NWKA.

You won't be disappointed with any hobie you buy....they are freaking awesome.  I've got a pro angler and an outback...both are great to fish out of.  Lots of room and great stability. 

I'll be fishing all over the peninsula this summer, so if you need someone to go with hit me up.

My wife and I have the Ocean Kayak malibu 2xl angler edition kayak. Altogether we have spent about 2000+ that is with fishing gear of course! No fish finder and really don't need one unless I was going to start trolling I might be one. Someday we might get a hobie but for now we are going to stick with our ocean kayak. Summer of 2011 we caught 8 halibut from the kayak, biggest was 32 pounds. Such a blast worth it. We just used chest waders and the least about of tackle for fishing. Don't want all that gear hanging around if we were to flip. Make sure everything is tied off to the kayak. Because if you flip you won't get some of that back. Good luck and we might see you around. Back in 2010 my wife, dad, mom and brother and I took a class from Millers Landing Adventures, right close to Liquid Adventures out of Seward. We took the class in May and was a good learning experience before we bought our own. This past summer my brother rented a kayak from Liquid Adventures and they have great service. Good luck and have a good rest of the winter. I really hope to get back on the water later this month.

Ill need some freinds to go kayaking with for sure so Ill be sure and get ahold of you . I cant seem to talk any one I know into trying this out. Its either a. to crazy or b. to expensive or a combo of the two. I know one guy that would do it, but he is always busy during the summer.

I got one buddy that is gonna freak out that Im gonna cut the 4 wheeling down by about half. He just bought a new one last fall and is jonesing for that. I mentioned fishing and all he thought of was riding off denali to grayling fish.

Last summer I fished ONCE that I can remember. I spent alot of money on a wheeler and was determined to ride it. Also I was busy scouting for moose spots. Which did pay off cause I got one. 

So anyway, Im "gone fishing" this year!

That's the Tough part about AK....so many things to do, so little time

Hey hey! I'm around, I've just been dealing with an insane work schedule and a few family issues.  I also only have access to the net from an iPad outside of work and I've had to crack down on office Internet use so since I'm the President, I've been trying to not log on from work either. 

You must have a dry suit.  I almost died using the wader set up.  The basic problem with the wader set up in alaska is you need a heavy coat to fish most of the time.  You arent going to take your life jacket off once in the water so you are too heavy to get back on the kayak once it gets waterlogged.  And i dont have much use for a coat so large i can wear it over my life jacket.

I know it works for many but it didn't work or me.  Never again unless I can kayak in shorts and a tshirt and that's never in Alaska.  I use a kokatat supernova semi dry suit and it works like a charm. 

A kayak affords MUCH more flexibility and it's the ultimate one man set up.  The problem with the zodiac is its still gas powered and it's HUGE and heavy relatively to a kayak.  great exercise and easy on the wallet.  A kayak on top of a civic? Talk bout great gas mileage. 

I know you are thinking about about all your options but I am SIMPLY AMAZED at the mirage drives efficiency.  I am an overweight, 45yr old couch potato that smokes a pack a day.  I can still troll ALL day.  Know your limits though. You aren't going to move up river on the Kenai.  You aren't going to make much headway against the fast currents off deep creek...gotta time the tide changes.  Seward, homer, and Whittier you don't have to worry about the tidal currents.  One of the best aspects about the mirage versus the paddle kayaks is the ability cut through a head wind.  No paddles to act as a mini sail and continuous power so it's not two steps forward one step back.

My advice...just do it.  But make sure you have the proper safety gear.  I have my outback stuffed with assorted closed cell foam and a bunch of soda bottles.  I have a stirrup set up.  I carry a cell phone and VHF.  I have a spare paddle in addition to my outback paddle.  Haven't had the need for any yet but that's the point I guess.

I take my outback in conditions I wouldn't take my 21ft center console with a150hp engine.  The only advantage for me on a powerboat is the range.  Bu in Alaska we are lucky enough to have access to good fishing close to launch areas.  I never felt once on the water I was at a disadvantage to power boats.  The only complaint I recall making on my blogs is I tend to catch more cod and pollack because I probably am trolling slower.  So I use more bait.  So how bad can it be if my only complaint is I catch too any different types of fish? Lol.

I think my fishing time is going to be scaled back this year a bit but I still plan to hit it hard every chance I get!!!!!

   Rudy T,
  Glad to see ya back on the forum.
  Hope things are calming down on the home front for you.It' just about time to start fishing up there so I hope life is getting brighter .
  I have my outback's rudder tuned up and am ready to get out there myself.This time home it hasn't happened due to several other "priorities" my wife had in mind.And unfortunitely,I go back to Prudhoe this Sunday for a 3 'weeker' ,come home for 1 week, then back up again for another 3.So ,it looks like I won't be  fishing a whole lot til May.Bummer for fishing--but the money is good.
   Are you gonna try to do the Homer Winter King Tournament this year ?That's only a couple of weeks away.Sounds like you could have some company if you get the chance to make it.I don't know if there has ever been any kayak entries in that tournament .You could make history again.I just re-watched Greta's king catch from the Anchor River Derby last May and it totally cracked me up.That was some funny stuff........Keep us posted if you make the Homer derby.
   You other Alaska guys should consider giving it a go also.It's a very well organized tournament with a rich history.Plus the payout for the top 20 fish is pretty good too.Hope to hear some reports in the upcoming weeks.
   Oh Rudy--hope you do catch that king on the Kenai this year.You know it can be done....even if you do end up taking out at Kenai's city dock.Just enjoy the ride...........

Alright Everything is on Order! I got an outback  2011 model on sale on the way, a Kokatat angler drysuit, a hobie cart, FF mount and installation kit, rod leashes, rod tube mount, drift sock, anchor trolley, turbo fin and rudder upgrade.

Still need to get a fish finder , Im thinking a hummingbird 350 series. down rigger (not sure which brand. Maybe one like rudys since he knows how to rig that one up! ) Then  Safety flag, radio, PFD. And hopefully I can find Orca repellent. I been watching videos of kayaks and whales. Really not my thing to be honest.

  rimfirematt,
 It sounds like you are on your way to getting geared up--congradulations.Hope your stuff arrives in a timely manner.
 While you're waiting yuo still might consider going down to Seward and taking the plunge with Chris @ Liquid Logic.That might (or not) help make the wait more bearable.I don't think he has any Outbacks-but you can still learn a lot and get out on the water.
  Good luck this year--and post pictures............

Kardinal, great points on the safety issue

Alright I got my Angler suit today! It seems really nice. Its pretty big on me  standing up, but I also sat down with it on and it tightened up a lot but still not uncomfortable. I just wore jeans and a t-shirt for the test fit. THe neck gaskets is really tight, but Hopefully I can lose a little neck girth this summer and that problem will work itself out! THe wrist gaskets are tight too, but I got used to it, either that or my hands fell asleep! I puffed it up so I looked like a grey and orange marshmallow and it didn't leak any air out. Im really glad I got this suit right off the bat.

My outback ships out on tuesday So hopefully Ill get it in 2 weeks.

Then Ill need my Fish finder and down rigger and Im good to go.

You don't want those seals too tight.  It's not
Good for you.  You can trim them a little at a time until they are comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.  If you don't want to trim you can put gallon bleach jugs with water in the neck so it will stretch out a bit. 

You don't want those seals too tight.  It's not
Good for you.  You can trim them a little at a time until they are comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.  If you don't want to trim you can put gallon bleach jugs with water in the neck so it will stretch out a bit.

I've heard of that for latex gaskets, but hadn't heard about doing that for neoprene gaskets like the Kokatat Angler suit has for the neck.

Hey rimfirematt- Give me a shout. I'll get you and your dad hooked up. We'll customize a kayak primer and get you on the right track. The fast track. I've been kayak fishing since 1991 and can help you accelerate the learning curve with lots of practical experience. With that said, I won't be back up in AK until mid May, the fishing is way too good in Baja right now.

You can contact me through the website. http://www.liquid-adventures.com/
I'm also a dealer for just about anything you need related to kayak fishing.

Thanks to Alan, Mark and akfishergal for the props. You guys crack me up with all the alternative business names. For the record it's Liquid Adventures. lol