Pro Angler12 is in... and flipped!

    Well after a year of drooling over the Hobie series yaks the Pro Angler finally arrived last week. I picked it up last Tuesday and started assembling the rod mounts and fish finder and making fishing plans with my brother. We decide to go to the Kassilof river where it dumps into the ocean. Our plan is to fish for Halibut from the shore and  run the baits out on the angler. When we get there the sea is almost calm with little wind blowing. The first trip out on the water with the yak was awesome I ran out baits from three poles with little issues. But we decide it would be easier if I did it one pole at a time.
    So on the second trip out I decide to leave everything the Army has taught me in 20yrs about patience, securing your valuables, and not having your head up your ass. This thread almost should've been started in the "Things I've lost over my yak" because about 20 feet away from the shore the bait gets stuck on the back handle and I decide to reach for it. Here's a list of what fell out:
Vantage seat (not locked in)
Mirage drive drive (not locked in)
Lowrance fish finder (from the storage bin)
fishing rod extensions
Hobie drink holder
Hobie drinking bottle
rod leashes x2
Lowrance battery bag(all from the storage bin, unlatched)
Abu Garcia 6501 reel and pole
me and my new Hobie PFD (It was worn)
my dignity
   When I surfaced I managed to roll the yak over and swim it to shore. Then it was a scramble to rig up the fishing poles with snagging hooks and turn our fishing trip into a salvage operation. To my brothers credit he latched onto to almost everything including the my pole and Vantage seat in one cast. Except the mirage drive, I was bummed. I cast until the sun went down and was in foul spirits when I went to bed. When i got up my brother was out the tent before me and said he had good news that was gonna make my day. I thought he was playing with my emotions, but he found my Mirage drive by the waters edge in the mud. Thankfully there was a minus tide that night. So that day the angler just stayed on the shore and we fished from the bank catching very little.
   But today I did take it out to Lower Fire lake in Eagle River today for a couple hours and I tied down everything. I was definitely pleased with how it handled. Toward the end of my trip a couple of Otters popped up along side of me and said to me " Man Dave you look a lot different with your head out of your ass!"

   Great story! thanks for sharing.  Glad you were able to recover your goods. Sometimes we just like to learn or relearn the hard way....

Thanks for sharing. One thing to also consider about flipping over is your seat position. As we all know the PA's have REALLY comfortable seats, but if your seat is left at the top position, you'll be comfortable, but also very vulnerable to flipping over, especially if you are dragging 3 weighted Halibut lines out to drop off. Maybe soon your buddies will pick up there own kayaks so you can fish from your yaks instead. Just a thought!
Be safe!

Glad to hear you got everything back and didn't have to learn a lesson the hard (expensive) way.  Thanks for sharing and how is the Pro Angler to fish out of?   It looks sweet on the showroom floor, but on the water is always different.

That brother of yours is a keeper. What a story; thanks for sharing it.  That could have been so much worse, what with the tides ripping through there. I'll be thinking of your story when I double check my leashing of everything before I venture out later this week.  There have been times when the excitement and eagerness to get out there led to shortcuts when securing gear. 

Did you swim the righted PA12 to shore simply because you were close to land, or did you find it difficult to get back onto the boat from the water?

Sure am glad you're OK, that your gear wasn't lost for good and that you got right back out there after a little critical self-evaluation. Hope to see you on the water before the snow flies!

Wow! Nice save!  I learned my lesson after I flipped my mini-x at Whittier.  I still don't tie everything down but I definitely wear a drysuit even if it 70 deg and sunny out.  The learning curve can be steep but dang its WORTH IT!

Next few weeks I will target silvers.  Then probably Kachemak Bay for feeder kings in late September and October.  When the marine forecast won't cooperate (which is a lot this time of year) its the upper Kenai and possible the middle Kenai.  Lots of open water opportunities left!

Better to be lucky than good, better to be lucky than good...

Your luck is obviously having a good brother - and you know he's good when your first thought is that he was f*cking with you  Must be an older brother, DAMHIK!

Great story man, and I'm glad it all worked out well for you.

 I flipped my ProAngler 14 in a river last October reaching for a snagged anchor line.  I lost me absolute favorite plugging rod as a result, so I can appreciate your situation.  I think it is a good to remind everyone how quickly things can go wrong.  Its great that you shared the story and I could easily see myself making some of the same decisions.
D

Sh*t happens! Ain't no thing. Glad you got your stuff back.

I fell out of my PA 14 last September into the Sound.  Happened while standing to p*ss.  Right in the drink!  Water wasn't that cold but my gf thought I had a heart attack and fell over.  $400 Android phone was toast but nothing else fell off.  I installed the Hobie H bar but will save that for calmer water.  Since then I have learned to p*ss while sitting.

After seeing the PA14 in person I would have thought someone couldn't fall out of it without being shot first!  I'd like to try one out in person one day as they look fun.  Glad you got your stuff back.  Insane that you even found your mirage drive!!

Glad you got your stuff back and made it out safe.  Have you practiced re-entries?  DO IT!  But leave the equipment on the shore.

Thanks for the sage words of advice. I'll learn from your adventures. I already learned to piss sitting down without too much dribbling.

After seeing the PA14 in person I would have thought someone couldn't fall out of it without being shot first!  I'd like to try one out in person one day as they look fun.  Glad you got your stuff back.  Insane that you even found your mirage drive!!

Happy to let you try mine out whenever.  Hopefully we can hook up sometime soon and get out there!

I'd love to check it out one day OlySpec, appreciate the offer.