how hard is it

with how many angler kayaks there are these days, and with not very much experience fishing the Puget sound, it is very hard to make an educated decision on which kayak to get. I have done a lot of reading on kayaks and really like the Ocean Kayak big game 2 and the old town predator, but then there comes along pedal driven systems like the Hobie and motorized ones such as the torque. I have about a $2,000 limit but if its really that much better for one of the others maybe holding off and waiting until I can get a better one is better suited. Is it possible to fish Puget using a paddle yak.

is it possible to fish a paddle yak in the sound? lots do. what would be better? holding your rod or a paddle? get urself a hobie u won`t regret it, i don`t and have had both. if u like to paddle get a paddle yak...with hobies if u do get tired/bored? of peddleing they come with a paddle. for reasons that i and others have posted i advise the hobie revolution 13 if u do go hobie.

On most of the videos I see, people who are peddling are still getting their rods out of rod holders. 
If you have a place for you paddle, paddles are not too challenging to deal with when you are fighting a fish.  Every boat has its pluses and minuses,  demo them all and find the one that fits you best.

Yes you can paddle anywhere if not more places than you can pedal. I would suggest looking into more efficient hulls than the predator or big game though. Under most conditions you'd be fine, but when the tide gets moving plus a little wind you might get overwhelmed. Take a look at the trident 13, or the ultra 4.3 or 4.7. Pedals are damn nice to have for obvious reasons too, but noting wrong with paddles.

ravdakot, ok i pull the drive and paddle my hobie, (with exception to whitewater)where can i not go that a paddle only can? nothing wrong with paddle but if trolling and a fish hits before u grab the rod u have to stow paddle and then grab ur rod....if its leashed just toss it over but with that, something more to get tangled up when fish comes up especially if its going batshit.. with a hobie just something that is non issue, just something less to deal with.

You could always use one of these. 



Lol,  what great problem to have, soooo many choices.

Enjoy your shopping.

ravdakot, ok i pull the drive and paddle my hobie, (with exception to whitewater)where can i not go that a paddle only can? nothing wrong with paddle but if trolling and a fish hits before u grab the rod u have to stow paddle and then grab ur rod....if its leashed just toss it over but with that, something more to get tangled up when fish comes up especially if its going batshit.. with a hobie just something that is non issue, just something less to deal with.

 You said it, pull your drive and paddle. I was referring to the places you can't pedal. Shallows, kelp, Lilly pads, so on, and so on. And unless you're in an adventure you won't want to paddle far. Even a revo doesn't paddle great. As for trolling, I still use rod holders on my Hobies. When in my paddle boats I just drop the paddle and grab my rod. Not had an issue with tangling in my paddle Leash yet.

u know what i really like the drive for? when in an area thats tight... close to rocks or when there are alot of boats around and you have a big fish on u can hold the rod and use the drive to get u outta there and not have a fish drag u into a bad spot also alot easier to turn the yak in direction fish is coming at me or where i want it and keeping it that way. kind of awkward with a paddle isn`t it? i hopfully won`t be paddling for long distances over kelp,lilly pads, and so on and so on and in shallow(to point where i have to remove the drive). i don`t think any of us are going a long distance in conditions like that.

  obsessedoncars
  You really should head over to Lake Sammammish on May 9th and 10th. to the paddlefest they are having there. You can try out so many varieties of boats , That will help you make your decision on what will work best for yourself. There will be many like minded people there-- and several from NWKA. Give it a try-- I'm sure you will find what you are looking for.

I've given this opinion before.
IMHO the best all around paddle fishing platform is the Ocean Kayak Trident 13.
The best all around pedal fishing platform is the Hobie Revolution 13.
I have both. I haven't used the T13 since I got the Revo13.