Hobie pro angler or Native Mariner propel

Im a Fisherman who wants to fish off a kayak.

Most of my fishing will be in the ocean, Large lakes and large rivers.

Most of my fishing is either going to be trolling with a down rigger or back trolling/back bouncing and bottom fishing. For this reason I think a pedel drive is a no brainer for me. As well as a wide stable craft.

I dont anticipate needing to do any beach launches. Most everywhere I go Ill utilize the boat launch.

To me the mirage drive seems like it would be the most efficient.  There is conflicting reports all over the net so who knows?

But the propel system is pretty skookum with being able to reverse instantly. Something that would be invaluable on the river, not to mention for back trolling. Also the propel system seems a little more bullet proof.

But how realistic is it to expect to back pedal for hours in a river? The main river I'm talking about is the kenai. Not a swift river but not a pussycat either. Course now that I really think about it, that might just be pure stupidity thinking I can land a king off a kayak in a river. I have a hard time doing it off an actual boat.

Also using the sail in the hobie has my intrest too, but ive never sailed so I could be dreaming about how well I think its going to work.

             rimfirematt,
    I do not have any expirence with Native Watercraft's propel drive , but thought I'd share some thinking about your other points.
    Back trolling/back bouncing in the Kenai River with a Hobie will only be do=able in a few places where the current slows down.And you'll have to be nose upstream with your gear behind you.You could possibly turn the Mirage Drive backwards but then you would have a problem steering with your rudder.
    Peddle drive is certainly a no-brainer.It'll make your fishing so much easier to be hands-free.
    Beach launches--there will be many places you'll want to come ashore that are no where near a boat launch.So plan accordingly.
    Back peddling for hours on the Kenai A lot depends on your durability and endurance.That river has a lot of power.I say respect that power.When she spanks you--she spanks hard.And this is the voice of expirence talking...
    Landing a king in a kayak---it's done all the time...but you earn it...If you happen to hook into a "big boy" be prepared to go for a sleigh ride more intense than any you've ever had in a power boat.And remember you have to handle the fish and your boat with out any assistance.That might not be too bad on a "drift boat only Monday.But if you throw  several hundred power boats into the mix--well...I hope you get a freind to video the ride..I'd be interested to see that...........
   I reckon my main point is to go into these endeavors with your eyes open.Don't be naive about any situation you put yourself into.Any water can harm you--the waters of Alaska can kill you.Be prepared........

Get the native so I can race and beat you with my mirage drive!

Im gonna go ahead and cross the kenai thing off my list. I know what its like and I think that it would be to much chaos from a kayak and probably life threating. Also Im recalling the HOURS of fishing it takes to even catch one there. I have a pretty good track record of only hooking into the big boys (tough problem I know )  and they required alot of manuevering to catch or at least try to catch, Ill hitch a ride on a power boat if I go there.

And yeah I guess I cant rule out the beach landing thing. Im already dreaming of being dropped off via water taxi somewhere and camping out. With that thinking in mind should I down shift into the outback?

I really think I need the Pro Angler, but am open to suggestions. but really there really is only two choices for me. PA or the outback.

I don't have any experience with anything but a Hobie and the Outback in particular. I was sold from day one and 4 1/2 years later i still feel the same way...You really can't beat the Outback for overall versatility and is very stable in almost all conditions. Gotta love the trays! Not light by any means but way more managable then the PA

The pro angler is an awesome fishing machine but so darn heavy. If i was a few years...Or decades younger i might seriously consider a PA. Most people use trailers to haul these "boats".  These still have the WOW! factor for me everytime i go in my local yak shop though.

The fishing you describe has Outback written all over it! Or maybe a Revo.

Get the native so I can race and beat you with my mirage drive!

Has there been any actual testing / reviews comparing the two systems side by side? 

   Go ahead and try the Kenai.On a Monday it really isn't too bad though there will be some PB traffic going up and down river.A better bet might be the Kasilof River.No PB's at all.Put in at Kasilof Kabins on the lower end during an incoming tide and let the tide be your friend.They have some real nice Kings down that way too.
    I wasn't wanting to discourage your efforts--you do need to go in with your eyes open however.Even the upper Kenai can be floated in a kayak.You may have to re-think the tactics that you use.At the very least you can use the kayak for access to places you can't get to from shore.So be bold and live your dreams...but please use your brain.
    Another place you might try for kings is out in Kachameck Bay.There are several water taxis that will take you toward Yukon Island,drop you off ,then pick you up at a pre-determined time and place.I've had pretty good luck out that way.Plus there is a very good chance of getting butt and rockfish of various kinds out that way.PM me and I'll turn you on to one of the best places for rock fish you'll ever find.A hint--it's in Sadie Cove.
   Don't let my earlier rant scare you off....live the dream and make things happen.Just do it smartly....please.

Alright I only have an iPad but I'll chime in with my entire one try worth of experience.  I'm going to try it again for sure. With my outback I found I could back troll effectively but there were only a few spots where I could hold against the current. The rest of the time I was moving downstream pretty fast. I did hook one at the crossover hole below eagle rock.  Lost it immediately.  It might not be ideal, but the mirage drive has plenty of propulsion power to take a diver and kwikfish down the  Kenai.  I even bottom bounced in Beaver creek for a while.  I could reposition there by going up the frog water. It wa the only place I could move upstream with the mirage drive.  One thing I may try is I notice that the wind always blows upriver in the lower Kenai which makes sense.  I'll won't be able to score AOTY points but I'm thinking my paddle sail might be huge assist especially if I use a diver and kwikfish with my rod in a rod holder.  Who knows with enough wind, I may between the paddle sail and mirage drive, I might be ble to go upstream or at least hold. 

My only fear is I think the best takeout is at beaver creek but if you hook one there, and I will this year, it's bye bye all the way to Cunningham park.  Not sure how I'm going to deal with that.

I guess I could loosen the drag and peddle like mad to shore but then I don't think it counts for AOTY points.  Monday's are doable but I also think late evening is doable on the other days as well. 

I have 100% confidence I can hook one. I only have about 25% confidence I can land one...safely. 

Like Mark said, there are other places.  After one year of trials, I plan to fish deep creek to whiskey gulch starting in late April.  I plan to hit that area hard through mid July.  I hope to hit the Kenai a few times in the last few weeks of July for reds and kings.  Then I'll switch to cohos in Seward and Valdez through labor day.  Then back to Homer for Kings.  I do need to find a chum or two. 

Oh I guess this thread is about hobie vs native.  Don't know a thing about the Native, the Hobie mirage drive though is AWESOME!

Yeah Im with you Kardinal. Im sure I can hook one. I dont even think I have 25% confidence I could land one though.

Also I didnt see valdez on your to-do list. I really want to go there. The weather is usually good in the bay there isnt it?

The Hobie-native thing.... Im going Hobie. Its proven, way more info. Plus the Hobie just gives me a good vibe when I look at it. Now Im back to thinking of an outback though. Not sure about the revo.

I read somewhere that the revo is a stable yak, the outback is very stable and the pro angler is extremley stable. That being said do you think revo is as safe to do anything youd feel comfortable in doing in the outback or PA? Im a fairweather guy. Im thinking 3-4 foot sees and a 10-15mph wind is about my max. Ive been out in that with small river boats/and zodiacs and thats enough for me even in those boats.

That being said, those conditions can worsen fast, so Id like to have a little more seaworthiness just in case. Then again I can get out of dodge faster with a revo, but honestly how much faster? 10 minutes?

Bottom line-What is the roughest toughest sloppy weather yak in the 3? PA,outback,revo OR does it even matter that much. As in the PA will take on 4' waves, the outback 3.8 and the revo 3.6? And yeah I know lots of differences in the chop/waves. But whats the one Youd want to be in or would you be pretty hosed in any of them

You'll have to ask others about the relative difference.  But reading your posts, I wouldn't go with the revo.  I hear it's an awesome yak, but you are going to have more real estate to put sonars, downriggers, shrimp pots, whatever on a PA or outback. 

I'd say your comfort level and mine are the same.  I can't recall getting blown off the water last year but I also check the weather meticulously.  There always somewhere you can fish it seems it seems like.  I'm addicted to the salt though.  I had a blast on the upper Kenai with a fly rod but it was just going gravel bar to gravel bar.

I had a BLAST in Valdez.  Late in the season I think a kayak can out fish a powerboat. Caught lots of fish super close to shore and in areas powerboats had problems fishing.  Definitely on my must fish places this year.  I just wish it wasn't such a long drive!  But well worth it.

My big debate is one of the hobie inflatables for when I travel or an adventure island or tandem island to extend my range.  Lol.  We will see!!!  Once my kids get old enough to fish the ocean is when I will upgrade.  This year I am going to try and figure out a stable way to attach my mini x side by side to my outback to get my kids out on the lakes or maybe Whittier or Seward. 

The one thing I would consider between the two drive systems is size, weight and complexity.  The propel system is one large and heavy unit probably weighing at least twice as much as a mirage drive.  The propel unit is a sealed unit with seals and bearing, that IMO looks like a nightmare if saltwater was to intrude in past the seals into the housing, the mirage drive parts are all exposed, and contain no roller bearings, making it easy to flush with fresh water after a trip into the salt.  The other disadvantage I saw with the propel drive is, entanglement of weeds on the propeller. Many times with the mirage drive, if weeds become entangled with the fins, simply removing the drive and reinserting will clear the weeds from the fins, because of the tapered shape of the fins, weeds will just slide off as the drive is lifted out of the drive well.  With the propel drive, weeds tangle up in the prop and require pulling the drive up with weeds still attached to be cleaned of my hand.  Reverse is cool, but when it comes
down to it, Hobie all the way, hands down.

All 3 Hobies will work.  If you want to stand and cast the the PA is great.  For mostly trolling the Outback would be your boat.  It has a lot of flat sections for mounting down riggers and rod holders.  It is a bit more stable than the Revo too. 

Or you can get a revo, which is faster and only slightly less stable, and add an ama kit to it when you want/need more stability.

I don't have any experience with anything but a Hobie and the Outback in particular. I was sold from day one and 4 1/2 years later i still feel the same way...You really can't beat the Outback for overall versatility and is very stable in almost all conditions. Gotta love the trays! Not light by any means but way more managable then the PA

+1 to that!

I've got an outback and a PA.  Both are great, but the PA is a beast to handle on the beach and pretty tricky to surf launch.  You do have more room, load capacity, and stability on a PA, but the outback is more versatile.  For fishing lakes and calm oceans with easy beach access go for the PA, but an outback for an all around rig.