Any paddlers left???

I have to agree with Island....much respect to you all that can manage paddling and everything else that goes with successful angling while paddling.

My next yak will be a paddle yak though....My PA is great, but there have been times already that I wish I had a lighter platform.

for me, it was an easy choice because i came into this from drifting perspective, even when i owned and ran a large boat offshore.  by drifting, i mean that all my saltwater fishing was done drifting and not under power (except offshore halibut where backing into the drift is critical).  i mostly fly fish but when chinook fishing i much prefer mooching over trolling.  i also like the fact that i have to really approach the fishing and water types differently since i cannot position the boat while fly fishing and i like having to really think about my choices.

while i'm not hobie literate i also think some of the thick kelp beds i like to fish right in would be more difficult with a mirage drive in the water.

if i came from a trolling background i'm sure a peddle kayak would be far more intruiging than they currently are.  i also like the fact that there are no parts to break paddling (besides me  ) since i've dealt with more than enough mechanical problems in the past than i ever want to again.

to each their own though.  i have really enjoyed the difference in fishing out of a kayak.  the inability to run large distances to find fish tends to make one really focus on the water they can reach and become far more intimate than i ever did in a large power boat.  it also gave me the incentive to focus on water closer to home (not always focused on the slam-dunk coastal waters) and i rediscovered some pretty incredible fishing within 5-30 out the door... and lost my pink salmon snobbery pretty damn quick 

of course, confidence is imo one of the most important aspect of fishing and whichever propulsion type gives you the most confidence is the right one. 

i just cannot #$%^'ing wait to get back to the PNW in about a month and a half.  save some fish for me.

I still paddle also, The Freedom Hawk is awesome in other applications like shallow lakes and rivers. Standing up and waving a bug wand is also very cool. The Mirage drive is a very useful tool, but one that rocks, fast current and gravity can make into a very expensive paperweight.

Stevehawk

Color me a paddler.

Would I ever peddle?  Maybe.  But, I don't like the thought of relying on all those cams, gears, chains, ball joints etc, when a mile or more offshore.

Which is why I still carry my CFP on my Revo.

I've an OK Prowler paddle yak.  Can't afford a Hobie right now, and don't really foresee that changing for at least a few years.  Only been out twice so far, and neither time to actually fish - just to familiarize myself with the yak.  Hoping to get the yak bloody this summer though.

Live long my paddling brethren! I love the feeling of control you have with a paddle. I have been out in some pretty "sporty" conditions a long way from the shore and felt comfortable the entire time. In a paddle boat I can have the speed of an Addy and the stability of an outback.
I know on a flat out sprint or a 4 mile race on flat water the Addy is tough to beat but in rough water it is pretty even.... or Zee is getting slow 
I like that when needed you can take a few really hard strokes and get yourself out of trouble or just barely clear a breaker when doing a surf launch. You want to turn hard? Check down and take a backwards stroke....
Yes it would be great to be able to sip a frosty beverage during a 3 mile trip or hold position against current or wind while jigging but I still love my simple paddle boat!

paddler: cobra f&d

Paddling my WS Tarpon 120.

Paddling my WS Tarpon 120.

me Too WS tarpon 120 RED just got it today..

Well said.  I, too, love the simplicity of paddling. I miss a lot of strikes when trolling, but I am also amazed at how many fish hook themselves, or come back for a second grab after i've set down my paddle and picked up my rod.
Paddling is custom made for the backwaters of my local estuaries and the tidal creeks.

Native Ultimate 12 & WS Tarpon 140

Yo!  Another paddler here! 

The mirage drive is an absolute ingenious design.  It made the already excellent fishing platform, SOT Kayak, even better.

However, I am still in love the simplicity of the paddle and the feel of the water through my Carbon Fiber paddle.

JT

Paddling my WS Tarpon 120.

Uh huh, but all day Sunday you were saying "can you guys tow me?"   

One of these days, on a downwind run, I'm gonna smoke a Hobie with the aid of my Pacific Action Sail!    

Paddling my WS Tarpon 120.

Uh huh, but all day Sunday you were saying "can you guys tow me?"   

Lee

I just thought you may have needed a little extra exercise....lol

I have to agree with Island....much respect to you all that can manage paddling and everything else that goes with successful angling while paddling.

My next yak will be a paddle yak though....My PA is great, but there have been times already that I wish I had a lighter platform.

this is oregon Paddle in one hand Umbrella in the other, and fishing pole bettween my legs or in the holder. LOL

Let's leave the gossip and just go f*cking fish!