Lake craft recommendation

[krusty]

But, I am not in a hurry. I may be a slug but I like a slower pace. Crawl on....
I have a motor and the large battery to go with it. Just doesn’t suit my need on the lakes I fish.

Just me, Krusty. No disrespect intended.

It's not really about the speed, but rather a pedal kayak's ability to visit every part of a lake with complete ease and little effort...regardless of wind direction or intensity, never needing an anchor and holding a position in the desired orientation without the flyrod ever leaving your hand.

 

[skyriver]

So @Mukman what did you end up getting? It's been a while.

 

[509]

Compared to a pedal kayak ALL inflatables without motors are slugs on the water!

Does a pedal kayak go BACKWARDS??

 

[troutpocket]

I don’t think either of these has been mentioned yet.

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My Supercat 60 is 16 years old and my favorite craft for smaller lakes and anything requiring walk in access. I’m hoping to get another 5 years out of it.

Every boat is a trade off. If I were shopping for something to fill the gap between my Supercat and my Clackacraft FB16, I would like to try a fishing kayak and some of the framed inflatable boats from NRS, Outcast, Flycraft, etc.

 

[Zak]

Does a pedal kayak go BACKWARDS??

Yes.

 

[509]

Wish I had known that when I drove to Alaska.

 

[krusty]

Does a pedal kayak go BACKWARDS??

Yup...I spend far more time in reverse while flyfishing than going forward. And with the rudder one has complete control over the kayak's orientation...even on a wind-drift. No legs dangling in the water during cold early or late season...complete comfort. Anything an inflatable can do on flatwater a pedal kayak can do better. Veritable 'fishing machines'.

And...you end up with a watercraft that's good for more than fishing.

 

[509]

I took a kayak on the trip to Alaska and it was awful. Going backwards was difficult with the paddle.

BUT, with a pedal kayak that goes backwards that would have been much better. Not sure how easily the rudder would work compared to fins.

 

[Zak]

I took a kayak on the trip to Alaska and it was awful. Going backwards was difficult with the paddle.

BUT, with a pedal kayak that goes backwards that would have been much better. Not sure how easily the rudder would work compared to fins.

I watched @Northern in her Hobie Mirage drive pedal kayak and it seemed like she could make the kayak go any which way, forward or backward, with her hands on her rod.

 

[krusty]

I watched @Northern in her Hobie Mirage drive pedal kayak and it seemed like she could make the kayak go any which way, forward or backward, with her hands on her rod.

Indeed...that's what makes an inflatable (with fins) or a pedal kayak so effective; you can keep your hands on the flyrod at all times.

Conversely, any necessity to paddle or row (such as with a pram or paddle kayak) means you'll spend a great deal of time missing strikes and not really fishing. You also waste time dealing with anchors.

I flyfished for years from paddle kayaks or canoes, and did ok, but my hookup rate easily quadrupled when I switched to a pedal kayak with reverse...and also ended any problems with the ever-present lake winds.

On many lakes my friends on inflatables are good for one trip to the far downwind end of the lake before they embark on the long row back to launch point (and end of the fishing day).

 

[Zak]

I fish from a dory and have gotten pretty good at "one-handed" rowing!

 

[krusty]

I fish from a dory and have gotten pretty good at "one-handed" rowing!

I used a short 'hand paddle' to accomplish the same back in the day...kept me "busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest" and was really challenging in the wind.

 

[RCF]

I watched @Northern in her Hobie Mirage drive pedal kayak and it seemed like she could make the kayak go any which way, forward or backward, with her hands on her rod.

When @Northern was over at my place with her pedal kayak, I was shocked how maneuverable it was. Actually dumbfounded...

 

[wanderingrichard]

Only reason I've kept my paddled T15 is due to the weight. Peddle systems add a lot of it. Well that, and being obstinate as hell, and my overweight carcass actually needing the workout.

I think I've used an anchor 3 times in 17 years, but a drift sock has been a constant use item.

@krusty, @Northern, how long has it been since Hobie put reverse into their drives ? I saw a bunch of Hobie guys switch the Native peddle drives because they had reverse and Hobie didn't at the time.

 

[Northern]

Only reason I've kept my paddled T15 is due to the weight. Peddle systems add a lot of it. Well that, and being obstinate as hell, and my overweight carcass actually needing the workout.

I think I've used an anchor 3 times in 17 years, but a drift sock has been a constant use item.

@krusty, @Northern, how long has it been since Hobie put reverse into their drives ? I saw a bunch of Hobie guys switch the Native peddle drives because they had reverse and Hobie didn't at the time.

I got my Compass in early '21, but I think the Oubacks and PAs had the 180 Drive before that


I have to say, the hobie is easily the best fishing purchase I ever made. SO much easier to fish from than a paddled kayak, for all the reasons stated in this thread.

Someone should mention, though, that not all peddle kayaks have reverse! I also assume that the bicycle-kick ones with props instead of fins are a bit less maneuverable, as weeds and shallows would be more of an issue. (If necessary, the hobie can be peddled - slowly - through just a few inches of water, or through patchy weed beds. If your pedals are at the full one forward/ one back position, the fins are tight up against the hull. You can make small kicks and keep moving in shallows, or make a couple full kicks when the fins go over a clear space in weeds, then tuck them back up to glide to the next one.)

If trolling backwards with any speed, you'll probably need to keep one hand on the rudder, as it can get flipped to the side by the water pressure, but it's still easier than paddling backwards!

And yes, if you're reasonably coordinated you could stand up - but I've never found it necessary. And I'm not really reasonably coordinated

 

[wanderingrichard]

I got my Compass in early '21, but I think the Oubacks and PAs had the 180 Drive before that


I have to say, the hobie is easily the best fishing purchase I ever made. SO much easier to fish from than a paddled kayak, for all the reasons stated in this thread.

Someone should mention, though, that not all peddle kayaks have reverse! I also assume that the bicycle-kick ones with props instead of fins are a bit less maneuverable, as weeds and shallows would be more of an issue. (If necessary, the hobie can be peddled - slowly - through just a few inches of water, or through patchy weed beds. If your pedals are at the full one forward/ one back position, the fins are tight up against the hull. You can make small kicks and keep moving in shallows, or make a couple full kicks when the fins go over a clear space in weeds, then tuck them back up to glide to the next one.)

If trolling backwards with any speed, you'll probably need to keep one hand on the rudder, as it can get flipped to the side by the water pressure, but it's still easier than paddling backwards!

And yes, if you're reasonably coordinated you could stand up - but I've never found it necessary. And I'm not really reasonably coordinated

Oh, I've never stood up. With my spinal injury sometimes creating balance issues, there's no way I'd try it.
I'm still not convinced that the prop drives are the way to go. From what I've seen of some of those drive systems, one hard whack and you're paddling back .

 

[krusty]

Only reason I've kept my paddled T15 is due to the weight. Peddle systems add a lot of it. Well that, and being obstinate as hell, and my overweight carcass actually needing the workout.

I think I've used an anchor 3 times in 17 years, but a drift sock has been a constant use item.

@krusty, @Northern, how long has it been since Hobie put reverse into their drives ? I saw a bunch of Hobie guys switch the Native peddle drives because they had reverse and Hobie didn't at the time.

According to the internet Hobie had reverse in all their kayaks starting in model year 2017.

They came out with the Passport, their lowest priced kayak, in 2019, and it doesn't have reverse. I have two of them, both upgraded to the same reverse drive in their other models.

Passport rudders are completely different than those on other Hobies...they use a solid fiberglass rod from the rudder control lever back to the rudder, a simple and very stout arrangement, instead of the typical Hobie rudder cables. The Passport rudder system will not 'torque-over' in reverse; it stays where you leave it.

Hobie's biggest pedal drive kayak competitor is Old Town, which utilize a prop drive with instant reverse. It's a good system but wouldn't work well for many of the small trout lakes I fish because of structure like weeds and logs. Hobie drives have kickup fins that simply fold up out of the way when you hit something and resume their correct position as you continue to pedal. The rudder is also spring loaded and moves up from obstructions.

Weeds are not a problem because (as @Northern describes) you just 'flutter-kick' through them...and in the off chance you did get tangled up you just easily lift the drive out of its drivewell scupper to clean it.

I don't stand up in my kayaks, nor did I do so in canoes or prams. While I'm not a particularly good flycaster I've casted sitting down for over 65 years when afloat. I think standing up tends to more easily spook trout and is unnecessary when seated in an inherently stealthy watercraft like a kayak, canoe or inflatable. Trout ain't bonefish.

If Hobie is smart it will start selling Passports with reverse drive (apparently some Hobie dealers already will do so) at a price competitive with Old Town, instead of focusing on extremely expensive ($6000), heavy (150 lbs), and exotic models like their ProAngler 14 with 360 Mirage Drives.

 

[Northern]

According to the internet Hobie had reverse in all their kayaks starting in model year 2017.

They came out with the Passport, their lowest priced kayak, in 2019, and it doesn't have reverse. I have two of them, both upgraded to the same reverse drive in their other models.

Passport rudders are completely different than those on other Hobies...they use a solid fiberglass rod from the rudder control lever back to the rudder, a simple and very stout arrangement, instead of the typical Hobie rudder cables. The Passport rudder system will not 'torque-over' in reverse; it stays where you leave it.

Hobie's biggest pedal drive kayak competitor is Old Town, which utilize a prop drive with instant reverse. It's a good system but wouldn't work well for many of the small trout lakes I fish because of structure like weeds and logs. Hobie drives have kickup fins that simply fold up out of the way when you hit something and resume their correct position as you continue to pedal. The rudder is also spring loaded and moves up from obstructions.

Weeds are not a problem because (as @Northern describes) you just 'flutter-kick' through them...and in the off chance you did get tangled up you just easily lift the drive out of its drivewell scupper to clean it.

I don't stand up in my kayaks, nor did I do so in canoes or prams. While I'm not a particularly good flycaster I've casted sitting down for over 65 years when afloat. I think standing up tends to more easily spook trout and is unnecessary when seated in an inherently stealthy watercraft like a kayak, canoe or inflatable. Trout ain't bonefish.

If Hobie is smart it will start selling Passports with reverse drive (apparently some Hobie dealers already will do so) at a price competitive with Old Town, instead of focusing on extremely expensive ($6000), heavy (150 lbs), and exotic models like their ProAngler 14 with 360 Mirage Drives.

I like the sound of the Passport rudder!

One other minor issue I've run into with the cord/cable rudder system: I went out early on a 28° morning after a drizzly western WA night, launched the yak and found myself going in a large circle until the frozen cords thawed

 

[Northern]

@wanderingrichard
Oh, and re the weight of the Hobie -
Yep, it's heavy. Too heavy for my 5'3", pushing-60 self to be lifting onto anything!
I have a double kayak trailer, with a second Hobie hull (my husband's) usually occupying the other side for towing balance.
It makes launching & retrieving a breeze. A thru-scupper wheel cart is easy to pop under it if an actual boat launch isn't available where I want to fish.

A bonus feature of having the big drive hole thru the middle of the kayak is that it's easy to cable it down for theft prevention

 

[krusty]

I like the sound of the Passport rudder!

One other minor issue I've run into with the cord/cable rudder system: I went out early on a 28° morning after a drizzly western WA night, launched the yak and found myself going in a large circle until the frozen cords thawed

Hobie dealers really like the Passport rudder system too!

I remember the first time I took my Passport out for a spin on a local lake....forgot to deploy the rudder, which results in the kayak simply going in a circle!