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Comment by Dohrman Crawford on March 4, 2015 at 10:42pm

If you are looking at leg driven kayaks, be sure to consider the Native Propel. It has a prop, so you can easily go into reverse. Two of our kayak fishing group guys have them, and they look very nice. Very fast, too. They are about the same price as a Hobie, I think. Quite heavy, though, trailer is the way to go with them. (The guys both have trailers)

Comment by Tim Cotton on March 4, 2015 at 9:12pm

I own a hobie revo for saltwater & a native ultimate for fresh. I fish the cheap native 90% of the time. Trust me. Whichever kayak is the easiest for you to use is the one to buy. Your choice of kayak should only be decided after trying it first. All good dealers will have a way to demo their yaks. If you can't demo it, don't buy it. To narrow your choices consider these factors.

Narrow yaks are tipsy(young folks) wider more stable(old farts)
Longer yaks are faster(open water) shorter ones turn easier(creeks and rivers)
Peddles allow for hands free fishing but are useless in weed choked lakes or floating down creeks and rivers. There handy going up stream.

If your only buying 1, match it to your favorite fishing spot. Consider the launch, weight, need to turn quickly, stability, seat, openness, speed, price, features, etc..

For example: I fish a small river a lot. The flow is very tranquil and I never travel more than a mile. A 12 foot, wide, paddle yak is perfect. I get stability, don't need speed, and hands free fishing I get on the float down stream.

I tore my rotater cuff in college and never had it repaired. I have no trouble paddling for miles. It becomes just like walking. I use the peddle yak in the salt because of the open water, wind and tide. They both have their uses.

Comment by Allen Morgan on March 4, 2015 at 8:26pm

That's what I like about my kayak.  70 lbs or so with what I normally have on it (not counting crate/tackle/poles/cooler).  Easily lifted up onto the top of my vehicle.  Not tied to launch ramps, although I use those sites for easy parking.  I typically launch from the grass/sand on the side of the ramp, leaving the ramp for the bigger boats.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on March 4, 2015 at 6:56pm

I've had a Hobie Sport. Same idea, not the same vessel.

The Pro has better seating, greater capacity and is more "boatish."
But it's HEAVY. You'll wanna trailer launch, especially if you are shoulder impaired. Overhead manhandling and plain old lugging, well, they're just a bad idea with this thing if your physical function is compromised. I've seen solid, muscular dudes sliding Pro's overland to reach fishing only a few hundred yards away, but they struggled.
There was no picking up or toting; it was push and slide, strain and sweat the whole way.

So, if unable (or unwise) to reach backwater access points, well... That kills the best a kayak has to offer.

Summary
• Cost is no object
• You can trailer launch and recover single handed.
• You don't mind being tied to crowded ramps - wherever they are sited...

the Pro is the ne plus Ultra of kayak fishing

Comment by Rob Hilton on March 4, 2015 at 4:41pm

To pedal or Paddle... I've been looking at the Hobie Mirage pro Angler... anyone ever used this Kayak... I love to paddle but I'm afraid an old shoulder injury will impair my ability to paddle long distances. Plus I like the idea of "Handsfree" fishing. Anyone done a Trolling motor modification? Ideas suggestions welcome. 

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on February 27, 2015 at 1:47pm

There is an older NuCanoe that pops up for sale cheap sometimes and you have to be careful not to confuse it with the Frontier. There was a bare one sold for $250 a few days ago near me (saw a thread on it).

The OP may want to consider Native Watercraft also. They have pedal yaks also. If you are convinced you want a pedal yak.

I like my dirt cheap light little plastic kayak for banging down rocky rivers in the Piedmont and I am building a fiberglass over ply yak for paddling through the breakers. I choose performance over stability. They aren't super unstable, but turn easier and go faster than equivalent length kayaks you can easily stand in. It's a tradeoff.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on February 27, 2015 at 1:27pm

Find me one around Columbia SC?

Comment by Slip Sinker on February 27, 2015 at 1:26pm

i wish i was down south.. it seems that where all the used ones are ... ive been seeing fully loaded frontiers for sale at a huge discounts

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on February 27, 2015 at 1:22pm

Which will indicate the level of my budget....
But if you can pay for it, launch it and recover - everything else is gravy.

Comment by Slip Sinker on February 27, 2015 at 1:21pm

isnt a couple hundred dollars worth it to be able to stand and fly fish at will?

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