Hi guys,
New to this Yak thing but want to get into it.
Just trying to work out what sort of Yak i need.
Mostly estuary work, but out in the bay occasionlly as well i suppose.
Is the mirage drive systen the way to go (the Hobie outbacks look pretty good)
Or is just having a paddle the way to go??
What happens in the skinny water with the Mirage drive fins? do they restict you and can they be damaged?
Any advice would be appreciated!
The hobies with mirage drive are the go if you want to keep your hands free. Also it alloows for easier movement in the water (leg power opposed to arms). The draw back is price and like you point out restricted with making sure you dont run aground. You can remove the drive and use a paddle if needed.
I suggest you try before you buy. Me personally, i cant justify the price of the hobie plus i love fishing in real shallow areas for flattys so my peception swing is perfect for what i want. Join up to AKFF and read up on the forum there for a lot more info.
Good luck with it mate, yak fishing is highly addictive!!
Thanks Funchy for your reply
There is a Hobie place not far from me so will try and test drive one.
if i go down the paddle option any brands and models that stand out?
Avoid any two seater is a very good start.
If you want to venture into bay waters I suggest 4m as a good length to be looking for in the way of a plastic yak.
Viking Profish at 4.5 would be about the longest placcy I would look at.
Viking Tempo are often used offshore and handle well for thier length.
Prowler 13 are a good honest bay yak and the Perception Swings.
Plenty to choose from. Avoid the Ebay cheapies for many reasons.
Look at the shape of the bottom and the bow, you will easily pick something that looks sleek as opposed to something that resembles an old ladies arse.
Jack.
Do they still make the Perception swings?
They get a good rap, but i read they are out of production?
They stopped production about 6 years ago, but there were plenty sold here in Aus. They turn up fairly regularly all kitted out second hand at good buying prices. Keep your eye on KDFU, AKFF and ebay.
Jack.
+1 to what Tony said
I got a Hobie revo 13. I think it's the way to go but again it really depends on if you want hands free fishing or not.
As for will it handle in skinny water.. Yes it will, you just don't do long peddle strokes, instead you keep the fins nearly flat to the kayak and peddle little strokes and you still move fine.
But like any kayak in very shallow water you will need to use your paddles.
Goto http://kfdu.com.au and check out the reviews for kayaks and also ask questions.
They have hobie dealers and other kayak dealers on the site and I am sure everyone will help you out
If you want to fish really skinny water at times, can you take out the mirage fins and just paddle?
Absolutely ,they come with a cassette that goes in the mirage drive hole if you don't want the mirage drive and you can take the drive out once you get to skinny water if need be but having said that they sit flush almost under they yak if you have the pedals fully forward and back if that makes sense. Using the mirage drive and the rudder you can hold yourself into the current and lob quite a few casts in without losing position ,I would recommend Sunstate hobie for your hobie needs if that's the way you want to go . I think they do test rides as well hope that helps ...MattOriginally Posted by Seahuff
A bad days fishing has got to be better than any day at work......
Sounds like you can have the best of both worlds if the fins can be positioned flat against the hull or taken out completely if need be.
I was looking at the Hobie outback but also now at the revo 11 but wondering at if it would handle my weight okay at 90kg
Mostly estuary not outside work
I live on the South coast of N.S.W so probably check out the Hobie dealer at Nowra
Thought instead of making a new thread I'd post my questions here.
Question: For someone that is 150kg what would you guys recommend? Pro angler 14 (capacity 272kg)?
Also as mentioned earlier in the thread with the mirage drive system you don't want to run aground - how do you launch it without stuffing up the drive system (do you wade out and jump on?). How do you get off the kayak without stuffing up the drive system when you're done?
With regards to the Mirage drive system and launching. The drive system easily slides in and out like a cartridge. So in essence the Hobie with the mirage drive out is like any other yak. The hole where the drive comes out act like a normal scupper hole. Youtube is your friend on this if you do a search.
You will find most yaks a rated for weight mate so it would be a matter of trying what works for you within the rated yak range. (i.e if you are tall or short and stocky etc)
FB,
I'm a tall bloke of 192cm and weight 110kgs and the Hobie Outback suits me just fine, as it has a capacity of 181kgs. The PA 14's capacity is huge at 272kgs.
As Funchy has mentioned, not that big an issue really with the mirage drive scraping. You can pull the whole mirage drive out or simply push the pedals apart, which brings the fins up against the hull. I generally launch with the drive in and fins up against the hull in about 40cm of water. I have also set a shallow water alarm of 50cm on my sounder to remind me when I'm coming into the mirage drive scrapping territory (In case I'm too focused on the rods or fishing etc.). So very rarely scrape the mirage drive fins on the bottom. Also you would not be moving that quickly that you'd wreck the fins anyway - the mirage drive & fins are very sturdy and you'd have to be going fairly fast to bend them big time. The only other time I've bounced the fins has been when fishing the skinny waters where there are lots of sunken trees/snags.
Cheers,
Pete
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Hobie Outback 2012 &
Hobie Oasis 2012
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