Decisions

[aeverett152]

Hello all. New to the forum. Long time angler but relatively new to yak fishing. Some years back I rigged up a 10 foot paddle yak for local socal lake fishing. I am at a point where I am ready to upgrade and get a yak for offshore fishing for yellowtail, halibut, sheepshead, and rockfish but can still use it in local lakes. Trying to keep the budget around 2k.

I have my eyes on the hobie passport 12. This looks like a pretty versatile vessel, in my budget, and I like the customization factor of it. Anyone have any experience with this hobie in offshore fishing conditions?

I am also looking at the Old Town Salty PDL 120, and the Pelican Catch 130 Hydryve

Any input on these is greatly appreciated.

Also what is everyones input on prop vs fin drives?

Thank you all very much

[JohnMckroidJr]

Welcome to the forum. I have never used any of the kayaks you are considering, but have years of experience with Hobie kayaks. Have you considered a used Outback over a new Passport? Used kayaks typically come with extra gear for even bigger savings. The Turbo Glide mirage drive that comes with the Passport and earlier model Outbacks is more durable and cheaper to repair than the newer MD180 mirage drives. If you do get a used md180 it would be wise to upgrade it to a kickup version. The mirage drives that come with Pelican, Vibe, and other imitators are cheaper and rust and break faster.

The mirage propulsion can operate in shallower water. One can scissor kick for in a few inches of water while the prop kayaks require a deeper depth to be operational. Some people love paddle and prop kayaks, maybe one of them will chime in?

Good luck with your decision.

[aeverett152]

I have only checked Offerup for used kayaks but have not seen much. Is there a better platform to check out for used kayaks? I am not opposed to used.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by aeverett152

I have only checked Offerup for used kayaks but have not seen much. Is there a better platform to check out for used kayaks? I am not opposed to used.

Sometimes a good deal will go up on the classifieds on here. In my area, Offerup and Facebook Marketplace have the most volume of kayaks for sale. If willing to drive to find the right deal, One can search different regions on Facebook Marketplace. There was a time when Craigslist was big, but not so much anymore. Try the classifieds of different fishing forums. Happy hunting.

[aeverett152]

Sounds good. Thank you so much.

[f'nsabiki]

Originally Posted by aeverett152

I have only checked Offerup for used kayaks but have not seen much. Is there a better platform to check out for used kayaks? I am not opposed to used.

Craig's list

[monstahfish]

The passport 12 is very similar to the old outback hull design which can and will handle just about anything. If anything, I'd say it's better for a beginner because the design intent was for mass market which requires simplicity and durability. If you look on the main passport page, there's guys getting yellows and sea bass locally on them. You do lose some storage and bells and whistles vs an outback but it's upgradeable to a certain extent and if you've been paddling a simple 10 footer, I doubt you'll miss them.

[Saba Slayer]

Opinions are like assholes...everyone has one...
But...your's is the only important one...
IMHO...go to your closest on the water kayak dealer...we have three Hobie dealers that are on the water in So Cal...OEX is the sponsoring store for this site and their Sunset Beach store has rentals and demos available...Andy the owner is a really good fisherman and knows his boats too...They also have other brands besides Hobie.
Hobie also has OTW dealers in Dana Point and San Diego...get to know your local dealer and pose your questions to them and try their different kayaks..."kayaks are like shoes" there isn't a perfect fit for everyone...storage, fishing style, and transportation all need to be taken into account...once you've found your perfect fit, then see who's got it available and look on-line at craigslist and the various sales apps and especially on the kayak boards...BWE has boats for sale occasionally but also try the various clubs or groups like Fresh and Salty, they've got lots of traffic on their facebook page and stuff for sale all the time...
Good luck

[Salty]

I'll second what Jim said. My first kayak was the Hobie Passport 12. The reason I chose that was because I was looking at a used Malibu that OEX in Sunset Beach was selling. Once there though, I was able to compare a few different options. Once I sat in the Passport and gave it a test spin on the water in the harbor, that sold me on it. So I would highly recommend doing the same!

Here are some of the pros and cons of the Passport 12. Again, like Jim said, this is just my personal opinion from my experiences with that kayak, so it's certainly not the final word by any stretch.

Pros:
-Affordability: You get a lot of boat for your buck
-Mirage drive: Easy to operate and clean. Doesn't tangle up as easily as a prop and is easier to free up if it does
-Comfortable: Would do 8+ hour days offshore and cover 10+ miles on it and didn't murder my back
-Maneuverable: Easy to operate on the water and when fighting a fish
-Lighter than most other pedal kayaks and easier to load and manage on land.
-Compatible with lots of Hobie add-ons, most importantly the livewell. Also easily customizable to fit your specific needs.

Cons:
-Limited storage: I added the rectangle storage hatch to mine and moved the round hatch to the bow. Even still, the hull is shallow and there's not a ton of room down there. This was never a HUGE issue for me since you only bring what you need and you work with it! More crap = More hassle anyway...
-Rides a little low on the water. If you're a heaver person, this could be an issue in uglier conditions. I'm 6'3" and 180lbs and never had a problem.
-Hull feels a little cheaper. Was not a big issue either and the kayak performed just fine, but the thermoformed hull does feel a little thinner and less sturdy that the Outback or higher-end models. If that's important to you.
-Lowrance Ready mount was too small for my Garmin transducer! I had to use a side-arm mount to mount my transducer which was annoying, but still functional. Less than ideal, but if you get a transducer to fit, then it won't be an issue!
-Rudder has to be deployed manually(no deployment line like on the Outback, etc.). This is really only an issue if you are beach-launching and want the rudder up for the launch, then deployed once offshore. It's manageable still, it's was just annoying to have to try to use the paddle to deploy it once past the surf, or try to climb over my livewell. Usually had a buddy with me to just drop it down for me though any time I was beach launching. (don't know if this has changed with the newer models, mine was the very first Passport model a few years ago, so I'm not positive what changes they may have made since!)
-Harder to stow rods horizontally for beach launching. I had to get creative with bungies and a pool noodle to launch through bigger surf, but that's also not too big a deal and very situational depending on how and where you plan to fish.

Hope this gives you a little more insight on the Passport! In general, I was very happy with my Passport and the Pros always outweighed the Cons. Is it the perfect kayak for every offshore fishing scenario? No, but for the price, it certainly checks off a lot of the most important boxes and is a great vessel to get someone offshore and onto some fish! And the most important question I think is answered by the pictures I added: Yes, it can catch fish

[JohnMckroidJr]

AS mentioned above in the last two posts, Kayak dealerships can be a great resource. OEX Sunset is most likely the best place to inquire. I have never met Andy, but have seen some of his awesome catches! Some of the dealerships in my area are embarrassingly clueless. Better to go to one owned by someone that shares the passion.