what one to buy - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

pchen911 · 07-09-2011, 09:03 PM

Like any kayaks, hobie have their good and bad.

Had a Navigator, outback, and revo (plus a bew others). If you dont think the navigator has enough room, you will not be happy with the revo... That boat has even less usable deck space than the Nav.

Had outback as well, if going with a Hobie, I would take that instead.

I am one of the few that went to a Hobie, then went back to paddling. I started off paddling for a few years, then went peddling for a few years, now back to paddling.

I do miss the hands free fishing of Hobies, but do not miss the extra weight, extra gear, extra maintanence of the drive and rudder, tricky launch and landings, storage issues of Hobies.

da22y · 07-09-2011, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pchen911

I am one of the few that went to a Hobie, then went back to paddling. I started off paddling for a few years, then went peddling for a few years, now back to paddling.

Just curious, what kayak got your vote to replace a Hobie ?
My guess.... a Trident 15 ?

pchen911 · 07-09-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da22y

Just curious, what kayak got your vote to replace a Hobie ?
My guess.... a Trident 15 ?

You are absolutely right... Replaced my revo with a Trident 15!

But added a kayatank to it and ruined the rod pod feature... What a mistake that was... so I sold it and got a P13.

dawson06 · 07-10-2011, 09:46 PM

I am just the opposite. I had a OK Trident 15 and a Wilderness Tarpon 160.

Both were great kayaks with tons of interior storage and plenty of deck space. Both paddled and tracked great. That being said, they were both BIG kayaks. And I tended to carry a lot more stuff than I do now on my Hobie Revo (which is still way too much, according to my heterosexual life partner and fishing buddy, Tim, who fishes a stock ol' skool Tarpon 160i with only a couple of Flush mounts, a milk crate, two 3600 Plano boxes, and maybe three rods on a good day) which is still loaded out with more Plano boxes and rods than most respectable bass boats or 19 foot center consoles you will hunting fresh or saltwater bass (or YT and butts) in SoCal.

Bottom line is, nothing is perfect off the rack. Is space more limited on a Revo? Absolutely. But I have mine rigged to hold 4-6 3600 boxes and 4 of 3500 boxes inside the 8" middle hatch without moving out of the seat. And I could easily add another storage bin under left side of the seat to hold an additional 2-3 3600 size boxes. But that would just be excessive...

A little creativity goes a long way...

dawson06 · 07-10-2011, 09:48 PM

Of course, there is always the Pro Angler...

That's my next bass / trout / crappie / catfish boat!

andanbcx · 07-10-2011, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawson06

according to my heterosexual life partner and fishing buddy, Tim, who fishes a stock ol' skool ...

me think the lady doth protest too much haha just messing

bigFISHINyak · 07-11-2011, 08:06 AM

Dan,

Hopefully I can help in your decision making but ultimately whichever kayak you buy should be based solely on your own opinion and comfort level. Having owned both a revolution and two outbacks I must say that these are definitely different yaks. Many will say the speed of the outback is noticeably slower than the revolution and others will argue it till they pass out. I would say that the Revo is definitely quicker on the water if you are paddling (not peddling) in comparison to the outback. The outback is a freak of nature and is extremely wide and very very stable. The revo is much more maneuverable on the water and getting through the surf quickly. The type you choose should be driven based on the type of fishing you are going to be doing. If you are looking for a yak that you can stand up on and cast off of then the outback is superior. If you are looking to peddle and paddle around and get through surf then the revolution is better. It all just depends on the fishing you are going to do. If you are pulling up monster size fish constantly like Josh is then get a pro angler. Josh has one because he catches massive fish so he needs a massive deck to hold all is fish on!

If you are going to fish bays and lakes and not going to get into the surf much then an outback would be fine. Both are great kayaks and some swear to one or the other but they are both great for just different types of fishing. You just need to figure out the type of fishing and then definitely go peddle and paddle (don't rely on the peddles because you will need the paddle at some point) both of the kayaks around. You may just feel more comfortable in one over the other. A kayak is like a recliner.......some are wider, narrower, more comfortable than others and sometimes, if you are lucky, you wind up with something on your lap!

PapaDave · 07-11-2011, 09:05 AM

I have a Pro Angler and can attest to the amount of room it has inside the kayak. It is able to store six rod/reels in the sides of the hull. The seat is VERY comfortable, can sit in it for many hours. It is very stable as well, can handle the wakes and wind waves just fine.

Drawbacks are it's weight, can get heavy when pulling through soft sand. It's speed isn't that of a Revo, not sure about the Outback.

All in all though, I am extremely happy with my PA. Wouldn't trade it for either the Revo or Outback. Just my 2cents.

dawson06 · 07-11-2011, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andanbcx

me think the lady doth protest too much haha just messing

Funny. I just finished watching Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back so I threw the " heterosexual life partner" quote in to see if there are any other Kevin Smith fans out there on BWE.

07-10-2011, 09:48 PM	#5
dawson06 Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 34	Of course, there is always the Pro Angler... That's my next bass / trout / crappie / catfish boat! Last edited by dawson06; 07-10-2011 at 09:58 PM.

07-09-2011, 09:03 PM	#1
pchen911 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 218	Like any kayaks, hobie have their good and bad. Had a Navigator, outback, and revo (plus a bew others). If you dont think the navigator has enough room, you will not be happy with the revo... That boat has even less usable deck space than the Nav. Had outback as well, if going with a Hobie, I would take that instead. I am one of the few that went to a Hobie, then went back to paddling. I started off paddling for a few years, then went peddling for a few years, now back to paddling. I do miss the hands free fishing of Hobies, but do not miss the extra weight, extra gear, extra maintanence of the drive and rudder, tricky launch and landings, storage issues of Hobies.

07-10-2011, 09:46 PM	#4
dawson06 Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 34	I am just the opposite. I had a OK Trident 15 and a Wilderness Tarpon 160. Both were great kayaks with tons of interior storage and plenty of deck space. Both paddled and tracked great. That being said, they were both BIG kayaks. And I tended to carry a lot more stuff than I do now on my Hobie Revo (which is still way too much, according to my heterosexual life partner and fishing buddy, Tim, who fishes a stock ol' skool Tarpon 160i with only a couple of Flush mounts, a milk crate, two 3600 Plano boxes, and maybe three rods on a good day) which is still loaded out with more Plano boxes and rods than most respectable bass boats or 19 foot center consoles you will hunting fresh or saltwater bass (or YT and butts) in SoCal. Bottom line is, nothing is perfect off the rack. Is space more limited on a Revo? Absolutely. But I have mine rigged to hold 4-6 3600 boxes and 4 of 3500 boxes inside the 8" middle hatch without moving out of the seat. And I could easily add another storage bin under left side of the seat to hold an additional 2-3 3600 size boxes. But that would just be excessive... A little creativity goes a long way...

07-11-2011, 08:06 AM	#7
bigFISHINyak Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 44	Dan, Hopefully I can help in your decision making but ultimately whichever kayak you buy should be based solely on your own opinion and comfort level. Having owned both a revolution and two outbacks I must say that these are definitely different yaks. Many will say the speed of the outback is noticeably slower than the revolution and others will argue it till they pass out. I would say that the Revo is definitely quicker on the water if you are paddling (not peddling) in comparison to the outback. The outback is a freak of nature and is extremely wide and very very stable. The revo is much more maneuverable on the water and getting through the surf quickly. The type you choose should be driven based on the type of fishing you are going to be doing. If you are looking for a yak that you can stand up on and cast off of then the outback is superior. If you are looking to peddle and paddle around and get through surf then the revolution is better. It all just depends on the fishing you are going to do. If you are pulling up monster size fish constantly like Josh is then get a pro angler. Josh has one because he catches massive fish so he needs a massive deck to hold all is fish on! If you are going to fish bays and lakes and not going to get into the surf much then an outback would be fine. Both are great kayaks and some swear to one or the other but they are both great for just different types of fishing. You just need to figure out the type of fishing and then definitely go peddle and paddle (don't rely on the peddles because you will need the paddle at some point) both of the kayaks around. You may just feel more comfortable in one over the other. A kayak is like a recliner.......some are wider, narrower, more comfortable than others and sometimes, if you are lucky, you wind up with something on your lap!

07-11-2011, 09:05 AM	#8
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,474	I have a Pro Angler and can attest to the amount of room it has inside the kayak. It is able to store six rod/reels in the sides of the hull. The seat is VERY comfortable, can sit in it for many hours. It is very stable as well, can handle the wakes and wind waves just fine. Drawbacks are it's weight, can get heavy when pulling through soft sand. It's speed isn't that of a Revo, not sure about the Outback. All in all though, I am extremely happy with my PA. Wouldn't trade it for either the Revo or Outback. Just my 2cents.