Just back from our annual Baja winter trip and I am looking to acquire a personal fishing watercraft for next years trip. This past trip I picked up
a spin casting setup, and had a blast fishing from a paddleboard, however the stability was not great, and options were somewhat limited unless the
weather was very calm.
Next trip, I would like to acquire something more stable, and that would allow more options. I have been looking at both the hard shell Hobie fishing
kayaks and also inflatable Star fishing kayaks. Both seem to have advantages, but I thought I would poll this group for advice before putting down
the money.
The Hobie craft would be nice for hands free maneuverability, although i am concerned about the weight and difficultly with putting it on top of the
pop-up camper with only my wife to assist.
The inflatable Star kayak seems like it would be easier to travel with, although I am concerned about thier durability and non-self bailing floor.
Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks,DouglasP - 2-23-2021 at 08:20 AM
We have the hobie kayaks. Love em. They can be a bit unwieldy for travel, but I have a pretty good system worked out. I'm loading them on a truck and
pop up camper that's about 7 to 8 feet tall depending on where I park.
The yak itself is very stable in rough water. The peddle drive is awesome. I can troll at about 4 mph no problem.
How tall is your rig?
AKgringo - 2-23-2021 at 08:56 AM
I know nothing about either of the personal watercraft you are talking about, but I spent many years fishing and hunting with my compact Zodiac.
I am sure that the Hypalon hull was probably tougher than the inflatable kayak mentioned here, but I still got punctures that could throw a monkey
wrench in any trip!
The nice part about it was portability. It could be thrown in a small SUV or airplane on short notice if needed!
One other thing to consider is that an inflatable hull has more drag than a ridged hull. In cold Alaska waters, I could run with much higher pressure
to improve the performance, but in Baja the sun would put you at risk of blowing out a chamber (yes, it has happened to me).Don Jorge - 2-23-2021 at 09:27 AM
Currently and always have used a Cobra tandem rigged single hand for fishing estuaries and sea.
But I agree with DouglasP. If you are willing to spend the money the Hobie pedal drives are the best option. Keeping hands free for fishing is awesome
and those pedal drives can really push the kayak forward.
More than once I have fished with others who are on Hobies and they are obviously superior in many ways for fishing. Good luck!!
mtgoat666 - 2-23-2021 at 09:47 AM
the hobie pedal drives are slick little fishing boats. but they are heavy. hard to rooftop them solo without a mechanical assist. most people i
know with hobies get a kayak trailer for them, or have a long bed pickup to carry them. there are roof racks with winches you can get for
solo-lifting heavy boats onto roof,...
i some times rooftop heavy plastic tandem kayaks by lifting one end onto bar, then pushing onto roof. it aint pretty, is a workout, but gets job
done. one of the reasons my kayaks are now fiberglass
if you want a good fishing kayak for cheap, get a tandem rotomold kayak:
WS tarpon
Ocean kayak Malibu
easy to find for pretty cheap on craigslist.bkbend - 2-23-2021 at 11:33 AM
The only advantage an inflatable has is the ease of transport. I fished from one for several years and thought it was OK but I eventually got a
sit-on-top (SOT) and realized how poor the inflatable really was. They are difficult in a wind, you lose paddle energy from chamber flexing with each
paddle stroke, and fishing involves lots of sharp objects.
I suspect a hobie would bring the same aha moment, but for the type and amount of fishing I do, a WS tarpon works great. At 70 I can still load it
solo onto a pickup with racks over the canopy, it just gets harder every year.
To get the stability you want for fishing you'll want a wide platform and make sure you can reach all the storage areas. I had a longer, skinnier SOT
which was a lot easier to paddle but had little room to work between my legs and it was hard to reach the milk crate full of gear in the well behind
me.
No system is perfect and each involves a trade-off, you'll have to evaluate what's important for you and go from there.rharries - 2-23-2021 at 12:09 PM
Thanks All for the responses.
I am going to start looking for a Hobie rig, just wish they weren't so pricey. I suppose you get what you pay for.
I have a Tundra with pop-up camper, which already has the Yakima bars on it, so perhaps loading will be simplified if i carry a short ladder (great,
more stuff)willardguy - 2-23-2021 at 12:18 PM
old school for sure but mostly fishing the pacific side and almost always rolling it in the surf I sure appreciated the huge amount of dry storage in the Fish n Dive, heavy but super stable you could walk around on
that thing!AKgringo - 2-23-2021 at 12:18 PM
If the rear bar was a roller, it would probably help with loading.mtgoat666 - 2-23-2021 at 02:25 PM
If you are athletic/nimble, consider getting a 14-ft SUP for fishing. This won’t work well if you are a gear hound who carries too much fishing
gear. But if you are a minimalist, a good fishing SUP can’t be beat,... plus it can double as a SUP for use when not fishing,... while the hobie is
a really unwieldy, fat, slow pig for regular kayaking.
msteve1014 - 2-23-2021 at 05:53 PM
I carried a 12 duroboat on top of my full size pop up for years. The hobie can not weigh more than that. The roller on the back does help.Hook - 2-23-2021 at 06:09 PM
I keep reading about people who have to replace components in the Hobie pedal drive system. What is failing?chippy - 2-23-2021 at 07:18 PM
I am going to start looking for a Hobie rig, just wish they weren't so pricey. I suppose you get what you pay for.
I have a Tundra with pop-up camper, which already has the Yakima bars on it, so perhaps loading will be simplified if i carry a short ladder (great,
more stuff)
rharries, you won't be disappointed if you go this route,, in my opinion. We have the hobie outback version. It weighs ~80 lbs. Hobie makes a bigger
version, but I really don't think it's necessary. Heavier also. Hobie has three versions of the drive system. The older one with no reverse, the
newer one with reverse (that's what we have) and the newest one they call the 360. The fins can be rotated and you can steer with them and the rudder.
Not needed in open water in my opinion.
I load it one end at a time with a pipe extension on the front Yakima rack. The pipe I use is actually the pump handle from a harbor freight floor
jack. Slide it on the front rack, turn the yack over and raise the front up to the bar, go to the back and raise it up and put it on the back rack. We
have two yacks, so it's rinse and repeat on the other side.
You are never picking up the whole yack. I call it my crossfit program. After a day of peddling you move to weight lifting,lol.
I carry one of those three step folding step stools, works perfect. Worst part is a face full of sand when you pick up the back to raise it when
loading on a sandy beach. Just wash it down with beer.islandhop - 2-24-2021 at 07:42 AM
I bought the ocean kayak Trident 13 fishing kayak the first of last year. Took it for a month to Baja. Really like it, check it outpacificobob - 2-24-2021 at 04:22 PM
i have operated the hobies. love the hands free part...especially for fishing.
however i can't get past the vision
of a really nice fish wrapping line around the drive paddles Santiago - 2-24-2021 at 06:30 PM
I have a WS Tarpon, 'easy' to get on the shell with the Yakama roller system. Have used the Hobbie and for fishing is cool just as long as you have a
stud-muffin around to load it for you. My stud-muffin days, if in fact there were ever any, are long ago.
There is value to having a paddle style when you just want to put the rod down and enjoy the paddle and scenery......right, that never happens.caj13 - 3-3-2021 at 07:43 PM
I have been looking and comparing for about year now, for me, I chose pedal, and specifically prop instead of wings (hobie) . a good pedal ocean
yak could have been had for about 1200 - 1500 bucks last year. but since everyone and their mothers all of a sudden are buying boats, the prices
have jumped 400 - 600 bucks, and many are sold out.
I'm pretty convinced I will be going with the Old town Sportman Salty pedal, 2 grand, ;ast year I could have scored it for 1300. You snooze you
lose I guess. I predict a big glut of kayaks and trailers and motorhomes used for sale next year!
Old town has a pretty good website, including Kayak quiz that matches you to the best choice based on your answers. https://www.oldtowncanoe.com/kayak-finder bajafreaks - 3-5-2021 at 07:25 AM
To rob the post a little but related.
What type/size gear is recommenced for fishing in the sea of cortez ? Rod length, assuming open face reel, line test size ? I recently purchased a
hobie 14' quest kayak (paddle type) and want to give it a go. Thanks.Russ - 3-5-2021 at 03:17 PM
My advice is don't underestimate how difficult it is to load and unload a kayak on top of your truck. I'm tall and pretty strong and I admit it is a
lot of work. I realize they say 90lbs (or more) but it is an unwieldy 90 pounds. Older little folks may find it a pretty tough job.Cochi - 3-27-2021 at 08:58 AM
We already have a Roofnest tent on our rig and decided to try Hobie's new inflatable pedal version. Hobie is back ordered, which is putting us on hold
to return.
Doug has a great setup with his Hobies and have fished with him. We will see if we can keep up.
I sure appreciated the huge amount of dry storage in the Fish n Dive, heavy but super stable you could walk around on
that thing!