The better kayak

[RBobAnnap]

I've been looking through the forums for someone talking about which kayak is better for Chesapeake Bay fishing: Hobie or Perception or who? I've been kayaking on the bay since 1992 in a West Coast kayak that I love, but I'm 76 years old and paddling isn't as fun as it once was. So, I'm looking at the Hobie flipper drive or the Perception prop drive. Both are available locally.

But what about rod and gear storage? I've been fishing most of my life, mostly fresh water until recent years. I love white perch, they're delicious; I would dearly love to land a striper or two. Taste even better. I'm pretty familiar with the bay since I just sold my beat-up old center console; I love to explore the inlets and "rivers" around here.

Thanks in advance.

[brianisoutside]

Most of us use a milk crate behind the seat for storage. Personally I use a home made pvc rod holder for trolling.
Can’t over you any unbiased Hobie or perception advise. I have a Hobie outback.


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[RBobAnnap]

Sweet looking rig!

Most of us use a milk crate behind the seat for storage. Personally I use a home made pvc rod holder for trolling.
Can’t over you any unbiased Hobie or perception advise. I have a Hobie outback.

You appear to be launching from Sandy Point. I like your rod holders.

Thanks.

[nhunter344]

You appear to be launching from Sandy Point. I like your rod holders.

Thanks.

Complete guess on my part but from the distance to the bridge and the way bridge appears to tail away on the left side of the picture, I would guess eastern shore south of the bridge near Matapeake or Camp Wright.

Concerning your original post, keep an eye out for dealer days. As the weather warms up, local kayak dealers will have days where you can test drive different brands of kayaks. There are a number of pedal driven kayak manufacturers out there so I would recommend trying some of them out before buying.

Delaware Paddlesports has theirs on April 28th. I've always had good interactions with them. They have the largest selection I know of with pedal kayaks from Hobie, Jackson, Old Town, Perception, Wilderness Systems and Native. Extra bonus is that Delaware is tax free. I should note that I've only done business with Delaware Paddlesports so I cant speak to how good/bad any other shops may be.

[ronaultmtd]

You appear to be launching from Sandy Point. I like your rod holders.

Thanks.

Here is the home made pvc rod rack I use on my Hobie Outback- I am somewhat younger at 72 years old- IMG_3694.JPG



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[brianisoutside]

You appear to be launching from Sandy Point. I like your rod holders.

Thanks.

This was from camp wright on Kent island last year for the tournament day.


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[Mark]

RRob,

I think it's great that you're 76 years old and looking for a new kayak. As you have seen we have a number of kayakers in their 70s here. I'm not there yet. You have a little over a decade on me. But you and the other first issue baby boomers who kayak fish are an inspiration.

Regarding storage, most of the Hobies come with flush mount rod holders behind the seat into which you can insert the rods themselves or rocket launchers or creative homemade PVC alternatives as you've seen here. All have room for crates.

In each of my boats, my crates are used more for rod storage than holding other tackle. I have a BlackPak for my Hobie and a regular crate for my paddle boats. I have rod tubes on my BlackPak and crate and also Scotty mounts onto which I can put fly rods if I'm inclined to fly fish on an outing. Regarding storage for tackle, I carry only one or two small Plano boxes. On most of my trips for perch and stripers I never even change lures.

P1030160.jpg

So gear storage for a typical Bay outing is not an issue with the Hobies, for sure.

Good luck in finding a new boat.

[RBobAnnap]

I like that. I'm looking forward to building that sort of thing this spring.

[RBobAnnap]

I should have looked at the bridge a little more closely. Also the groin--I haven't been to Sandy Point's small-boat launch in a while, so I thought, well, maybe that had to put in some beach sand control measures.

[yakscientist]

I use a milk crate like others do, for rod and accessory storage. I fish out of a Perception sit-in kayak so my storage is pretty limited, and I definitely overpack which doesn't help. I would like to make the jump to a hobie just because with the accessory pockets, and the numerous storage bins, it would def go a long way towards making my trips more convenient...and then you add in the pedal drive to make movement hands-free, and it's quite the proposition. Though they certainly aren't cheap, but I think perception (I assume pilot?) might be much cheaper than the hobie, and the reverse will be a bit easier to use since there aren't any strings to pull to engage it. That being said, I prefer the flutter kick of the hobie, and the fact that they all come with sail mounts, and the pilot hasn't been out that long whereas the hobie kayaks have the benefit of being a tried and true design that's many years old by now. I also think the hobies give you more ease of use in shallow water, particularly weedy water, as you can push the pedals forward to flatten the fins against the hull, and props (like in the perception) tend to tangle in weeds easier.

[RBobAnnap]

The tangle-in-the-weeds possibility is something to think about. I know I will always carry a paddle--I carry two when out and about on my sit-in, one to use and one tied down forward for just-in-cases.

Thanks for all the replies. I will begin looking next month.

[J.A. Veil]

If you are looking to upgrade to a pedal drive kayak, check out the different companies, their histories with pedal drive, and the different models they offer. Hobie has been in the pedal-drive game the longest and offers several models. Hobie has a very strong following within the Snaggedline community. Native Watercraft is the other company that has been selling pedal drive kayaks for a long time. Native also has a wide range of styles of pedal-drive kayaks. I believe that both of those companies have models that retail at just under $2000.

Two summers ago, several other manufacturers introduced pedal drive prototypes at the large outdoor shows. You mention Perception as an option at the lower end of the pedal-drive price range. If price is your only or main criterion, then it is hard to beat the Perception model. But if you look at other factors like ease of operation, duarability/reliability, gear ratio, noise, ease of raising and lowering the drive how much cockpit space does it take, the Perception may not be the best option.

The other manufacturers who only recently introduced pedal drive units will eventually have highly functional products. But given the complexity of any pedal drive system, the initial designs often have sub-optimal features. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am on Native's Pro Staff Team and think the Native Propel models offer great options and prices. Both Hobie and Native had some early pedal drive models that lacked features or functionality. Now that they are in the second, third, or later generation of pedal-drive products, their pedal drives work quite well.

As other commenters have suggested, check out various models before you buy. Ideally you can go to a demo day and test them on the water. If that is not possible, go to a dealer and sit in the kayak to see if you like the seat and the layout of the components. Also if you have a fixed budget, consider a used model from a company that has long experience in the pedal drive market rather than buying a new model of a less proven kayak. Good luck on your decision.

Just as an aside, you placed this post in the Chesapeake Bay Anglers forum. You may get more reads and replies if you post future items in the Main Forum.

[RBobAnnap]

Thank you so much! I'll look into moving my post, but your advice is very sound. There are Perception, Old Town and Hobie dealers in Annapolis, so I will certainly schedule on-the-water demos.

[J.A. Veil]

Thank you so much! I'll look into moving my post, but your advice is very sound. There are Perception, Old Town and Hobie dealers in Annapolis, so I will certainly schedule on-the-water demos.

Chris Dollar's store CD Outdoors in Centreville, MD carries Native products. His shop is on the water and not to far from Annapolis -- he should be able to arrange a demo. Also Patuxent Adventure Center in Southern MD, and Delaware Paddlesports in Lewes, DE carry Native kayaks too. Annapolis Canoe and Kayak carries the Old Town and Perception models. They also are dealers for Native and its sister company Hurricane. They don't usually have Native pedal drive kayaks in stock, but can order them for you. I hope you can check out some of the eight different pedal drive models offered by Native.

[RBobAnnap]

Thank you!!