New Hobie & Patapsco Report

[kidrockfish]

I finally pulled the trigger and bought the 13 Revo that “Baitball” had for sale. The 4th weekend I did my first hands free weekend on Stoney Creek catching a ton of perch. I was in paddle mode quite often as well & this kayak moves compared to what I have been using for the last 4 years. This past Sat (7/9) I took it out on the Patapsco and trolled for the first time. I learned a few things, and have some questions for you Hobie guys.

- I need to re-think what rods to use for trolling because what I used worked, but it was difficult. I like the longer butt end, but even with the bigger reel it was difficult. Granted I was trolling a Captain John metal umbrella rig so it had some weight. I need to experiment, but the rock wouldn’t leave the umbrella alone.

- The Revo is narrow….but I still like the weight, size, set up with it. I did drop my multi-use tool overboard so lesson learned about leashing everything. You get kind of cocky doing too many things at once with your hands free. I was able to speed over to breaking fish twice like Baitball described in his experience. I didn't have to beat the competition to them because the only other folks out were crabbing except for one other boat.

- My creek fishing the week before resulted in a slightly sore foot after peddling around barefoot. I kept my crocs on this time. However, my right knee was on fire by the end of the trip. I’m thinking I twisted it, didn’t stay straight on the pedal because the footwear wouldn’t fit under the straps. I will keep experimenting, but any other Hobie yakers ever strain a knee? Any suggestions? I did not do any adjustments to the mirage drive yet. That is going to be my next experiment.

As for the fishing. I did get 3 over 20 out of 2 dozen rock over a 4+ hr trip. Tons of fun with hands free. Thanks, Dave

sat 7.9 yak.jpg

[J.A. Veil]

Nice work Dave. Congratulations on moving into the pedal-powered fleet.

[Capt C-Hawk]

Glad you had a successful trip.
When you adjust your peal make sure there's still some bend in your legs at full forward stroke. you don't want to lock your legs. As for the straps on the pedals, I took mine off and snapped them back on the bottom of the pedals. I've never had a problem with my feet slipping off the pedals, and no problem getting thm under the straps.

[whenican]

Congrats on your new Hobie..... I removed my foot straps too..... didn't need them.

[Mark]

Welcome to Revo ownership.

I was going to suggest that you allow your legs more extension by adjusting the pedals but a responder has already suggested the opposite. I like my legs to extend (I'm 6 feet tall) so I keep my pedals at the 7th gradient. So far I've had no knee issues.

Based on your description I believe I troll with much lighter rods. I use medium and/or medium light freshwater bass rods with 2500 series spinning reels or Shimano Curado baitcast reels. I've never trolled an umbrella rig or any other heavy lure. I troll two rods and use mostly 1/2 oz. jigs and bucktails with paddletails attached. Occasionally I'll use a 1/2 oz. crankbait fitted with single hooks. Those lures work well for me and I manage to catch enough fish. Not monsters, but legal fish when they're around -- including in the Patapsco.

Deck space is indeed limited in a Revo. I tether my pliers. The are the only thing I keep on my deck. Also I clip forceps to my PFD. I actually use the forceps for difficult hook removal more than my pliers which in all honesty I could leave home. I do not tether my rods but I use rod floats on them.

I have not removed my stirrups. I like them because my feet feel more secure on the pedals with stirrups in place and I believe I get more push on each stroke with them. Sometimes I even pull on a stroke. The use of stirrups could be a psychic thing for me with no basis of fact. But serious bikers clip their feet to the pedals for a reason. So I've left mine on and use them.

You're correct that the Revo is a missile in the water. It moves out quickly and it's easy to sustain cruising/trolling speed without exhausting yourself.

I wish you as many productive miles in yours as mine has given me.

[Romo]

Take off the straps and use a dremel or a hacksaw to remove the little plastic pegs on the sides of the pedals that will inevitably catch your line at the absolute worst times. Now you can use different parts of your feet on the pedals to reduce fatigue on a particular part of your foot or legs. During a long 6-8 hour trip I will alternate between the ball, middle and heel of my foot to reduce stress on any one part.

I will also alter my pedal strokes and switch from standard bicycling motion (full extension of left and then right, repeat) to just a full extension of the left or right side and repeat once the pedals come back to the upright position. Kind of hard to explain but remember that a full pedal stroke only needs one pedal to be extended to the front of the yak. If your right knee is bothering you, use your left foot to push the left pedal forward, let the pedals return to the upright position (requires only a slight use of force from your right foot) and repeat the same motion with your left foot. You won't be going 5mph but you can easily maintain 2-2.5 mph and give one leg/knee/hip/whatever a rest.

Your lower body will also adjust to the hobie pedaling motion over time. I remember being really sore all over after my first few trips- and then even MORE sore when I upgraded to turbo fins and started pedaling in heavy currents. After a season, though, things should work themselves out and any muscles/tendons that were weak when you started will get stronger.

Welcome to team Revo!

[AbuMasgouf]

Ditto on What Romo Said. Not sure what type of fins you have but if they are turbo or ST look at how tight the adjustment knob is set to. The tighter it is the stiffer the fin which causes more pressure on your knee to push. I had an issue once and adjusted the stiffness of the fins and it helped.

Enjoy the dark side!

[kidrockfish]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I need to experiment more with the drive settings. I am looking at this like changing a workout from one elliptical machine to another. Same function, but for some reason parts of the body are impacted differently. Hopefully just need some time to adjust like Romo stated.

I also have to plug Baitball. He made a slight mark for quick 20 inch measure that saves a ton of time & movement. I'm also starting out with the turbo fins which was a bonus. My only challenge now is telling my fishing buddies that I'm leaving the Parker at home and will be out on the yak. Thanks, Dave

[baitball]

Dave,
So glad to hear you are enjoying the new kayak and were able to get on the fish. Congrats!

Over the weekend I bought the first, of what I hope to be two, Outbacks for the purposes of having an extra boat for family and friends to enjoy this (addictive) pastime. I will admit I shed a small tear when I saw how wide and heavy an Outback is in relation to the Revo – I know I’ll be missing that speed.

…but as to your questions:

1. Play around with the pedal adjustment and stroke length to find what is comfortable for you. Keep to conservative distances at first until your muscles get used to the pedal movement.
2. Also, take a look at the set-screw on the back of the Turbo Fin (as Mustafa suggested) and tighten it to make the fin stiffer or loosen it to make the fin “softer”. The stiffer the fin is set, the more torque and power you will be able to generate. If the set-screw is set to a softer setting, you will have less power, but it will be less demanding on your legs.
3. I tied my pliers with a tether directly to one side of the seat. The pliers came with a sheath to keep them from flopping around and this was also attached to the seat. On the other side of the seat I attached the lip grip via a bungee-like cord. This arrangement made for a convenient method to hold a keeper fish while I reached around for the hawg trough, official measurement, and the subsequent picture.
4. Finally, keep your fishing gear light and your quantity of tackle limited. Like you, I had to change my tackle mind-set when I switched from power boat to kayak fishing. As you saw hanging in my garage, I fish four rods all of which are no longer that 6’6” long. This length is long enough to get trolling separation and avoid tangles, but not so long that your arms cannot reach out and grab the leader when landing a fish. Another critical quality to look for in a kayak rod is a short or medium length butt. None of my rods have long butts. Be careful, some jigging rods are short, but they will have long butts. IMO, a rod with a long butt is not conducive for kayak fishing.

If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out. I hope to see you on the water.

Tight Lines!

[mike o]

Thanks for the report. Can't help you on the umbrella's as I haven't used one yet. I do have one of yak fish's big umbrellas maybe I'll try it out this week. Thinking of hitting the Patapsco Friday evening. Also getting ready to pick up an Outback, just need time to go get one.