New Member with a million questions

[CAGE RATTLER]

Hello all,

I registered here the other day to do some research on kayaks.
J.A. Vail gave me the link to this site after responding to a thread of his over at Tidalfish.

I have a 28' power boat that I fish & cruise the bay with but with a boat that large I cant really get into any skinny water or shorelines for other types of fishing so I decided to get a kayak. I'd also like to try some crabbing with my yak.

I didnt realize how expensive they can be and thought about just getting a cheap small center console instead but I'm gonna give kayaking a try 1st.

I'd really love to get one of the hobie's with the mirage drive but just cant quite justify that kind of price unless I find a real good deal somewhere and so far they seem to hold their value cause the deals Im hoping to find just arent out there right now.

That brings me to my 1st question............

With it being so late in the season, should I wait till next spring before starting out? And hope to find a good used deal? How early and/or late in the season do you fish from kayaks? Not sure if i want to start out in these colder water temps.

I was about ready to pull the trigger on a new Moken 12 Angler for $750. I really like the looks of the setup on those. That front compartment with drain holes would definitely make for a good place to hold fish & I like the built in wheel so i wouldnt have to worry about scratching up the bottom so much. The molded in handles also seem like a good feature and the weight capacity seems to be about the best ive seen in a 12 footer. By the way, I'm 6' and about 220 pounds. I'd actually rather have a smaller yak to be able to haul it on my boat but not sure that would be doable.

Im also curious what type of gear i'll need just starting out?? Obviously I'll need a paddle and vest. Any good recomendations on a good but not overly expensive paddle or vest?

I could ramble on and on and keep asking questions but I'll leave it short for now.

Oh one last question............and probably a stupid one but...........

Do I need to worry about the color of the kayak for fishing at all?
I know stealth is one of the good aspects of kayak fishing and the Moken 12 i was going to get was the RED with black trim. I just think that looks sharp. Like getting a new sports car...lol. Will a big red blob floating by spook the fish at all??

OK, Im done for now.

Any and all suggestions will be much appreciated.

And any links to other sites to get good info would also be appreciated.

[ronaultmtd]

Your first inclination is the best one- I am close to your size- just a few pounds heavier and recently bought a used 2010 Hobie Outback, the SUV of kayaks- time waits for no one. I would strongly recommend you bite the bullet, buy the Hobie and not buy a "starter" kayak to see if you want to fish from Kayaks- you already said what we all know- they hold their value- so if you don't like it you haven't lost any money as it will sell- the thing about the mirage drive is the hands free feature of being able to hold a rod and still power your kayak- secondly, it is the speed that the drive enables you to maintain- your legs are a lot stronger than your upper body and while you may expend more total energy with the mirage drive you won't be as fatigued.

[Yak Fish]

Welcome! There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks here so you've come to the right place. Pick whatever color kayak you want. I've caught bass just inches from them in a bright orange yak. They don't seem to get spooked by kayaks in general in my experience. Other wildlife, like deer and fox, also surprisingly don't seem put off by a kayaker's presence.

I have a Hobie Outback and will never go back. My first kayak was a sit inside from Dick's and it was pretty much a practice kayak to see if I liked it before spending a small fortune on a Hobie. They are definitely worth it though if you get serious about it because they are much more versatile in many ways...for example crabbing, sailing and other hands free activities. There's a whole long post with photos and videos to show you how crabbing can be done.

As far as I'm concerned, there really is no offseason...except maybe december. I don't fish in that month, but every other month there are fishing opportunities. You'll need appropriate gear. I wear waders with a dry top and make sure I've got warm clothes underneath...underarmour, fleece pants, etc..

If you don't want to spring for a Hobie there are plenty of other nice yaks out there to suit any of your needs. The guys here will point you in the right direction. Don't forget the added costs...rigging it, fish finder, cart, anchor, probably some kind of customized milk crate, etc. Good luck!

[CAGE RATTLER]

Is the outback better for an all around kayak or the revo? and why?

I just found a place to get a new 2011 revo or outback for $1499

[ronaultmtd]

Is the outback better for an all around kayak or the revo? and why?

I just found a place to get a new 2011 revo or outback for $1499

Great price- we had a long series of posts in the forum on just your question recently- Outback vs. Revolution- check the history and read all the posts- I was aiming for a Revolution but after much research, went with the Outback for my priorities- both have their supporters and both are fine kayaks that makes your selection or either - the right choice-

[eastonkayaker]

Welcome to kayak fishing and MKF, a couple things you mentioned.

A new Hobie comes with a very good paddle so you won't have to worry about that. If you buy used Hobie make sure they throw in the original paddle.

As for vest that is personal preference. There are some unconfortable ones bulky and heavy, at minimum get a high back, (padding in back is above top of seat). Some guys like fishing type, (flyfishing vest that is PDF). A lot of nice inflatable stuff and belts out there also.

Molded in handles - Hobie's new models are going away from molded in handles which is a good thing. They are a pain at times, actually makes it harder to move/carry. The new 11' Revo has strap handles, not sure if they come out on outback or 13' revo this year.

If you like to fish and spend a lot of time on the water can't go wrong with a Hobie especially at $1499, might be last years model??

If you go with something else try to demo it first, the seat, how you store tackle, location of rod holders are important to consider.

At minimum don't forget your noise maker, (small air horn from west marine works good), carry a mirror and a small first aid kit. I also carry a set of pliers/cutters in case I pull in a nice striper which flops around and I end up with a hook through a finger. Fish grippers are very handy, easier to control the fish in the kayak.

[moc]

Welcome to this forum. I have a Wilderness Tarpon T120 as for first YAK and love it as a paddle YAK. I then moved up to a Hobie and chose the Revolution. The Revo and the Outback are probably the two best YAKs in my opinion. I think it all depends on what use that you want to put the YAK through. If you like to stand and fish on your YAK with alot of stability, then the Outback would be a great choice. I would not stand in a Revo without adding outriggers for stability. The Revo I still think is just alittle faster than the Outback and paddles better. I like the layout of the Revo for crabbing. It has great secondary stability and cuts through the chop alittle better than the Outback. So far these Hobies are my favorite boats. Just read all the forum discussions and pick the boat that will suit your need. You cannot go wrong with either one.

[HokieDJ]

If it's brand new, that's a really good price.

I got mine during the spring at Backyard boats. They always give a discount during that time frame.

[CAGE RATTLER]

Yes the $1499 price is for a new 2011 revo or outback.
They just got in the 2012 models and are clearing out old inventory.

Still not sure I'm ready to make that kind of investment along with a FF and other gear.
I just put about $25,000 in my power boat and I'm not done upgrading it yet.

[Shady]

Once you get the Hobie you'll barely want to use the powerboat anymore. I have a 2010 Outback with too many bells and whistles to think about and I love it. Im on it just about every weekend. I can count the times I've used the boat this year on one hand...

Welcome aboard!

[Pinch]

Use the ff from
your boat im sure there is a way

[CAGE RATTLER]

Use the ff from
your boat im sure there is a way

That's one of the things I'm upgrading next year on my boat.
Getting one of the new lowrance HDS models with structure scan.

Might try using the older Ray Marine FF on the yak.

[CAGE RATTLER]

Once you get the Hobie you'll barely want to use the powerboat anymore. I have a 2010 Outback with too many bells and whistles to think about and I love it. Im on it just about every weekend. I can count the times I've used the boat this year on one hand...

Welcome aboard!

Not so sure I want to pedal from back river (my home port) to ebay and the severn.
I fish there alot. My fishin partner is my GF and she's not sold on the yak fishing idea yet.
I'll probably just use the yak on solo trips.

Hoping to figure out a way to haul the yak on the boat.
She's got a 10 foot beam and a hard top so it should be doable.
I wonder how it would tow behind me?

[Shady]

Jonas Green State Park is a really nice kayak only launch spot in the Severn. I don't know about Ebay, but I'm sure there are some nice places there to.

I don't know about towing a kayak with a boat unless you keep the speed down.

[J.A. Veil]

Not so sure I want to pedal from back river (my home port) to ebay and the severn.
I fish there alot. My fishin partner is my GF and she's not sold on the yak fishing idea yet.
I'll probably just use the yak on solo trips.

Hoping to figure out a way to haul the yak on the boat.
She's got a 10 foot beam and a hard top so it should be doable.
I wonder how it would tow behind me?

Two comments on this:

1) As I mentioned in my original note to you, I would not recommend using a kayak as your dinghy or have it used primarily when launched from your power boat. Kayaks, whether paddle or pedal driven, are wonderful boats in their own right. You will probably find more usability if you plan a dedicated kayak fishing trip vs. trying to do it as an add-on to your power boat.

2) I don't think kayaks tow very well. I was towed once by a power boat at slow speed. My kayak (with me in it) did not track straight. It zig-zagged back and forth.

I can see a towed kayak getting swamped pretty easily by a passing wake. Kayaks do not come with sturdy towing eyes -- if you did swamp it or take a large wave overboard, you would probably rip out whatever fitting you used to tie on the tow rope.