The case for two kayaks- a Hobie Mirage Drive and a Jackson Coosa type paddle yak

[ronaultmtd]

OK, are you ready for this? This is the argument you use on your significant other to get a second kayak...no one kayak is great for every kind of fishing we do- the big-water, long distance trolling for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay is the Hobie Mirage Drive domain- the weed/lilly pad waters of Mattawoman creek summer-time snakehead hunts are shallow draft paddle kayak domains- Hobies with Mirage Drives have to stay in the main channels (or you have to remove the drive and pull up the rudder) and you have to cast back into the weeds where your paddle buddies slip right in and find the big holes back in the pads where the bigger fish hang out- luckily, I bought my paddle kayak first- an Ocean Prowler Angler 13- then after a few big water meet and greets where I paddled way behind the Revolutions and Outbacks as they got to the fishing grounds 30-45 minutes ahead of me and had fish on the stringer while I was still headed out to join them...I decided that I needed two kayaks for the different kinds of fishing I do- I don't have a storage problem at my place since I live out in the country and have outbuildings, so storing my two kayaks isn't a big deal- Last summer I got my OK Prowler out and fished it a few times in Mattawoman- caught a lot more fish than I did out of the Outback- because I put it way back in the weeds and fished the openings in them- lost some monster snakeheads back there wrapped up/hung up in the lilly pads, but I would have never seen them fishing out in the open waters otherwise.

[Wavy Davy]

At first, this seemed to be a tempting idea. Any excuse to buy more stuff is a good idea. Then, it occurred to me: why not just leave out the mirage drive, insert the cassette, pull up the rudder and go?

[ronaultmtd]

Love my Outback..hate to say anything bad about it, but....it paddles like a pregnant pig, especially with the rudder up- I tried to fish Mattawoman like you said- only I took the drive out AFTER arriving on scene and then used a paddle to get back in the thick stuff- It sort of worked OK, but no where nearly as well as using my Prowler from the git go- you are better off with a slick, clean paddle yak and a spare rod just in case- a few spare frogs, a fish bag and a club to kill snakeheads before you put them in the bag-

[chimo]

why not just leave out the mirage drive, insert the cassette, pull up the rudder and go?

Definitely doable but far from ideal. I've done it with the Revo and probably will again on trips where I am fishing multiple areas and can only bring one yak. The Revo doesn't paddle like a pregnant pig, more like a 13 ft white water yak Something about that round hull, I'll be paddling along fine at 2.5 mph but as soon as I start to dig in a little and get over 3mph it will get a mind of its own. A dozen strokes and then it is veering to one side or the other and I almost have to stop to fix my course. Who knows, maybe I am doing something wrong but its aggravating. I'll be keeping 2 yaks around as long as I have the space or until someone comes out with a yak that meets all my needs. Besides, gotta have a spare to take a buddy fishing every now and then

[J.A. Veil]

Ron -

I agree with you that having more than one style of boat (whether two power boats, one power boat and a kayak, or two kayaks) provides more options for the user. I am fortunate to have three options that allow me to fish a wide range of water types and time windows. I have a 16' center console that is easily towable and can give me a range of up to 50 miles in a day. I have used it at the ocean, CBBT, and throughout the bay. I have my Native Manta Ray, which for me fills the niche of a Hobie (decent speed and long paddle range), and last fall bought a 9' Malibu Mini-X from Chimo. The Mini-X is fun for short trips. It fits inside my minivan with the doors closed. I can take it on a long road trip or vacation without leaving it exposed at night. This morning I had a 3-hour window to drive to the ramp, fish, and get home. The Mini-X loaded fast, took almost no time to launch, and allowed me more than 2 hours of fishing (but sadly not catching).

I know that Hobies are very popular among MKF members. For various reasons, including leg cramping issues, I am not likely to ever own a Hobie kayak. It is interesting for me to visit other parts of the country where paddle kayaks predominate. The style of fishing there is better suited to boats that do not have fins hanging beneath the hull. Clearly in our region, Hobies are excellent choices.

[Wavy Davy]

You have a point. I guess I'll just have to go and get a paddle kayak. Darn, I was hoping to avoid spending any more money. But, sometimes you have no choice. Oh, the things we do for love.

[Jaspratt]

I went to the meet & greet for yellow perch at the lower sesquehanna and I left my mirage drive home... I have an outback. Instead of driving 45min back I rather rough it and paddle the day. I left the rudder down and straight while I paddled, I was able to paddle just as fast if not faster than the hobies and there mirage drives. With the rudder I paddled straight.

[loupa5]

I went to the meet & greet for yellow perch at the lower sesquehanna and I left my mirage drive home... I have an outback. Instead of driving 45min back I rather rough it and paddle the day. I left the rudder down and straight while I paddled, I was able to paddle just as fast if not faster than the hobies and there mirage drives. With the rudder I paddled straight.

I can attest to this, you left me standing still in my PA and I had a head start!

[Jaspratt]

Haha, the outback if you ask me doesn't drag much at All, even with the big hole in the floor. But I also used to paddle a freedom hawk, and that was like paddling with a trash bag tied behind you. I think I would be able to use the outback for 90% of kayak fishing jobs. The other 10% is when I need to carry a kayak long distance to pond hop. I bought a heritage featherlite for that. At 9' and 35lbs it's perfect to throw your paddle, 1rod, and a small tackle box all inside and hike with the yak on your shoulder. But that's just me I doubt anyone else would want to carry a kayak 100+yrds if you had to.. Lol