Gfd63

Picked up a left over Hobie 2023 PA12. Great deal on a great kayak. Only exception the the 8" round hatch in the back doesn't have the space to mount the Lowrance kit battery in the holder for the round hatch. The recess for the rudder is slam in the middle of it when you open the cover. Other than that it's a great kayak. Could always use velcro to mount the battery but for the price you pay for the Lowrance ready kit why not use the holder. Wound up mounting the battery & bracket up front under the storage bin where the sail post is. Back hatch would've been more convenient.

Congrats. Nice deal. Good luck & enjoy it. Tite Lines 2023.

I have the drive leash. Picked it up on end of season sale at a kayak shop. But we fabricated one with heavy 1/4" nylon cord & brass dog lead clip for My friends Hobie drive.

Jack plate is hydraulic & adjustable.

It's a Mercury Tempest Plus stainless steel vented prop. It was suggested that I try solid plugs in the vent vs the large holes.

Boat is a 2021 Ranger RB190. Yes it's a 115 Pro XS 4 stroke. Starting out from a dead stop it'll get up on plane around 2800-3000 rpm. Thanks for the clarification & great explanation. Still trying to figure out exactly where it does break over on pad & planes out honestly. But somewhere around 2800-3000 rpm seems like right when it does the vibrating.

Got the break in period in. Around 3000 rpm or so the motor feels like it's cavitating. Trimming the motor up seems to help a bit & steadies out around 4500 rpm. Called the dealer & they suggested moving the motor down one mounting hole. It only has one hole left to move the bolts to. Plus I would think if that's the case, it would shutter at the lower rpm's as well. Anyone have similar experiences or suggestions?

Roger that. Excellent tip A-Jay. Forgot about those tire covers. ?

Thanks for all the suggestions & points of view. I keep the boat in My driveway. The intent is to try to prevent the tires from getting damaged by the UV rays & other harmful effects form the sun. "Tite Lines"

Roger that A-Jay. ?

Looks like a regular type of wax for exterior finishes. So it works on tires/rubber as well.

Good advice from all. I started out with an Emotion 10ft paddle kayak then wound up getting a 12ft Hobie Mirage Compass with pedal drive. Gotta admit the older ya get the better the pedal drive is on the bad shoulders & rota-tor cuff issues. They're right. By the time you get the kayak you want then outfit it with all the ginger bread including the fish finder you can easily spend another $1000. Good luck have fun shopping.

Does anyone use some kind of cleaner/preserver on their tires like Armor All Extreme spray shine foam or tire shine? Does it help or hurt in the long run.

Looking into getting the terrova with iPilot featuring SpotLock. Are these worth the price, anyone have one Pros/Cons alike.

Looking into getting a Minnkota RipTide Terrova. Other than routing the transducer cable along the shaft, does anyone have any pros or cons for fresh or salt water versions. Plus the fact that there doesn't seem to be any in captivity to buy anywhere. Most places including Minnkota say they have no idea when they'll be available again due to the circuit board supply shortages.

Thanks for the info. Yea loading into the back of a Chevy pick up would be the burden. I might just stay with the compass. Some Some of the smaller ponds I fish are very tight quarters. A big rig with huge turning radius might not be the ticket. But it would be sturdier on bigger water like a river. Thanks.

Looking into getting a Hobie Pro Angler 14 with the 180 drive. What's the general consensus on these. Pros -Cons & are they really worth the price. Currently have the Mirage Compass 12ft 180 drive looking to get one a little bigger & sturdier for bigger water.

Congrats & good luck. Enjoy. ?

Yes. Grasping the rod, grip is comfortable.

Best at handling, performance with braid & rated overall good quality & moderate price. 5 stars according to the article.

From the recommendations of the best spinning rod in Game & Fish Magazine Favorite Defender rod is rated the best. Finally found one. It's a great rod for the price & looks pretty dang good too. Paired it with a Diawa Laguna 2500 5Bi looks even better. Ya can't go wrong with this in your arsenal.

I find it hard to believe that Ranger would compromise their reputation & QA wither there was a merger/acquisition with BPS or not. But given the world & the way things are these days nothing would surprise Me. I inquired about 2 boats Ranger makes The RT188P & RB190. The person I talked to at Ranger said that they're just getting back to full production & they're working on orders from last year that weren't filled due to the pandemic. I certainly hope they aren't rushing things through in production just to meet schedules. Cause that kinda haste leads to those a fore mentioned recalls & shotty workmanship. Which definitely isn't what the Ranger reputation that Mr. Forrest Wood built.

The pandemic has single handed boosted boat sales & increased the purchase of fishing licenses. I called Ranger Boats & the woman told me that the wait time has lowered to 6-8 weeks now if you place an order. Depends on which model you're interested in.

Yea I've planted My butt in all the driver seats. I'm 5'7" so leg room isn't too much of an issue for Me. I hadn't had the chance to check out the RT188P yet. They're really popular & availability is scarce unlike the Rt188. I've found one of them on the lot. It's not bad but I'd rather have the vinyl flooring vs carpeting. To get adjustable seats to accommodate leg room, ya have to seriously jump up to the more $$$ models like the Nitro or the Comanche Z series Rangers.

I had a Xpress VX17DB many moons ago & they are great boats. Likewise I shoulda kept it. But I sold it to get a Ranger 188VS which later sold to pay for My Daughter's wedding. ? There's no local Xpress dealer or one in close proximity to the Eastern Shore MD area. Have to travel South to the Carolina's to even look at one.