Hey everybody, just wanted to let some ppl know of a good alternative for someone that cant afford a bass boat, or doesnt have storage for a bass boat, or someone like me that likes to fish the small ponds that bass boats or even any boat is hard to get it in the water. Last year I bought a kayak, It was my first and I was a little shaky about it. I had done a lot of research and decided on one type in perticular. It was a Hobbie mirage sport fisherman. The best investment in fishing I ever made until I went to baitcasting a couple of weeks ago. the kayak is 9 foot 7 inches long, and is 33 inches wide. I has a peddle drive system so you dont have to paddle, you just push the peddles with your feet and your off, It can reach up to 7 mph, so it is perfect for ponds and even some rather medium sized lakes. I was amazed how little effort it takes to get going and reach a good speed, and on top of that I can usually get anywhere on the lakes within 5 min. Another plus is that I can stand anf fish in this kayak, I have pretty good blaence but to be honest you dont even need it, it is verry sturdy. I was shocked how well I was able to fish in the ikayak, I am able to stand up turn around even stand facing the side if I need to. It all depends on the person riding it though you have to feel it out foe yourself. But I have to say I love it, a little pricey I paid 1400 for it, but you dont need gas and it comes with everything you need, A built in rudder controll to steer, paddles, 3 rod holders, the foot peddle system, wheels( YEA IT COMES WITH WHEELS) this thing is great if you cant get the car to the water just plug the wheels in, put the gear in the yak and walk it to the water. . They even have a wheel upgrade kit for rough terrain, which I got and would suggest to anyone fishing those small ponds.  In all if you want to get to places you cant get to from shore and no one else can either this is a great Idea to expand your arsenal, and its verry relaxing sometimes just being out there by yourself. I have even fished live bait from the yak, Last year I took some live herring in a bucket with a aerator and trolled them. It was a lot of fun, and I got some nice smallmouth and largemouth bass. I love the yak and I cant see why anyone would not, http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/models_sportfisherman.html can show you all about it. well good luck guys.

I agree. I have been fishing out of Kayaks for about 5 years.I have 2 sit on top kayaks both of them are set up with rod holders and fish finders. My first trip out I caught my biggest bass ever.

Tincanfsh

I've been thinking for over a year now to pull the trigger on a Hobie Outback.  Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the matter.

hey chode no problem I left the post cause I know there are a lot of ppl out there that are in my position and the hobie mirage line of kayaks is really geared towards the fisherman.  

I have a buddy who just bought a Hobie Mirage Adventure for fishing the ocean. He has been trying  to convince me that I need one. I haven't been able to Demo one yet. Both of my yaks are 12ft long and I need to paddle them. I do need to up grade to a longer and more narrow kayak. I mostly fish large lakes.

Nashiem how does your yak handle in weeds. Does the flippers get tangled with weeds.

Tincanfsh

well to be honest that is one of the only problems is the weeds. the peddle drive system doesnt do very well when it comes to that. But most of the time I am not kayaking directly in the weeds, I am 10 to 15 feet in front of them and I cast right on the weed line, but there have been times where I needed to go through weeds to get to another location, and the good thing is you can just unlock the peddle drive system and pull the whole thing up so its not in the water and then just paddle through the weeds and then drop the peddle drive system right back in when you are done. so its a quick fix and it only takes seconds to unlock the peddles, so its not a huge problem.  and by the way if you get a hobie with the peddle system you dont really need a narrow kayak because the peddles move the kayak so efficiently.  Hey I was very unsure at first aswell, but if you do decide to get a hobie with the peddle drive system, you wont regret it.

That is a pretty cool little setup.

There are a lot of really great affordable options for us who not only can't afford bass boats, but those who don't want to deal with the hassle, and those of us who want to fish overlooked/inaccessable bodies of water.

Inflatables like the fish eagle seem to be great for those of you looking for something big and stable and more boat like.  You can bring everything you need as well as a friend.  

The kayak seems to be better suited for those who want a more manauverable boat that isn't as affected by wind.  Easier to go further, faster.  No mess with batteries, air pumps, trolling motors, floor boards etc.  Sit on top kayaks in general have come a long way, and are really designed for fishing now.  The only downside is that it can be difficult to stand if thats your preferred fishing method.  But Nashiem doesn't seem to have a problem with it in his small 9' boat.  They also make outriggers so that can be an option too if you need more stability.  

There are also other options like personal pontoons and float tubes.  These seem to be more application specific and less versitile than the other two options, but good options if you know what youre getting in to.

I myself am planning on purchasing a hobie outback, which is the next size larger than Nashiem's boat.  The mirage drive is a big selling point, but the boat in general seems to be really well thought out and laid out for fishing.  I have read practically everything on the internet about the boat, and hobies in general and have heard nothing but great things from everyone.  

But there are lots of great options for all of us who can't have that big bass boat.

I myself have bee

For any one interested in getting into Kayak fishing most kayak retailer's in the country have demo day's so people can try out diffent models. The one in Utah is in Late May. There are alot of companys that are catering to the fishing crowd more lately. I have a Malibu pro explorer fishing yak. Some other companies to check out are Cobra,    Ocean kayak and Perception.  

I actually had a inflatable boat, a sevalor ft325, it was ok but it took a lot of time to pump it up and deflate and get ready to go out,  I had a great setup, I always go prepared.  I had it so I could roll it and my gear out to the lake and then I had a battery pump that was able to fill it most of the way, and the rest I inflated it with a river boat pump. Than I had a trolling motor that ran off a marine deep cycle battery.  I had made a custom floor board out of plywood that I polyurethaned to stand and fish. I have to admit it was a lot more stable than the kayak, but as far I as taking it out and fishing the kayak is a lot better.  I go to the lake drop the kayak off and thats it, no inflating, and then when Im done deflating and putting it in the bag and rolling it to the carwas rough.  Plus the kayak went just as fast as the trolling motor if not faster, the only thing the wind still sucks in the yak, I suggest anyone that is getting a yak to fish with get an 8 pound river anchor, hard to find but does the trick in 20 mph gusts.  and the yak was great for get up and go, no worrying about batteries charged I could hit 2 lakes in a day if I wanted maybe even 3 if it got bad.  In all inflatable score 4 out of 10- hobie mirage fisherman kayak 10 out of 10, but the raft is only 400 dollars, later guys

This reminds me of an article

I fish from a Kayak now, and would rather be in a bass boat.  I like my kayak, but even after fishing from it for four years now, I can't get used to casting from it, and I can't take my desired amount of tackle.  I also don't like getting blown around by the wind.  I prefer to kayak for pleasure, but not for fishing.