I've fished from a kayak for quite a while in both rivers and lakes. Up 'til now, I've fished and paddled a cheap ****'s Sporting Goods sit-in yak. It worked, but was not ideal.
This spring I sprung for a Hobie pedal drive kayak. I bought a Compass Camo 12' with a 180 drive (reverse feature with kick-up fins) and I love it. I've had it out on a few lakes and also the Susky a few times. I really like the hands-free fishing feature using the pedals and find it very maneuverable and easy to use.
Pedaling at a moderate speed is akin to walking. I have no trouble pedaling upstream and fishing down in the river with moderate current. As a matter of fact, last week I left DaveW in my wake on the river with my pedal kayak, even though Dave's a lot younger and more fit than me....sorry Dave 😳
What I like is I often fish alone and can launch and take-out in the same place without having a buddy with another vehicle parked at the takeout downstream.
For the river, it was important to me to have fins that kick up when I inevitably hit rocks or logs. The Hobie does just that. I can also pedal very shallow with my fins just below the hull in shallow water situations and when encountering obstructions. I can pedal through 5 or 6 inches of water without any trouble.
In addition, the fins are great in weedy areas of the lake or river. The weeds tend not to tangle in the fins as they often do with a prop. I actually tried to get snagged in heavy weeds at a local lake and ended up pedaling right through them.
Also, the reverse feature is great for maneuvering and also allows me to "back row" like a drift boat, holding my position while fishing hands free. I've found I'm even able to move upstream in reverse and cast and fish the whole time.
Finally, with the Hobie Compass, I can easily remove the drive or pin the fins to the hull and paddle very easily if needed.
I plan to use my kayak a lot this season for smallies in the river as well as doing some lake fishing.
Any other Yakkers on here looking to share their experiences or show their ride?
This spring I sprung for a Hobie pedal drive kayak. I bought a Compass Camo 12' with a 180 drive (reverse feature with kick-up fins) and I love it. I've had it out on a few lakes and also the Susky a few times. I really like the hands-free fishing feature using the pedals and find it very maneuverable and easy to use.
Pedaling at a moderate speed is akin to walking. I have no trouble pedaling upstream and fishing down in the river with moderate current. As a matter of fact, last week I left DaveW in my wake on the river with my pedal kayak, even though Dave's a lot younger and more fit than me....sorry Dave 😳
What I like is I often fish alone and can launch and take-out in the same place without having a buddy with another vehicle parked at the takeout downstream.
For the river, it was important to me to have fins that kick up when I inevitably hit rocks or logs. The Hobie does just that. I can also pedal very shallow with my fins just below the hull in shallow water situations and when encountering obstructions. I can pedal through 5 or 6 inches of water without any trouble.
In addition, the fins are great in weedy areas of the lake or river. The weeds tend not to tangle in the fins as they often do with a prop. I actually tried to get snagged in heavy weeds at a local lake and ended up pedaling right through them.
Also, the reverse feature is great for maneuvering and also allows me to "back row" like a drift boat, holding my position while fishing hands free. I've found I'm even able to move upstream in reverse and cast and fish the whole time.
Finally, with the Hobie Compass, I can easily remove the drive or pin the fins to the hull and paddle very easily if needed.
I plan to use my kayak a lot this season for smallies in the river as well as doing some lake fishing.
Any other Yakkers on here looking to share their experiences or show their ride?
