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Hit Willard today on the Hobie. Launched at the north marina and was glad to see little to no wind. Tried to find some crappie but I gave up quickly. Started trolling towards freeway bay and got a wiper right off the bat (I’ll try to attach a video). Followed that with a catfish and then the wind came up. I trolled around the island and headed to the north dike. I’m now a long ways from home and the wind got even worse and most of the boats left. I was still doing fine in the ProAngler but my trolling speed slowed down and so did the bites (I took a video of the nasty wind as a comparison to the calm water I started in). Didn’t get another bite for a while, this time a walleye. Had another break me off after it went on a long run and when I went to grab the rod out of the holder, I touched the spool and snapped the line, had to be a wiper. Ended the day with a smallmouth bass close to the marina.
Put some miles on the yak today. Not a bad day overall.
http://youtu.be/WkcxkFLyqYU
http://youtu.be/zrJeiRrJMiU
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KTrout, you got more nerve than I do. That second video of the water chopping from the wind. From the perspective up in a boat, even my small one, that wouldn't have looked too bad. But in your yak.............!! Geeezzeee not for me buddy. Nice catch on that Wiper. Are you using something like a GoPro video cam on a head band ? That was pretty good quality video.
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"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
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Kory congratulations on getting the dust washed off of the yak.
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Nice post, always fun to see a fish come in. Thanks J
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Nice report and video Kory, sounds like quite a trip in the yak. Do you ever have people get a little too close for comfort when you are way out there in the open?
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Nice - fun outing, cool videos. I'm with Tin-Can on the wave action though... guess you gotta keep your nose to the wind?
Curious - you pedals push your forward? Looks like you have oars, not a single yak-paddle? So does that mean you're in an either or situation? Or can you combine rowing and pedaling?
Glad you got some fish on, and got off safe.
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I'd rather be in this kayak than a boat during strong winds. Although my previous kayak which wasn't a PA wasn't as sage, the PA to me is much safer than a boat because you don't have to rely on a motor to work (been there done that) and the kayak rolls with waves much better and it is flat.
Regarding the gopro, I took a baseball cap and made two slits in the bill and attached a gopro strap to it. The headband for the gopro is a pain to where so I made the hat attachment (redneck gopro) to make it more comfortable.
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I've had the worst experience of people getting too close on Pineview. Plus there are things that block a boaters view at Pineview like islands and trees and the ski bums with their planing boats have a hard time seeing you. Willard is as you know open so it isn't as bad, but you still get people getting close which isn't so much a safety thing most of the time but probably doesn't help the fishing.
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Much easier to keep your back to the wind and less choppy that way. You get more spray and bounced around more if you keep your nose to the wind. The PA will not flip so if the waves are to your side, it is not a big deal. Although you can fall out, the kayak won't flip in the process. I was in my other kayak, which was an ocean kayak, at willard when the wind came up. It was half as bad as it was yesterday. That kayak was full of water and 3 or 4 boats came up to me asking if I needed help because of how bad it looked. Although I didn't accept their help, I was exhausted and a number of times I almost beached the kayak because I was nervous. Yesterday was a breeze compared to half as much wind with the other kayak. I also wasn't even tired and I traveled a lot of miles. I am sure Rocky will attest to how much easier the Hobies are to get around and how safe they are. The biggest issue with the PA is that they are not easy to get through the breaks of the waves along beaches.
Yes the pedals push you forward. I don't have oars, I have a paddle on the side just in case I get in shallow water or as a back up if something out of the ordinary happens to my pedal power. You can paddle and pedal at the same time, but there isn't a need for it. Your arms probably won't add a lot and your legs have more staying power. Plus it is harder to troll when you are paddling because rods and lines are in the way. I have to trolling rods going at all times and they really don't get in the way. I had no problem at all pedaling around in that wind.
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Yup. Nothing like a Hobie Pro-Angler. A while back, I met two guys in the North Marina. They weren't catching many crappie, so I offered to show them my hotspot. They at first offered to tow me with their motorized pontoons. I just laughed and pedaled off. They couldn't come close to keeping up with me, and they were on their highest power while I was merely cruising.
Stable as a Swiss bank, roomy, comfortable, dry except in the largest waves, self-bailing when waves do splash aboard - and a fish catching machine because it is dead silent: no engine noise, no fumes, no whining electric motor.
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You got it right on the PA's. They are sweet rides.
Saying "wont flip" is unwise though --  Seen it. I have had some people laugh when I tell them I have fished six foot rollers in the yak. If you think the PAs are fast you should try an Adventure or a Revo-- granted you wont be standing and fishing any longer.
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Yup on both counts. You CAN flip a PA - but it isn't easy. And they aren't the fastEST kayak - but they are quick.
I find that mine moves at just about "foot speed." That is, it moves at just about the speed I'd get walking at a given pace. An effortless "walk" gets me right at 3 mph, according to my GPS.
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I've done the exact same query as Rocky and found that I go about 3 mph effortlessly in ideal conditions. That is perfect for what I do. I also have tried out other Hobies and know they are faster. But I don't really want the extra speed for less stability, room, ease of use etc.. The advanture is way too long and skinny for my fishing needs. I know they are also used for fishing, but they aren't setup right for me. I can bring six rods (I actually have room for nine rods) and put them in the horizontal storage holders and they are completely out of my way.
I have also seen vids of PAs flipping, but it happens more often in the ocean, on the smaller PAs (12 footers) and on some of the older molders as Hobie added a more stabilizing rudder to the PAs to reduce rollovers. But there is no doubt, they can and do flip, I'm just not worried about it given my situation.
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