I posted a while back asking for kayak opinions. I started with a Native Falcon and now have a Hobie PA12 360. The 360 has been great for fishing around docks. Anybody else kayak fishing on the forum?

YES! I have a Native Manta Ray Propel. I keep it at our vacation place in Northern Michigan. I love my kayak and primarily use it for fishing.

I've always wanted to try it on freshwater

When I lived in Alaska, I used to go out on fishing charters out of Seward. The fjord is 18 miles long, and there would be kayak fishers fishing for salmon at the mouth of the fjord. I thought they were nuts as salmon sharks follow salmon migration. During my 5 years in Alaska, one time a kayak fishermen was drug out to sea in his kayak after a salmon shark bit his line.

One of my dealers sells a ton of Hobie fishing kayaks, can't keep them in-stock.

Nantucket Sleigh Ride. "Call me Ishmael".
I did do some Kayak fishing on the smaller inland lakes here in the Yoop. Great fun.
No way would I put one into Lake Superior.

I fish out of my Tarpon 140 inshore in the intercostal waterway and the river.

A few weeks ago I bought a Perception Striker 11.5 from a buddy at work. I have yet to take it out fishing though. It has a 500 lb. weight capacity and you're suppose to be able to stand up in it. I'm looking forward to it. It's a good, relatively inexpensive way to fish water that I normally could not.

My late good friend "Kayak" Willie Tytler was a well known kayak fisherman back in Florida. He caught sailfish and dolphin out of his kayak off Pompano Beach. You can read about his exploits if you google "Kayak Willie".

I have been tempted, but I have not got one.

I really want to fish some of the larger lakes around here, and a kayak isn't as effective of a tool for those. You'd really want at least a jon boat and a small gas motor for covering more distance.

The Hobies are nice boats.

Nice Fish OP!

Most of our fishing locally we do out of our little 16' boat, but we've done a couple of kayak trips on local rivers and to some lakes in the UP. We currently just have a couple of cheap 10' Sundolphin kayaks that I modified with rod holders and a few other minor things to make them more suitable for fishing, but they still kinda suck. One of them in particular, likes to spin in circles every time you stop paddling, which is a PITA when you're trying to fish. On the upside, they're short enough to fit in the back of the truck with the tailgate down, and light enough that my son and I can carry both at once on a portage.

The younger kids are getting older, and I'm looking to pick up a couple more. Any recommendations for a boat that will be more comfortable and track better, while still light and not prohibitively expensive?

I do fish a lot of the bigger lakes here in the Hobie. It handles it well but I usually fish the cove I put in and just don't venture to the main channel. I've also got it setup for night fishing now. That's always fun.

Old town and Native both have some lighter pedal drive kayaks. The pedals make a world of difference fishing. I found out quick it's hard to fish with a paddle in your hands.

quote:

Originally posted by jelrod1:
I do fish a lot of the bigger lakes here in the Hobie. It handles it well but I usually fish the cove I put in and just don't venture to the main channel. I've also got it setup for night fishing now. That's always fun.

Old town and Native both have some lighter pedal drive kayaks. The pedals make a world of difference fishing. I found out quick it's hard to fish with a paddle in your hands.

I get that part, but I don't want to paddle or pedal five or six miles (sometimes more). Or cross the main part of a big lake with all the bass and ski boats roaring around at high speeds in a low-to-the-water kayak.

I moved to my current location to be close to a river and the lake it feeds in order to kayak fish. I watched countless hours of related videos, and spent a ton of money on the whole mess.

Sadly, I couldn’t continue due to my pinched nerve. I could unload, paddle out a couple of miles up river, but the return was MISERABLE. Then, pulling it up the ramp and loading it into my truck almost killed me. I couldn’t last a year! I still watch a few videos here and there, but kayak fishing is no longer for me.

That Hobie PA12 360 looks really nice. I fish out of my Heritage 9.5 kayak. I live on a river in Michigan and truly enjoy kayak fishing.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuglespritz:
That Hobie PA12 360 looks really nice. I fish out of my Heritage 9.5 kayak. I live on a river in Michigan and truly enjoy kayak fishing.

The Hobies really are the cat's meow in those. Jackon makes a nice one as does Old Town, but I think the Hobie is the best of them.

I went this morning for largemouth but no luck. Way too muddy from all the rain we’ve had. Here’s a side view of the Hobie and a view inside the hatch of the power setup.