Finally going over to the darkside guys, just got a new 2015 revo 13!
I've been paddling my OK prowler 15 for 7 years so I figured it was time!

Congrats !
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Nice!!
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So you were able to hide that tax return from the new house account.....:kewl:

HA! yeah Ross - we are still on the hunt, figured I would squeeze this in before the "well this house is going to need new granite counters" type of things start coming! My new gig didn't hurt either :D

you deserve it....

applause

Awesome welcome and congrats!

gotta do another yak trip Larry - been like 3 years since the last one I think!

:lama:

Flattie season soon......if not now
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could likely scare up a couple, water is just still so damn cold over here though, the flatties will get going the same time the stripes do...

Matt how do you like the Hobie life?

The bummer of it all is that I won't have it for a couple of weeks now, wanted olive color because I have a pipe dream of duck hunting off of it (even though I only did that a few times 2 years ago!).

BUT Monahan's let me use their demo 2015 revo for the little spring NEKF get together we had at Long Pond and I loved it! Took some getting used to the different seating position and getting the pedal distance dialed in, but once I did it felt great. Just a night and day difference from paddling, you troll with such ease its amazing.

I'm basically trusting what everyone says that the revo is very sea worthy and it felt very stable, but just not as stable as my prowler (which most will admit is the most sea worthy yak out there). Still, it will take some getting used to once I'm in out in the swells on the revo, but I'm not concerned based on everyone's experience.

The Outback blows the prowler away for stability.....

I know, I gave it a try and I like it, but it just felt so huge to me and kind of up out of the water. I want something a little easier to handle out of the water and I kind of like being a little bit lower in the water, in that way its similar to the prowler.

The Outback blows the prowler away for stability.....

I agree 100%. I just spent last weekend in the deep water off Grand Bahama in my Outback for a tournament, and I never felt unsafe at any point (except for the 12' hammerhead that circled me a few times).

I moved to the Outback from a Trident 13, and I will never look back.

How was that tourney? I heard it was blowing like crazy..

Tourney was awesome, Extreme Kayak Fishing Battle in the Bahamas. So different for me, I have fished extensively off boats in Florida and Costa Rica, but this is a whole other animal from a yak. Way further offshore than I've ever been, probably 3 or 4 miles. My Lowrance went from 150' to 600' in like 5 boat lengths, crazy. Last reading I got was 1,330' before the screen just went read, and then said I was in 75' of water. I had never been over 150' or so in a yak! Ton of BIG barracuda. Great time, going back next year. May do there summer series this year.

sounds good, give us some pics!

gotta do another yak trip Larry - been like 3 years since the last one I think!
Larry, Matt, that sounds like fun.

Its HERE!!!

Welcome to the club :)
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Got the rev out this past weekend, friggin thing is amazing, like you all say, it's a whole different world. didn't slime it yet, but soon!

Finally uploaded some pics from Bahamas tournament.

Notice the S-B sticker on my yak...Representin internationally!

You can never go back to the paddle ... Congrats .

yeah I've been out in a bunch now and just love it more and more. Even caught some fish! Had it out this weekend in my north-facing local waters when the north wind started acting up. Handled just fine in some swells with moderate chop, no stability issues at all.

I would love to test trial one but I missed the Monahan's event and I wasn't sure if I was ready to sell the McKee Craft. The broker received a deposit today so the boat hopefully is sold.

I've been mulling over whether I want to go small aluminum V-Hull and small four stroke to mix up lighter salt water and get back to freshwater, or kayak. Having had back surgury three years back I was concerned about comfort in a kayak, but I sat in an Outback at Monahan's today and the new seat design seems extremely comfortably.

So I have a couple questions for Hobie mirage owners. Does the sterling get loose so it constantly needs attention, or can you set to adjust for tide, wide or drift?

Is a heavy boat wake a serious concern, while it seems to be a stable boat, it's obviously low to the water?

How wet is this boat? For different water temperatures, what are the adjustments in clothing, newbie would like to know what the typical clothing requirements are?

Are most using just fish finders or combo units with GPS? I have an older Eagle fish finder I could probably order a puck transducer for and I assume epoxy in. Seems like the kit at the dealer isn't cheep, but I do know the advantages of GPS and charts.

Are these not weed friendly, wondering if fresh water and weed puts you into paddle and away from mirage foot power.

Love to hook up and see what these are all about if anyone wants to offer a ride in an Outback; trade some plastic for the trouble.

Seems like a really nice option, probably not my ideal winter holdover ride, but maybe so with the appropriate neoprene waders or bottoms.

Finally why not a pro angler for a stand up option?




I agree 100%. I just spent last weekend in the deep water off Grand Bahama in my Outback for a tournament, and I never felt unsafe at any point (except for the 12' hammerhead that circled me a few times).

I moved to the Outback from a Trident 13, and I will never look back.
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The pro angler is amaZingly comfortable. It's like you are sitting on a lawn chair. They are 99% silent and you can sneak up on fish unlike a noisy tin boat.
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I have a 2012 PA-14 Bob! I also have a really bad back! I can spend hours in it no problem! No problem in the salt with small waves and its dry as a bone....almost zero splash over but I am not out in heavy seas! I fish a lot of freshwater lately.......you don't want to go in the weeds...why would you? If you did you would use the paddle and pull the drive unit! My wife has an Outback and loves it...we just upgraded her to a 2015. Can bring you for a demo but I will be gone the next couple weeks.

I have a 2012 PA-14 Bob! I also have a really bad back! I can spend hours in it no problem! No problem in the salt with small waves and its dry as a bone....almost zero splash over but I am not out in heavy seas! I fish a lot of freshwater lately.......you don't want to go in the weeds...why would you? If you did you would use the paddle and pull the drive unit! My wife has an Outback and loves it...we just upgraded her to a 2015. Can bring you for a demo but I will be gone the next couple weeks.

No rush won't pull the trigger too quickly, will want to look around and see what makes the most sense, but would love a test paddle. Maybe when you get back and you two are heading out I can meet up with you and take a look if both models are going out.

to address you questions on the clothing side of things - when the water is under say, 60 degrees, I usually wear dry pants and a dry top. These things aren't cheap so its something to keep in mind before getting a kayak. Neoprene waders would be fine, but you want to pair them with a dry/semi-dry top of some sort (these usually run $150-400+). The idea is that if you go in, you want to stay as dry as possible to avoid hypothermia. If for some reason you do go over in 50-55 degree water you want to be prepared.

The outback and PA are super stable, but they are still small crafts and can flip if things get nasty or if you take a boat wake the wrong way, so you have to think about dressing for the water temps.

My revolution is a wee bit tippy but it hauls ass over long distances with ease. It's also light enough that I can carry it anywhere and toss it on the roof of my van easily.
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No rush won't pull the trigger too quickly, will want to look around and see what makes the most sense, but would love a test paddle. Maybe when you get back and you two are heading out I can meet up with you and take a look if both models are going out.

Better yet come fishing with me in them?:kewl:

to address you questions on the clothing side of things - when the water is under say, 60 degrees, I usually wear dry pants and a dry top. These things aren't cheap so its something to keep in mind before getting a kayak. Neoprene waders would be fine, but you want to pair them with a dry/semi-dry top of some sort (these usually run $150-400+). The idea is that if you go in, you want to stay as dry as possible to avoid hypothermia. If for some reason you do go over in 50-55 degree water you want to be prepared.

The outback and PA are super stable, but they are still small crafts and can flip if things get nasty or if you take a boat wake the wrong way, so you have to think about dressing for the water temps.

Have to be a pretty darn huge boat wake to flip my 14 over! LOL!

Bob another consideration with the Pro Angler is transporting it! I bought mine with the intentions of carrying it on my truck rack.......well its such a beast I immediately bought a trailer for it! Something to think about in regards to the PA's......but once they are in the water you can't beat them! Absolute blast!

Have to be a pretty darn huge boat wake to flip my 14 over! LOL!

LOL yeah I bet. I think the PA is probably the hardest to flip, but I've talked to a lot of people who say that the outback can and will flip in the right conditions and the problem with that is that it does it without a lot of warning since it has such good primary stability.

Still - it takes a LOT to flip most any fishing kayak, at least a lot more than I would be willing to go out in, but you just never know what can happen out there so better to be ready for it.

Good information and I'd love a test paddle int that PA when you are back, I think I'd be leaning towards the most stable platform I can get. Weed edges in fresh water or the edges of pad fields are good places to fish at times and mung as you know can be thick sometimes, which is why I was curious if the fins sort of self clear themselves unless it's really think.

Still curious if the steering can be set to sort of compensate for drift, wind or current; or does it get too loose after a while and need constant attention. That would of course detract from one of the biggest benefits to this design, in that you can fish while you paddle.

If weeds get in your fins, all you have to do is twist the 2 locks that hold them in place and lift up to clear the weeds.
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Bob, the steering is adjustable and one of the big advantages to the Hobie Mirage Drives is that you can maintain a track line much easier than in a paddle kayak. I did find it a bit tiresome clearing weeds from the fins though. But that had a lot to do with the ponds I fished frequently when I had mine. My bad knees took me away from the Hobies unfortunately, so I've been back into a paddle kayak. Better than nothing.
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Bob I just set my rudder appropriately and I can drift the shore line quite nicely most days! Fresh or salt!

the hobie is great for drifting because you can actually maneuver the thing while you are fishing if you need to! In a paddle yak you have to stop fishing, position yourself, and start again!

Bob another consideration with the Pro Angler is transporting it! I bought mine with the intentions of carrying it on my truck rack.......well its such a beast I immediately bought a trailer for it! Something to think about in regards to the PA's......but once they are in the water you can't beat them! Absolute blast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXEaGF3DI

Pro's for the extension rack are lest costly, no trailer issues, no mass trailer registration and simple.

Pro's for the trailer of course are many boat ramps require a trailer to even park there.

I no longer have the PA, but I do use the bed extender for my paddle yak. It works out quite nicely. Just tie a bright flag on the back to make it visible. I also put reflective striped tape on my bed extender for added visibility.

LOL yeah I bet. I think the PA is probably the hardest to flip, but I've talked to a lot of people who say that the outback can and will flip in the right conditions and the problem with that is that it does it without a lot of warning since it has such good primary stability.

Still - it takes a LOT to flip most any fishing kayak, at least a lot more than I would be willing to go out in, but you just never know what can happen out there so better to be ready for it.

The most unstable the Outback seems to get is in a following sea. It can be a bit unpredictable in a big enough wave when the fins ride up out of the water. Going into a wave, I have never had an issue.

that seems to be true of the revolution as well, but both are still very stable

Yeah. My revo is kinda squirrelly in a following sea. The real danger is if you burry your bow into the wave in front of you as you surf down the wave behind it. That scenario is how most yakers dump their boats and gear.
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