Hobie vs. Native watercraft

[JoseC]

you make some good points again but I find alternative ways to combat everything that Hobie apparently excels at. Thats the joy of kayak fishing. I stand and pole flats with a push pole and use the anchor trolly to pin me in place so there is no need for the "amazing Hobie design to keep me in place". I am not trying to bash Hobie at all here dont take it the wrong way. IMHO both of the crafts being discussed here are not kayaks, they are just footpowered boats. I had the opportunity to be a part of the Native prostaff team but I declined the offer. I dont want to praise one brand boat because the answer is simple....there is no perfect kayak. Ive owned and used several different brands and types of boats and I have yet to find the one all around perfect boat. Sure Hobie makes an excellent product and it looks super fun to fish out of, but some of your points are very biased and I just wanted to point that out for any "newbies" reading this. You dont have to buy a Hobie to catch fish.

I definitely agree that you dont have to buy a Hobie to catch fish. I caught the heck out of fish before I got a Hobie. I previously had a bunch of posts on here with my old screen name on this forum which was P911GT2 (which is before Tackletour lost its forum info a while back and reset). I owned a variety of boats because like I mentioned before, there is no perfect boat. That being said I do feel like there are perfect boats for perfect situations and Hobie has a variety of kayaks with different strengths that work perfectly for the different types of fishing I do which is the main reason I agreed to be sponsored by them. I was sponsored by Emotion kayaks before and while the grand slam was a good all around boat, I missed the speed of my T160 or the comfort of my Ultimate at times and decided that being sponsored by a kayak manufacturer was not for me, but then a revo 13 came along, then I tried a Pro Angler and that all changed. I get everything I need out of the Hobie line so thats why I am happy to be onboard with them.

I stand and pole a great deal of the time also. I can pole and fish out of my revo 13 very comfortably, and I can walk circles around a pro angler. Think about it though, every thing you mentioned that "countered" the advantages of a Hobie is something you can do just as easily with a hobie, except you don't get all the other advantages that come with a pedal drive. I can poll and pin myself in place when need to.

I just read somewhere where you said your paperwork had not gone through yet with the folks at native (legacy?) and applaud that you turned them down as I would have also.

I have to give newcomers to the sport the same warning to ecm's previous post as it is ver "narrow minded". I understand though as I was once the same way until I had no choice but using a revo 13 for a week when out of town visiting a friend. For those new to kayak fishing all I have to say is try it out for yourself, spend a week fishing in a Hobie (I would suggest starting with a revo 13) and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Your last point of it not being a kayak is very subjective, but the truth is, I got into kayak fishing over wade fishing because it was a better platform to fish off of. I still do a lot of wade fishing when the scenario calls for it, but I use my kayak to get me there. It opened my fishing prospects to greater opportunities and experiences, and that is exaclty what I feel my hobie does over the competition. So while we could discuss about the technicalities if it is an kayak from the purist perspective, it all boils down to which craft best empowers me to focus on what I love, which is fishing ... to me, the answer is a Hobie.

[ecu daniel 14]

Well said. The fact is the "perfect" boat is whatever the user feels. We can discuss and discuss but the truth of the matter is demo demo demo and figure out whats best for yourself. I plan on adding a Hobie to my fleet eventually and ive actually tried the outback which is an excellent boat. Gotta have em all like pokemon.

[JoseC]

Well said. The fact is the "perfect" boat is whatever the user feels. We can discuss and discuss but the truth of the matter is demo demo demo and figure out whats best for yourself. I plan on adding a Hobie to my fleet eventually and ive actually tried the outback which is an excellent boat. Gotta have em all like pokemon.

I totally agree as that was my philosophy. Make sure to try out a revo 13 and Pro angler when you get a chance. The PA is a heavy boat but it handles like a dream when you get it on the water.

If you are ever in Tampa Bay, let me know, I know where the fish around here live

[CALL ME RIFLE]

I still do see the propel drive as superior.Jose,you said you use the hobie's mirage drive to essentially keep you stationary in current while fishing,but certainly the propel drive can do the same thing...undeniable advantage for the propel drive is in flat water situations when pedaling or paddling to a new location on the lake...that is,the ability to back pedal to avoid over drift,and thus keeping from drifting into the area you intended to cast...all without the commotion of dropping anchor,setting out a pole stake,etc..
Definitely different boats for different uses makes sense to me,but until Hobie's mirage drive can work in reverse without having to flip around the unit,can't help but give a big advantage to the propel in comparison...

[JoseC]

I still do see the propel drive as superior.Jose,you said you use the hobie's mirage drive to essentially keep you stationary in current while fishing,but certainly the propel drive can do the same thing...undeniable advantage for the propel drive is in flat water situations when pedaling or paddling to a new location on the lake...that is,the ability to back pedal to avoid over drift,and thus keeping from drifting into the area you intended to cast...all without the commotion of dropping anchor,setting out a pole stake,etc..
Definitely different boats for different uses makes sense to me,but until Hobie's mirage drive can work in reverse without having to flip around the unit,can't help but give a big advantage to the propel in comparison...

I did not say that the mirage drive is to keep you stationary, I said that it was a way in which I used the ability to pedal to my advantage while fishing. The mirage drive moves the kayak extremely well, but obviously you would not know that.

For reverse I use my paddle. I tend to plan my approach as to how to fish areas so reverse is a direction I rarely have to go in.

Sounds like you have made up your mind, so go get the boat and enjoy. Kayak fishing is quite an enjoyable experience.

My advice to any new people is to go out and demo the boats an try them out for yourself.

[CALL ME RIFLE]

I still do see the propel drive as superior.Jose,you said you use the hobie's mirage drive to essentially keep you stationary in current while fishing,but certainly the propel drive can do the same thing...undeniable advantage for the propel drive is in flat water situations when pedaling or paddling to a new location on the lake...that is,the ability to back pedal to avoid over drift,and thus keeping from drifting into the area you intended to cast...all without the commotion of dropping anchor,setting out a pole stake,etc..
Definitely different boats for different uses makes sense to me,but until Hobie's mirage drive can work in reverse without having to flip around the unit,can't help but give a big advantage to the propel in comparison...

I did not say that the mirage drive is to keep you stationary, I said that it was a way in which I used the ability to pedal to my advantage while fishing. The mirage drive moves the kayak extremely well, but obviously you would not know that.

For reverse I use my paddle. I tend to plan my approach as to how to fish areas so reverse is a direction I rarely have to go in.


Sounds like you have made up your mind, so go get the boat and enjoy. Kayak fishing is quite an enjoyable experience.

My advice to any new people is to go out and demo the boats an try them out for yourself.

In an earlier post,you said this-"So how does a Hobie give me the edge in that situation? Well, I can point my Hobie into the current and hold my position without deploying an anchor or stake out pole which makes noise (from my experience, the less noise you make the greater the chances of getting the big girls to eat). With the mirage drive holding me in place".....that is what I was referencing.You do recall typing that,yes?Why would you assume that I in some way meant that the mirage drive only keeps you stationary as opposed to moving you around the water,as you are indicating in this most recent post of yours? You do realize that for your chosen tactic here,the propel drive would function just as well?while also giving you the ability to back up? And kayaks in general move with such ease,even a bit of wind or the act of reeling in a lure with a bit of resistance will change the direction of an un-anchored vessel...then you say in the same breath that you use your paddle when essentially going in reverse...while also saying that you pretty much never go in reverse,because your strategic plan makes it unnecessary lol....O.K.,so....which is it? It is still my opinion that due to the propel working both backwards and forwards,it is,to me,a better system.It is obviously capable of two types of movement,compared to only one....that much is pretty cut and dry,wouldn't you agree?Oh and btw,according to board regulations here,you need to include in your signature line when posting,that you are part of the Hobie staff....

[JoseC]

Since we seem to have difficulties communicating, let me give my opinion in an easy way for you to understand:

Mirage drive advantages:
More efficient than the propel drive
Can operate in shallow water by flutter kicking
Ability to choose from varying flipper length options
Does not pick up as much debris such as floating grass, weeds, etc

Mirage drive disadvantages:
No reverse

Propel drive advantages:
Reverse

Propel drive disadvantages:
Cannot operate in very shallow water
less efficient
gets fouled by grass, debris more easily than mirage drive

[ecu daniel 14]

the propel drive can keep you stationary when you get it stuck in the mud or grass