Picking a new kayak

[momo fish]

Having always been one to not follow the crowds I can tell you what convinced me to get a hobie (even with a shoulder injury).. I finally gave up the old chevy for a honda, the old blackberry for the iPhone and then finally the old Malibu for the hobie and life has been far more enjoyable...

1. Your leg muscles are far stronger than arm muscle and thus will last longer and be able to cover more ground. Anyone who disputes this.. Well I don't know what to say.

2. I believe the percentage of folks moving on to a hobie verses from a hobie is probably 95% to 5%... Could be wrong but heard this quote from a dealer 2 years ago..

3. Speed is about the same on both, but when I had a Malibu I needed a break every 30 minutes or so to rest.. With the outback it's like walking and can go on for hours..

4. I was worried about fishing the kelp but my fears were just that, fears.. I know just close the drives with the bungee and pull out the paddle.. I spend 90% of the time using the drive, verses the 10% when I'm in the kelp fishing.. Heck I leave the drives down so I don't drift as well instead of having to tie on to something.. If I'm stuck I pull the drives out and I'm free again..

5. As much as I missed the storage on a non-hobie, I realized I did not have to bring the whole tackle store when I head out. Made me a better angler (almost). I pretty much bring a few weighs, hooks and iron now in a nice compact waterproof container.

6. You can land a hobie far better with the drives on verses a paddle.. Before everyone jumps on this point here is why... I can gain speed quick and beat the next wave far better than with my Malibu. With a paddle boat, you just need to time it better. Keep in mind I said land and not launch.. I HATE launching a hobie!

7. You mentioned LJ and yellowtail.. Heard from a notable angler that for this kind of fishing a hobie is best as you can cover more ground.

Anyhow just my 2 cents from my limited experience. Take from it what you need and decide. I know of a few guys on here who don't fish from a hobie and kick ass like Mike and Danny for example..

Originally Posted by Kaleb

Kind of torn in my decisions right now. I primarily want to do kelp and YT fishing in La Jolla although I do a lot of bay fishing now. My previous kayak was a Native watercraft Mantaray 12 I liked it, only problems were weight capacity and stability. I'm really looking into the x factor because it easily solves both of those problems + it's cheap and I can get a fully rigged, paddle, seat, anchor, bait tank and fish finder ETC. For about 1k with. I have also tried the wilderness systems ride 135 and liked that one a lot. A little more expensive then the x factor. The last option is save up about 400-500 more and get an out back? What do you guys recommend?