Question about Hobie Mirage kayaks

[Wil]

I was looking at the pedal setup on those, and it looks awesome. Is it half as practical as it looks? I saw someone's earlier post about weeds up in the river, but aside from that are there any drawbacks?

Second question: The one I saw that is rigged for fishing is something like $1500-1800. Are there any with the pedal setup that are under $1000?


Thanks,
Wil

[Apalach]

I was looking at the pedal setup on those, and it looks awesome. Is it half as practical as it looks?

Actually it's better than it looks! Can't beat that hands-free trolling, rigging, maneuvering, etc. In fact, about the only time I have to use the paddle is to put it in reverse. No real drawbacks, except that you need about 18 inches of water beneath the keel to use the pedals. When it starts getting skinny, I just pull the pedal drive and lay it on the bow, then I go to my pole or paddle. And, as I mentioned earlier, really heavy vegetation such as you find on the Wakulla near shore tends to foul the flippers, so then I pull the drive (or fold the flippers up under the hull), and use the paddle until I get back out into open water. Another great way to make headway is simply to sail. Some folks who need to make some time and want to cover 5 miles or so to a fishing spot, simply sail there and back. Fishing, trolling, or just sailing for the fun of it is a blast. Here is a pic of my Outback ready to R & R.

As for your second question, I don't believe there are any Mirage drive yaks for under $1000. One reason for the higher price on these is that the Mirage pedal drive sells for about $500 alone, if you had to replace one. Another is that Hobie includes a lot of stuff in the basic yak purchase price that you have to buy separately on other yaks, such as the seat, paddle, and rudder. Here is a link to the Mirage drive and how much "paddling" power the pedals can generate.

http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/miragedrive.html

[trotdaddy]

If you want the best fishing kayak then buy a Hobie Outback. It is in a category of its own- but you pay a price for performance.

[Wil]

If you want the best fishing kayak then buy a Hobie Outback. It is in a category of its own- but you pay a price for performance.

Yeah, that's the one I was looking at. I'm getting ready to downsize from a 21' boat, so price isn't terribly important. I just wanted to make sure it was worth it first.

[RonHarrison]

VERY new 2006 Hobie Outback owner here. I absolutely love mine! They definitely have to be the do-all for kayak fishing.

I took mine out for its maiden voyage in Lake Iamonia. If you aren't familiar with Iamonia it is FULL of lilly pads and choking vegetation. With only a minimal amount of care, I was able to pedal obstruction-free for an entire afternoon.

The Mirage Drive (pedal unit) is simply amazing!