Hanover_Yakker

A great subtle technique is to take the 1/8 or 1/16oz flick shake heads with the wire guard and rig a small craw like the baby rage, net bait tiny paca or PTL craw d'oeuvre on it and just barely crawl it against the rocks and timber. Just the right size tasty morsel for a finicky tight lipped bass. The added benefit is that it doesn't require a monster hookset and it is so light the fish won't realize that it is a weighted presentation and spit it. I used this setup last week to test the new-to-me Ci4 I just bought here on BR and landed 15 bass and one channel cat in under 30 minutes at a local pond.

Congrats on the new ride. Definitely hold onto your gear. I'm sure there is some good mojo on a few of them at this point. I still have some budget combos in my arsenal that get frequent use and are very productive. Also, they are great loaner setups for when others want to go with you and they don't have any gear.

Hope you liked the quick video preview. Like John said, the 'deer feeder' style of batteries work beautifully and hold a charge a long time. I use a 12v/5am battery for my Lowrance Elite-4x DSI and it will run for three trips. I keep mine in a small Sterilite sealable container stowed underneath the center hatch. You can use any number of sealable containers like Pelican boxes, Glad or tupperware containers, etc. The beauty of this type of modification is that you probably already have a suitable container in your house that is not being used. As far as the vessel itself, the Pro Anglers are single person designs; however, my son rides shotgun in the rear tankwell whenever we go out on the water. We can both stand and fish side-by-side with no issue. The cost of a Pro Angler 12 or 14 is more than worth it in my opinion when you take into consideration that you do not need to register the vessel as a powered watercraft, nor do you have any annual fees associated with taxes, maintenance or insurance. As far as powered options, Hobie has a licensing deal in place with Torqueedo, and they have the Evolve electric motor that inserts right into the Mirage Drive opening on the Pro Anglers. Other companies like BassYaks and Gator have alternative options as well, but the Evolve option is the cleanest of them all and the lightest. It is somewhat cost prohibitive for me, plus it would mean that I would have to register it as a powered vessel. I prefer to use my legs and the Mirage Drive to move my Pro Angler, but if your situation necessitates a powered solution, it is an available option to consider.

Until I get the 'sit down' portion right with the back lighting and sound levels, here's a little teaser of some of the footage from this past weekend to wet your appetite.......

According to my contact - avoid storage outside or in direct sunlight due to the foam. You need to find some form of a protectant or cover for those areas. The manufacturer's marketing claim of being one of hte lightest in the industry he said was due to the thin wall construction of the hull. As a result, the long term durability of the hull is a concern. If it works for you, awesome. Just be mindful of the hull if you are portaging over rocks or moving through shallow bays with oyster beds or rocks. FWIW - this information is coming from the owner of a kayak/canoe store and he is an avid canoeist that is in fact racing the 70 mile canoe race in NY later this year. Hope that helps!

I have a buddy who is a canoe afficianado and might be able to help. Hang on. Let me check.

It's all about the technique - equipment. frog brands and line aside, it all comes down to hookset technique. Hollow-bodied frogs - you have to watch the frog the whole time. Some strikes are subtle slurps versus blow ups. If you aren't ready to set the hook when it gets engulfed, you will miss the fish. This hookset is more of a reaction compared to the technique described for soft plastic moving frogs below. Moving frogs (Ribbits, Rages, Horny TOads, etc) - understanding how to work the frog with your rod at about 10-11 o'clock angle then dropping your rod at the strike is a learned technique and takes practice. When you lower your rod, you count a quick thousand one, a thousand two while reeling the little slack up and swing for the fences with an overhead or slightly over your should hook set. One tip - regardless of the frog type you use. Add some frog scent like the BioEdge Frog Wand to your frog. It encourages the fish to hold the frog a split second longer.

Aren't Radissons (US) also referred to as Sportspals (CA)? I'd try contacting a dealer like: http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/contact.htm According to their site...... All our Sportspal and Radisson Canoes are constructed of a single sheet of 5052 marine grade aluminum which will not become brittle, delaminate, peel, waterlog, check, rot, shrink or swell. It assures a uniform thickness throughout the hull. This material makes our canoes one of the lightest on the market. The canoes are easy to carry, handle better on car tops, towing, launching and recovery. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio. There are eight models, five colours in three lengths to choose from. Every Sportspal - Radisson is built to exacting specifications and workmanship. Coupled with the many optional accessories, the Sportspal - Radisson Canoe will give you many years of trouble free service.

All the time - they will crush anything that swims near them here in VA. They will shred some top water frogs also. I have many 'retired' Ribbits courtesy of some nasty pickerel. The best tool to use to unhook them is a FishGrip (http://kayakfishinggear.com/thefishgrip-madeintheusa-newcolorspinkandglowinthedark.aspx) I never hit the water without them. I have three of them in total. A must have for any angler regardless of fishing vessel or technique. Also helps when trying to unhook treble hooks from feisty bass that won't stay calm.

Congrats - quality striper right there!! Now you guys see why I venture out into the salt water as well down here in VA !

I load mine on top of my mini van - does that quell your fears a little? In all honesty - the dry hull weight of a Pro Angler is 118lbs. That may or may not exceed any factory crossbars your vehicle may have. Check your manufacturer's/owner's manual first. If that weight exceeds your rack's limitations, you can do what I did which is to purchase the landing pads, control toweres and crossbars from Yakima and install them in your factory tracks. If I ever sell this vehicle (which is highly likely in the next year or so), then I can simply remove my Yakima setup and re-install the factory bars. As far as loading, the video I captured yesterday shows me loading and unloading it for a day on the water. As far as getting seat time in one in the AL area, I've got some "feelers" out for you with my 'Bama yak friends. I'll keep you posted..

I have about three hours of footage I need to edit and cut down into a 3-4 minute snippet, then I need to complete the sit down session tonight. Tonight's session will include a walk around of the Pro Angler 14 pointing out the design features, as well as a couple of my small accessories I added then I will summarize a few of the FAQs I get from time to time about Hobies in general and the Pro Angler. FYI, I previewed some of the clips briefly last night, and I managed to get four hookups on film from a couple of different angles. Nothing citation worthy, but at least I caught some fish in real time. Hope to have this ready for you all in the next few days!

I hear you and I know all about the culture down there. Several of my KBF friends are in that area. Part of the challenge of carrying certain brands of kayaks is the dealer/store actually committing to carry the line. Carrying every brand requires a huge warehouse.

The Ribbits (along with other brands) do flip over from time to time. The keel weighted approach helps a lot, as do the double take hooks. After several frogs had their legs ripped off from aggressive fish, the double take hooks may cause the legs to rip. After three or fours Ribbits were destroyed using those style hooks, I opted to not use them anymore - just a personal preference. When the Ribbit flips on it's back, I simply give the rod a little vertical pop-pop-pop twitching and the frog will right itself. Bowing the frog helps some like mentioned earlier, but the popping of the rod fixes it for me.

If you're interested in trying a Hobie out on the water, as well as every other major kayak manufacturer, Appomattox River Company is holding their annual on the water demo day on Saturday June 8th. The event is held on Wilks Lake in the heart of Farmville, VA on the island. I'll be there representing Hobie and ARC, but several of my friends will also be there representing their respective brands like Wilderness Systems, Native Watercraft, Ocean Kayak, Jackson, Hurricane, etc. Make plans to come out and try as many different ones as you can. I'll have my Pro Angler 14 on display and rigged for all to see.

Without knowing your exact location other than what's in your avatar, the closest one might actually be out of state in Columbus, GA. The best thing to do is check the website for current dealer locations. You can use the Dealer Locator found here: http://www.hobiecat.com/dealers/

Nice!!

I'll do my best - weather is not cooperating for tomorrow, so I have already booked time on Sunday morning when the sun comes up to do some video of the Pro Angler in use. I plan on showing: 1. The overall layout of the Pro Angler. 2. How I have it rigged for fishing. 3. How to unload/load it from your vehicle. 4. The view from the seat when fishing. 5. The view from shore or another boat as you are seen fishing. 6. Maybe even get a hookset or two. 7. Casting while standing. 8. Accessing rods and tackle while in the Pro Angler. I also plan on doing a voice over of the walk around and rigging if I can find a microphone. Might just take the GoPro out of the waterproof housing and hope the wind isn't up and do the voice over while doing the walk through. We'll see what I can come up with.

Another sealant option that I prefer is LEXEL - you can order it online at: http://kayakfishinggear.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=81 It is an awesome sealant and is easier to work with. Just place a small dab in each screw hole, then a thin line about 1/4=1/2" inside the outer edge of the hatch seal that mates up with the kayak hull. Then just insert the screws like you would changing a tire by inserting each screw on opposing sides and only hand tightening until all of them are in. Good luck!

I'm possibly heading out on the water tomorrow for a HOW planning event, so I'll see what kind of unique footage I can get and piece together some compilations. I also have several Hobie videos of real fishing action I have put together over the last year and a half already in case anyone wants to look at those in the mean time. .

Positive vibes, well wishes and prayers for you buddy on a speedy recovery!

I think I am qualified to answer that question. I could do a write up for BR if you want.

It can be a difference maker in finding quality fish over the course of your lifetime as an angler. Some of the best places I have fished were inaccessible by bank fishing. Not to say that there aren;t quality locations near you, but for me, the best waters are often a bit far for a bank fishing journey. A boat of some form has its place in the fishing world, but your finances and means of supporting/maintaining the vessel of your choosing over the long haul are only assessable by you and you alone. I took a step back and looked at my situation and quickly came to the realization that I could never afford a traditional boat, because of the following factors: 1. The initial cost of the entire setup also required the purchase of a trailer. 2. The trailer would necessitate a towing setup of some form that would possibly lead to another vehicle purchase. 3. Annual costs of property and registration fees plus insurance. 4. Annual costs of winterizing/maintenance. 5. No place to actually store the boat/trailer combo. When i added all of those factors together, I went the non-powered route and purchased a kayak. I've never looked back. Don't get me wrong. At some point I would love to have a Ranger Center Console to use in both fresh and salt, but that is a dream and one left alone at this juncture of my life.

Welcome aboard - central VA is a wonderful fishery.

I'm with JF on this one. I have never used a frog specific technique problem and have no issues at all other than not paying attention and failing to set the hook I use a casting rod rated as MH/F or MH/XF and pair it up with a reel spooled with 50-65lb PP braid. Works like a champ. Not saying that the technique specific rods don't have a time and place. I find that those situations are rare where I fish, and I fish some pretty thick and nasty pads/grass/vegetation down here in VA.