Skunkd

Just back from MV for 2 wks 9/21-10/4. All in all a great trip. Fantastic weather. Weighed my 1st ever derby albie @ 8.62 lbs. That was fun. Caught about a dozen more cookie cutter albies right around 25". All safely released. Found tons of small bass to 32" in the ponds and stumbled on some bruiser blues to 10lbs on Chappy. Ate a ton of good food, read "Commander in Cheat" by Rick Reilly about Trumps legendary golf cheating...hilarious. Already planning next years trip

My only regret with my Hobie Outback is that I didn’t buy it sooner. I agree with Choporoz, having the peddle drive and rudder allows you to fish more since you won’t need the paddle to maintain position in wind, current etc. My OB has the 180 drive which I use a ton in freshwater. Not as much in salt. I think reverse is a big plus. I take my kayak into some very weedy areas and the mirage drive handles it well. If I’m fishing the heavy slop I’ll pull the drive and rudder and go to the paddle. Small price to pay for being a hollow body frog lover. Peddle drive is huge when moving from spot to spot. The Old Town boats are really giving Hobie a run for their money and with a lifetime warranty on the hull,5 years on the PDL drive. They’re worth a look. Most dealers have demo days. See if you can take one out otw. If you have the $$ for a peddle drive, my advice would be to buy one. The pros outweigh the cons and you won’t regret it.

How do you think this rod would be for punching? I’ll usually throw 3/4 - 1oz weights in fairly shallow water. I picked up the H3 6’9” XF earlier this summer and love it for T-Rigs / Jigs. Would be putting a Curado K on it.

Wondering how late in the fall people typically fish in Ma ? I’ve spent more time, and had more fun fishing freshwater this year than I have in a long time. Usually, for me fall is about stripers, the fall run etc. I may forego fall stripers for more time on the lake. How do your tactics change as fall sets in? Thx T

Seems like they’re selling the Passport as more of a recreational yak than a hardcore fishing yak. I bought my 2017 OB to fish the salt and never touched the 180 drive once while on the ocean. This year, pretty much all my fishing has been freshwater and I’ve used the 180 a ton. It’s not as intuitive as a prop drive but works just fine. I think that for $1400 the Passport is a good option for people looking for a peddle yak with a proven drive system. If reverse is on your “ must have” list theres lots of great choices out there now for peddle yaks.

Take your new boat out a few times and get used to it before you start adding rod holders, fish finders etc. Think about where those things will work best based on your fishing/casting style. Leave a section of gunwale open for reentry should you capsize.

Looking at this boat for the wife for those times she'll come with me. Usually I'll let her take my Outback and I'll paddle my trusty Heritage Redfish 14. We'll occasionally hit the salt and its a nice reminder of why I got the OB. I'm definitely spoiled now with the peddle drive and rudder. Will be curious to see how the thermoformed hull does vs the rotomolded hull in terms of hull cracks. For $1400, seems like a good value.

2X on the 6'9" MH/XF Helium. Bought mine for the kayak too. Its my go to T-Rig/ Jig rod.

Just looking for something reliable and accurate. Haven't thought too much about budget so lets say under $50- under $100 - also, boga vs hook - pros, cons , N/A Thx T

When is a power dropshot a better choice than a " traditional" finesse presentation dropshot? Would I throw a power dropshot in places I'd also throw a T-Rig or Jig? Is baitcasting gear the best choice for heavier dropshotting? Right now I'm using a Med F spin outfit that works for typical d-shot baits and weights. Looking to invest in another dropshot specific outfit. I like the idea of another baitcasting outfit from a versatility standpoint ( all for kayak btw). Are XF actions best for most dropshotting situations? Having a lot of fun tinkering with different baits, hooks, leader lengths. Seems like the possibilities are pretty much endless. Thanks for any help T

Looking to add a dedicated drop shot rod to the kayak arsenal so I'm taking a hard look at this rod. I picked up a Helium 6'9" casting rod earlier this summer and its quickly become my favorite rod as I throw a lot of T-Rigs/ Jigs where I fish. Would be targeting largemouth in smaller lakes/ponds that have a decent amount of vegetation. New to the drop shot game but its quickly become a favorite technique. Anything you can share about the Kistler, or other recommendations in the say $250 -$300 range appreciated. Thx T

Last year the Hogy epoxy 7/8oz in silver crushed for me on MV. Worst day I had was 2 fish landed, best was 8. Bringing the Hobie Outback this year and may do a guided day...we'll see. The yak opens up a lot of possibilities where distance isn't as important. Still have a ton of albie snax left from last year as well as DD's.Will pick up some sluggos too. Think I'll have some splaining to do when the bank statement for this month comes

Not sure this question belongs here but here goes. What hook would you use with a Super Fluke to get max casting distance and not kill the action? Would be on an 8' inshore spin outfit with 20lb braid and a 20lb flouro leader. We're 2-3 weeks away (hopefully) from the start of false albacore season here in the NE. Sometimes the slower retrieved bait is the one they'll key in on and the Super Fluke is the perfect size and has a ton of colors. Just looking for some options from the usual epoxy minnows, etc. Thx T

I went a little crazy buying frogs this spring and loaded up on a variety including Livetarget, Booyah,River2Sea,Teckel and Jackall. On any given day any one of them could be the "one" but they all work. Still fishing the same Livetarget 55 in Green Brown which is a Chart belly. Its pretty beat up by now but still catching. The Livetarget's are more expensive but imo they're worth the extra $$ because they're very soft. One thing I do is to bend the hooks out to the point of almost being too much (for slop). It does result in the occasional snag but pays off in hookup ratio. Everyone has their favorite and they all work. The tricky part is not trying to set the hook too soon and waiting till they have it in their mouth. Then its game on !

This place has been on my radar for a while now but I haven’t gotten there yet. Checked Google Earth and see there’s a ramp with about 14 parking spaces. I live about 50 min away and plan to head there soon with my Hobie Outback. Mostly want to know if an early A.M trip would be smarter from a parking/fishing standpoint. I’m guessing it’s pretty popular and that parking spots go fast this time of year? Can you park on Chebacco Rd if the lot is full? Haven’t ruled out a P.M trip but wonder if the pleasure boaters make the fishing tough or worth it? Been fishing PI and Essex Bay/ Cranes for years so I’m used to the drive. Always looking for new places to fish and it’s nice to have options. Any info you can share would be appreciated. Thanks T Love that spell check.Should say Chebacco Lake

I picked up a Dobyns Sierra 705c for frogging/ jigs and I love it. Its my 1st Dobyns and I've read where it fishes a little slower than Fury/Champ lines. For me that's a plus. Its a Mag Heavy but doesn't feel "broomsticky" at all to me. I mostly throw hollow body frogs/ Teckel Sprinker on it. I've also thrown jigs down to 3/8oz with ease. If you're thinking of going Dobyns it might be worth a look for another $20

Check out Tackle Advisors on YT. There's an excellent vid on the Daiwa Ballistic LT as well as a comparison vid to the Stradic Ci4, Sustain, others. Worth a watch. Sounds like you can't go wrong either way

Headwaters Kayak has a vid on YT on how to install Boonedox on a Pred PDL. Seems pretty simple. Looks like its the "non groovy "or older version of Landing gear in that vid. You need to "add" the small rear hatch to provide access to install the backing plate. Everything else seems straightforward. I think a cart, any cart is simpler than a trailer but would do one or the other for that boat, its a beast. I've fished from a Predator Pdl and they're pretty sweet. If I didn't already own an Outback I'd get one and still might and let the Mrs use the OB. Not sure from your OP if this Pred is new? The OT warranty is probably the best in the industry. Lifetime on the hull, 5yrs on pdl drive. Sounds too good to pass up. Keep us posted and good luck

I’ve become a big fan of the FG . Very thin and very strong when tied correctly. I fish it on rods that have semi micro ( Zodias) or macro guides ( Kistler H3) with no problems. I’ll stop the knot somewhere between the reel and first guide. Usually ends up between 6-7’ which allows multiple reties. This knot takes a little practice and there’s lots of ways to tie it that all work.

I put my Stradic Ci4 2500 on a 6’ 8” M/F Zodias and love that combo. I’m fishing it in my kayak and find it super comfortable

Just picked up a Kistler Helium 3 MH 6'9" XF. It'll be a kayak rod pretty much 100%. Don't want to take any chances with high sticking though I'm usually pretty careful. Need a decent net but not sure about length? Will be stowed somewhere on the deck of my Hobie Outback so I'd like to keep it as compact as possible while not sacrificing function. Any suggestions appreciated. Thx T

Another vote for Hobie. They're pricey but still the best made pedal kayaks available ( my.02).Only wish they had a better warranty. Lots of other companies are catching up fast so there's plenty of good options out there. I bought my 2017 Outback last year NOS. About 6 months later they came out with the new 2019 OB. No regrets. Try to pedal as many boats as you can before pulling the trigger. Mirage drive pedaling feels very different than prop style drives. Some people really prefer it (me), others like the prop.

Congrats on your yak purchase. The obsession begins! Tons of great info on here already, a couple other things to gnaw on. You will no doubt be thinking about how to rig your yak soon. Rod holders, fish finders, gopro mounts, livewells, depth charges, it can get overwhelming ( and expensive) fast. Take your time rigging your yak. Sometimes the most important thing is where Not to put something. Leave a section of gunwale open for landing fish/ reentry should you go swimming accidentally. Half the fun of owning a yak is making it your own but it takes time on the water to figure out what works best for you. Tight Lines T

Thinking about a Scorpion MGL as a fun alternative to the Curado K I was planning on buying. Lots of Japanese retailers carry them but I don't know one from the other. Any suggestions of reliable sources or ones to stay away from appreciated. Also if you already own a Scorpion MGL, how do you like it etc. Thanks T

The new Hobie PA 360 drive looks awesome with a price tag to match. MSRP $4700.00 Yikes!