Hobie Pro Angler Transportation Poll

[Jeffrey Walker]

Thinking of a Pro-Angler 12, so i am curious to those who have them - How do you transport your pro angler and why?  I'd also like to hear about the pros and cons of the method you use.  If you could pick any car or vehicle moving fwd. how would you prefer to transport it, what would be the best solution in your opinion. 

 

1) Car-Top

2) Inside Bed of Pickup

3) Trailer

4) Other??

[Darth-Baiter]

Both my PA friends use the backs of pickup. One uses scupper cart, the second guy installed Boondox Landing gear.   The guy using a long bed Tacoma doesn’t use a bed extender. 
 

they don’t have any issues.    I did meet a guy that puts a  13’ Titan on the roof of his Jeep Wrangler.  He’s built like a lumberjack tho.    I found necessity is the mother of invention.  You’ll get it done. 
 

I know you’ve been scrutinizing the issue.  Remind me, what you drive now?

[TNBankFishing]

Car topping is not a good option long term with that sized yak. You’ll eventually dump it and damage your vehicle, yak, or self. 
 

I throw my Titan 12 in the bed of my truck. Ive seen the rise of jet ski trailers being a great alternative if you don’t have a truck. 

[GLK]

Heavy duty scupper cart and pickup bed. It's not to bad to load but considering a trailer soon.

[Deleted account]

Yeah...

[casts_by_fly]

I have the autopilot 120 so similar weight and size. I truck bed and primarily fish lakes with boat ramps so I don’t need a cart hardly at all. Given the lakes I’m fishing, I’m very seriously considering a trailer. It’s a bear to get it into the truck bed even with airbags on the truck to lower it 2”. An extender would help but a trailer would solve the entire problem. 

[Fishingmickey]

PA14, I trailer and drive a Toyota highlander.  Trailer is the way to go IMHO. I completely rig (rods, crate, chair, trolling motor, electronics, etc.etc.) the kayak in the parking lot.  I tied off a 30' line from the bow handle on the yak and tie a loop in the other end and loop it over my winch support. Have all the straps off and back down and float it off. Get out tie the bow line off to the dock or beach it out of the way. Go park the car and hustle back, get in the kayak and go. My rig and unrig time is usually about 20 minutes. Launch and retrieve time is probably at or under two minutes.  When I pull out. I back the trailer down so the rear bunk ir right at water level. Then I guide the kayak back onto the bunks. I pull it up on the bunks with the line rest of the way and pull out fully rigged.

     I make it a serious point not to be a ramp hawg.

Fishingmickey.

[Togue]

My PA14 goes in the truck bed with a bed extender. I use a C-tug cart and am pretty happy. I can leave it fully rigged with rods and tackle and fit under the tonneau cover. 

[Bassin Bruce]

PA 14 fully rigged and heavy 176#(all gear)

Trailer 99% of the time, I don't treat it like a kayak but rather a nimble bass boat that I comb the shore banks usually of reservoirs no larger than 1000acre.

I have many boat launches within 20 miles and my 3 main within 5 miles. I couldn't imagine trying to load everything back and forth between truck bed and I'm only 57 yrs old.

To me the PA series of kayaks are really fishing barges meant to be trailered to your favorite destination because they are meant to be rigged as a mini bass boat.

But once out on the water they are an absolute pleasure to fish from in my fishing environment.

Your experience may vary.

[Jeffrey Walker]

so far most people lug it in the truck of a bed but that doesn’t appear to be preference.

 

trailer seems to be ldeal, so much for quick and easy but i guess this isn’t that kind of kayak 

[Bassin Bruce]

No, definitely not that kind of kayak.

If you're looking to drag a kayak down a gravel trail ( or any trail) with one hand and a rod in the other I would look in a different direction.

[Jeffrey Walker]

ok so now what kind of trailer do i look for?

[flyfisher]

9 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

ok so now what kind of trailer do i look for?

lots of good kayak trailers out there.  My dad has an autopilot 13' version and he has a loadrite kayak one that does the job nicely and he is able to launch just like a boat.  I personally have an old sportsrig model which is sort of like the yakima roof rack on wheels and it does me well.  Doesn't allow for launching directly but I am ok with that as I can tow it with my Mini Cooper Countryman.

[Togue]

26 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

ok so now what kind of trailer do i look for?

I vote for a cheaper utility trailer over a specialized kayak trailer or jet ski type.

 

A Carry-On 3x5 trailer can be found used for ~$500 and with extended tongue fits the kayak and gives you space for storing junk underneath. It's higher than other trailers but still lower than a truck bed. Fits two fishing kayaks nicely with horizontal 2x4 bunks attached to the top rail. 

 

With a utility trailer, you give up the ability to back into the water at a ramp (without quickly ruining lights and bearings anyways). Most of my local fishing access is walking paths to the water, not developed ramps, so it wasn't a loss for me. Even at a ramp I park and walk the kayak down to the water with the c-tug. I tend to get on the water quicker that way. 

 

[Kevhead19]

PA14 with Boonedox gear and a bed extender. Fits perfectly in my Sierra 1500.

[Jeffrey Walker]

5 minutes ago, Kevhead19 said:

PA14 with Boonedox gear and a bed extender. Fits perfectly in my Sierra 1500.

what size bed?

[Kevhead19]

13 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

what size bed?

The 6.5 foot bed. I use an Erickson bed extender (correction -- SR size rated 400lb with folding arms).

Edited August 6, 2022 by Kevhead19
Correction of detail

[Jeffrey Walker]

Man I am torn. 

 

Being in the market for a new vehicle.  The Pickup seems to be the logical choice and I dont see why I cant easily load and unload the kayak into the bed and cart to the water using something lilke the boon dox wheels.  The pickup seems the obvious choice for convenience. 

 

But the rods and internal storage and lack of passengers just to have a kayak is an issue. Getting an SUV would be much more convenient for the family and also allow for more internal storage but that would essentially require a trailer which I did nto want to go down that road but perhaps I should??

[Kevhead19]

I've not had issues moving it though I only roll it a short distance at ramps on the wheels. I also built a caster wheeled storage stand to just slide it onto when done and it rolls around my garage as we need to move it. I had more home storage pains than anything.

 

I leave rods in the tube in my kayak in the bed. I put wheels, drive, net, pfd in truck while transporting. Removing the wheels at speed was a recommendation from the dealer who installed them.

 

All that said it's just my wife and I. My truck is essentially a one man vehicle. Her vehicle does the rest.

 

I fish with a friend who has a Tacoma and a PA12. He trailers it and has no issues. He does have more family members and is more convenient similar to your thoughts.

 

 

[SWVABass]

If your young and in shape top it. I top a pa 12 all the time on a lifted rubicon with 35”s. Is it the easiest probably not but I’m not going to let that stop me. I also top it on my vw. Made multiple trips over 1400 miles to fish the gulf with it and have had no issues. Maybe I just like doing stuff the hard way but I figure I save $500-$1000 on a trailer and tags so I put that into rods and a depth finder.

 

Either way a PA in my opinion is hands down the best rig to go with, however you get it there.

[Cory20]

I trailer my pa 14 harbor freight utility trailer. The thing is so heavy I wouldnt want to go fishing if I had to put it in the truck bed every time. Plus my local spots all have very good ramps. 

[Darth-Baiter]

if you can pick up a big bag of dog food, you can move a pro-angler around on wheels and get it into a truck bed.  I'm a regular guy and I can load my buddies pro angler.  I have.  his truck is lifted as well.

[Jeffrey Walker]

39 minutes ago, Cory N said:

I trailer my pa 14 harbor freight utility trailer. The thing is so heavy I wouldnt want to go fishing if I had to put it in the truck bed every time. Plus my local spots all have very good ramps. 

really how difficult found it be to put into a truck bed?