just seen one and?

[bassgas]

Just saw a guy with a kayak and he was peddling it and me with 2 knee replacement and loving to fish. i thought this would be great for me also live close to lake and small river. but not sure where to start because i know me I will need to add lots of stuff LOL looking for a larger one being 6'1" 270 I have not even started looking but have a few questions if it has foot pedals will they be a problem launching from shore? also would like to paddle as well at 58 years old need to do something for upper body as well. love to bass fish and panfish as well already have 2 boats so i have alot of stuff i can transfer from one to the other. do you know of any place that lets you demo i live in southern illinois I have heard that there is sit in and sit on top not sure whats best? How ruff of water is to much to use a kayak in? does anyone use theirs for hunting and trapping? just looking for some advise thanks in advance

[rds_nc]

The pedal kayaks are great! Hobies were the first type of pedal yaks then Native and Wilderness Systems this year. Hobie and Native are both proven drives, don't know much about the Wilderness System yet but they are a well known kayak brand. Native and WS drives are traditional pedal set ups like you're used to on a bike. Hobie has a more back and forth motion. Not sure what type of small river you're near but if it's real rocky and shallow then the pedal kayaks probably aren't the best choice. I use a small hand paddle to get myself into about 12-18 inches of water before I drop my drive down, it's very easy to open a hatch then pivot the drive in and out. For a pedal driven boat then it's going to be a sit on top. Generally, they're more stable for fishing anyway. Rough water is relative but I was handling wakes from the off shore boats coming back in with no problems. My friend duck hunts out of his kayak, same model as mine, b/c the seat lays all the way back and he made a burlap cover as a blind. Now for the bad news...the pedal yaks are high dollar and heavy. I try to back my truck all the way to the water to launch/recover b/c all decked out mine weighs in around 130lb.

[bassgas]

Yes I have seen prices cheapest is around 1500 new not seeing a lot of used ones thanks for all the information. And the giver is not shallow and rocky

[basscatlildave]

I have the Hobie Pro Angler and it is heavy but it fishes great. The fin drive doesn't have to be removed every time you get into shallow water as they will lay up against the hull. We take them a lot of out of the way places. Good luck in your search.

[fluke1987]

I live in Northern Illinois....shoot me an email at Alan@KayakBassLeague.com

[sgt93]

I just got back from fishing in my Hobie Outback. It's a great fishing kayak and a little lighter than the Pro Angler (although the Pro Angler is easier to stand in). Highly recommend one.