Finally got enough in the cunning kick to grab a Vicking Esprit and do a basic fit out. Except I got up close and personal with a couple of these Hobie Outbacks while I've been out wading, throwing sp's and they do look the goods. The bulk of my fishing is throwing lures at structure and my one year old son has better balance than me. What do I do, give in to the bug and grab what I can afford now so I'm on the water quicker or keep putting money away so when I test paddle I can get the yak that makes me happiest. It's just that the idea of holding yourself in the current while working over a structure and firing off speculators while on the move really appeals but I was ready to get on the water a couple of months ago and I'm not that patient.
What to do?
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Tricky one mate.
Gatesy has moved up from a very good yak to something even more classy. You'll be moving up from wading to any yak. For me it was moving up from a dodgey 2 seater fibreglass canoe that rarely got used to a Prowler 13. The canoe was uncontrollable in any sort of wind, the Prowler handles the wind very well and you can even fish in windy conditions. It sounds like the Hobies are easy to fish from in the wind.
I reckon you'll find any decent SOT yak set up for fishing to be magic compared to your wading experiences, I know I have. The Espri is a good looking yak, good bang for your buck there. :wink:
Cheers
Vert
Gatesy has moved up from a very good yak to something even more classy. You'll be moving up from wading to any yak. For me it was moving up from a dodgey 2 seater fibreglass canoe that rarely got used to a Prowler 13. The canoe was uncontrollable in any sort of wind, the Prowler handles the wind very well and you can even fish in windy conditions. It sounds like the Hobies are easy to fish from in the wind.
I reckon you'll find any decent SOT yak set up for fishing to be magic compared to your wading experiences, I know I have. The Espri is a good looking yak, good bang for your buck there. :wink:
Cheers
Vert
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2,490 Posts
Thats the way I would go. Get a yak, then another, and so on. Trouble is, have you any idea just how hard it is to get rid of a yak, once you come to love it?
Selling them is easy, but parting is such sorrow
There, that made matters worse didn't it :lol:
Cheers Andybear :lol:
Selling them is easy, but parting is such sorrow
There, that made matters worse didn't it :lol:
Cheers Andybear :lol:
Shayne, I believe that if it is a fishing platform that you are after then you can't go past the Hobies. As Gatesy said, you have the ability to hold station while casting and no need to muck around with an anchor.
I didn't go for one for my second yak because I like what paddling has done for my lower back and upper body. Neither is going to win any prizes but both are a lot better than pre-yak.
I didn't go for one for my second yak because I like what paddling has done for my lower back and upper body. Neither is going to win any prizes but both are a lot better than pre-yak.
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11,115 Posts
Mate if you bought now, you would be able to offload the Espri later if you wished without being to greatly out of pocket as I think as they are well thought of as fishing yaks and would shift easily enough.
It all depends how long you are prepared to wait before going Hobie, without having a boat between time
It all depends how long you are prepared to wait before going Hobie, without having a boat between time
Great news, sort of, had my first paddle in a kayak on Sat afternoon down on Newport Canals at Redcliffe. Jumped into a perception sik minnow, well jumped isn't totally true I sort of wrigled, squirmed and pushed my way into it, the joys of being a fat [email protected]@d. Got out on the water, praise the lord and pass the ammunition, I didn't fall out which I suppose technically wouldn't have been possible anyway, at least not without some serious modification to the opening! :roll:
On the down side I've discovered that it is possible to be too fat to comfortably paddle a kayak. What I find really funny is that I'm going to have to go on a diet before I can start kayaking which I was going to use to lose weight and get fit in the first place.
So it's goodbye tasty amber fluid, delicious dripping pizza and hello rabbit food. At least this will give me a little more time to put together some more cash just in case. Apologies for the false alarm.
On the down side I've discovered that it is possible to be too fat to comfortably paddle a kayak. What I find really funny is that I'm going to have to go on a diet before I can start kayaking which I was going to use to lose weight and get fit in the first place.
So it's goodbye tasty amber fluid, delicious dripping pizza and hello rabbit food. At least this will give me a little more time to put together some more cash just in case. Apologies for the false alarm.
I have a Minnow which used to be a bit of a squeeze to get into. (I've lost about 10kgs since getting into yakfishing early last year.) One of the reasons I was immediately smitten with my Swing when I bought it (in March 05) was just how practical these SOTs are for us old FBs.
Go and try a few SOTS, you'll be pleasantly surprised how well they cope with a paddler of 'generous proportions'. Plus they're really practical for fishing from.
Go and try a few SOTS, you'll be pleasantly surprised how well they cope with a paddler of 'generous proportions'. Plus they're really practical for fishing from.
Prob. should have Karl except wasn't keen in case of tipping it with all your gear on board and of course there was always the fear of making a goose of myself in front of people I didn't know so well at that stage. Next fishing trip hey?
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Heya Shayned,
A minnow is only a very small yak. mate I don't know how big you are but another option before you can get one of those beautiful hobies might be a Viking Tempo.
I saw a bloke fishing from one a few months ago and he was a VERY big man. he fished in it all day - every day, no problems at all and it seemed to be a superb fishing platform.
They are not a dear yak new and there seems to be plenty of them around second hand. I would check em out.
A minnow is only a very small yak. mate I don't know how big you are but another option before you can get one of those beautiful hobies might be a Viking Tempo.
I saw a bloke fishing from one a few months ago and he was a VERY big man. he fished in it all day - every day, no problems at all and it seemed to be a superb fishing platform.
They are not a dear yak new and there seems to be plenty of them around second hand. I would check em out.
Mick,
Cheers for the advice, as to how big I am put it this way I'm Jenny Craig's personal Mt. Everest, only I'm a lot more fun to climb on,sort of like a jumping castle with nipples really. :lol:
I'll catch up with Karl and take his espri for a run, he kindly sent me a text message making the offer while at the same time suggesting that picking one of the smallest Kayaks made for a test paddle wasn't one of my brightest ideas to date or something along that sort of wording. Very hard Karl, very hard. :wink:
Cheers for the advice, as to how big I am put it this way I'm Jenny Craig's personal Mt. Everest, only I'm a lot more fun to climb on,sort of like a jumping castle with nipples really. :lol:
I'll catch up with Karl and take his espri for a run, he kindly sent me a text message making the offer while at the same time suggesting that picking one of the smallest Kayaks made for a test paddle wasn't one of my brightest ideas to date or something along that sort of wording. Very hard Karl, very hard.
:wink:
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1,433 Posts
No worries mate. The Espri is a fine boat by all reports but if you are as big as you say you are, the Tempo might be the go. I don't know who has one down your way but the bloke on Bribie Island (Aquariussea kayaks) is a Viking dealer and he is happy to arrange test paddles. His prices are pretty competitive too.
What ever yak you get, will certainly help you to lose weight. it is an ideal all body workout and is low impact. I think all us older blokes here can well and truly vouch for that.
What ever yak you get, will certainly help you to lose weight. it is an ideal all body workout and is low impact. I think all us older blokes here can well and truly vouch for that.
Yeah hes a good guys mick thats the guy i got mine from.
shayned i dont know if i should tell you this but............ :twisted: arrrrrr to hell with it, PHONE him and ask for what ever yak you want. You pay 30% of your yak off right away and then 12 monthly payment with no intressed.
That what i did and i got a Viking Predator.
shayned i dont know if i should tell you this but............ :twisted: arrrrrr to hell with it, PHONE him and ask for what ever yak you want. You pay 30% of your yak off right away and then 12 monthly payment with no intressed.
That what i did and i got a Viking Predator.
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