re: The Official Kayak Thread

Man i never get hot and I’m fully covered except for finger tips. I wear Columbia stuff and it breathes so well. And I hate being hot

looks like what is built into the PA's, i'm sure Team Hobie can help ya more
is that gonna be for transportation or on the water, why horizontally?

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is that gonna be for transportation or on the water, why horizontally?

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Plan to have it on the water. I fish Big Lake a majority of the time, most places are 4-5 ft of water so I would prefer to not have to worry about breaking rods when/if I tip. I am left handed and throw mostly side-arm so I figured having it on the back right side of the boat will keep it nice and out of the way.

And like AlxTgr said, to keep it out of trees when I fish around home.

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I figured having it on the back right side of the boat will keep it nice and out of the way.

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awww got ya now and I need a guide service at Big Lake
hit Prien and "chew pic" but with the duck hunters over there I never have fished it

I finally got to take the new Compass out today to Pelican Point on Big Lake. First fish was a 12lb bull red. Managed to snag a few more rat reds but nothing big enough to keep.

My initial thoughts on the Compass:

1) It is extremely comfortable to fish in. We only went from 8-1 today but after fishing in 15mph winds I wasn’t fatigued. The seat is comfortable and wide and the open layout of the cockpit is a huge plus.

2) It’s very stable. There were some decent sized waves out there today and even when one would hit broadside it never felt “tippy” or unsafe.

3) It seemed quick and cut waves well. Even the waves that broke over the bow drained into the hole for the Mirage Drive so I stayed pretty dry. I have never fished out of another Hobie so I don’t have much to compare it to. I did paddle circles around by buddy in a FF Lure 11.5, but that’s not a fair comparison.

4) The paddle holder sucks.

5) I like the mesh netting on the front. After not being able to access my landing net on the bull red, I moved it under the mesh for better access and it worked really well. I also used it to store my mirage drive when leaving the launch.

6) The rudder is great. With a few flutter kicks you can turn the boat 180 degrees with ease, even in big wind.

7) the molded rod holders suck. There was a lot of wiggle room for my rod in these. When I would go over waves the reels would bang against the boat.

If you can, I would upgrade to the 180 drive. I know a lot of people say they never use it, but I used mine about 30% of the time today. It was great for pointing the nose of the boat with the wind and being able to keep my distance from the bank without being pushed in.

Overall, I am really happy with the purchase!

man that's good to hear, had a buddy rent one from Eddie at PAC and he was impressed with it but not sure of a fix for the rod holders, maybe some type of insert??

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Pelican Point on Big Lake

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thinking of heading the way (or west cove) next Sun if the weathers good any advise for over there?

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Joe’s Cove as well.

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thanks for the heads up!
shite mind shooting me an email

I am trying to decide between adding those and trying to find an option for horizontal rod storage. I will probably do a good bit of trolling trying to find fish and when the rods are stored vertical they can get in the way if I change direction.

I had H-rails installed on my kayak so I am looking at some options with that as well.

Is a BCKFC membership worth it? I'm relatively new to saltwater kayak fishing, so I'm looking for as much help as I can get. Would this be a good investment for a rookie?

I joined both for forum access and maps.. the BCKFC launch map has helped me find a few new places. The discounts are clutch also... I’ve definitely paid for my membership With the 10% off.