Mirage Drive in shallow water

What do all of you do when you're pedaling in about two or three feet of water and very quickly the water level can change to less than a foot or there are weeds you're gliding into. I thought I read on one of the posts that you can step on the pedals to make the fins lay flat against the bottom of the kayak? How would you handle a situation like this?

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Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.

In 3 feet of water I pedal my heart out, in 2 feet of water I start to pay more attention to the bottom. By pushing either foot forward the mirage drive will fold flush with the bottom of the hull.
ProAngler155: You got your pro angler on order yet?

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Brad Stephens
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PA155,

There have been a couple posts on this topic but to answer your question up front.

You flutter the fins when in skinny water. I have been in as little as a foot and by fluttering spreading the pedals all the way apart (fins against hull) and then short strokes back & forth (1/4 pedal stoke) you can move over the shallows and weeds very easily. Unless you know the area there is always a chance you may bump the bottom in an abrupt shallow. I have hit an oyster bar unexpectedly in unkown water with no damage I then fluttered slowly to deeper water.

You will find that fluttering can move you quite quickly and is a good technique of stealth for slow relocation when fishing flats or bass beds by limiting the turbulence in the water and possibly scaring fish. Of course pedal & coast is best approach to a fishing spot.

Revo

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I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

Going through the openings in these rocks in an Adventure, about 5" to 7" inches deep, I got positioned to go through at the correct angle, built a little forward momentum by fluttering short strokes close to the hull, folded the fins against the hull by pushing 1 pedal forward, raised the rudder & held paddle in case I drifted too close to a rock I could push off... drive never touched bottom. I guess I could have "poled" my way through, pushing off the bottom with the paddle, or gotten out and walked across too, but it was plenty deep at about 5" to 7"

This newspper photo angle makes it look like there was no way through. It was navigable, but shallow, so below is another photo I took of same rocks at another angle ...

While I was there a whole family and their children walked all the way across the lake on those rocks lol

Thanks for the info. Is there anyway to lock (so to speak) the fins against the hull. For example, in a situation where you drifted into shallow water to where you were using the fluttering motion as you said, if you decided to stay in this area and maybe cast in whatever direction, would it be possible to lock the fins so you could take your feet off of the pedals to stand up and fish or would you have to remove the mirage drive and fill the hole with the plug thats used when your not using the mirage drive?

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Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.

I'm going to see the Mirage Pro Angler for the first time this weekend. There is a canoe and kayak show about an hour away from me this coming sunday. I can't wait. I'm dying to see the PA.

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Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.

Situation hasn't occurred for me, I usually just go through skinny areas, so never thought about it, but if you want to "lock them" should be easy to bungie 1 peddle forward (like to a padeye) or the other back to "lock" them ... You can't "remove" them while in shallow water, because they need to be vertical to line up in drive well to remove them.

Hey Pro,

I am not sure about the ProAngler but the Revolution HAS a bungee with a hook to hold the pedals apart and fins to hull. Best ask Mr. Miller with Hobie if the PA has one too. I would Assume (but then maybe I shouldn't)
that is has a bungee & hook. If not I am sure one can be added by your dealer.

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I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

I realized what you had said after I posted, about the fins having to be straight in order for you to pull it out. That was a dumb question, huh? lol.

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Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.

When you get your boat or have one to look at check out, how little travel of the pedals it takes to move the fins a significant amount. When we are in shallow water we move the pedals less than a 1/2" from fully apart and this gives us over 6" of fin stroke near the hull. Done rapidly this can move the boat 3+ mph. You need to train yourself to go full forward with one pedal as soon as you feel a strike of the fins. I think the natural tendency (after watching people I take out) is to stop feet together, maximum draft.

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Just Traveling About

Thanks Tandem. I'll check that out this weekend at the canoe and kayak show. By the way, I received a call about an hour ago from my local hobie dealer and he said after the 1st of April he will have a ProAngler for me to demo. I can't wait.

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Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.

The Jersey Paddler show in Summerset? A few of us from Hobie will be flying over there and working the booth this weekend - look forward to meeting you there!

Yes, the one in Somerset. I look forward to meeting you too. I'll be there on Sunday.

_________________
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat (or kayak)and drink beer all day.