This Hobie® Mirage Tandem Island rigging is too good not to share, despite the quality of the video. Bear with it please. If you are an Island fan who fishes, you want to see it.
An Island ‘roll bar’ or header bar is an end user modification used by anglers to change the angle of the main sheet as it comes off the sail, lifting it above the back seater’s head on a ‘TI,’ or the solo angler’s on a Mirage Adventure Island. Doing so comes with a small disadvantage – by changing the geometry, it slightly depowers the sail. Most anglers don’t mind the minor performance penalty.
We encountered this version during this spring’s Battle in the Bahamas kayak fishing tournament. The proud builder is Scott Oxenhandler. He was inspired by the rigging work of the Uyeda Brothers, 2016 Hobie Fishing Top Guns famous for big game fishing from their Tandem Island.
Unlike the Uyeda Brothers, Scott uses heavier 1.5-inch schedule 40 PVC. He also added a pair of rod holders on projections that reach just behind the seat. It’s built to accommodate a Hobie Livewell beneath it.
