Your area may be a little tougher to get to and back out of than mine. However, when the winds start to jet under and past the Golden Gate Bridge, they are often very strong up here. Our tidal impacts can be big depending on the time of the year and the moon phase.
My Freedom Hawk is very stable with the stabilizer pontoons in the wide open position, but with my crippled shoulder and rotator cuff, I would never be able to get safely to and from the fishing areas. In some of the fishing areas, there is protection from the wind from an hour before and hour after high tide. I still have to get there and back.
We have a lot of new flats areas due to the massive flood control work the past few years. The only way you could fish these areas would be in a kayak to standup and pole or standup paddle into, around and out. My Freedom Hawk 12 would be great, except I probably couldn't get back to the launch site due to winds/currents.
I use a 10' 6" 6 wt Switch Rod or a 11' 9 wt Switch Rod from my Freedom Hawk. I can stand up and use the deck, my chair/seat or coil the shooting line in my hand. In spite being able to cast 60-70+ feet, most of the time, I only need a simple roll cast and shoot a rod length of running/shooting line while standing.
Sitting in an Outback/Outfitter with a Mirage unit sticking up and around the floor creates an impossible situation.
My sons and wife for Christmas last year, gave me what they call Dark Side gear, some nice spinning and casting rods which will work in an Outback or Outfitter.
I would prefer to two handed fly cast, but if I can't, I have no problem using spinning or casting gear.
A lurker on the Spey sites and here, suggested that I buy one of the newer collapsible catch and release nets with the new rubber netting and put the net over the Mirage unit. Then, the running line would just lay on top of the net and not get tangled in the Mirage pedals. This might be a simple and low cost way to get by. Of course I would be limited to sitting unless I could safely stand up like in the Freedom Hawk.
Thanks for the feedback. I will probably go for the Outfitter since the cost would be about the same since I have 2 Mirage units, 2 paddles and 2 of every thing else, that came with our Oasis.
The Outback or Outfitter should work well with my needs. The Outfitter would enable me to carry more gear and eventually my Grandson, when his parents allow him. He and his sister would like to shoot carp with their bows from the front our Kayaks. They could do that in the Oasis as well as an Outfitter.
Spinfisherbob wrote:
I'm an Outback guy, most of my fishing is done in tidal current areas, Great Bay, NJ is my home water. As a fisherman first and Kayak-er 2nd, I have more room, more stability and more built in features than other Hobie models. As far as current goes the Outback cruises at 3.5 mph with the turbo fins and while going out Atlantic City inlet I make way at 1.2 mph against a 3-4 mph current. While fishing I work the soft side of the current lines and have an easy time of holding on a spot or moving up to the next spot. Wind slows me down more than current. I regularly fish in 15-18 mph winds on open water and up to 30mph gusts up river. Seems like you are primarily a fly fisher and I understand how your striping line might get involved with the foot pedals. While fly fishing from a mirage drive kayak there is seldom a need for me to make casts beyond 30 feet. My 9 1/2 foot 9wt Kilwell reaches this distance with ease and not a lot of line in my lap. I am also sitting so my shoulder gets tired with excessive heave haul false casting. The Outback is the best all around fishing Kayak IMO, Tangles an backlashes are on me.
I rode an Outfitter once and was able to stand up and paddle/ pole with ease through flats areas. Was real nice. For solo use I did experience more wind effects, was a pretty quick drift. The wind was 25mph steady. That's all I know, and it didn't take long to tell you...Ar ar