A 17 foot Tandem Fishing Kayak weighing 104 kgs.....who would of thought???...the answer is Hobie! Of course.
So we have seen the Hobie Videos and the blurbs...now it is time to test the Hobie Pro Angler 17....ROD BENDING STYLE!
Our target fish is Estuary Perch and around the mangroves of Anderson Inlet is our destination.
With 3 drive wells incorporated into the hull, it was also a great opportunity to test the Hobie Evolve Motor by Torqeedo.
A beautiful sunrise but a very cold Sth Gippsland morning. (Wearing a beanie in January....Australian Summers).
The Pro Angler 17 is stable, two anglers could stand and cast over the same side. But in saying that, the height of the seats enable efficient casting when seated. The H-Rails allow for adjustable custom fitting of all your accessories and are easy to interchange to suit your target fish. The seat height allows for storing tackle trays underneath for easy access.
The upgraded Mirage Drive makes Turbo Fin propulsion easier and we achieved speeds of 3-4 knots.
Now the Evolve Motor. I had tested it prior on the Outback when it was first released. I was very impressed with it's performance when fitted to the rudder. But, the Pro Angler 17 rigged hull weight is 2 1/2 times that of the Outback and some 10 inches wider. Not to mention an extra person and a heap of gear! The Hobie evolve Motor did its job fitted in the centre drive well. It cruised at the right speeds for trolling, held the kayak in position in the running tide and got us home into a nasty 20 plus knot North Westerly.
Had a great morning being the "Net man" for Shane who caught 8 fish from his first 12 casts. Shallow diving Rapala XR4 hard bodies and surface lures did the job.
Enjoy our video with a great sound track from Rick Swaney (courtesy of Leafmatter Records). Many thanks to Shane for the great camera work and editing.
