Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

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Taildragger321
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Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

I will be upgrading and buying a new boat soon. I’m looking at several of the pedal-powered boats. I’m considering the Hobie PA12, Outback, Native Titan, Jackson, or an Old Town, all in the 12 ft range.

The pedal drives are new to me. I’d appreciate any input on the quality, durability, maintenance of the drives, and anything else you think I should consider.

I do fish in lakes for bass, crappie, and white bass, but mostly will be fishing saltwater. I fish bays, marshes, and some in the surf when conditions allow.

I will be transporting it in the bed of my pickup with a bed extender.

I do plan on attending the demo days in April.

Thanks for any input and thanks for the forum for making this possible!
Last edited by Taildragger321 on Mon Mar 25, 2019 6:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
SWFinatic
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by SWFinatic »

I believe those are all quality kayaks. Really depends on where you fish and what you're looking to get out of it. For me I like the Hobie pedal drive system because when I'm in shallow water and it's nice to be able to push one pedal forward and raise the fins up against the hull without having to remove or raise the pedal drive. May not seem like much but to me it saves a lot of time and some frustration. I have both styles of pedal drives and to me the Hobie is easier to pedal. As far as Hobie drive maintenance there's not a lot other than washing them well after each use and spraying a little WD40 on the moving parts.

If you fish shallow water consider having to paddle it. I have a Pro Angler. It's really stable and has tons of room but not easy at all to paddle. Also consider transporting it. It's harder to car top and PA than it is an Outback. For me hauling mine on a trailer works best.

Old Town makes a solid boat and the Predator has a great hull design but if you fish in shallow water where the pedal drive will be raised your feet are gonna stay pretty wet as the deck gets a lot of water coming in from the pedal drive hole.

I highly recommend attending one of the demo day events by ACK coming up soon. I know the one in Austin is the first weekend in April. This way you can demo mist if not all of these boats.
Taildragger321
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

Thanks so much for your input. I do fish on lakes some but mostly saltwater: bays, marshes, and some in the surf when conditions are favorable. The Mirage drive seems to make more sense for marsh fishing in shallow water. I don’t know enough about them and how they hold up to hitting something and bending the rods. For transporting, I have a pickup with a bed extender. I’m trying to avoid having to commit part of my garage to a trailer. Thanks again.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

Is your old boat usable?
I think I would separate salt and lake in 2 boats.
My buddy's Hobie Revo paddles great. Likewise, his Jackson Coosa is a perfect river boat.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by SWFinatic »

Ron Mc wrote:Is your old boat usable?
I think I would separate salt and lake in 2 boats.
My buddy's Hobie Revo paddles great. Likewise, his Jackson Coosa is a perfect river boat.
Good info! My Pro Angler is great for when I want to go fishing for catfish at the lake but for the marsh my choice would be a Hobie Revo 13.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

I sold my kayak to a friend so we can continue to fish together. He is a new kayaker and I gave him a good deal so he is loving it.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

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He bought the Coosa when it first came out. He really wanted it to stand and drift on the flats, but after one trip to LHL, it's never been in the salt again. The boat beat him up in coast wind, and he found the wind also prevented him from standing (I know he fell in once before he quit trying).
But again, it's one of the best river boats I know, here on a float from Waring to Sisterdale.
Image

he made up for it with a great buy on the 16' Revo (a blem at ACK demo days for $1100 off list)
Image
Last edited by Ron Mc on Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

Taildragger321 wrote:I sold my kayak to a friend so we can continue to fish together. He is a new kayaker and I gave him a good deal so he is loving it.
what boat did you sell him?
How about Viking on your list for fast and wind?
(I'm of course still a steadfast T160 inamorato for salt)
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

Good info. I would like a boat stable enough to stand in. I’m getting older and would like more creature comforts so I can enjoy a longer time on the water.
I sold him a Necky Dolphin. It is a fast boat. I bought it before angling kayaks were coming out. I added to it and modified it with angler amenities.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

If you want to keep up with him, you definitely want Mirage drive, or a fast paddle boat like the Viking.
I think Shoffer and DandyDon fish Hobies - maybe ask their opinions from their experience-base.

Be careful and lean on your experience. The last thing you want to do is spend $1600 on an "angler" boat that won't let you last to get where you want to go. To me, coast fishing will always be touring.
This day was a 10-mi paddle.
Image

You may often hear kayak standing referred to as a gimmick used to sell kayaks. That gets my vote.
I'd much rather have the ability to paddle to places I can stake-out and wade.
Image

for rigging, slidetrax sold me on my then-new 2009 tarpon - all boats have some version of them now, though Hobie's rail system is specific to Hobie.

Image
Image
My buddy also added a couple of strategic tracks at spots on his Hobie. He also admitted to preferring the Wilderness-style recessed slidetrax.
Image
The Hobie seat gets high marks on comfort. It has adjustable height, which you want low for traveling at the coast.
He also can remove his for seat for lunch on Outside Beach at Estes.
Image
Taildragger321
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

Definitely trying to avoid getting into an expensive boat only to be disappointed after a while. How often do you need to breakdown the Mirage drives to rebuild and maintain them?
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

I can paddle fine but have had a should injury in the past that I don’t want to aggravate. That’s the main reason for wanting a pedal craft. I’d rather pedal more than paddle.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

Taildragger321 wrote:Definitely trying to avoid getting into an expensive boat only to be disappointed after a while. How often do you need to breakdown the Mirage drives to rebuild and maintain them?
https://slhobie.com.au/info/faq/165-q-h ... iragedrive
Note use of dry lube - Sailkote, Inox, etc.
http://www.yakangler.com/how-to-paddlin ... rage-drive
This one says cleaning is about all you need to do.

If I ever make the switch, I personally will go with Hobie - I really like the Revo. You may want a Compass. Try a bunch at Demo Days.

Wilderness now has the Helix pedal system, but to me, Mirage makes so much sense for the mechanics - and I ride bicycles - up to 100 mi/wk (sometimes more).
https://www.wildernesssystems.com/us/pr ... edal-drive
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

Thanks. Great reading material. How about the Old Town “Topwater”. It looks like Old Town is getting into the let’s call it the upper scale of angling kayaks. Does anyone know anything about this boat and drive unit?
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

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I've never been in the Topwater PDL. For me it's too short. I talked to a couple of people at boat ramps that had them. Both said it wasn't for them. But I see folks on YT that have mixed feelings about the boat. I think Old Town makes a great product but I personally like a kayak at least 12'.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

OT PDL has an awful lot of freeboard - it's not a boat I'd take to the coast with a plan to travel more than a few hundred yards - and even then find wind shelter to fish.
The new generation of bass boats may look practical for fishing, but they're not practical for coast fishing.
You should be sorting between Compass, Outback, Revolution.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Wed Mar 27, 2019 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

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Taildragger321 wrote:Thanks. Great reading material. How about the Old Town “Topwater”. It looks like Old Town is getting into the let’s call it the upper scale of angling kayaks. Does anyone know anything about this boat and drive unit?
Here's a link to a spreadsheet I found online that compares most of the pedal kayaks available. There are a few I noticed that aren't on here but these are the ones I would choose from for saltwater/marsh fishing.

https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event= ... preadsheet
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

that's a good spreadsheet, but freeboard is not included, unless I overlooked it.
Hobie stands well in that group.
Wind handling is always a factor at the coast.
One thing nice about ACK demo in San Marcos, the ski lake where they hold it is up high in the wind.
Also Texas Kayak in Boerne demo's by appointment at Boerne City Lake - the wind there is always comparable to coast wind.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

Very good spreadsheet to compare boats. Ron, when you say Hobie stabdsbyo well in wind, are referring only to the Outback or are you including the PA12?
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Ron Mc »

I've never been in a PA12, but Outback would get my vote for versatility at the coast (for my personal choice, wouldn't go past the Revo, which isn't on their spreadsheet, but I have no interest in standing in a kayak).
PA really fits the bass boat model.
Right now, you're used to handling a 50 lb ABS boat between your vehicle and the water.
You might also want to think about what you plan to do when weight of your boat pushes and exceeds 100 lbs.
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Re: Titan, Hobie, Jackson, & Old Town. Need input!

Post by Taildragger321 »

I’m already putting pen to paper to come up with a system to do the heavy lifting for me.
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