Can anyone share their experience with either of these or suggest something similar? Been shopping around for a while now. I think I've got it narrowed down to the Amigo or the lure. I fish conventional gear for bass mostly on local lakes but do occasionally go down to the coast.

The stability, flat deck, and price make the Amigo very appealing. I hear fly fisherman love it but I don't fly fish (not yet anyway) so I'm not sure it would fit every situation for me. Maybe it would but that's why I'm seeking input.

The stability, rigging, and rudder option are what I like about the lure. However, at around $1500 for the yak and rudder it feels a little overpriced compared to the amigo. It's also pretty slow. Slower than the Amigo IMO after having paddled both.

Speed is not a top priority for me but I don't want to be on the slowest yak either. I'd say stability and tracking are most important to me considering I'm usually drifting along banks and cover on the lakes.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated,

Doug

You might look at a Wilderness Systems Ride115, or even a Radar115. Both are very stable, faster than the Lure or Amigo, the Ride costs less, and the seat has 2 height settings. I have a Ride with the older seats, and I have both high and low seats and use both in different situations. And with the Radar, you can add pedal drive later if you like. I like pedal drive, but I haven't found a pedal kayak with a seating position I can tolerate yet (I'm 6'4", 265#). I'm waiting to check out the Radar. Before I deal with a Pro Angler, I will take my bass boat.

I paddled the radar at a demo day recently but wasn't overly impressed. It was stable but not as stable as the Amigo or lure. The tracking wasn't great and I just didn't care for the way it paddled. As for the pedal drive, it broke on a radar 135 while I was waiting to try it out. I'm very skeptical of the wilderness systems pedal drives right now. I haven't heard anything good about either the pilot pedal drive or the helix for the radar.

Maybe the radar would be better with just a rudder but if I'm going to drop an extra $1000 for a pedal drive then it's going to be on a hobie or a native.

Ride 11.5 is a good all around yak. Diablo has always LOOKED to me like they would b great for creeks & rivers. I know they r NOT DESIGNED 4 open water however. This is something u should really consider IMO. The Ride 11.5 simple beats so many other boats as an all around vessel for an average size guy. It will also sell easily when that time comes because of its versatility & great reviews. The Diablo is in a high price range initially & won't resale as easy IMO.

Sorry, i can't help u with the lure. I'm too big for the ride 11.5 or I have one myself. Suggest ya test paddle them to see which one will work best for u. If u can't do that, id go with the ride. It's popular for good reason.

@Dougfresh: I have a Diablo Chupacabra and have been on the Lure 11.5 several times, both are extremely stable boats yet the main difference would be weight and seating comfort. I went with the Chup because of the weight, I consistently carry my kayak to secluded bodies of water and this was not feasible on the Lure. The counter-argument is the Lure has a wheel built into the keel for just this reason so you would only have to worry about loading and unloading.

The Lure's seat is hands-down amazing compared to the Larry Chair option on a Diablo (any version). I personally hate the Larry Chair for comfort; it is compact, light and easy to set up but not ideal for long paddles or extended sit times. I have been on the Calaveras Lake outside San Antonio on my Chup and got beat to death with the wind and distance. Ponds and rivers are where the Diablo comes into its own and is very hard to beat. Recommend demo'ing both multiple times although either way you go both are solid platforms. ACK in Austin has both available to rent.

Luke

Some good points y'all. Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I should go look at a ride 115 or 135. Sounds like it's being replaced by the radar but taking the pedal drive out of consideration I would eliminate the radar based on price alone.

Seems like the ride would be a better option than the lure. I'll be using a cart so other than pushing it into my truck bed weight isn't much of an issue. Good thing there's another demo day in new braunfels this weekend.

I haven't floated a lure but do own an Amigo. I do agree that others have more comfortable stock seating systems. But for camping, the Larry chair is awesome. Also the versatility of using an ice chest for a seat/stand is great. I like to stand and site cast and the Diablo is second to none on stability and open space. You will need a skeg and an anchor is beneficial. AND you will have no problem reselling a diablo, it will sell quicker than most other kayaks.

I have the lure 11.5. I like the seat, it is very stable( my 6 yr old can walk all around in it with me in it and I'm 5'10" 230lbs). I can also stand up and fish in it but don't do it much cause the chair is awesome. Wheel in the keel is great. The draw backs are its heavy and is a load to paddle on long trips. I mostly fish the llano river around junction but I have had it on nasworhy in Angelo. It is great for what I wanted. Hope this helps.