I love my hobie the hands free fishing cant be beat. Native does have rev so thats a plus. Long range kayaking in high seas i love my adventure. Fresh water i might go with a native just cause the rev. The hands free is key i have fished once without my drive when i was exploring shallow water and hated not having my drive. Die hard hobie here!

from what i've read so far there's no real concensus.I realize there would be better models for a pond, river, lake, coast, and off shore, but a lot of people have to limit themselves just buying the most versatile of the bunch-p-

It sounds like kayaks have came a long way in a very short time. it also sounds like there are many options for the different styles of fishing that people do.

A fair question might be to ask what type of water you will be fishing? That way a more focused answer could be given.
I have only been kayaking for a couple years now but love my Outback for open lakes. The mirage drive is nice for long cruises that last 8-9 miles.
However, if I was to go down a swift flowing river full of rocks and extremely shallow water I'm sure there are better boats for that application.

I fish river exclusively, and the best for me right now is the Jackson Coosa. Great fishing yak, but it still has it's limits. I like to kayak camp a lot, so I need storage. And with this boat being just a little over 11', the limited storage is the biggest drawback for me.

My close second would be the Native Ultimate line. I sold my 12' and now only have the 14.5'. Raising the seat and adding a rudder make this boat awesome for fishing. And storage is not a question on this one. More than enough room for all my [censored].

You've pretty much figured it out!

There is no perfect one size fits all kayak made, and probably never will be.

You have to figure out what works best for you, and how and what you fish, and find a happy medium that meets most of your needs. You then, and only then might find the perfect kayak in the form that only works for you.

I've owned a few, and the one I have now is the best one for me, and probably most of the guys here wouldn't even want or consider it, but again it meets my needs for what I use it for, and no, it's not the perfect kayak because there is no such thing.

Coincidently, I was goign to invite you to come to the Upper Brazos with me and dan Saturday, then I saw you were going to Fork. Would you take your Hobie to the Brazos given that you'd encounter a couple of shallows on the trip?

I love my perception pescador....I don't see any reason to upgrade, it does everything I way it to and it seems very stable and it gets me on the fish

Some people like the hobie mirage drive and some people dont. I know a lot of you will hate how I feel about it but the outbacks are slow for long distance kayaking compared to the 16foot kayaks. I got way more tired peddling my old hobie than I am paddling my trident the same distance. Every kayak has it's special place and thing it's good at. You can't find the best kayak for everything no matter how hard you try.

If you want the perfect kayak buy a couple of them. One smaller one and one larger one. That's what I did

First decide where you will use it the most.
Big lakes?
Rivers?
Smaller no moter lakes like LBJ?
Coastal Bays?
BTB?
This will give you a general idea of size. Big lakes and Bays you should get a 14' and up preferably with a rudder. (Covering distance is your biggest concern). Smaller lakes, streams and rivers, you can go smaller with 14' or maybe 12'. Now you are needing more manouverability in those tighter spaces. With BTB, it helps to have some rocker to get you through the surf a nd cope with large waves. You can certainly put a 16 footer on a small stream or a BTB rig on the flats, but there will be a loss of performance.

Next you want to look at your own weight and the capacity of the yak. Yak style, IE; SOT, SINK, Pedal, Hybrid etc. How you like to fish. If you are a minimalist type taking a single rod and a box of lures, maybe a SINK with one rod holder in front will suit your needs. If I did a lot of Black Bass fishing, I would invest in a pedal drive kayak. This is especially true for fly fishing where you need to use both hands to cast and setting down a paddle could cause noise spooking fish. Plus, those bad boys have a reverse.

For me, a good all around yak is the Tarpon 140 with rudder. I fish mostly area lakes and coastal flats. It has been down parts of the Buffalo river and worked up some smaller streams and done OK. Have not had the nerve to take it through the surf yet. (No rocker). I can easily set it up with electronics, 4 rods, and jug lines for spring catfish/sand bass or reconfigure it for the flats.

[quote=B_Rod]
You bet I would. But I would leave my mirage drive at home.

Dave- Did your have the turbo fins? It makes a tremendous difference in the speed. I'm able to cruise long distances at pretty good speed with mine and not get tired.

Dont forget

http://www.diablopaddlesports.com/

A 16 foot kayak will move fast and easy compared to a 12'. As Shaun stated I can go 8-9+ miles in my Outback and not for my gps I wouldn't know I went that far. If I paddle that far I know it. I'm comparing a 12 to a 12. I do think my Ascend is fsater than my Outback (stock fins) but only for a short distance. Back and arm muscle will never out last or power legs muscle. Unless you're a monkey.

Take your choice of one these SOT kayaks:

Bass Pro: Ascend FS12T
Cobra: Escape, Explorer, Navigator, Fish n Dive, Tourer, Pro Fisherman, Marauder
Coleman: Menace Angler
Crescent Kayaks: Fisher Extreme
Crow Wing: Pro Angler 1080 & 1440
Dag: Fish'in, Mid-Way Peche
Delta: 12.5 Catfish
Diablo Paddlesports: Adios, Chupacabra
Emotion (Shakespeare): Stealth, Mojo, Gran Slam
Feel Free: Moken 10, 12 & 13
5th Axis: Trifly
Fluid: Bamba
Freedom Hawk: Freedom 12 & 14
Future Beach: Freedom 160DLX
Heritage: Redfish 10, 12 & 14
Hobie: Sport, Outback, Revolution 11 & 13, Adventure, Quest 11 & 13, Pro Angler
Hurricane: Phoenix 120, 130 & 140, Open Fisherman
Islander: Strike
Jackson: Coosa, Cuda
Kaskazi: Dorado II, Marlin
KC Kayaks: K12
Kiwi: Angler
Mad River: Synergy 12 & 14
Malibu: Mini X, Stealth 9, 12 & 14, X13, Pro Explorer, X-Factor, Extreme
Mission: Catch 390 & 420
Native Watercraft: Ultimate 12, 14.5 & 16, Ultimate Propel 12 & 14.5, Mariner 10 & 12.5, Manta Ray 11, 12 &14, Redfish 10, 12 & 14, Versa Board
Necky: Vector 13
NuCanoe: 10 & 12
Ocean Kayak: Frenzy, Scrambler, Prowler 13, Big Game, Drifter, Caper, Prowler 11T, 13T & 15T, Trident 11, 13 & 15, Trident Ultra 4.3 & 4.7, Torque
Pelican (Elie): Castaway 100, 115, 130 & 150, Gulf 120XE
Perception: Search 13 & 15, Triumph 13.0
Perception Sport: Pescador 10 & 12, Caster 12.5
Riot: Escape 12
Robson: Figi
RTM: K-Largo, Disco, Tempo, Midway
Santa Cruz: Raptor
Viking: Profish 45, Espri Angler, Fishing Nemo, Fishing Ozzie, Fishing Espri
Wave Walk: W500
Wilderness Systems: Tarpon 100, 120, 140 & 160, Ride 115 & 135, Commander 120 & 140

Yep, that about sums it up.. Pick one..lol