My Sea Eagle Fold cat has finally given up the ghost with an un-reparable leak on the cone. I am thinking about getting a fishing kayak to replace it. Since I would use it to fish Texoma I think a pedal kayak would do the trick. I would appreciate any advise on the purchase of a kayak like this from people who own one.

I think for a big lake like Texoma, that can definitely get moving with the wind, you'll want a pedal drive. I have owned a hobie, wilderness systems, and native, and have tried the bonafide but not owned it. I personally would go with a hobie or a bonafide. I am selling my 2021 outback as I just bought a boat. Feel free to shoot me a pm if you have any questions regarding those brands, or if you want to check out the hobie outback.

I haven't looked at pedal kayaks in years, have never owned one, but if I had to... the outback would probably be at or near the top of the list... It's lower to the water and doesn't get pushed around by big wind and water as the other Hobies. Have seen lots of guys use them offshore in the salt water.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/outdoor-gear/hobie-mirage-outback-review/

Even though I used to be on Hobie Pro Staff for a few years I am fairly unbiased when it comes to kayaks. I believe there are certain kayaks that fit an individuals needs. With that being said, there are some questions that need to be asked before purchasing any kayak. For example: What is your weight? What is your budget? What kind of fishing are you going to be doing? (things of that nature). I would be happy to talk to you more in depth on this topic through a conversation over the phone. I do agree with the others in regards to Hobie. Even though Hobie comes with an expensive price tag, once you have it, you won't regret it. Another good things about the purchase of a Hobie is that if for some reason you were to sell it (let's say to upgrade, downgrade, or even if you were going to get out of kayak fishing altogether), the Hobie kayaks hold their residual value when selling it. It's probably the only brand out in the kayak market that will have no problem getting back what you paid for it if not close to it (assuming there aren't any damages on it). Even if you own your Hobie mirage drive kayak for many years, you will be surprised on how much you will be able to get for it as opposed to when owning another brand you will have to usually sell for much lower.

Hit me up anytime and let's discuss. 832-588-7091

Good luck on your kayak search.

Thanks guys for the info. As I get closer to making a purchase I will likely speak to y'all about this. I don't want to buy something I'll regret.

I strongly recommend contacting Mariner Sails in Dallas and take advantage of their test ride experience. They allow you to test out their different kayak models and find what is best for you. I've owned one cheap sit in kayak and now 4 Hobies. I definitely recommend Hobie products. I don't believe that your size matters too much as most of their kayaks can handle quite a bit of weight but if you're a real big guy you'll need to take that into account. Texoma is a big lake and if you're planning on covering a lot of water you'll need to consider how easily you can move across the water. For example, a 14ft Pro angler is an awesome fishing platform but it is heavy and not as hydrodynamic as an Outback which is sleeker but not as stable. Think about weight of the kayak, maneuverability, and stability. My Revo 13 will slice through the water like a knife but it is not really stable enough for me to stand in. I own a Lynx now and think it is a perfect balance of weight/stability but it does sacrifice storage space and it isn't as durable as my old outback was. Go try some out and find what works for you.

If you are wanting to chase stripers on Texoma (i.e.: a lot of open water fishing), I agree with lconn and FWBanger 100%. You will want something that sits low in the water and is light enough to ride on top of the big rollers. With this in mind, the Outback is an excellent choice. My son has one, it's a great boat.

I have a 14' Pro-Angler. I like it so much that I sold a perfectly good 180 to get the 360. However, I mostly fish for bass and crappie at or near the shore. I like the PA because it sits higher in the water and has a higher seat... most importantly, you can easily stand to sight fish or to simply stretch your legs/back. I take it in open water on calm days, but not on chop over 18" or so.

If I need to cut cross open water with big chop, I drop the seat, put my head down and power through it as quickly as possible. The PA does not ride on top of the chop, it cuts through it and it can be a wet ride. This is necessarily not true of the Outback (if you don't overload it).

Saying this, I have read that the redesigned Outback is a wetter ride. Personally, I really like the redesign (I think it came out in 2019 or 2020), but I can attest that the 2018 and older is a relatively dry ride.

As Yakety said... there is a kayak out there for almost any budget and preferred style of fishing. Enjoy the search, this is part of the fun!

The 2019 & up Outback cuts the through big chop good but you will differently get soaked.

As for the PA12 or PA14. Weight will be a concern.

THIS! Before Austin Kayak and Canoe went out of business they had a test ride day every spring. I got a chance to try all of the boats I was considering and I ended up buying one that wasn't even on my list.

My Recon 120 HD by Wilderness has served me well.
Bought it in Dallas a couple of years ago.
I really like the prop drive system on it.
I've been hard on that pedal system and it's rock solid.
So nice to fish with your hands free. I did add a small Yak
Electric motor that I use to make long runs with.
It's a little heavy, but not overly so.

I have 2 Hobie PA14 360's ready to fish. If you'd like to test one out for fishability give me a shout. I'd be willing to meet up with you some weekend possibly.

I would recommend either Hobie, Old Town or Native. I've never owned an Old Town or Native kayak but know they are quality fishing kayaks and have solid pedal drive systems. I have owned a number of Hobie's including both the Outback and Pro Angler 14. I loved the room in the Pro Angler but the weight proved to be too much for me lug around. My vote would be for the Outback if you like that style of pedal drive. I think the seat in the Outback is more comfortable that the Pro Angler by a long shot.

There's a lot of extra accessories you can buy for kayaks and some aren't necessary at first. One thing that is necessary is a way to move it around. A quality cart or landing gear is a must in my opinion unless you have a trailer and always plan to launch at a ramp.

Here are a couple of options if you don't have a truck or a trailer.



I've seen guys that have the Hulavator and once you have a routine down it takes very little time to get it loaded or unloaded.

I am in full agreement with Jerry. Almost any pedal kayak will be heavy... especially the PA. However, even the Outback is not "light" especially once you load it with your gear.

There are a lot of cart options out there... some are relatively inexpensive and some are quite pricey. Given the price of a pedal kayak, I suggest that you drop a few more bucks and get the Boonedox Landing Gear on day one. Boonedox is very expensive but VERY convenient. In my opinion, this is important because it starts your day off right with a relatively easy entry and ends your day right with a relatively easy load out.

This post caused me to look at current Boonedox pricing. They are now $339 (yikes!)... best that I recall I paid $225 for my last set back in 2019/2020. 50% increase in 3 years... wow!

Thanks Mike 972. I might go that way. I will always launch at a ramp but don't want to lay out 3K for Kayak then destroy it.