on the Brazos id definitely go with a ride over the outback.
both are nice but the Brazos has a lot of shallow areas where the
Hobie drive cannot be used. good luck

I fish alot of shallow water. Therefore the drive system on the outback would probably not be good for me. However, as many have said, there have been plenty of times I wish I didnt have to switch back and forth between rod and paddle. Make a pros and cons list. Try them both.

Just fished the Trinity today. It would have been murder on a mirage drive.

I just spent 2 days in Austin demoing kayaks to replace my 14' Native Manta Ray.
I needed a more comfortable boat due to lower back issues. First I eliminated peddles. I just like paddling. So it came down to the SEAT, the ability to stand and stretch my legs and back, and last the general layout as a fishing boat.
I tried the Diablo Adios, the Ride 115, and the Native Slayer 12. At first I liked the Ride 115 best because it paddles well and you can really stand up with ease.
However, after going back and forth with both the Slayer and the ride and actually loading up and using my fishing tackle, the choice was simple for me.
The slayer has a hi/lo comfortable seat that can be switched on the water as you tire of one seating position. The ride does hi/lo with 2 separate seats, so you have to own 2 seats and go back to your launch point for the other seat if you want to change. And that Ride seat weighs much more than the Native seat.
Standing in the Slayer takes a little more finesse than the Ride, but I easily learned to handle it well.
As far as fishability and layout the Slayer just fit me to a T.
No boat is perfect (I've owned 16 in all from float tube to 24' bay boat) and everyone is different, but for me my new Slayer 12 is perfect for me, my back, and my style of fishing.
After demoing I took my new kayak to a quarry lake, Town Lake, and the Colorado near Bastrop. It was like a honeymoon. I love the boat.

Thanks guys for all the info. I have made the decision to go with the Ride 115. Does anyone have a lead on a good used one or maybe a demo boat for a little less cash? I have looked on CL with no luck.

Once again thanks for all the info.

i hate to paddle. like to fish. outback is daddy

Yep screw paddling. Outback for sure.

Demo a hobie, hands free fishing, it's worth it, peddling keeps you more in position to cast to the spot your fishing.

Buy a kayak for your first, then a hobie boat for the second. That way you have something to use for kayak tournaments :P and then something to use for the casual lake fishing.

Haha he'll never let it go. Never seen such raging jealousy before.

I'm just an epic troller.

ACtually since no kayak is 100%, it does make sense to have a shallow water boat and something for larger water if you have storage space, etc, etc. The outback is a reasonable compromise for both but no doubt you would be very pleased with the Ride. But keep an open mind - you can see what being a brand whore does to you - it's not pretty.