NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Zone => Kayaks => Topic started by: Fish N' Chips on June 12, 2022, 04:36:22 PM
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It has been a long time away from kayak fishing for me. I tore my shoulder more than two years ago at work, finally got surgery 7 months ago, and finally feel I am getting to the point of getting back to kayak fishing again.
I still have my 16’ Hobie Adventure. I recently got a new truck to haul our trailer and am exploring the hauling options. I used to have a Tacoma and used a hullivator to get my Adventure on top. Now my Ram 2500 is almost 2’ taller and flares out at the sides making the hullavator unusable. With my shoulder I can not lift it that extra two feet onto the hullavator, and they hit the side of the truck. My Adventure is around 97lbs.
I am considering going back to a paddle yak to save weight and work on building my shoulder strength back up, although I am little torn going back to a paddle as I like the pedal for fishing. Considered a revo 13 but still too heavy I fear, at least for now.
I have been looking at the Tarpon 140 and the Eddyline Caribbean 14. About 68 lbs for the Tarpon and 50 for the Eddyline. This would make loading so much easier, and a bit more manageable but still long enough for the salt. Price is about $1000 difference between them.
What are some thoughts and reviews on these? Any other Hobbie owners go back to paddle?
Use will be lakes, ponds and lots of ocean. I do a lot of rock fishing and crabbing. Not a whole lot of salmon trolling.
I did find I was able to get the Adventure loaded earlier today by sliding it up from the rear of the truck onto the racks and then flipping it over onto the rails, but its still heavy and awkward. My shoulder is yelling at me for it, but at least I know I can do it if needed. I would put it in the bed of the truck with my hitch extender, except I need to haul the camp trailer at times
I appreciate any input!
Thanks,
Matt
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Ive gone pedal to paddle. I had planned on still using my Hobie but I find that I almost rarely use it. The ease and convenience of the lighter weight and less gear to load is pretty nice. Plus I enjoy paddling, I find it kinda enhances the whole kayak fishing experience. Ive only fished off a Tarpon once and it was an awesome fishing platform, but I wouldn't say that it was much lighter than my Revo. Really fun to paddle though. I own an Eddyline Sandpiper and it is a great kayak. They seem really well crafted and it only ways around 40#s I think. The Caribbean looks really nice. I would love to own one. I found my eddyline to be very comfortable as well. Currently my main ride is a Stealth, can't say enough good things about it, but if youre mainly fishing lakes its a little overkill. They did just come out with a Fusion 350 though...
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I started out with a peddle kayak but the weight was too much for me so I sold it and bought the Caribbean. It is super easy to move around will go up to 2.3 mph with no effort, and faster with effort. I set it up with a Torqeedo motor but haven’t used it so far this year in order to get some exercise. My only gripe is that with a heavy tail wind it is a struggle to go straight. I wish I had ordered with the optional rudder. Eddyline came out with a new one with the camp style seat but they did away with the small storage container that I’m not sure I could do without.
I’ve been out in the ocean, and bays many times, and even in less than favorable conditions I always felt secure.
Good luck with your search.
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The Tarpon 140 is really good in the ocean. I am sure the Eddyline is good too, but have not been on one in the ocean. I think the Tarpon has a little wider tank and cockpit. The Tarpon is really good for surf launching. A lot of the members here have had the Eddyline in the past so hopefully some will give some advice.
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My current system uses the small deck hatch in front of the seat for my tackle storage. No longer having that on the Eddyline may be an issue. I do try to be a minimalist on the kayak but its a struggle, lol.
How well does the Eddyline material hold up to surf launches in the sand and rocks? I have been happy with the abuse my rotomolded kayaks have endured.
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The standard Caribbean 14 still has the small storage compartment.
I took two surf zone classes, and my second instructor took it out and surfed it so I think it is as good as any other sit on top. The key to surf launches is knowledge, and practice. My instructor for the first surf zone class was a small woman, and she showed us how to surf sideways, backwards, and straight in. She never dumped all day. The rest of us spent the day tumbling in the surf. I made the decision to only do protected launches after taking the classes.
I drag it over all kinds of nasty stuff, and it seems to hold up fine, however I did add some reinforcing to the front and back of the keel.
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I piloted a Hobie Adventure/Revo 16 for a couple years before getting an AI. I also had a Caribbean 14 for a while, and my brother has one now. I didn't use the Eddyline too much, but it is very capable, and if I was to go back to paddling, that's what I'd get.
Having said that, have you tried loading your Hobie from the side, like this guy does?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC6F_JmzseU
I use the side-loading/unloading approach whenever I cartop my Hobie, and it makes a huge difference.
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Plus I enjoy paddling, I find it kinda enhances the whole kayak fishing experience.
This. Inherently i would say.
Being a former Hobie guy, it took some time for me to get up to speed and comfortable with the platform, but the more minimal aspect has it's advantages as well.
I developed shoulder injury(?) that gave me some concern. The fishy madman got me to gout and boom shoulder became good. Can be quite refreshing.
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Thanks for the input everyone. Sounds like the eddyline is a good boat but know the tarpon has always been a standard for fishing.
Nowhereman, The side loading example didn’t come through for me?
I tried side loading today, even using the side door open as a pivot, but my truck rack is 7’ 3” off the ground. I am 6’ but just couldn’t overhead load with my weakened shoulder, even with a step stool. I wish the hullavator worked on the new truck, but even lifting that 5+ feet to the hullavator was too much right now.
I do love my Adventure (have had it for 12+ years now) and its great on the water and paddles decent as well. It just the roof top loading I need to figure out for when I am towing the trailer. I may look into one of the rollers for the rack to help push it up.
I broke a rudder pin today trying to load onto the hullavator (half dropped it when my shoulder started giving out). I plan to go through it tomorrow to check all the lines and fittings anyways, and give it a good wash. I am not ready to give up on it.
I still plan to get a paddle kayak as well. I may hit our local shop and try out the Eddyline and Tarpon and see which I like more. My son will be joining me before much longer so a spare would be nice to have. Least thats how I will sell it to the wife, lol
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I have a pal wanting to get rid of his Eddyline Caribean. Let me know if you are interested.
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Since loosing enough weight to be able to paddle one of them, been wanting to get something lighter than my old x-factor and the Eddyline 14 is really really tempting. But I know nothing about taking care of fiberglass boats. The tarpon 140 is a great fishing platform though, really comfortable. If the hullavator hits the side of the truck, dont you just need to shift the rack out farther to avoid hitting when loading up?
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Eddyline 14 is really really tempting. But I know nothing about taking care of fiberglass boats.
My C14 is thermo molded plastic. Definitely not as tough as polyethylene plastic.
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ooops, I dont have the fax man
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Having owned both Eddyline (14 and 12) Kayaks, the biggest selling point is the weight. I am amazed at how easy it is to maneuver. I also have owned a Revo and Outback and never look forward to loading those.
I have paddled both the 14 and 12 in lakes, ocean and rivers. They are both my favorite kayaks to this day. Being on the shorter side, I still favor the 12' Eddyline.
I don't know where you are located, but I believe Headwaters Boat House in Lodi has some you could try or Headwaters Adventure in Redding.
Even though they are not your typical "fishing" kayaks, you can customize them to what you want.
Happy Paddling with whatever you decide.
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Darius, is it the 14? I may take a look at the kayaks at Headwaters tomorrow and see if I like it and will let you know. I will send you a PM.
Al, I tried shifting the hullavator and rack this morning but do not like it. I have to push it so far out to clear the side, the kayak center weight is balanced off the rack post. It was more manageable to lift, but dont think it’s going to work with this truck. The bed flare throws it off, it works; I just am not sure i would trust it going down the road. Its putting a lot of strain on the mounts and camper shell. Even our 30 mph winds today are making the bars flex a lot where it sits.
The picture makes it look farther inboard, but its hanging over the side of the camper quite a bit.
(https://i.imgur.com/iuxiTZK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/u6VjP71.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/k2Q2IL3.jpg)
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I piloted a Hobie Adventure/Revo 16 for a couple years before getting an AI. I also had a Caribbean 14 for a while, and my brother has one now. I didn't use the Eddyline too much, but it is very capable, and if I was to go back to paddling, that's what I'd get.
Having said that, have you tried loading your Hobie from the side, like this guy does?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC6F_JmzseU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC6F_JmzseU)
I use the side-loading/unloading approach whenever I cartop my Hobie, and it makes a huge difference.
This. The Hullavator is a back breaker. Why not just use the truck bed?
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I do use the bed sometimes with a hitch extender, but it doesn’t work when I am hauling my travel trailer. Or when I need to secure camp gear in the camper.
That link still isn’t working for me for the side load trick. I will try a few different browsers and see if it shows up.
Thanks.
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I got the link to work on Chrome. Thanks. That’s a good trick, I will give it a try.
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Darius, is it the 14? I may take a look at the kayaks at Headwaters tomorrow and see if I like it and will let you know. I will send you a PM.
Al, I tried shifting the hullavator and rack this morning but do not like it. I have to push it so far out to clear the side, the kayak center weight is balanced off the rack post. It was more manageable to lift, but dont think it’s going to work with this truck. The bed flare throws it off, it works; I just am not sure i would trust it going down the road. Its putting a lot of strain on the mounts and camper shell. Even our 30 mph winds today are making the bars flex a lot where it sits.
The picture makes it look farther inboard, but its hanging over the side of the camper quite a bit.
That actually looks pretty good to me, as long as it doesn't ding at all when lowering it. But I load mine face down, with the rear aka cross bar right up to the left hullavator. When I lift it I only lift it flat off my wheels, and rest the left side in the cradles, not trying to lift it sideways. Then I just rotate upwards and it sinks into the cradles and run a strap through the top of both cradles. I also always do a front and rear tie-down, because the older hullavator has way to much bounce and give. But with front and rear, it's solid. I go 80 mph with my 4Runner no problems hahah
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Miss our old Shelter Cove Tourneys Al! Glad to see you still at it. Have not heard from BanjoTad and Fisheducator in years. I still make lures and got into some very cool swim baits when I was living in SLO.
The pictures dont do it justice, some would run this but I have seen the results of bad loading and don’t trust it. It may be ok, but the bars have more flex that I am comfortable with, and the balance is off on the towers for such a heavy kayak. I always use front and rear tie outs, but over do everything :smt001. It probably would work but my job makes me too much of a safety sally at time, lol
I played around with side and rear loading and it works using some of the tricks and tips. Granted I am a bit older now and lost a lot of strength in my shoulder from the surgery, but feel it’s manageable. For local trips its going in the bed, but least I know I can do it on the racks for long drives and trailer trips. I am happy as I love my 16’ adventure.
Its always been a hate on land and a love on the water. This kayak is fast and I have always loved it. It amazing in bad conditions, to the point I kissed the beach upon landing! The first time at GMS I watched ArielSea walk away from me on his 16’ wilderness (I had a OK Prowler 13 at the time) I saw the advantage of a long kayak in the ocean, especially when trying to out run tailing seas.
I plan to head to Headwaters this week for some testing of a smaller kayak. I really like the eddyline and wilderness, but am leaning toward the Wilderness 140. A lot cheaper (more money to outfit it), and make a good spare or trip specific kayak. I wont know till I try them and lift both onto the truck.
I am excited about some summer trips. I have been out of the game too long and the excitement of being released to have fun again is fantastic!
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Miss our old Shelter Cove Tourneys Al! Glad to see you still at it. Have not heard from BanjoTad and Fisheducator in years. I still make lures and got into some very cool swim baits when I was living in SLO.
Some of my fondest memories of NCKA history :smt003 I was just telling someone recently about your sharing the Whiskey Flip with us that year. :beer2 And yeah, Ariel and his T160 I remember fondly as well, as he towed my sunken T13 to shore when I got rescued. :smt005 I'm loving my AI, the old outback just gathers dust. I'm also looking for another yak for surf launching that is light and easy to carry and load. I have a T160 lined up actually and need to get it and start getting used to it. But that Caribbean 14 looks like such a fun paddle craft too. I still want to try it out when I can someday. The Viking ProFisha if I could find one would be another good candidate.
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Miss our old Shelter Cove Tourneys Al! Glad to see you still at it. Have not heard from BanjoTad and Fisheducator in years. I still make lures and got into some very cool swim baits when I was living in SLO.
Some of my fondest memories of NCKA history :smt003 I was just telling someone recently about your sharing the Whiskey Flip with us that year. :beer2 And yeah, Ariel and his T160 I remember fondly as well, as he towed my sunken T13 to shore when I got rescued. :smt005 I'm loving my AI, the old outback just gathers dust. I'm also looking for another yak for surf launching that is light and easy to carry and load. I have a T160 lined up actually and need to get it and start getting used to it. But that Caribbean 14 looks like such a fun paddle craft too. I still want to try it out when I can someday. The Viking ProFisha if I could find one would be another good candidate.
I have an extra C14 that you can borrow any time, my dude.
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Mmmm, the flip will definitely flip you! Was sorry to see GMS canceled this year. Lots of personal fear still about COVID. I am lucky where I live as nothing ever changed for me, worked every day and no masks.
Got my tackle ready and new line on my rods (especially with river salmon coming up!). I need to make some more swimbaits for lings. I made some glow in the dark keitech style swimbaits and hammered the lings a few years back. Only 40 fr of water but must have looked like a squid.
I went through my kayak today. Ordered some new rudder line due to some slight fraying (to have as backup as not needing replacement quite yet), rudder pins and new gloves. Lubed hatches, hinges, pedals, and the rudder. Cleaned it all up and its looking good.
I belong to a group of Coleman/Lantern collectors and there is talk of a trip to the coast this summer. I want to be ready for some fishing!
I would have headed out today but these high winds are keeping me off the water. I did need the time to organize and prep my gear though. Amazing how stuff can get scattered after a few years of non-use!!!
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I still regret selling my Eddyline Caribbean. It was a great kayak. Not just because the weight—but it just paddles better, silky smooth and zero hull-flex.
Another brand to consider is Crescent. They are very light but sturdy (and made in the USA!). My uncle has a couple of the Ultralites that he bought from Headwaters and I really enjoy paddling them.
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Looks like a pretty old thread but to put in something about tarpons
Mine is first design t160 and 63lbs empty. I was coming from 45lb glass so it seemed heavy to me but of all the yaks i test drove seemed best. As far as plastic goes it’s probably still one of the best especially in a rough ocean
I put it to the test many times and it passed w colors. Good handling and easy enough to flip over in some pretty nasty situations and got me home
It will never be a stealth but they’re just different beasts
Anyway the tarpons seem underrated, not many around. I was going to sell mine a few years ago and now glad nobody bit re I may do some local fishing on it when the opportunity arrives
We are contemplating pedals as in TI for a variety of reasons mostly to get out w my son
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I still regret selling my Eddyline Caribbean. ...
Me too.