New Hobie "Pro Angler"

These new Hobies sampled the salt yesterday at La Jolla. Granted the jewel is not Bean, but we did this on a thumpy day (larger sets to 4-ft) and 3-4 ft west swell on the outside.

I'm not sure of Hobie's official line these days, but I remember seeing this boat in prototype at Outdoor Retailer, where they pitched it as a flatwater chariot. It proved a lot more capable than expected (my take); they are suitable for friendlier saltwater sites.

These battleships handle much better on the water than I expected. Sprint speed seemed slow, yet cruise is a mellow go all day sort of deal. The profile is high, but not ridiculously so, and the pedal drive excels in the wind. We got a breeze of up to about 8-10 mph, it was no bother at all.

The horizontal rod storage is the bomb! More please - why didn't anyone think of this sooner?

Hobie's getting better at fishing-forward design - the little touches make this one mean fishing machine. (Did I really just write that? What a geek!)

Seriously, the square hatch in front of the cockpit is brilliant, sized to hold tackle trays. No need for a Plano, what you need is right at your fingertips. The seat is high and dry; the boat stable and confident in swells. It is truly 'standable' for those with good sense of balance.

Because the PA is no speed demon, surf returns mean sitting through at least one or two waves. Unlike the other Mirage Drive boats, which in my opinion don't respond well to the rudder while in the surf, the PA steers easily. It should; the rudder is under the boat set quite a bit forward of the stern. It's new spring-loaded mechanism is a joy to use - a big step forward.

And yes, these things are heavy, a bit of a pain to lug about on land. Hobie trucked these two demos on a trailer.

So, NorCal salt approved? Not in my opinion for the host of reasons already posted here. But fine for SoCal bays, the average La Jolla day, and probably killer on the flats of the Gulf and FLA.

Note - photos show the boat on smaller surf.

Thanks for the review PAL. Good to hear about the windage. Looking forward to giving one of these a spin in the local bass lake... now to just get a trailer.

Any close up pics of it rigged?

Z

Hi Yakers:

    That Yak will look a lot more Fugly once you break your Back!    Looks like Hobie vendors keep adding $$ and weight like Pwr. Boats.
       The more money I spend on hardware impacts my road trip money! 
                                                    Sea-ya at  VanD
                                                    Ernie
                   

KISLC = Keep is simple, light and cheap!

Thanks PAL,

 Looking forward to giving this a Try, but that weight issue is a killer.

 Must be nice to have all that sun and warmer water down there...

 So Jealous....

Looks like Hobie vendors keep adding $$

Hobies seem expensive but if you add up all the things they come with I think their price point is comparative. A Trident 15 Angler with rudder is $1400 and you still have to buy a seat and 2 paddles

Hi MF:

      Thanks for the Reel and Weight belt deal.
Used Scupper Pro W/TW $500.00 good price, and still kicks Ass for Abs and Fishing. It's the Std. in my opinion. Highlining is great but, somtimes is a little overkill.
      I raised my Family in Albion where we tried to live a little more frugel and I had to buy gear for all my Family. My other Yak is a Radon!
                                                                    Sea-ya
                                                                    Ernie
     

Don't be fooled by the skins and board shorts! Those guys took one for the team. The water temp is a soothing 55 F. When we launched pre-dawn I was wearing four layers, and had only removed one when I was shooting the surf stuff.

Photos as rigged? Not really necessary - we were using stock boats except for the fishfinder clamped on the port rail and the Hobie Bait Tank in the well. Really, nothing more is necessary, the Pro Angler comes so comprehensively outfitted. If I had one of my own (not going to happen, big boats aren't to my taste), I'd add a seat-back storage pouch, some deck loops to leash off my game clip, and that's about it.

Thanks PAL.... I was really looking forward to a firsthand report from someone I could trust.

I know that weight is a deal breaker for a lot of us who like to cartop and shoulder our boat to the surf launch, but we all have to remember that a good number of fisherman live inland and only have access to lakes and rivers.  This would be perfect for most of them.

Hobie is tapping into a much bigger market (than kayak fishermen) with the PA, and in this economy, that looks like a smart move.

Hobie is tapping into a much bigger market (than kayak fishermen) with the PA, and in this economy, that looks like a smart move.

Exactly, the PA is targeted at people who would never dream of climbing onto a 'tippy' kayak. Judging by the scuttlebutt at the recent Fred Hall Fishing Show in Long Beach (purportedly the largest consumer show in the world), the pre-order numbers were excellent. I think this boat will be a huge success, but I doubt you'll see anyone silly enough to tote one to Elk. Doesn't matter; the average 'boat' isn't something to man-handle on land.