Keith Lusher
There’s no doubt that the use of kayaks has come a long way in the fishing world. Admittedly I have been dragging my feet as far as jumping on board. You see, I’m what they might call and “old dog” and you know what they say about teaching old dog new tricks!? Since before I can remember I’ve always used a pirogue. Being made of fiberglass, my trusty pirogue was hassle free as far as me being able to carry it. The small brown boat was my ticket to traversing the rivers and bayous here in South Louisiana. I can remember jumping out onto logs that were blocking small cuts in which I wanted to fish. I’d jump out and pull the pirogue over the log, jump back in the boat and go on my way. That pirogue was an extension of me and there was never a time that I thought about getting another type of boat.
Since then kayaks have grown in popularity making it harder for me to ignore their existence. I’ve been fishing numerous times out of a kayak that requires paddling and to be honest, I still prefer my pirogue over them. But on my latest adventure down Bayou Cane in Mandeville, I joined a friend who let me borrow his Hobie Mirage Passport. This is a the kind of kayak that has pedals and to say I was pleased with what I experienced would be an understatement.
I have been fishing numerous times in it I have a few take-aways:
The biggest pro from my experience was that all the energy I spent propelling the boat came through my legs. This made a huge difference as the day went on. Normally I am busy using my upper body strength to maneuver the boat into the perfect position to cast. In fact, it’s the biggest compliant that I have when I use my pirogue or kayak with paddles.
The second thing that made a huge difference was the ability to cast without setting the paddle down across my lap. I stayed noticeably drier which in-turn made for a longer trip because I wasn’t soaked. There was a section of the canal that I was fishing in that had a small cut with water draining out. I was easily able to keep the kayak in the same position without having it drift into the area where the fish were holding.
The third thing that I was a pleasant surprise was the little time it took me to learn how to maneuver the kayak with pedals. I admittedly struggled at first but by mid-day I wasn’t even thinking about it and the motion came naturally.
Since then kayaks have grown in popularity making it harder for me to ignore their existence. I’ve been fishing numerous times out of a kayak that requires paddling and to be honest, I still prefer my pirogue over them. But on my latest adventure down Bayou Cane in Mandeville, I joined a friend who let me borrow his Hobie Mirage Passport. This is a the kind of kayak that has pedals and to say I was pleased with what I experienced would be an understatement.
I have been fishing numerous times in it I have a few take-aways:
The biggest pro from my experience was that all the energy I spent propelling the boat came through my legs. This made a huge difference as the day went on. Normally I am busy using my upper body strength to maneuver the boat into the perfect position to cast. In fact, it’s the biggest compliant that I have when I use my pirogue or kayak with paddles.
The second thing that made a huge difference was the ability to cast without setting the paddle down across my lap. I stayed noticeably drier which in-turn made for a longer trip because I wasn’t soaked. There was a section of the canal that I was fishing in that had a small cut with water draining out. I was easily able to keep the kayak in the same position without having it drift into the area where the fish were holding.
The third thing that I was a pleasant surprise was the little time it took me to learn how to maneuver the kayak with pedals. I admittedly struggled at first but by mid-day I wasn’t even thinking about it and the motion came naturally.
The Hobie Mirage Passport is one fine fishing machine
In the world of pedal-powered kayaks, there are different types of kayaks for fishing. One type features a tiny propeller which turns as you crank the pedals. The other type transfers the movement of your legs into a pair of fish-like fins which swing back and forth through the water, propelling you forward. Since my first experience with the Hobie Mirage Passport I have tried one kayak with the propeller and in my opinion there is no comparison. The flippers located underneath the kayak gave me more horizontal control in addition to propelling me forward and backwards.
The only downside of Pedal-powered kayaks is that they are about twice the cost of entry-level paddle-operated kayaks. I believe that this is the biggest reason that keeps anglers from using pedal kayaks.
In conclusion, I cannot stress to you how great an experience I had with the Hobie Mirage Passport and I’m currently in the process of researching them to better learn which one would be best for me to purchase.
Yes the old pirogue may just be retired before long, and that in and of itself is a testament to just how good these pedal-powered kayaks are!
