BUZZBAIT
ELECTRIC MOTOR OR
HOBIE’S MIRAGE I9S CAN BE POWERED BY PADDLE, SAIL,
MIRAGEDRIVE. PHOTO: COURTESY HOBIE KAYAKS
[BOATS]
AIR RIDE C
ramped apartment? Take the bus? Fish the backwoods water, far from any road? If you
answered yes to any of these questions, then an inflatable fishing kayak may be your ride. Stop picturing that plastic blow-up boat and instead take a look at the latest inflatable kayaks designed for fishing. These lightweight boats feature heavy- duty construction and a can-do attitude. The first thing most anglers say when they see
an inflatable is, “I bet it will pop.” Never fear, Is- sac Miller, co-owner of environmentally-friendly Green Tackle, says, “Hooks won’t pop it, or fish spines; you’d have to stab it pretty hard with some- thing real sharp to do damage.” Miller, who lives in downtown Portland, Oregon, says his inflatable is a perfect fit for city life. “I can take it on the bus, keep it in a closet, even throw it in a hatchback.” David Feucht, a wholesale account manager at NRS, explains, “Our inflatable kayaks are con-
INFLATABLE KAYAKS BRING KAYAK FISHING TO THE MASSES BY BEN DUCHESNEY
structed out of heavy-duty, abrasion-resistant PVC for long-lasting durability.” Not only does this make the boats tough, but the reinforced material also makes advanced inflatables rigid. “You can move around and the boat doesn’t fold or bend.” Morgan Promnitz, fishing product manager at
Hobie Kayaks, adds that their inflatable kayaks are incredibly stable. “We use 1000 denier PVC stitch- ing, which is designed to tighten against weight.” That means one part of the boat won’t sag or col- lapse like a blow-up pool toy. The big advantage comes when transporting
and storing an inflatable. When deflated, most of these boats are small enough to fit in a car trunk or closet, some can even be checked onto an airplane. Not only is it easy to travel with an inflatable,
they’re easy to launch. Backpack pouches and roll- ing carry bags make it easy to cover ground to get to the water.
BOAT
SEA EAGLE 385 FASTTRACK
HOBIE MIRAGE i9s
NRS PIKE
ADVANCED ELEMENTS STRAIGHT EDGE ANGLER
SATURN FISHING KAYAK
AIR RIDES TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE
www.seaeagle.com
PRICE $1,049
$1,699 $995 $769 $675 24 …KAYAK ANGLER SUMMER/FALL 2013 WEB
www.hobiecat.com www.nrsweb.com www.advancedelements.com www.saturnboats.com
Once on the scene, the boats can be inflated
with an electric or foot-powered pump. “It takes me about five minutes to pump up the Mirage i9s,” Promnitz says, “and about 10 minutes to deflate and repack it.” To keep the boat glued to the water, NRS in-
cludes removable skegs on their Pike inflatable and Hobie uses a stow-and-go rudder to improve handling. Isaac Miller uses his Pike inflatable to fish the
river rapids of the Northwest. “They handle tough water a lot better, because they’re lighter,” says the angler. “In rapids, I feel more comfortable in an inflatable than in a hard plastic boat,” he adds, be- cause he can bounce the boat from rocks to dead- falls and not worry about cracking or scratching it. Miller adds that he can even install accessories
on his inflatable. “The only difference is I’m glu- ing not drilling,” he says. Miller uses Scotty’s glue- on mounts to add rod holders, an anchor trolley and fishfinder. “It’s even easier than installing on a hard plastic boat,” he crows, “just glue and go!”
FEATURES
Drop stitch high pressure keel
Paddle, pedal, motor or sail
Self-bailing drop-stitch PVC floor insert
Rod holders
Two removable platform seats
LENGTH 12’ 6”
9’ 12’ 8” 9’ 8” 13’
WIDTH 36”
36” 39” 35” 36”
WEIGHT 31 lbs
66.5 lbs 51 lbs 34 lbs 40 lbs
INCLUDES Large removable skeg Twist and stow rudder
Three Scotty mount pads for accessories
Steel accessory bar Large removable skeg
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