Pictured above, KP Enderle standing and fishing for big pike from his Hobie Outback 

One of the best features of Hobie Fishing Kayaks is stability. You can fish rougher waters and strong wind with confidence. Arguably, the best advantage you have from a very stable kayak is the fact you can stand up and fish.

Recently I was out with a group of kayak anglers at a lake that was difficult to access. We needed to go down a very steep 30 yard hill to the water that got deep very fast and had a soft, mucky bottom. The lake had very little fishing pressure because of this very limited access and there were only about 6 homes on this large lake. It was filled with very large pike and bass.

I had my Pro Angler 12, another friend, Todd Kewat had a Pro Angler 14. KP Enderle has a Pro Angler 14 and a Hobie Outback. He decided the Outback was a better choice to bring this day due to the tough access conditions. 

Todd asked KP, "can you stand up and fish from your Outback"? KP said, "yep, the stability is really good. The big difference between my Outback and my Pro Angler 14 is the amount of room you have for your feet, floor space basically. 

So what's the big deal or advantage of being able to stand and fish from a kayak?

Jay Suhsen is a member of the 2018 Hi Tempo / Hobie Fishing Team. Jay is fishing from a custom rigged Hobie Outback this season. I asked him about the stability of the Hobie Outback and what the advantages of standing and fishing are. 

"The Outback is plenty stable to stand up and fish from. There are a couple of situations where I find it as a real advantage. The first is when I'm pitching jigs to cover for bass. Although I frequently pitch jigs from a seated position, it's definitely easier when you're standing up. Also, when I'm fishing heavy cover like pads or millfoil, it's easier to get the jig to fall straight down into holes when I'm standing because it lessons the angle of the line to the water, reducing the drag on it.

Musky fishing is another situation where it's a huge advantage to stand. Musky frequently follow the lure and it's much easier to see them following and react appropriately from a standing position."

Being able to detect and see a fish following your lure early on a retrieve is a big deal.

During our big pike outing, lots of fish would follow our lures. Seeing this early and stopping, changing or extending the lure retrieve can and did produce exciting fish strikes close by the kayak. It's a thrill when a large fish flairs its' mouth and inhales your lure while you're watching. Standing while fishing is a great tactic to help you increase your opportunities and catch results.

Check out the cool Hobie Outback Fishing Kayak shown above