Yachting USA – August 2019

 A

THE RIGHT BALANCE

Hobie’s Mirage Passport 10.5 combines kayak design for everyday use with systems that let novices try kayak-fi shing.

by kim kavin

H

ere’s a fun fact: Hobie, the California-based

company best known for its Sunfi sh and catama-

ran sailboats, has spent the past two decades or

so seeing 15 percent to 25 percent growth year

after year in demand for fi shing kayaks, according to Morgan

Promnitz, Hobie’s senior fi shing brand manager. During the

past fi ve years, he says, kayak-fi shing has gone mainstream,

with manufacturers of rods, tackle systems and more making

gear for anglers who plan to kayak to the fi sh stealthily, instead

of cruising there in a tender with an outboard engine that

scares the catch away. ¶ “It’s probably been the fastest-growing

segment of the fi shing industry in the past six years,” he says

of kayak-fi shing. ¶ The fact that so many novices want to try

the sport is why Hobie just launched its Mirage Passport 10.5

The Hobie Mirage Passport 10.5 is built for one rider with a total weight capacity of 325 pounds.

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CURRENTS> GEAR> Hobie Mirage Passport 10.5

KAYAK

ANGLING

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