FWIW personal experience on the Hobie pedal power vs traditional double end paddle. I have two sit in kayaks and fished with Dave last year in his hobies. We fished open water deep enough to keep the underwater propulsion gear from touching bottom. Wonderful for trolling and casting into structure from open water, especially for the big stripers and blues that called for two hands on the rod.
For my fishing here at home on a big swift river and tight shallow estuaries, I have not tried the hobie but think I prefer my paddle boats. Crossing strong eddy lines and maneuvering or powering through swift swirling current pockets, crossing wide shallow sections, and landing or launching from shallow gravel bars (all in swift current) seem to favor the clean bottom and instant, precisely placed power stroke of a hand held paddle. I travel though such water to get to fishing spots but don't even attempt to fish from the kayak while having to maneuver the boat through tricky swift spots with a paddle in hand.
The few times I've HAD to maneuver the hand paddled kayak while playing a fish have been traumatic to my soul. IE. a 16 lb. salmon pulling me into a kelp bed in swift tide current. I would never have landed that fish had not my son in another yak pulled along side, grabbed my boat and maneuvered us while I played the fish. With a hobie I could have leg powered out of the kelp without letting go of the rod or doing the weak one hand paddle with one hand on the rod.
I would love the hobie for fishing trout on our inland lakes. Hands free power to move the boat when and where needed is a huge bonus when casting or playing a fish.
Open water: hobie. Rivers: probably the hand paddled kayak for me.
