Kayak Fishing Baja: Hobie i Trek inflatables in the Mangroves

Three kayaks, one truck bed, and zero straps. The formula for a versatile and easy trip to Baja. Logan, Dillon, and four of their friends just returned from their surfin'/fishin' safari. They were looking to do it all, but were very limited on space and wanted kayaks to be able to fish if the waves were small. To fit 6 hard kayaks on two cars with surf gear, rods, and all the gear is a hassle to say the least. Instead of dealing with large kayaks, the boys opted to use inflatables. They chose to bring a Hobie iTrek 9, 11, and tandem 14. Now, you might be thinking, 3 kayaks, I thought you said they had six people on the trip.

Well, that's where the road ends and adventure begins. A simple Tommy Bajama chair on the back of the kayaks turned the single i Trek 9 and 11 into tandem kayaks. While this isn’t the most comfortable way to use the single kayaks, the groms made it work just fine.

 “The best part about this whole adventure for me is that every day we could choose to do anything we wanted. If the waves were good we could surf, if they were flat we would inflate the inflatables and fish. Being adaptable is one of the reasons why I love using the i Treks down in Baja.” 

-Logan Downing 

With the kayaks set up and ready to fish, the boys hit the local estuary system in search of grouper and halibut. They found that and more, but not without a quest. Kicking six to eight miles a day often through intense wind and river like current is no easy task. It wouldn't have been possible without the consistent power that the Hobie Mirage Drives gave the crew. The drives along with the rudder were more than enough to keep the boys on course and explore the estuary system without the fear of getting stuck due to intense current movement. On top of the power that the drives provided, the kick up fins on the drives were a stand out feature of the kayaks. The water in the estuary is often very muddy, only around 1-2 foot visibility and shallow sandbars can sneak up on you quickly. When the kayak would hit a sand bar, the fins would kick up out of the way avoiding any harm to the drive system.

Not only did the they use the inflatables to fish in the calm estuary, they also had a few sessions launching through the surf into the ocean. They were able to target calico bass and halibut by a simple beach launch. The inflatables handled even while catching halibut in rough wind and swell.

Hobie made these inflatables to be used adventurously so that's exactly what the boys did on this trip! Contact us or come by the shop if you want to learn more about making memories like this for yourself!

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