| August 4th, 2005
New sheriff in town
Cobra Kayaks has been mentioned on several of the paddle fishing Web sites that I look at from time to time. This is a new brand to me, so I made a mental note to look at their boat line to see what they had to offer. As luck would have it, the Affinity Tackle ad in WaterLine this past week listed Cobra Kayaks as a new boat line being offered. I thought I knew a bit about most of the fishing model kayaks on the market but, knowing nothing about the Cobra, I had to go out and take a look at them.
Affinity Tackle is owned and operated by Rob Supon and he seems to have done an excellent job of stocking the store with all kinds of kayak and saltwater fishing goodies. Affinity Tackle is located off Gasparilla Road about three miles south of S.R. 776. It is easy to find though you will have to pass it by and then double back on the access road in order to get to the store. The shop's physical size is deceiving as it is absolutely loaded with great guy-stuff and is one of the few kayak retailers that also rents kayaks. Frankly, it does not seem fair that the only two kayak shops in Charlotte County that rent kayaks -- Grande Tours and Affinity Tackle -- are located almost next to one another and are in the west side of the county.
Cobra boats are made in California and they have a large dealer network in North America. They only make sit-on-top boats and there are several things that set them apart from many of the other kayak manufacturers. They make all of their own accessories. All of the hatches, seats, straps and even the paddles and paddle leashes are made by Cobra. That is not the case in most of the other kayak companies. Since they manufacture their own accessories, the fit should be perfect. On some of the other kayaks, the accessories are aftermarket products that are generic and not made to fit a specific line of boats. That does not make the aftermarket accessories inferior, but in some cases, the fit is lacking.
Cobra even makes a motor mount for its Fish-N-Dive model boat. Yes, you can put a trolling or small outboard motor on the Fish-N-Dive 'yak -- the boat even has a special area for a trolling motor battery. In my opinion, this goes against the grain of why I use a kayak, but I bet that many people will find this accessory appealing. A neat accessory is a bucket hatch that can actually be used as a built-in bait well. The bucket hatch can easily hold two or three dozen shrimp and/or a dozen or so pinfish. Cobra even makes their own kayak cart that perfectly fits the Cobra line of boats but can also be used for other sit-on-top boats. The cart has a unique through-the-scupper holding system that eliminates the need for straps. You can even order the cart with wheels that match the color of the kayak. The ladies should love that!
Another unique feature of Cobra kayaks is that they offer triple as well as quad boats. No kidding -- you can get a Cobra kayak that holds three or four people, or two people and a dog, or three people and a dog, or two people and two youngsters. You get the picture. I am not too sure how big the market is for a triple or quad kayak, but Cobra has them.
The Cobra Fish-N-Dive XF kayak is their flagship model for fishing. The XF stands for extreme fishing. This is really some boat -- it is 36 inches wide and 12-1/2 feet long, with a carrying capacity of 600 pounds. Yet it only weighs 57 pounds. The width should make this boat one of the most stable in the industry, though that size beam suggests that this is not a boat for touring. This is the model that has an optional motor bracket for a trolling motor or a small outboard engine. It also has a front jump seat for a child or your favorite doggy. A large waterproof rectangular hatch is available that fits in the middle of the boat so you can actually store and get to items while sitting in the boat.
The Cobra Navigator is another model that looks like it would do well in the fishing arena. It is also 12-1/2 feet long, but is a bit narrower with a 31 inch beam. You can add two hatches to the boat, which will give it more watertight storage than most 'yaks, and it only weighs 44 pounds. This could certainly be a great boat for a lady or a teenager.
The last Cobra that I looked at was the Escape model. This is a neat little boat. I say little because it is only 10 feet, 4 inches long and weighs a feathery 32 pounds. Yet it can be accessorized with hatches and you can add up to four rod holders. This boat will fit inside some SUVs or in the bed of a pickup, so portability is a great plus.
The Cobra line of kayaks is impressive and the bare-boat prices of the fishing models range from $399 to $1,134. Some of the models can accommodate as many as nine rod holders. If you do not have that many rods and reels, what a great excuse to go out and buy more! Supon says that he has a very large demo fleet of Cobra boats coming in the next 60 days and will even have one of the quad-model boats. For more info, contact Affinity Tackle at (941) 697-4343. Until next time, tight lines and keep your paddle in the water.
Gene Kingery is an avid angler and has lived in Southwest Florida for the past 10 years. He is a member of the G. Loomis pro-staff, a past president of the Charlotte County Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association and serves on several local boards of non-profit community based charities and can be reached by email at specialk@sunline.net.
By Gene Kingery |