The last time we experienced such buzz surrounding the launch of a new fishing boat (we won’t call this beauty a kayak) was when Hobie released the Pro Angler onto an unsuspecting public. The original Pro Angler was a radical design for a human powered fishing craft -chock full of the kind of innovation only Hobie can come up with. While plenty of manufacturers have since copied some of the features of the Pro Angler, no one has really improved it. Honestly, about the only way to improve the Pro Angler (other than to make it cheaper) would be to offer a more compact version.

Enter the Hobie Pro Angler 12. Same concept as the original Pro Angler except with the following differences:

* 20″ shorter
* 12 lbs lighter hull weight & 18 lbs lighter fully rigged
* 100 lbs less capacity (but still an ample 500 lbs)
* New Vantage Seating (more on this later)
* 4 Rod Horizontal Storage instead of 6 on the Pro Angler 14
* Different Design for Center Console Tackle Box Storage
* Pre-drilled for Anchor Trolley mounting
* Fishfinder/Transducer installation is Lowrance Ready with multiple sealed mounting plugs for easy wiring
* Under Seat Tackle Storage

The killer feature on the new Pro Angler 12 is the superbly adjustable Vantage seating. From the seated position, you can adjust the angle of both the seat back and the seat cushion with just a twist of the arm rest. You can also change the lumbar support with the patented Boa system technology. This is the most adjustable seat we’ve seen in a fishing kayak and we would not be surprised if Hobie offered this seat in future models.

While there is an excellent video walkthrough of the new Pro Angler 12 on the Hobie website, we took a few minutes to show off the new Pro Angler 12 sitting alongside an original Pro Angler 14.

We recently received a limited production, initial shipment of Pro Angler 12s from Hobie and are literally selling these before unloading them off the Hobie Truck! Give us a call if you’ve been waiting for this boat to hit the market.