Hobie’s sponsorship of bass star and Elite pro Mike Iaconelli led to the Mike Iaconelli edition of the Mirage Pro Angler 14, which features the company’s top-shelf MirageDrive 360 with Kick-Up Fin Technology. Yak tournament angler Matthew “Diesel” Baron got his from WaterDog Outfitters in Whitehall, Mich., after he found the stable, 13-foot, 8-inch boat’s 600-pound capacity fit his 280-pound frame with ample room for gear.The MirageDrive 360 makes the big Hobie incredibly maneuverable — the drive rotates 360 degrees. You can make the PA 14 go sideways when necessary. The 360 control lever is atop the longer-handled rudder control. Like the original PA 14, the Ike Model has three horizontal rod tubes running port and starboard.
The fins on the MirageDrive kick up when they hit underwater objects. Once past the obstruction, the fins click back vertically into place just by pedaling. MirageDrive is available in other Pro Angler models, but the red camo color and shark decals (Diesel had not applied the latter) are exclusive to the Ike edition.Hobie’s proprietary H-Bar makes it easy to mount and move accessories such as depthfinders, cupholders and rod tubes. The PA 14 also features the Guardian retractable transducer shield that raises the transducer via a cockpit cord to protect it while beaching and lowers it for side imaging. Ike’s Hobie
Diesel mounted a pair of YakAttack paddle holders in Hobie’s track mounts to hold his net with a caught fish in it while preparing to take tournament pictures.
Diesel also added a Power-Pole with an easily installed mount from Boonedox (boonedoxusa.com) that cost $129.95. The MSRP for the Ike Model Mirage PA 14 is $5,799.
