The Stealth Fusion 480 is a great kayak fishing system. It is fast enough to deal with currents, and seaworthy enough to handle any conditions that you would want to fish in. This is the first kayak I have used that had an effective rudder system. Most are an after thought--the rudder on the Stealth can be used to steer the boat, set drift angles, and take the white knuckles out of surfing. The 480 is narrow enough to paddle at a high angle, and sculling is effective in close quarters. Stealth boats main feature is the huge center compartment which can hold a 48" Spanish Mackerel, or your fishing rods up to 7'. The scupper system works well, and gets rid of blood when bleeding fish. I was catching 24" Ling Cod, and just hold them under my calf while they are bleeding out. I have been fishing the Stealth in stock form, which is really not bad--4 rod holders, dry compartment etc. Nothing sitting on deck=no yard sales. I am working on a fish finder--there is a molded cavity for a transponder. I wish there was a forward facing rod holder, and I need to add a back support. Spend your money on good fishing tackle,and a nice paddle--not thousands of dollars of outfitting. I am 62, and hardly a young buck. At 70# I can carry the fusion down a path to the beach, and go back for gear. It is right at the weight limit of being able to carry. Add a lot of outfitting, and that goes away. Pedal or paddle? I can see where pedals would be good for bass fishing. In the ocean, I will take a paddle, and a fast boat. The only comparable pedal kayak is the Revo 16 for twice+ the money (no internal rod storage/live well).
When I was looking for a kayak to fish out of, I watched a lot of videos. What I saw was people struggling with the barges that are sold as fishing kayaks. Just getting on or off the beach was a struggle, sometimes ending with gear lost and trips over. If you want to launch off the beach, and fish in the ocean, you need something like the Stealth kayaks. Everything you need for a day of fishing can be secured inside the hull. There is an effective live well which can also be used to hold your catch. If you tip over while landing, you will not lose anything, and your reels will not get submerged. I fish the Puget sound, and the currents are always present. If there is big tide turnover, 3-4 knots is not uncommon. Considering that most of the pedal boats top speed is not much more than this, speed can be a problem. I have been fishing around Neah Bay, WA where currents and chop are notorious. I have had no problem dealing with the currents, and people commented on how far and fast I was moving around looking for schools of Rockfish. The Stealth 480 is an awesome kayak for fishing in the ocean. It is one of those things, that when I saw a Stealth boat, I said YES! The shape just shouts speed, good stability, great features for fishing, great paddlability. Now that Stealth has a plastic boat at a reasonable price, I predict that they are going to sell a ton of these boats (They already built a new factory).
