I have been paddling a Chesapeake 17 that I made in 2000 in some larger northern Indiana lakes for years, but now I need to look at a smaller kayak for the backwaters that are luring me in. The awesome tracking of the Ches. 17 doesn't give me as much manueverability as I need in the backwaters. I hear the trophy fish are waiting there for me. I am considering the Shearwater Hybrid 16 from CLC and also a shortened version of the Guillemot (shortening the length between stations) to what I want. I believ a 15 ft. kayak would be perfect. I'm looking for comments on the shortened Guillemot and Shearwater Hybrid 16 as to how well they maneuver in tight places. By the way, got a steal for anyone interested in my Ches. 17 (still in excellent shape). I need to sell it to fund the new kayak purchase and building project. So, if you know of anyone in the midwest that would like to check out my Ches. 17, I have a nice lake one block from my house. (I'm not asking for more than what I put into it.)