I have three Hobie Outbacks and Ive had a Hobie Sport and a Hobie Revolution 13. I am getting a new PA14 in a couple of months. The guys on my kayak fishing team have Hobie PA14s. If they can stand in them fighting fish like grouper, snapper and AJs ripping out 30#s of drag in two foot seas, you wont have a problem standing on a Hobie PA (12 or 14) in a lake or river. lol

Hobie doesnt have any quality issues. In freshwater you will probably never have to worry about anything but of course salt water eventually gets to even the toughest of metals. Eventually chains and cables can fail, especially if they are not properly cleaned after being in salt water.

Between the two I say go for the 14. The 12 isnt THAT much lighter and the 14 has more room but Im use to fishing the Gulf of Mexico where the size of the kayak isnt an issue. Perhaps 12 would be better suited for small creeks and stuff but honestly in those situations either PA is going to be a pain as they dont paddle well at all. If youre going to be doing nearly all of your fishing on lakes or large rivers the PA is the BEST non motorized platform available. Period.