Started looking at Jackson kayak's on Craigslist. I really know nothing about yak fishing, but would like to get into it. Any input on kayak's in general and what to look out for when purchasing would be greatly appreciated.
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kayak fishing - beginner
- Thread starter jb3
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I would try a few out before taking the plunge. Borrow from buddies or rent to figure out what fits you best. Our local Jackson dealer in Cookeville rents all sorts of kayaks. Wife and I currently have wilderness systems ride 115's.jb3":1vgj49gj said:
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SilverFox
Well-Known Member
There are groups of anglers on Facebook who could help you out. East tn kayak anglers being a local one for me. PM John Champion on there. He's up to date on all things kayak.
I had the Jackson Big Rig and downgraded to the Jackson Coosa HD. The HD is much easier to handle with 1 person but the big rig was quiet a bit more stable while standing and fishing.
Love my Jackson Kilroy. 
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Rollo
Well-Known Member
I've had several fishing kayaks (as well as MANY whitewater) so I think it's about features and robustness of the plastic. Jackson's have great plastic and some good features. They handle great, tracking, stability, etc... But they can be a little heavy if you are moving it around by yourself. But it's a quality boat. Some of the other bigger names, Perception, Native, NuCanoe, Feel Free, are quality boats as well. Yes, best to demo and see how it tracks (moves side to side when paddling) and how it reacts when you stop paddling (glides straight or tends to spin - bad...). The Ascend boats (carried by Bass Pro) have very soft plastic and wear easily. I wore a hole in my keel right at a year but they wouldn't warranty it. So I just patched it. Liked the features of the boat, and it was cheap, but when you're a mile or more from your launch point and take on lots of water it can get a bit irritating. What type of water do you plan on fishing? If you like fishing lakes and your budget is a bit higher, pedal drives are REALLY nice. And plan on getting a yak you can stand and fish in. Any yak you get is going to be a bit wobbly when standing but there are some that are MUCH more stable than others. My favorites in stability are Jacksons and NuCanoes (I have one of each...)
