[jongurley]

Hey guys. I have always been a boat guy and just bought a 24' Seapro bay boat, however i was looking a kayak to do some fishing(and exercise) off of in the afternoons. I have a place a sneads ferry right near new River inlet on the water. I was researching alot and i have about narrowed it down to the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 14. I am 6 foot 235lbs.. I was wondering about the size of this. I would do alot of inshore buy might venture out the inlet some. I was reading that the 14 is the best all around length for weight and will still take rougher water.. any thoughts are appreciatted.. and i have never even set down in a kayak so i would need to check one out first of course.

 

[bettlespin69]

I got ride 135,love it very stable can haul lots.

sent from my ride 135

 

[froggy waters]

The tarpon is an excellent choice. Stable and fast . The ride however much more stable but not nearly as fast. I owned both and I would say tarpon . If you are fishing inshore or inlet . The low seat will keep you out of the wind and the speed and tracking would be great . Since the ride was mentioned it does offer the abab to stand . Now it is more expensive but stability is higher . And so is comfort . But it the tide is ripping out and the wind is blowing I would not want to be paddling a ride . This isu quick suggestion on th e boats mentioned . The price point the tarpon is an excellent choice the native manta ray. The native slayer the wilderness atak . The Jackson cuda are all available in 14 ft length and would do what you are asking about perfectly. Hope this helps

 

[Curly Pelican]

I'm new to kayak fishing, but I like my ride 135. I really like the stability and ability to stand or sit side saddle. I felt more comfortable in it than others. As Froggy waters said though, its a bit slower than other kayaks I've tried. What I felt comfortable in was what made my decision to trade off speed for stability, though now I've spent more time in kayaks I do feel more comfortable in the other faster kayaks. I've gotten more aware of the secondary stability of the faster hulls. I do wish I would have tried out more kayaks before I made a purchase but a deal came up and I couldn't pass it up. I'm happy with my purchase though and I'm now always looking to get out and paddle.

 

[jongurley]

Thanks for the info guys. i am now looking into demo'ing a couple kinds so we will see.

 

[wademaster]

I'll say it again....I have a Perception Pescador 12'. Love it. There are more pricey yaks and cheaper...this one has worked beautifully for me during every outing I've thrown at it....rivers, ponds or lakes. Pretty sure it's the old tarpon mold. The angler version of my yak may be the only one available now, but I'm not sure. Great value.

 

[Reel-Oars]

Love my Cuda!! Fast, stable and tracks great without a rudder. If your in my area you are move then willing to try it out.

 

[Reel-Oars]

And don't know if ur interested but my dad is selling his yak. It's a Perception Pescador 12'. Only been used 4-5 times. Wants $400 for it

 

[02seedoc]

And don't know if ur interested but my dad is selling his yak. It's a Perception Pescador 12'. Only been used 4-5 times. Wants $400 for it View attachment 70331 View attachment 70332

Go demo boats. Great event at Pechman Center in Fayettevile this weekend

 

[dbeam]

I have really enjoyed my Slayer, but I really like the looks of piermans VersaBoard. Fact is though if your going out to fish/exercise in the afternoons for a few hours. You would probably like the Tarpon for the reason Froggy mentioned. The really comfortable seats do give you a higher profile which is going to so in the paddle angle as well as wind. Try all that you can or search for a deal on CL so that you can get most or all of your money back should you decide to move to something else.

my humble opinion
Darrell

 

[jongurley]

thanks for the info guys. My main vs. question is the ride125 compared to the tarpon 140. and i guess i won't know to i own one for while. but speed versus stability.. my heart says tarpon but my big butt says ride stability lol

 

[windknotnc]

I also have a WS Ride 135 and it is a great kayak.

 

[jcinnb]

I am a pretty big guy and researched extensively before getting my yak about ten years ago. I got a Malibu Kayak XFactor. It is a California deal, but bought mine from a place in New Jersey.

i am sure fishing yaks have come along way since then, and I do like the Wilderness System yaks, but I recommended you give the X Factor, and it's newer siblings a look.

good luck.

OBTW, for inshore fishing I would trade stability for speed

 

[Roanoke Kayaker]

thanks for the info guys. My main vs. question is the ride125 compared to the tarpon 140. and i guess i won't know to i own one for while. but speed versus stability.. my heart says tarpon but my big butt says ride stability lol

The Old Town Predator is stable (wide) and has a very comfortable 2 position seat. I also have a Jackson "Big Tuna" a tandem for me and the wife, which also has very comfortable seating. Outdoor Provisions has a great selection of yaks and will also price match other retailers.

 

[Nickp]

I've had my t140 for over a year now and love it. It's nice on those long paddles when speed matters. If you've never been in a kayak. They will all feel a little unstable at first. By the end of the first trip out you'll be good to go. I'll repeat what froggy said. When your out there In the wind and current you'll want a faster kayak to help cut through it all. I have not paddled a ride but I can see the seating is clearly better. But still wouldn't trade my tarpon for one. Now the atak had me curious. May want to look into it.
Good luck making a choice.

 

[trigger22]

I love my Tarpon 140 I've had it for a little over a year now. It's been a great yak. From old drum in the sound, to specks, reds, flounder, cobia, crappie, and bass it's been a very versatile kayak. It isn't the most stable boat when it comes to primary stability, but it's stable enough that I can stand up in to use the bathroom if it's a slick calm day. You're not going to tip it over though, the secondary stability is awesome.

 

[teaser_tosser]

As long as you are going to demo some kayaks, you owe it to yourself to try the Predator 13 by Old Town. It is built for folks like us . It is very stable and can handle any water you find yourself in. Just sayin ....

 

[outdoorboy]

Don't over look the Coosa by Jackson Kayak. Seat can set up high and you can set in this thing all day. Check out video. Seat can be lowered for rough water to make more stable kayak. You can stand up in this kayak with a little practice.

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/kayak/coosa/

 

[FishingRythe]

I am not sure what your budget is but I am a huge fan of the Hobie Outback, I have been fishing in mine for 7+ years now and it has been a wonderful kayak. It is great for stream, rivers, wider open lakes even beyond the breaker and the pedal drive system/rudder makes fishing a snap, especially if your paddling form is terrible like mine is. Hobie customer service is amazing too, my seat pan developed a crack after 5 years of owning the kayak and Hobie replaced the entire kayak for free, I just had to pay shipping ($75) to my local dealer.

Over all your best bet is to go out and test paddle as many kayas as you can get into. Find a local dealer that has a lake demo day or some friends that will loan out their kayaks.

 

[biglenr]

We're starting to get way off topic here with the small person's river yaks, and the very high end pedal yaks.

The bottom line is, decide what is most important to you.

In general, it's a trade off between speed and stability. The wider the kayak, the more stable it is, the narrower the faster. Then, also in general, the longer the kayak the faster and straighter it paddles. The shorter the kayak the better it turns. There are exceptions, but those are reasonable general rules. The wider and longer a kayak, the more it weighs. Weight may be important if you're car topping (unclear from your post). Then figure out what you're willing to spend, and get the best kayak that meets your criteria under than amount. No substitute for trying them on.

For me... I needed EXTREME stability and EXTREME high capacity. I bought a yak that normal sized people can throw cast nets from or stand on the gunwales without tipping. And it's just barely stable enough for me. It's not the choice most yakkers would make (most purist yakkers have very little respect for my choice), but I'm very comfortable and stable, even if I give myself a workout car topping it, and I can't keep up with the faster yaks. So I'm happy with my choice. If you look at it from what you really want in a yak, your choices come a lot clearer.