Jerkbait00 Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Hi all, I'm doing research for a fishing kayak purchase. I think I've decided on the Jackson Cuda 12. A few others have caught my eye. I was just wondering if anyone knows of some good kayak dealers in the Hamilton area. Not limited to Jackson brand. Willing to travel a bit if the store is worth it. If anyone can suggest a good honest store with informative staff, and hopefully a selection of floor models to check out I would greatly appreciate it. Also any feedback on your favourite make/model from personal experience would be helpful in this investment. Thanks a lot in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungYakker Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Awesome choice! Quality kayaks are definitely worth it. Spend the extra money and you wont be disappointed.SAIL sells kayaks but I am not sure if they sell Jackson, worth looking into, give them a call. I have only had good experiences at SAIL.I chose to purchase the WS Tarpon 120. I absolutely love it and its perfect for what I use it for. No issues as of yet. Get the best price, things go on sale all the time! Possibly end of summer sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerkbait00 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Thanks a lot Yakker. I have also seen a Feelfree Lure 11.5 at Mountain Equipment Co-op for about $1100, fairly positive reviews. Its a bit late this season, but that's more time to save for next spring. The Tarpons are around the same price point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwc67 Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 grand river kayak in dunnville rents. they have ocean kayak trident for sure and they likely have the old town predator you can try. try a ride 135 if you can,outdoor oriented had them at there demo day i rented a cuda 14 it is a great fishing kayak. i owned a ride 135 over a cuda because it handled better to me, not saying it will to you.i also liked the ws seat over the jackson but again it's personal. i am in a native slayer now i love it and stable enough to stand and flyfish out of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerkbait00 Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Thanks DW, I like the Slayer as well. I will definitely head to Dunnville maybe this Saturday for a little road trip from Hamilton. I like the fact that a lot of brands are opting for adjustable seat height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Got a tarpon 120 about a month ago love it. Ws and jackson make really good kayaks . Think of the type of water you will fish the most and what you want to do and base it on that. Purchased mine from outdoors oriented excellent to deal with highly recommend. Cheers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerkbait00 Posted August 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks a lot for the feedback guys. I'm more or less getting one so I'm not limited to shore fishing. I would prefer to invest in a decent yak to avoid upgrading later. Any thoughts on the lower priced "Ascend" brand from Bass Pro? I'm a bit of a believer that you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 I have heard mixed things on them i was almost gonna pulled the trigger on one but decide to go with something with solid reviews for my first one. Reasearch all you can on the internet and go to the store and sit in them move around so you can really get a feel for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwc67 Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 if your going that way get the riot sot angler sail has, it comes with a rudder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoors Oriented Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hey Jerkbait00, If your research is leading you towards Wilderness Systems then consider coming down to Niagara and checking us out, we're the WS dealer for the area. We've had a big year for both Tarpon and Ride Anglers, but still have a couple left. I've got a demo Tarpon 120 Angler in Mango that you could even take out for a test paddle if you wanted. Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerkbait00 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Excellent feedback, much appreciated. Also seems a rudder is worth the extra for when your hands are busy fishing. That sounds good Jamie, I've heard/read nothing but positive reviews about WS. I will definitely make my way to your area. In terms of price, is there a certain time of year when you are most likely to catch a deal? One other question, when it comes to choosing a paddle, is there a general reference to your height or arm length or anything? Thanks a lot guys, I'm getting a good amount of info on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoors Oriented Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Keep in mind a rudder is only going to help when you're moving (which means you'll be paddling) With a bit of time, most paddlers can get a kayak to go where they want without the help of a rudder. They'll become beneficial if you're paddling where there's cross-winds and you can set the rudder to an angle and allow it to compensate for the wind. As far as deals go, at the end of the season you'll usually find some deals as retailers don't want to store the stock over the winter, the disadvantage is the selection won't be as good. For our store, we have a big demo day and sale the first Sunday in May every year and this would probably be the best time to buy as you can test paddle everything back to back, get sale pricing and have a bigger in-stock selection to choose from. For paddle length, the boat width has a lot to do with it, but also the paddler's height. For most fishing models, they'll be fairly wide which would almost always put you into a 240cm, some guys even go longer, although 250 is typically a special order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerkbait00 Posted August 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Sounds good, I was planning on saving over the winter as this season is getting late, as well as shift work + lots of overtime. I will be looking forward to next spring to come out and try a few. I will mainly be going to Hamilton Harbor, it's usually pretty windy down there so I figured a rudder would cut down on having to always be correcting. Thanks again to everyone for all the info and tips, cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakfish Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 I just picked up a Lure 11.5 a couple days ago. I talked to a lot of people with experience with many different models and demo'd a lot of boats myself before choosing the Lure. I paddles the Slayer 12, Coosa and Cuda 12, the Ride 115x and a Tarpon 120. The Lure is a Barge to paddle but the seat is like sitting in a lazy boy! and the boat is so stable to stand in it almost feels like standing on the deck of a bass boat. None of the other boats I tried even came close to the comfort and stability of the Lure which were two very important elements for me. The Cuda and Ride were both significantly easier to paddle but didn't feel nearly as stable or comfortable. the Tarpon is a dated model and after speaking to some people about it I didn't even seriously consider it as a viable option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas F Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 glad to hear a first hand review... I'm going to be looking at one in the coming year or so, the seat and seat adjustment looks amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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