# Cabin fever already--another which kayak should I get thread



## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

I'm going to upgrade my kayak next year to better fit my fishing needs, and have my eye on one but in the spirit of cabin fever, figured I should post another redundant thread! 

Here are my requirements: 
*Mostly smaller rivers with the exception of a handful of lake trips
*
*Manueverable*, but i'm willing to give up a little to be able to paddle upsteam easier and track decent for the few lake trips I take, but as I noted this will be primarily a river kayak. 

*Storage room* for overnight camping/fishing trips. I would like to be somewhat comfortable with all my gear in the kayak. 
*
Shallow riding*-this is the main reason i'm switching from my current kayak (currently Ascend FS10) , I'm a heavier guy but I would like to avoid walking 50 yards down river at every shallow spot. 

The kayak i'm currently in love with "on paper" is the Jackson Kilroy, I like the low center of gravity stability, ample storage room and adaptability of the boat. but i'm also willing to try other kayaks as well when deciding, that's why i'm asking the Kayak Gurus of OGF to chime in! any advice would be appreciated!


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## shwookie (Jun 15, 2007)

monsterKAT11 said:


> I'm going to upgrade my kayak next year to better fit my fishing needs, and have my eye on one but in the spirit of cabin fever, figured I should post another redundant thread!
> 
> Here are my requirements:
> *Mostly smaller rivers with the exception of a handful of lake trips
> ...


Coosa or Coosa HD.


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## 1basshunter (Mar 27, 2011)

I second that there's no better kayak you can get for the type of water you are wanting to fish then A Jackson Coosa


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Thanks guys! Man that hd looks awesome but that's a pretty big jump in cost! Will have to put that on the test paddle list though!


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

What's the difference between the coosa and cuda? I have the cuda lol


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

canoe carp killer said:


> What's the difference between the coosa and cuda? I have the cuda lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


Cuda is more of an open water boat, not as maneuverable, actually the same hull as the kilroy. The coosa is shorter and has a smooth hull for optimal maneuverability on the River, but you give up tracking And speed


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

monsterKAT11 said:


> Cuda is more of an open water boat, not as maneuverable, actually the same hull as the kilroy. The coosa is shorter and has a smooth hull for optimal maneuverability on the River, but you give up tracking And speed


That's the deal right there, 'Cuda excels on big water, I can dang near get a rooster tail paddling on the Pamlico Sound on a calm morning. 

Coosa may not have any peers on creeks, yet, but the Old Towne Predator MX(?) I hear is a pretty good river yak too. Stuckey did an excellent video review a year or two ago here.

Even though I'm reducing the size of my fleet I'm considering a Kilroy for rivers. I like the hunt/fish design and still entertain my fantasy of duck/goose hunting from one.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

backlashed said:


> Even though I'm reducing the size of my fleet I'm considering a Kilroy for rivers. I like the hunt/fish design and still entertain my fantasy of duck/goose hunting from one.


This is also a reason I was considering this boat, not necessarily a driving factor, but definitely an added bonus!


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I've paddled all the boats mentioned here so far, except the Coosa HD.
If you're a bigger guy, paddle, don't just go see, but paddle the BigRig. It tracks very well by design, yet the monster weight capacity keeps the boat floating high in the water; making for easier portages and better handling than you might think.
I like the Kilroy very much also. But it's another must-paddle-first boat as it conversely, doesn't handle as well as you think it might.


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## Fishingnoob (May 19, 2013)

Bubbagon said:


> I've paddled all the boats mentioned here so far, except the Coosa HD.
> 
> If you're a bigger guy, paddle, don't just go see, but paddle the BigRig. It tracks very well by design, yet the monster weight capacity keeps the boat floating high in the water; making for easier portages and better handling than you might think.
> 
> I like the Kilroy very much also. But it's another must-paddle-first boat as it conversely, doesn't handle as well as you think it might.



Do you know how the big rig handles on rivers?


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

It handles rivers GREAT! Like way, way better than you'd think. 
It certainly maneuvers more easily than a Kilroy, a Cuda...heck MOST kayaks.
And as far as handling some rapids, that boat just laughs like they don't exist.
It is an amazing river fishing machine.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> It handles rivers GREAT! Like way, way better than you'd think.
> It certainly maneuvers more easily than a Kilroy, a Cuda...heck MOST kayaks.
> And as far as handling some rapids, that boat just laughs like they don't exist.
> It is an amazing river fishing machine.


dude stop convincing me to look into the $1700 kayaks! It's disappointing that the kilroy may not be the best river choice for me, but I ultimately want to pick whats most comfortable to me, not what I've been drooling over on paper. I will add the big rig to my list. any suggestion on not spending a fortune renting all these kayaks?


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

monsterKAT11 said:


> dude stop convincing me to look into the $1700 kayaks! It's disappointing that the kilroy may not be the best river choice for me, but I ultimately want to pick whats most comfortable to me, not what I've been drooling over on paper. I will add the big rig to my list. any suggestion on not spending a fortune renting all these kayaks?



Like I said I have the cuda 12 and love it. If u go to Columbus kayak they have their demo models of this year on sale right now multiple cuda models


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## Pan Fisherman (May 15, 2014)

If your willing to wait I went to Columbus kayaks demo day, they held a few over last summer and i got to try out whatever I wanted for free!! Well kind of it made me fall in love with the big rig so I had to buy it. I drove almost 2 hours to get there but it was well worth the effort as they were very informative and helpful in the selection process.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Bubba you are going to have every River guy paddling Big Rigs come spring! I know I will be &#128077;&#128526;&#128077;


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

monsterKAT11 said:


> dude stop convincing me to look into the $1700 kayaks! It's disappointing that the kilroy may not be the best river choice for me, but I ultimately want to pick whats most comfortable to me, not what I've been drooling over on paper. I will add the big rig to my list. any suggestion on not spending a fortune renting all these kayaks?


LOL! Sorry about that. But cost wasn't one of your criteria.  
Seriously, I know Columbus Kayak still has a 2014 BigRig in OSU scarlet and gray. VERY cool looking boat...I think all of their 2014 boats are 20% off.
That's also where I'd go to demo a few models. Maybe call first this time of year with the weather and everything.

Here in another month or so, the new Coosa HD will be out and they'll also have new Hala paddleboards (I'm WAY pumped about those). Once those arrive, i know I'll be taking them out somewhere to test paddle.
Maybe I'll just go ahead and pick a decent day and post it here on the board; invite anyone who's interested...like a Saturday afternoon. Go paddle some kayaks on a winter day.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> LOL! Sorry about that. But cost wasn't one of your criteria.
> Seriously, I know Columbus Kayak still has a 2014 BigRig in OSU scarlet and gray. VERY cool looking boat...I think all of their 2014 boats are 20% off.
> That's also where I'd go to demo a few models. Maybe call first this time of year with the weather and everything.
> 
> ...


That would be awesome, I wish I had the financing at the moment to jump on a demo model but I just don't right now, and to be honest if i'm going to consider spending that much on a Bigrig I want to wait to compare the coosa HD as well!


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

monsterKAT11 said:


> dude stop convincing me to look into the $1700 kayaks!


It's worth spending the extra cash. I'd own a Hobie if I lived closer to Erie or salt water.


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

Fishingnoob said:


> Do you know how the big rig handles on rivers?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


I have a BigRig and a Coosa. I prefer the BigRig on flat water AND rivers. Like Bubba said in an earlier post is it floats high. I'm able to go in shallower water than the Coosa without bottoming out. Plus the stability is unmatched. I've flipped my Coosa twice and my buddy flipped his once...both in the high seat. Now, I flipped mine because I was careless, didnt respect it, and was used to the stable BigRig.

The Coosa is very manueverable, but don't discount the BigRig in the rivers! If you have a truck or trailer, I'd recommend the BigRig over the Coosa. Only thing is that the BigRig is big and heavy...I wouldn't want to car-top it.

i keep hearing good things about the Coosa HD. They say it's like a mini BigRig. I don't know how that will translate to performance on the water...but i'm interested!


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

ok guys you've got me interested in the bigrig. I would love to hear more chime in on the performance on rivers as that will be my main body of water. I'm also going to look into the Coosa HD 

can any chime in that has experience cartopping the bigrig? I have a roof rack on my 02 camry


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

monsterKAT11 said:


> can any chime in that has experience *cartopping the bigrig*? I have a roof rack on my *02 camry*


I'd put that out of your mind!...at least if you are planning on putting it up there yourself.

Another thing, when you are talking about rivers, are you strictly going down, or do you solo a lot and paddle up and float back? I played around a little bit when Andy brought one out, and while I would say it handles well going downstream, I got tired very fast when I went about a hundred yards, probably not even that far, up current.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

only one for me (Hobie) but that is for the ocean use


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

streamstalker said:


> I'd put that out of your mind!...at least if you are planning on putting it up there yourself.
> 
> Another thing, when you are talking about rivers, are you strictly going down, or do you solo a lot and paddle up and float back? I played around a little bit when Andy brought one out, and while I would say it handles well going downstream, I got tired very fast when I went about a hundred yards, probably not even that far, up current.


Thats the other concern I had, we very often paddle back up river, and thought that would be a barge to try to paddle back up a bit of current, though my buddy does it decently with his coosa. I'm pretty handy and think I could rig up some way to be able to load it myself, I don't think i'd have much problem lifting it over my head to get on the car.


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## shwookie (Jun 15, 2007)

monsterKAT11 said:


> Thats the other concern I had, we very often paddle back up river, and thought that would be a barge to try to paddle back up a bit of current, though my buddy does it decently with his coosa. I'm pretty handy and think I could rig up some way to be able to load it myself,* I don't think i'd have much problem lifting it over my head to get on the car.*


Now imagine you have been fishing and paddling all day in the sun...


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

shwookie said:


> Now imagine you have been fishing and paddling all day in the sun...


true dat, that's something i'll need to take into consideration.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

monsterKAT11 said:


> true dat, that's something i'll need to take into consideration.


This weighs almost twice as much as your FS10. It's also almost a yard longer and half a foot wider. All those factors make it exponentially more unwieldy when trying to get it up in the air.

And, the FS10 is a SIK vs a SOT. That squares the difficulty factor in lifting...one of the reasons I went with the Kilroy.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

I've seen enough videos that I know it can be done, but like you said after an all day outing that may be a different story. There's always a solution though.


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## shwookie (Jun 15, 2007)

monsterKAT11 said:


> I've seen enough videos that I know it can be done, but like you said after an all day outing that may be a different story. There's always a solution though.


Yeah not saying it cant be done, just a lot of guys think about lifting 100# and think no big deal. At the end of a long day it will feel like 1000# though.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

shwookie said:


> Yeah not saying it cant be done, just a lot of guys think about lifting 100# and think no big deal. At the end of a long day it will feel like 1000# though.


It really depends on your level of physical fitness and* how badly you want it done.* I used to lift my 14'4 'Cuda up into my truck bed, then up on my truck rack by myself, about a 7' lift. That's with rods and other gear in the center hatch (no seat, water or tackle bag though). I did it with considerable physical disability, some I knew about, some I didn't.

Not saying it was easy, but I got it done.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

My main concern with the bigrig is paddling that beast back upstream. Bottom line is I need to jump in a couple kayaks and paddle. But the insight and experience from you guys is extremely helpful, and I really appreciate everyone chiming in!


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

Well, we made our plans for our first trip to the Outer Banks this summer and will be staying at a place on the water on Collington Island. I'll have three older teens with me, two with some experience in kayaks so I'll be taking the Jacskon fleet and adding the Big Tuna this spring.

Having the Big Tuna will allow me to go out with company in the kayak.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

backlashed said:


> Well, we made our plans for our first trip to the Outer Banks this summer and will be staying at a place on the water on Collington Island. I'll have three older teens with me, two with some experience in kayaks so I'll be taking the Jacskon fleet and adding the Big Tuna this spring.
> 
> Having the Big Tuna will allow me to go out with company in the kayak.


gotta love having a reason to get new toys!


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## Fishingnoob (May 19, 2013)

Has anyone paddled the feel free lure 11.5?


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Fishingnoob said:


> Has anyone paddled the feel free lure 11.5?


Search the forum, there are quite a few owners who have commented on it. I haven't seen anything but completely positive reviews.


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## Yakkin4bass (Oct 28, 2013)

Pm sent, monster


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Wow it must be cold outside because i cant remember the last time I logged into OGF. 

I got the informal purchase approval from the wife for a new yak this spring and the Coosa HD is looking pretty awesome. The Ride 115x Max also still has my attention.

Big yaks look cool and im sure they are comfortable but I decided long ago that I will squeeze my 300# butt into the smallest yak that I can. I have no use for a bass boat with no motor and no trailer.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

At 12 feet, 34" wide and 70+ pounds, I don't wanna know what you call "big"....

The Coosa HD looks pretty badass. I'm REALLY excited to paddle one.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> At 12 feet, 34" wide and 70+ pounds, I don't wanna know what you call "big"....
> 
> The Coosa HD looks pretty badass. I'm REALLY excited to paddle one.


It might be a little shorter, and 30lb lighter but not even close to being able to counter the benefits of the big rig. That's probably why i'll buy a big rig. it's all about priorities though I guess.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I can't wait to paddle to Coosa HD and see exactly where it fits between the Coosa and the BigRig.
If it splits the difference perfectly, the way I THINK it will, then my own decision will also be very difficult this year.
Where are those f'ers arriving at our favorite stores, anyway?


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> I can't wait to paddle to Coosa HD and see exactly where it fits between the Coosa and the BigRig.
> If it splits the difference perfectly, the way I THINK it will, then my own decision will also be very difficult this year.
> Where are those f'ers arriving at our favorite stores, anyway?


I asked a pro staffer a week ago and he said within the next few weeks. so hopefully then!


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> At 12 feet, 34" wide and 70+ pounds, I don't wanna know what you call "big"....
> 
> The Coosa HD looks pretty badass. I'm REALLY excited to paddle one.


I promise you that I'll be pushing the limits of a coosa. I would love to be sitting on a Bigrig or Big Tuna out on the water, I just don't want to deal with one.


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

The BigRig sucks off the water...no other way to put it. Now to make it less sucky, a C-Tug helps. I just feel the short struggle on land is worth it when you fish for hours at a time on water. Comfort, stability, and functionality is worth it. Plus, it's a great workout getting to the water!


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Zorro said:


> The BigRig sucks off the water...no other way to put it. Now to make it less sucky, a C-Tug helps. I just feel the short struggle on land is worth it when you fish for hours at a time on water. Comfort, stability, and functionality is worth it. Plus, it's a great workout getting to the water!



Zorro tell me about this C-Tug you speak of ?


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

rustyfish said:


> I promise you that I'll be pushing the limits of a coosa. I would love to be sitting on a Bigrig or Big Tuna out on the water, I just don't want to deal with one.


Well, you've seen Larry on a Coosa...A big boy who is an artist on one.


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

ML1187 said:


> Zorro tell me about this C-Tug you speak of ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


It's a kayak cart. I picked it up at Columbus Kayak. it's nice and bulky and if you position the cart closer to the center and have your gear in the back, it balances out nicely and you can drag it for miles.

Since the rig is heavy, you need to really tighten a cart down...the c-tug is holding up much nicer than my aluminum cart that I had. hope that helps.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Zorro said:


> It's a kayak cart. I picked it up at Columbus Kayak. it's nice and bulky and if you position the cart closer to the center and have your gear in the back, it balances out nicely and you can drag it for miles.
> 
> Since the rig is heavy, you need to really tighten a cart down...the c-tug is holding up much nicer than my aluminum cart that I had. hope that helps.


which wheels do you have on yours? I've been looking for the rubber wheel version but it looks like most are the hard plastic wheels, sounds unforgiving on rough terrain.


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

monsterKAT11 said:


> which wheels do you have on yours? I've been looking for the rubber wheel version but it looks like most are the hard plastic wheels, sounds unforgiving on rough terrain.



I have the standard plastic wheels on mine. I believe they have a rubber tread on them. my old cart had rubber wheels that required air. I'm not noticing any differences...good or bad...with the plastic wheels.


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## Brad45005 (Oct 11, 2013)

The Kilroy is in the middle of lakes and rivers I believe. Its what I float in and absolutely love it..yes, maybe nit as agile as the coosa on moving water although me floating in anything over a class 2 will rarely happen anyways,,as for lakes is what I have fished the most I believe there is a step up on the Jackson fleet also. But middle of both worlds and doesn't weigh 180lbs..lol. enough room to bring the garage w/me if I choose and very very stable..I haven't even of come close to dumping it yet..besides off the top of my homemade truck rack!..lol..it hit the pavement doing about 55mph. Coming home from Caesars creek..and still keeps on asking for more..wow...anything you choose from Jackson will be a very nice vessel! .

If u want to test paddle my kilroy let me know I'm close to Dayton..she's all yours.!

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## Yakkin4bass (Oct 28, 2013)

Yeah, Zorro is correct on those c-tug wheels. They are plastic but with a very tough rubber tread. The idea behind that is that you won't have to deal with airing up tires and dealing with punctures. Those were issues I had with my other cart before purchasing a c-tug...actually purchased two when I had two yaks. If you want a free c-tug, one of mine has made its way to the Ohio river by now...lost it on a little miami float without knowing . Good tough carts though. I'm very happy


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks Zorro I've seen those before but didn't recognize the name. I'm def gonna need a nice cart for the BigRig lol


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

Glad I could help


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Brad45005 said:


> The Kilroy is in the middle of lakes and rivers I believe. Its what I float in and absolutely love it..yes, maybe nit as agile as the coosa on moving water although me floating in anything over a class 2 will rarely happen anyways,,as for lakes is what I have fished the most I believe there is a step up on the Jackson fleet also. But middle of both worlds and doesn't weigh 180lbs..lol. enough room to bring the garage w/me if I choose and very very stable..I haven't even of come close to dumping it yet..besides off the top of my homemade truck rack!..lol..it hit the pavement doing about 55mph. Coming home from Caesars creek..and still keeps on asking for more..wow...anything you choose from Jackson will be a very nice vessel! .
> 
> If u want to test paddle my kilroy let me know I'm close to Dayton..she's all yours.!
> 
> Sent from my LG-E980 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


thanks Brad, I may take you up on that! soon as it warms up a little...lol


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

One step closer to being decided on the Big Rig, went to a local dealer and messed around with one for a while, sat in it, played with the options and I'm pretty much sold on it. The one thing I was surprised to see is, while the kayak is wider, the footprint for the inner deck area is about the same size as the coosa or others I just expected more room to move around. Also, the weight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although it is definitely heavy I was expecting it to be alot heavier. The guy did look at me like I was crazy when I lifted it over my head in the store though.


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## Zorro (Jul 22, 2013)

monsterKAT11 said:


> One step closer to being decided on the Big Rig, went to a local dealer and messed around with one for a while, sat in it, played with the options and I'm pretty much sold on it. The one thing I was surprised to see is, while the kayak is wider, the footprint for the inner deck area is about the same size as the coosa or others I just expected more room to move around. Also, the weight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although it is definitely heavy I was expecting it to be alot heavier. The guy did look at me like I was crazy when I lifted it over my head in the store though.


The hump in the middle of the yak takes up a lot of the space. I'm not too happy with it for I don't use it. Now if you mount your fishfinder there, it might be worth it. I'd like it to be flat as well. One thing to keep in mind is the distance from the seat to the stand-up bar. When I stand up, i'm still a couple of feet away from the bar and I have to kinda "walk" up to it. Walking on a kayak..even one that's as stable as the big rig...is a lil sketchy to me. So maybe that's why there's not much more deck space. I dunno. 

I think I may remove my stand up bar...for I used it all of 1 hour when I first got it.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Anyone look at the Prowler Big Game II. Has a lot of the same features and it is only 70 pounds. Just one of the 4 I've been looking at.


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## bassyakker (Feb 12, 2013)

That prowler big game ll is a very nice yak. If I didn't need a tandem I would definately look into one. Great features on it from front to back...


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