mjsmith1391

Thanks for the feedback guys! I love the Jackson line of kayaks, however they seem almost unattainable around me! I stopped by the one place listed as a dealer on the Jackson site that is anywhere remotely close to me and they didn't have any on the floor at the time, nor did they seem to interested in helping me(poor customer service not sure if it was bad timing or not, but it really rubbed me wrong)..? With that being said is there any good online retailers of the Jackson line? It seems like most are the closeout type of shops with maybe one option to choose from? I am assuming this is part of the battle with kayaks in general but it just seems very limited in availability/personal choice across the board unless you live somewhere with multiple dealers close by.

So little back story, new to the page and new to the kayak fishing movement, and I could use some advice and opinions on purchasing my first fishing kayak. I have experience paddling but mostly in a canoe, it's honestly the way I learned to fish as a kid. I have been contemplating buying a bass boat for tournament fishing the past few years but the cost and maintenance that come with that just aren't in my budget at the moment. However, with the emergence of kayak fishing tournaments I have found myself wide eyed looking at the opportunities of the growing sport. Now comes what I can already tell will be the Yak bug and making my Yak my own! Thats enough of the jibber jabber, lets get to the nitty gritty! So I obviously at this point have no bias towards a brand, but I know some guys live and die by their brands of choice. I do know from researching a bit that you get what you pay for in most instances throughout the kayak world. While I know most guys on here are going to say go sit in the kayaks and get what feels good to you, well thats quite a task around me considering the yak movement hasn't caught on as much. Im basically stuck with either checking out the big box store selections(Cabelas,Bass pro,Walmart~ you get the gist) or drive a ridiculously far distance just to sit in some of the yaks I'm looking at. Here is a breakdown of what I'm looking for in a kayak also the ones that have intrigued me to this point. - Fishes large lakes well, not the great lakes, but nothing to take lightly with size and boat traffic - Geared for tournaments - Im 5'11" about 230lbs and want to be able to stand and fish - Probably will be rigging with a trolling motor(most of my tournament series allow them) - Really stuck on the $900-$1400 options at the moment, but if someone made a case for like topwater PDL for instance I could see myself just saving longer if it was truly incomparable. Quick side not, is PDL or whatever propulsion really worth it with a trolling motor added? Boats that have I on my shortlist include: Bonafide ss107, Topwater 120, Big fish 120, and Radar 115 Thanks for anyone patient enough to follow this post to the bottom I greatly appreciate it and any input anyone has!!! Tight lines, Matt