My yak

[biggin]

For an extra hundred bucks Dicks has a Lifetime yak 12 foot, taller and wider. 
 

What a waste of time and money with the pelican blitz. I’m out. 

[casts_by_fly]

If you mean the pro 116 then that doesn't look like a half bad option.  On the surface it has a lot of the same features and layout as the old town paddle.  If you're talking about the Tamarack 120 then I wouldn't waste your time changing from what you have now until you've figured out what you need/want/like.

[Bankc]

Yeah.  And I have the Teton Pro 116 (actually a Yukon, but same thing with a different name), and even after three years, I still like it a lot.  But the thing with any kayak is there's almost always going to be a better one for more money.  You can convince yourself that "for only a few hundred dollars more I can get an even better one" all of the way up the list until you're in a Hobie PA 14 360.  

 

It's best to just set your budget and find the best one in your budget and get out and fish.  Chances are, no matter what you get, you'll want to upgrade it one day.  And the longer you fish out of your current kayak, the more money you'll save for your next one, and the better idea you'll have of what you want out of your next one.  

[biggin]

10 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

If you mean the pro 116 then that doesn't look like a half bad option.  On the surface it has a lot of the same features and layout as the old town paddle.  If you're talking about the Tamarack 120 then I wouldn't waste your time changing from what you have now until you've figured out what you need/want/like.

Nothing about like or want, need is what l look for. 

[biggin]

On 7/18/2023 at 9:20 AM, casts_by_fly said:

If you mean the pro 116 then that doesn't look like a half bad option.  On the surface it has a lot of the same features and layout as the old town paddle.  If you're talking about the Tamarack 120 then I wouldn't waste your time changing from what you have now until you've figured out what you need/want/like.

Nothing about like or want, need is what l look for. pelican sucks as a company they said they can’t do nothing for me. They assumed l stood up in it, l said it’s unstable.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, biggin said:

Nothing about like or want, need is what l look for. pelican sucks as a company they said they can’t do nothing for me. They assumed l stood up in it.

 

What exactly is the problem that you're trying to get them to fix?  Also, just take it back to Dick's.  You're inside the 60 day warranty.

[biggin]

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

What exactly is the problem that you're trying to get them to fix?  Also, just take it back to Dick's.  You're inside the 60 day warranty.

POS ain’t worth what l payed for it. It’s riddled with holes. Pelican doesn’t have customer satisfaction policy. 
 

l moved the dock bumpers closer to the hull. Wanna hug them as close as l can get them. Too much resistance where they were. But maybe it be easier to paddle close to the hull. Find out Monday morning.

[casts_by_fly]

31 minutes ago, biggin said:

POS ain’t worth what l payed for it. It’s riddled with holes. Pelican doesn’t have customer satisfaction policy. 
 

l moved the dock bumpers closer to the hull. Wanna hug them as close as l can get them. Too much resistance where they were. But maybe it be easier to paddle close to the hull. Find out Monday morning.

Holes as in directly in the hull like it got shot with a shotgun?  Do you have a picture?

 

yes, paddling with the paddle nearly vertical and the shaft basically touching the boat as you pull will be the most efficient stroke for power/speed/effort. The further the blade is away from the boat the more you will torque the boat left and right. 

[biggin]

48 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

Holes as in directly in the hull like it got shot with a shotgun?  Do you have a picture?

 

yes, paddling with the paddle nearly vertical and the shaft basically touching the boat as you pull will be the most efficient stroke for power/speed/effort. The further the blade is away from the boat the more you will torque the boat left and right. 

Holes as in I drilled.

 

Even when I paddled close to the hull, it was still no good swift speed. I moved the stabilizers close to the hull. So we'll see how that goes.

[biggin]

6 hours ago, biggin said:

figured out what you need/want/like.

stability 

 

I'm sure the room is the same as what I have now. I looked at one and it looks good

[casts_by_fly]

4 hours ago, biggin said:

Holes as in I drilled.

 

Even when I paddled close to the hull, it was still no good swift speed. I moved the stabilizers close to the hull. So we'll see how that goes.

once you’ve drilled holes, it’s yours. 
 

What stabilizers do you have on it? They could be slowing you down. 

 

Paddling closer to the hull will help you track straighter. If you want more speed, you have to work on paddling technique. Leaning forward, putting the blade in the water, and then pulling the boat to the blade is the way to think about it. 

[biggin]

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

once you’ve drilled holes, it’s yours.

Gee thanks for the reminder. Wouldn’t have known that without you.

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

What stabilizers do you have on it

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

Unless you've built some kind of rigid outrigger setup, those aren't going to help with stability or buoyancy. They barely float on their own as it is.  My suggestion would be to leave everything home but the boat, PFD, and the paddle for a bit.  Just paddle around and get used to the boat before you try to fish from it.  There is a learning curve in being in a kayak and learning how to use it correctly, especially for a paddle version and especially for a boat that isn't designed to be the most stable in the world.

 

8 hours ago, biggin said:

Gee thanks for the reminder. Wouldn’t have known that without you.

 

Then don't complain that the manufacturer is awful and has no customer service policy.  If there was truly a problem with the boat like a bad seam then I'm sure they would have fixed that.  'Because you don't like it' isn't a good enough reason for the manufacturer to take it back.  Maybe the retailer, but not the manufacturer.  The manufacturer hasn't done anything wrong here.

 

[Darth-Baiter]

9 hours ago, biggin said:

Gee thanks for the reminder. Wouldn’t have known that without you.

 

 

i understand you are frustrated..but you dont have to be snarky.  these people have been offering you advice from the get go.

 

why are you using those bumpers?  to protect the hull from docks, or add floatation to the edge of the kayak?  sorry if you explained above and i missed, it but i think you zigged and i zagged...you lost me.

[MN Fisher]

If you want stabilization you need to have the floats further from the hull and held fairly rigid.

 

This shows the setup I rigged for my 'cheap' Sun Dolphin Scout SS canoe (Also sold in Dicks as the 'Field and Stream Scout')

 

Some PVC pipe, couple flagpole holders and crab-trap floats. Allowed me to stand for pitching without worries.

[Darth-Baiter]

yup.  further from the kayak.  increase the leverage the floats put on the boat.  

 

similar concept when the ice skater sucks in her arms to spin around faster.  puts out her arms to slow down.

[biggin]

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

Unless you've built some kind of rigid outrigger setup, those aren't going to help with stability or buoyancy. They barely float on their own as it is.  My suggestion would be to leave everything home but the boat, PFD, and the paddle for a bit.  Just paddle around and get used to the boat before you try to fish from it.  There is a learning curve in being in a kayak and learning how to use it correctly, especially for a paddle version and especially for a boat that isn't designed to be the most stable in the world.

 

 

Then don't complain that the manufacturer is awful and has no customer service policy.  If there was truly a problem with the boat like a bad seam then I'm sure they would have fixed that.  'Because you don't like it' isn't a good enough reason for the manufacturer to take it back.  Maybe the retailer, but not the manufacturer.  The manufacturer hasn't done anything wrong here.

 

It’s an unstable POS. There are a little higher priced Lifetime yaks that are stable. Dicks could care less what they sell.

4 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

why are you using those bumpers?

Because l saw alot of people use them on youtube and seemed to be a good idea. But l guess l’ll try them close and almost touching the hull, if not then scrap it and hang up fishing period. Need to save money.

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

you want stabilization you need to have the floats further from the hull and held fairly rigid.

I don’t want to stand in it. Leaning to one side or having to turn around to reach for gear without have to tip over.  I didn’t feel comfortable when l paddled with out the riggers.

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

Unless you've built some kind of rigid outrigger setup, those aren't going to help with stability or buoyancy. They barely float on their own as it is.

They do help and they do float they’re inflatable, the have air stems

 

thanks for the help lm out. Maybe you guys are made of money but lm not. I’m tired of throwing it away

[Fishingmickey]

Are you a large sized person in a little person kayak?

 

[biggin]

38 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Are you a large sized person in a little person kayak?

 

I’m 200 lb 6 foot

the max weight is 278 for the yak. Just me paddling, without any gear, it’s too shifty for my liking.

5 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

similar concept when the ice skater sucks in her arms to spin around faster.  puts out her arms to slow down.

Now l wouldn’t have ever thought about that ! But l see any stabilizer kit has a pointed end to cut water but even those don’t compare to a keel 

[Fishingmickey]

Got wide shoulders, big muscles? A lot of weight in the upper body? Physics is the reaction to the reaction of you leaning over and getting that weight off of the center line / balance point of your kayak. such as twisting to reach behind you.  The kayak will take the path of least resistance and slide out from underneath you like stepping on a bar of soap. You're gonna need a bigger boat, Biggin.

[biggin]

57 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Got wide shoulders, big muscles? A lot of weight in the upper body? Physics is the reaction to the reaction of you leaning over and getting that weight off of the center line / balance point of your kayak. such as twisting to reach behind you.  The kayak will take the path of least resistance and slide out from underneath you like stepping on a bar of soap. You're gonna need a bigger boat, Biggin.

57 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

You're gonna need a bigger boat, Biggin.

 

Yes

 

57 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Got wide shoulders, big muscles? A lot of weight in the upper body?

No

Finally someone who gave me a straight answer and is correct.

Called the Dicks l bought it from and told a manager to train thier clerks the basics on purchasing and using a yak. And said l guess l’m stuck with it coz of mods. He said yes unfortunately. And nothing they can do for me. So l said l’ll never step foot in your store again, waiting for his response and hung up. No more Dicks for me.

[MediumMouthBass]

DSG isnt a kayaking shop, they are a shop that sells kayaks. The people working there dont know much about most of the things they sell. The one time in the fishing department i asked one of the employees where the Dobyns Fury casting rods were, he gave me a spinning rod and when i said no, i need the casting rod he told me the spinning rod will work good with a baitcasting reel.

 

So you're done shopping their because they wont give you a refund on a kayak that you drilled holes into? (To a manufacture or a business like DSG you basically destroyed the product) really nothing either company could do or should do. Its not a defective product.

 

This is why several people always recommend starting out with the kayak completely stock, then if it works for you modify it.

 

If you really dislike the kayak put it for sale, you could probably get 80-90% of the price you paid for it back. Then do research and buy one you would be happy with.

[biggin]

18 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

i need the casting rod he told me the spinning rod will work good with a baitcasting reel.

I'm new at this and understand why a baitcaster reel won't cast right on a spinning rod !

 

18 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

If you really dislike the kayak put it for sale, you could probably get 80-90% of the price you paid for it back. Then do research and buy one you would be happy with.

thought about it. 

 

18 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

So you're done shopping their because they wont give you a refund on a kayak that you drilled holes into?

ummm, no man, it's thier attitude with the whole deal ! You need to ask question before assuming that. I'm done shopping thier because thier clerks should have some knowledge, and if the store cared, they would !!! Follow ??

[flyfisher]

This is a hilarious thread to me.  You are all bent out of shape because you bought a cheap kayak and it performed like, well a cheap kayak.  You then want a big box store to act like a mom & pop shop and take a return on a kayak you heavily modified.  If you did a quick search on here you would have found tons of info on buying a kayak and probably me stating many many times to make zero modifications until you know what you want.  Don't try and solve a problem you don't even have or solve a problem someone else has, which it sounds like you did.  

Put it up on Facebook marketplace and you will sell it in a couple hours if priced reasonably and then you can start saving for another more suitable kayak.

[biggin]

2 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

DSG isnt a kayaking shop

Uh yeah l get that now but doesn’t change the fact they’re AH’s

 

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

If you did a quick search on here you would have found tons of info on buying a kayak and probably me stating many many times to make zero modifications until you know what you want

Too much bad info out there

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

Don't try and solve a problem you don't even have

I do, and chain stores could care less if you’re satisfied. I had boughts with chain manufacturers and won ! I had stuff for years and broke their balzz and got stuff practically for free, stuff for just about the price of this crap yak do WTH the difference who sells it to you, being dissatisfied is being dissatisfied. But lately l don’t contend anymore because l don’t care anymore. It’s not worth it to get jacked up over. I have all l need for the most part and isn’t worth the hassle. BTW l modified other stuff like a reloading press and install stops on it and didn’t have to return it to get it upgraded for half the price over a decade later and didn’t have to return it! DICKS sux !

 

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

Put it up on Facebook marketplace

Might do that