Jackson Big Rig or ??? Weigh in

[hunter24]

I'm seriously looking for a nice kayak. My buddy has a big rig 2014 and it's really nice. What do you recommend?

[Alphahawk]

Wow...you're going to have to put out more info to get some proper input on that question. Do you fish mostly flat water...or streams.....do you have a trailer? That thing is a beast of a kayak. Just a lot of variables you need to look at before you buy. Many kayak fisherman...and fisherwomen.....have two or more kayaks. I have two and wish I could only have one but when I want to put into a stream my BG Prowler II is just not the boat for it. There are kayaks that can be used as all around boats...working well on flat water as well as streams. The Ride 115 comes to mind....and there are others. We have a lot of good kayakers on here so you should get a lot of advice. HOOK1 in Hendersonville would be a good place to check out and talk about kayaks....they do not carry Jackson but have just about all the major brands there...good folks and you can learn a lot with a visit to the store.



Regards

[hunter24]

Wow...you're going to have to put out more info to get some proper input on that question. Do you fish mostly flat water...or streams.....do you have a trailer? That thing is a beast of a kayak. Just a lot of variables you need to look at before you buy. Many kayak fisherman...and fisherwomen.....have two or more kayaks. I have two and wish I could only have one but when I want to put into a stream my BG Prowler II is just not the boat for it. There are kayaks that can be used as all around boats...working well on flat water as well as streams. The Ride 115 comes to mind....and there are others. We have a lot of good kayakers on here so you should get a lot of advice. HOOK1 in Hendersonville would be a good place to check out and talk about kayaks....they do not carry Jackson but have just about all the major brands there...good folks and you can learn a lot with a visit to the store.


Regards

I will be fishing rivers, creeks, and lakes. Have the budget for only one at the moment.

I have a farm on the Caney Fork and have several budget rigs but now it's time to upgrade.

[tennesseekeith]

The lure 11.5 and the ride 115x is what I'm looking at. Both are about 75#. The big rig is about 97#. The big rig is longer at 13'2''. As the other 2 are 11'2 or 11'6''. The lure is 36" wide 115x is 33'' and the big rig is 37''.
I think the weight cap is all about 250 +/-.
I have a friend that have the big rig. It a hand full getting to the water some times. When you can't get to the water edge.

[Alphahawk]

Ride 115 capacity is 500 pounds and the Lure 11.5 is 350 pounds. Even for a young guy when you hit that 80# mark on a kayak it can be tough hauling it around. I have not been in a Big Rig but I would think the wind on flat water might be an issue with that boat. I think there is someone on the forum who owns one...maybe a couple of guys....to weigh in on that.




Regards

[tennesseekeith]

the lure is 425. the ride 115x is 500, the big rig is 450. My numbers was off a little.

[txnative]

I have a Lure 11.5. It is 36" wide, weighs 74 lbs, and has a weight capacity of 425 lbs. The Lure is incredibly stable, you'll feel as if you're fishing off of a boat. The Gravity Seat is hard to accurately describe. It is very comfortable and the height adjustment feature is amazing.

As for performance, the Lure tracks well, and is easy to paddle with a 240 cm or longer paddle (I recommend a similar paddle choice for the Big Rig, also). I recommend the rudder option simply to make turning and tracking that much better, but it is not a "necessary" accessory.

Storage space is nice. There is a very handy center console that will keep its' contents bone dry, and the stern well fits a crate easily with room left for more gear. I do recommend getting the UniTrack accessory mounts to attach rod holders (if desired).

Lastly, the molded handled and Wheel-in-the-Keel make loading/unloading child's play. You can rig the kayak at your vehicle and simply roll it to your launch site, no more dragging and scuffing the kayak, multiple trips back to the vehicle for gear, and you even turn a few heads doing it, lol.

If you have any more questions about the Lure 11.5, don't hesitate to ask. I'll post a photo of mine below with all attachments on the kayak.


Chris Bryant

[browntrout]

I have a Lure 11.5. It is 36" wide, weighs 74 lbs, and has a weight capacity of 425 lbs. The Lure is incredibly stable, you'll feel as if you're fishing off of a boat. The Gravity Seat is hard to accurately describe. It is very comfortable and the height adjustment feature is amazing.

As for performance, the Lure tracks well, and is easy to paddle with a 240 cm or longer paddle (I recommend a similar paddle choice for the Big Rig, also). I recommend the rudder option simply to make turning and tracking that much better, but it is not a "necessary" accessory.

Storage space is nice. There is a very handy center console that will keep its' contents bone dry, and the stern well fits a crate easily with room left for more gear. I do recommend getting the UniTrack accessory mounts to attach rod holders (if desired).

Lastly, the molded handled and Wheel-in-the-Keel make loading/unloading child's play. You can rig the kayak at your vehicle and simply roll it to your launch site, no more dragging and scuffing the kayak, multiple trips back to the vehicle for gear, and you even turn a few heads doing it, lol.

If you have any more questions about the Lure 11.5, don't hesitate to ask. I'll post a photo of mine below with all attachments on the kayak.


Chris Bryant

Chris,
I don't want to high jack this thread from its original question but I was thinking about getting the Lure 11.5 for my wife. She won't be fishing she will just be recreational paddling while I fish. Main use will be Caney Fork during generation, and on Centerhill lake. What are your thoughts on this kayak for that?

Roy

[txnative]

Chris,
I don't want to high jack this thread from its original question but I was thinking about getting the Lure 11.5 for my wife. She won't be fishing she will just be recreational paddling while I fish. Main use will be Caney Fork during generation, and on Centerhill lake. What are your thoughts on this kayak for that?

Roy

Extremely stable and comfortable. She'll love paddling with the seat in the high position...imagine paddling from a camp chair that fits you like bucket seats in a car. The Lure is great on lakes and better on rivers. The only question left is which color will she pick ? :)


Chris Bryant

[Reel Tune]

I'll play this a little differently. I will not sell you a brand or a particular kayak.

Kayak Fishing This is not for everyone. Some people don't last.

Kayak Fishing is just not something we do. 95% of us are anglers and stumbled across these pieces of plastic on accident. This intrigued many of us. Smaller waters, no gas, coffee and pop tarts for fuel, no registration, a little exercise.

Some people bought the cheapest most basic kayak they could afford. Most of these kayaks are not accessory friendly, not as stable, don't paddle as efficiently as better designed kayaks and definitely not as comfortable. Many of these people ended up selling their cheap kayak for a very little loss, and decide to just hoof it through the woods and beat the banks.

There are many great kayak manufactures and there is a boat for everyone's needs, don't mistake that for one boat fits all, well because there is not one kayak that does everything well and there will not be.

Decide what you want to do "rivers, lakes, ponds, creeks, ocean)? If you are doing multiple of these things make a list in priority from the most used to the least used. Decide how you want to transport (car top, bed of truck, trailer)?. Decide capacity needed (Take your weight with clothing and add at least 125lbs) some need less, and some like me need more, but 125lbs is usually a safe bet.

Look at many manufacturers Wilderness Systems, Hobie, FeelFree, Jackson, Old Town, Ocean Kayak, Native, and there are many more, but those are the big ones. If American owned and made is important to you then do some research. If being in business for 15 years is important to you then decide on that also.

Paddle every kayak you can, and check the stability, notice how it tracks, see how easy it paddles, check the comfort of the seat. 5 minute comfort is totally different than 9 hour comfort. See how dry the ride is does any water come up through the scuppers, do you get any splash over the sides, do you get a slapping sound while moving near the bow?

Decide if you want a Sit on Top, Sit in, or Hybrid. The Sit on Top is the most popular for kayak fishing style kayak. It allows for many options of mounting rod holders, fish finders, tackle storage devices, you sit above the water out on the open so if you tip you generally fall away from the kayak. Most of all sit on tops have scupper holes, this allows for any water that comes over the side to drain through the bottom, so your cockpit stays dry, and you don't sink.

The sit in's a popular for touring and recreational uses. They offer less mounting areas, and less easily accessible storage. They are generally faster though, lighter, and narrower.

Hybrids, these are a mix between a sit on top and sit in. They are more of a canoe look. Most are easy to stand in due to your feet being below the water line, and they are wider than a sit in, and generally narrower than most sit on tops. They have more storage area than a sit on top or sit in making them great for overnight trips, and adult and young child if needed. They do not have scuppers so I wouldn't recommend these for rivers with rapids above class 2 or the ocean.

You have mechanically driven kayaks also. Hobie, and Native Propel. These kayaks have a drive system driven by your feet to allow for hands free (fishing, coffee, sandwich) or whatever you may need a hand for.

My suggestion is to paddle, paddle, pedal, pedal, paddle, paddle, and paddle. Set up demos with Caney Fork Outdoors and paddle the complete Jackson Line, Set up a day or two with Hook 1 in Hendersonville and paddle the Wilderness Systems, Feel Free's, Old Towns, Natives, and pedal the Native Propels. Paddle boats that you are not interested in also just to see some of the differences. Let people tell you about the pros and cons of boats they have experienced, but don't let someone make your mind up for you.

There is a tournament this weekend hosted by River Bassin and is hosted out of Caney Fork Outdoors owned by Joel and Janice Martin near the Caney Fork Dam. This will be one of the largest tournaments in Tennessee with close to 50 kayaks maybe more. Come on out Friday and talk to us at the Captains meeting, check out peoples kayaks, ask questions, ask many questions. We will also be there Saturday for Checking starting around 3:30pm, and ask more questions that you didn't ask Friday, check out more kayaks. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU "YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS KAYAK, or THIS IS THE BEST KAYAK. That is BS.

Come on out please and get to know more about kayak fishing, and what it is we love about this sport, and why we are so passionate.

Come find me I'll have a black fitted ball cap with a Green Triangle and Hook inside it. I'll have a beard, and my wife will be with me. Please introduce yourself.

Jeremy

Sorry I got long winded there

Original Question Jackson Big Rig?

It has become a very popular kaya in a very short time. A lot of the larger guys (250#+) are really liking them, I'm not there but getting closer and closer with every beer. There are also several averaged sized guys who are liking them and seem to make an easy transition from a boat to a kayak. They are a Tennessee Company, made here in Tennessee. I suggest you paddle one in different conditions, wind, current, flat water, I suggest you decide how you will transport it, and carry it by hand whether you are using a cart, or dragging it. A lot of places I fish require a 50-100 yard drag/carry, or cart.

[MNfisher]

Well said Jeremy!


Mike

[browntrout]

Well said Jeremy!


Mike

X2

Roy

P.S. The Native Slayer Propel is the best kayak out there by the way!!!!!

[tsuggs]

the captain seats in my native ultimate make all the difference for a brokedown land surveyor.ditto what jeremy said

[txnative]

Jeremy offers sound advice. I can tell you what I think of the Lure because of my time spent in it. I absolutely suggest test paddling multiple kayaks to fit you. I will only offer a review of what I have experience with. I love my kayaks, so I will gladly brag about them. I will not talk bad of other kayaks, though, especially if I haven't used them enough to feel confident in my opinion.

As long as I can encourage people to join the plastic navy, I'm happy. Brand, model, style, color, etc doesn't matter to me as long as people are having fun and the kayak fishing community continues to grow.


Chris Bryant

[Reel Tune]

We'll said Chris. Don't let someone make your mind up for you. Don't over spend, and possibly regret it. I won't laugh or make fun of anyone for choosing a kayak I don't care for, and I'm sure nobody else here or that fish my events would neither. I just want people to choose what is right for them "style, price, brand, color". As long as you the paddler is happy that's all that matters. If you do find a kayak you like you can also look for the same model and brand used and save a lot of money. Also Hook 1 in Hendersonville carries trade-in's.

[hunter24]

We'll said Chris. Don't let someone make your mind up for you. Don't over spend, and possibly regret it. I won't laugh or make fun of anyone for choosing a kayak I don't care for, and I'm sure nobody else here or that fish my events would neither. I just want people to choose what is right for them "style, price, brand, color". As long as you the paddler is happy that's all that matters. If you do find a kayak you like you can also look for the same model and brand used and save a lot of money. Also Hook 1 in Hendersonville carries trade-in's.

I went by Big Rock today. Looked for the River Bassin guys but didn't see a large group there. Talked to Joel a while and looked at several Jackson models. Was going to demo the big rig and tuna but it started raining pretty good and I had to get back.