Jackson Bite FD Review and Water Test
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some time at Frontenac Outfitters Canoe&Kayak Center to review and test paddle some of the Jackson model kayaks I'm eyeing for my next upgrade!
www.frontenacoutfitters.com/ - If you live within driving distance, it's well worth your time to head down to their shop to to test paddle the great kayaks and canoes they have!
Intro: 00:00
Feature Review: 00:22
On the Water: 06:30
In this video I go over some of the features of the Jackson Bite FD and test it out on the water!
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I'm about a 10 minute drive from Frontenac Outfitters. I've purchased 2 canoes there and I'm very happy with their service. I try to recommend them whenever I can.
I'm not surprised to hear stories from others about how awesome their shop is. Theres a reason people come from all over Ontario, and in some cases, the rest of Canada to buy from them!
LOVE IT !!!
Heck yea!, It's a sweet kayak, thats for sure!
they are super nice kayaks, and if I could find one in stock I'd buy one!
haha that's definately the challenge right now!
It took me a year to figure out which kayak to buy and it will be a Jackson kayak
You've made a great choice! They make some of the best kayaks around and the customer service is second to none! Which models are you looking at?
Nice review i just demoed one today really like the bite but wondering if i sho I ld go with the fd looks like there is still plenty of room to stand with flex drive might have to with the fd proll u get more out of fishing
Make sure you get out and try it on the water. The the bite and bite FD will feel very similar. The FD will feel a little more stable while standing because of the prop housing in the water, but like I said, you sacrifice a some deck space. It's all about preference though, right? The FD still has plenty of room for standing, and it is very stable.
If you had a choice of old town, native slayer propel, or jackson bite which one would you pick
Truthfully, I've never been in any Old Town or Native kayaks so I can't really give you an unbiased answer to that question. I have been in the Bite FD, however (clearly :P), and I can tell you that it is an awesome platform. It was very stable, the FD Mk2 (which was the version you see in this video if i'm not mistaken) worked amazingly, and it had lots of space and features! I'm not sure what has changed with the Bite FD since making this video, but I got to try out a FD Mk4 today on a different boat and I can say this: If the only change made between the making of this video and now is the upgraded Flex Drive, it's %1000 worth it. The Mk4 FD is AMAZING! Super quiet, super smooth and really easy to peddle!
Can you give the link for the motor drive thanks
The drive is the Jackson E-Drive. I am 99% sure they have discontinued it though. I can't find it on their website anywhere, but here's a link to it from Frontenac Outfitters:
www.frontenacoutfitters.com/flex-drive-e-electric-motor-jackson.html
I load my kayak on my vehicle from the rear and slide it into J bars. Can the Bite be stood on the end without damaging the rudder?
Definately not, but the rudder is easily removable so if you need to, you can just pop it out for transportation.
In the storage setting when it’s tucked away, can you still peddle? When in the thick of cover I’m wondering if that’s possible?
When it's all the way up in the stowed position you won't be able to peddle. It does have two deployed modes though, a shallow water setting and normal. When it's in the shallow setting you won't get as much propulsion as you do when it's fully deployed. You should always have a paddle with you, even on a peddle kayak in case something goes wrong with your pedal drive. It also mean that if you're headed into thick surface cover you can just stow the propeller and use your paddle to maneuver.
@@jeffdicks make sense
How does it paddle? I like to have that option. Where can you put a battery, transducer, etc,? Any interior hull access?
I didn't do a whole lot of paddling except to get in and out of the launch area (it was VERY shallow) but it paddled just fine for the small amount I did. There is no interior hull access on the Bite Angler or Bite FD so you'd have to find a way to strap a battery to the front or rear tank well areas. They are plenty big though so that shouldn't be a problem. For the transducer, there is a specific scupper that recessed in order to accept them, and it has a plastic cover for protection to boot (I touched on it briefly in the video). You could also use a track mounted transducer arm if that's more your fancy.
Hi I’ve seen that you have tried both the Bite and the Yupik out before so I was just wondering which one was more stable? I’ve owned the bite before and the hull on the Yupik looks the same as the hull on the bite but is longer so I was just wondering.
I would say they are about equally stable. I had no issues standing and casting from either of them. They both have a beam width of 35" and if memory serves me correctly, the underside hull design is very similar. The biggest difference is whats on the top. The YuPik is a blank slate with tracks EVERYWHERE. Very easy to put together a uniquely customized fishing kayak. The Bite, while also including enough tracks to be very useful, just has a little less customization. Jackson has changes the seat design on the YuPik since I filmed these videos though. They now include the Hi-Low slider system which is pretty great. Truthfully I wasn't crazy about it at first, but it very quickly grew on me.
@@jeffdicks thanks for the info and the quick reply appreciate it!
Any idea on weight with seat and drive removed? Can't find this info anywhere.
I have no idea right now, but I'll put out some feelers and get back to you on it. Wait out.
Looks like it's around 80lbs with the seat and drive off. I don't have one, but that's the answer I got from the Jackson Kayak Owners Facebook group. Hope that helps!
Did the squeaking stop on the flexdrive?did it just need to be broken in?
It didn't stop for me, but it was also a brand new drive out of the box so I chalk the squeaking up to that. I also didn't have the bolts that secure it to the base installed. It did get quieter and quieter as I peddled around though, and by the time I was beaching it the sound was barely noticeable.
Thanks for the reply yeah im so close to pullin the trigger and gettin one just was seein how the flexdrive was holdin up and if the squeaks stopped. I found a store with one but its in the forrest green was really wantin the Dorado color they said i could get one made but take a month to get decision decisions lol
The forest green IS pretty slick though 😁
Hey I’m am looking to buy a pedal kayak for fishing, im debating between the Vibe Shearwater 125 and the Jackson Bite FD. I fish in pretty shallow and grassy waters, and am not too concerned about the speed or stability. Any suggestions?
If speed is not a concern, I would suggest going with a paddle kayak. Honestly, in shallow grassy water you'll be using a paddle anyways in order manoeuvre. Otherwise whatever peddle drive your using might gum up quite a bit. That said, I've never say in any Vibe kayaks, so I'm not very familiar with them, but I can say that the Jackson Flex drive does remarkably well even in weedy water. In the event that the drive does get caught up with weeds, it's easy to raise it, pop the hatch and clean it off. If you end up getting a peddle driven kayak, I'd still recommend getting a quality paddle to go with it. Your arms and back will thank you in the long run as there will still be situations where you'll have to use it to get around. As for the Bite FD, whether stability is a concern or not, you'd be getting a very stable kayak! Being able to stand and cast on a stable platform will most certainly help you get a better vantage of the open pockets in those weedy areas you talked about. That's most likely where you'll find bass and pike lurking to ambush smaller fish, or a lure 😁
@@jeffdicks I currently have a 10 foot paddle kayak and it takes me 40-45 minutes to get to my fishing spot. By the time I get there my arms are tired, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be fast, but efficient enough so I’m not worn out by the time I get there. Thank you for the input, much appreciated 😁
How shallow of water are we talking about? I mean realistically, anything over like 2-3 feet and you'd be fine with a peddle drive. You'll probably catch a bit of grass here and there but it's not likely to be anything the Flex drive can't handle. When you said shallow weedy water I automatically went to like, thick thick weeds from bottom to top.
The water level varies depending on the tide but probably around 2-3 feet on average with shallower spots and deeper channels. No thick thick weeds from bottom to top like you said, but there are a bit of weeds In some spots. I fish in the Louisiana marshes if that gives you a better idea. I liked the bite fd because of the shallow water setting for the drive and the ability to get easy access to the prop when I do get weeds.
I live in southeastern Ontario, Canada and I've never fished really anywhere else (yet!) So I can't in good faith tell you with %100 certainty, but I think you'd be just fine with the Bite FD. Like you mentioned, that middle setting for shallow water lets you get around pretty easily when you need it. You will lose a bit of propulsion/speed with it in that setting though. Just a thought to keep in mind, but the benefit of being able to change prop depth on the fly whille still being able to effectively peddle will outweigh the speed loss, in my opinion.
So I just bought the bite fd. At first the drive was smooth and I fell in love with it. However after about an hour the drive began to vibrate and make a LOT of noise. I took it into shore and added the grease which was supplied and that fixed it for about 15 minutes until the vibration and noise began again. I regreased it a 2nd time with the same result. After a 3rd regreasing and still having the issue I called Jackson. Their customer service was amazing and they shipped me out a new drive. The new drive has significantly less resistance and I was quite hopeful only to find the same issues.
I'm going to regrease it a 2nd time and hopefully take it out today but I've used all the grease supplied with the first drive and will have to use a different brand from my local marine store. I really love this kayak and I'm hoping this is just some kind of break in period issue because the vibration and noise is really unpleasant. I'll try and give an update after getting it out on the water again. This kayak, minus the issues I'm having with the drive has been a game changer and I'm really hopeful the drive situation resolves itself.
Wow that's bad luck. I ended up getting the Liska, but when I took the FD out for a test I didn't have any issues at all and I didn't even have the bolts in the drive peddles that attach it to the base. I'm not surprised at the good customer service though. I'm not affiliated with Jackson or anything, I just love their kayaks, and I've only ever read good things about the care they give their customers.
While I'm not an expert by any means on the FD system, I would suggest you make sure the bolts are tight and that the drive lever isn't in the middle of one of the settings while your paddling. Those two might cause unintended results while peddling. (Ie, inbetween the storage setting, shallow water setting and fully lowered setting)
I hope it gets sorted out.
This might be a little tip for you. There is a Jackson Kayak owners Facebook group and one of the members just made this comment in someone's post about the new 3D Flex Drive,
"Use it for a trip. Come home and add grease to it. Store it upside down when it’s not being used. The grease will sit on the gears better and you will have a smoother experience every time."
Maybe that will help alleviate the issue your having!
@@jeffdicks Wow, thanks for the response! I'll try that out and see how it goes.
Let me know how it goes, and if your on Facebook you should join that group too, there's a lot of knowledge shared there from what I've seen, even as a new member myself!
@@jeffdicks Will do. That would be the one thing that caused me to get back on Facebook but I'm afraid even that isn't enough. I'll be taking it out this weekend and give an update. Really appreciate the tip!
I can get one for 1500. Should I jump on it? Also can this use the bixpy motor?
CAD or USD? At that price, I'm assuming USD, since they're close to 2900$CAD new. I'd say that $1500usd is a pretty good price for one used. As for the Bixby, I don't know. It is compatible with the Jackson e-drive though. The e-drive is an electric motor that just drops in in place of the pedals and utilizes the prop system that already comes with the bite FD.
@@jeffdicks sorry. USD can get one used thats been used once. Looks clean! Thanks for the response👍
@@shellcracker18 they are great boats! If you buy it, I'm sure you'll love it!
How tall are you? Wondering if it'll fit me
I'm 5'9". The seat is adjustable forward and back, so it will fit a pretty wide variety of heights.
@@jeffdicks thank you
I need to start getting some $$$ together.
It's a pretty slick boat! Well worth the money.