Hey man, you’ve really gave a lot of useful information on this topic. I can tell you though, I’m 6’2” 460lbs and sport the NuCanoe Frontier 12, zero issues with it! The only questionable aspect is when being out in the sun for a while the deck begins to bow a little. Super stable, easy to get in and out of especially with the 360 swivel seat.
I’m not a particularly big dude but your vid really is for all of us. Demo, don’t plop into seats, get in and out of kayaks responsively. and just generally use your head. Well done. Thank you.
When I was researching my kayak I saw a video of a guy who had to have been north of 400 pounds and more like 450 riding a BigRig through some pretty rough water. It looked like a barge and he never lost position. It was hilarious. I still own and use my 2014 BigRig. Still a great platform for fishing the tidal Potomac, upper Potomac and Susqy.
Great video! Great tips. It's the small stuff we forget about that can easily ruin your fishing season. I would love to see more paddle content. Paddle Kayak fishing is truly an art form that is being phased out of competitive fishing. It's not only a healthier way to fish, but IMO, it's a much more rewarding technique.
What a great video. I have been watching you and Gene for several years now and I was researching different kayaks to see which one best fit me. I'm 5'9" at about 250lbs. After weeks of research, my wife and I went down to Farmville VA and stopped into Appomattox River Company. They were great. They listened to what I was wanting it for and let me try a couple of different brands. Ultimately, I went with the SS107. I have had it over three years and I am happy with it. Also, three great videos that you suggested to watch. Thanks for the info and I look forward to your next video.
The video I needed! 6'8" and fitting my frame has been a big concern. I had my sights set on a PWR129. I still plan to try and demo one but know now that a demo is mandatory. Thanks for the honest video Chad!
Thank you for the video. I don't considered a big dude but heading in that direction with age. I'm gonna demo a Native propel in July and pick up one by September. One Goal: Knucklhed in November and Ohio is coming with me.
Chad dude you are so back! Your content. Your advice, your focus is inspiring. I have been watching and following you for years. I met you wow over 10 years ago. Your work over the recent past is as good as it has ever been.So fun to watch you today. You today are the definition of a come back my friend. The knuckle head tournament! Come on what a huge idea. IMO today you are back to the top 5 kayak experts on the planet! Manufacturers take notice. You want to align with an influencer that can change your bottom line. His name is Chad Hoover.
Love the video. A honorable mention of sorts. Is the wilderness systems ATAK series I love my atak140. Not pedal drive but is a amazing big person kayak I'm 6,3 at 350 and zero issues
Nice video! Not a big dude but no question on the NuCanoe Unlimiteds stability, me my little brother stood on the edge of that boat and it didn’t flip, total of use combined was 240lbs.
Definitely a good video! I still need to tighten my SS127 seat but I've still got a little time yet before it warms up. I was envious seeing you down in Florida. But we don't have to contend with swamp puppies up here.
I just bought one, I’m 290lbs. I’m hoping it’s everything I need to get on the water and fish. The seat height is what got me with it. I got the pedal drive system. Any problems you have with yours or things you don’t like to much, and if you could tell me what you really like about it?
Something to add, or I may have missed if you did include it, is that most of these "big guy" kayaks are HEAVY. I went with the Nucanoe Unlimited and love that boat, but my god there are days I wish I had bought the Lynx when I'm loading/unloading. Ensure if you are demoing a boat that you get the full experience of loading/unloading/portaging to the water. I think one of my biggest barriers to getting out sometimes is thinking about the hassle of moving that boat during the heat of summer. I ended up getting a Boonedox Landing Gear w/ a custom seat base to support it and that remedied the issue a bit, but there are still days I don't end up going out because I'm too tired to wrestle with that boat after a long week. I would also add that a number (not all) of these boats designed for bigger dudes paddle poorly. Regardless of whether a boat your looking at is PDL or motor driven, ensure that it paddles suitably for your abilities/strength. I can paddle my unlimited fine, but I discovered quickly that the trolling motor was the way to go if I didn't want to sweat to death after paddling more than a mile. For all of the bitching I've done in this comment about it, I really like the Unlimited as a bigger dude boat. The customizability of that boat for the entry price is awesome, it is stable as a table, and given its design paddles/handles alright. Additionally, the customer support from Nucanoe has been great for me, and parts for life is a pretty good vote of confidence in the quality of their product.
Thanks for the info and many other videos you make to help us! I’m in need start kayaking to loose weight and start my healthy journey. I currently weigh 340lbs at 5’11 so yeah I’m in need. Been listening to you and researching to purchase the correct one. I love fishing so want to combine fishing with exercise. Im leaning towards pedal drive. If you were me , what would you recommend? Thanks in advance
Similar to you, I went with a Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL. I didn't like pedaling at first because of what Chad pointed out in this video with the hip/knee/ankle angles, so made risers out of 2 x 4 for the rear of the seat and it was golden. Ended up buying some seat risers for it. Made pedaling work out great with my big ole gut and PFD. I also spent a lot of time just paddling and it paddled well.
@@kayakfishin966 hey thank you much for the info, I will look into the old town as well as the risers for the seat . You should do a video on the 2x4’s among other things that help you as a bigger guy
The best big dude kayak was the native Titan 13.5 but unfortunately they’ve discontinued it. Next would be a bonafide 127 aside from a grossly over priced Hobie lol
im 5,11 270 im running a old town sportsman 120 paddle, with a xi3 100ah battery and a full to the brim 16x16 blackpak. i feel like its testing the limits but not sure. i want to get into the pwr119
5'5" around 355 I just can't afford the nucanoe unlimited do know anything about sun Dolphin boss 12ss great information on you helped my brother knowing what was best for him
Check out the lifetime Teton 12 pro , I'm 6,2 325 and I don't have any issues , the foot stirrups are highly adjustable and it has a decent removable seat , if you're near the Florida panhandle I'd gladly let you give mine a try , happy fishing
I'm getting back into kayak fishing and have a question. I'm a double amputee and was told I could not use a sit on top because it would tip. I don't wear prosthetics while kayaking. So I bought a hybrid. When I first started many years ago I used a sit inside. Is it true I couldn't use a sit on top? Do you use your legs for stability?
You could definitely use a sit on top. You should use your feet for bracing, but that’s true of any style Of kayak, but you don’t have to do it if you can’t. I also feel like a sit on top would be safer because it’s self bailing and should he ever flip it, it would be much easier to get back onto as it wouldn’t fill up with water like a sit in or hybrid kayak.
@@ChadHooverFishing thanks for replying! I just recently bought my hybrid (used) so I'll use it for awhile until I can upgrade and will go with a SOT in the future. The hybrid has been fun though. I'm in upper East Tennessee and plan on fishing lakes around here.
I am 6’3” ,260 pounds and 59 years old. I want to buy a kayak but don’t want to spend a fortune. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast about 40 minutes south of Houston. I’m scared to spend a lot of money on a kayak only to find that it doesn’t work for me (end up flipping over) Do you know of anywhere in the Houston area that I can demo a kayak before buying? I can’t seem to find anywhere looking on line. Please help an old big guy get into kayak fishing in the bays.
I thought for sure the Big Fish 108 with a 38 inch width would be on the list, I’m a little disappointed, but being it’s not a “high end” kayak that would explain it. 🤷♂️
The video is called the BEST Big Dude fishing kayaks, not ALL Big Dude fishing kayaks. I think the Big Fish 108 is a good option, but it isn’t better than any of those discussed here. Hope that makes sense.
@@ChadHooverFishing I’m just an average guy, average income, a vet looking to making the most of his retirement, got what I could afford, , I guess tournament fishing would be out of my reach, appreciate your videos and you’re knowledge, Thank You.
When the cost of a comfortable kayak starts to get close to the costs of a used full size bass tracker with a 40 horse 2 stroke motor and a trailer, i am going to start reconsidering weather i prefer plastic over aluminum???
Great video Chad! Very diversified and unbiased. Should be very helpful for those looking for a kayak. My tip for those looking to buy, you get what you pay for! Never more true then in the Kayak world. Save up for something good if you can't afford it now. Sure, you can go cheap, but you are going to feel unstable and hate it. Most cheaper ones are uncomfortable, unstable, and have poor handling. Even worse, going "newbie cheap" and buying one of those junk kayaks (like sundolphins at Walmart), that have two halves sandwiched together. Those leak horribly from the seam. May be fine for the lightweights and kids, but any grown adult will hate them pretty quick. Once the weight increases, and water starts getting in those seams, it will fill up quickly. I rented one many years ago for a river trip when my buddy who I was to share a canoe with had to back out of our group outing. I spent most of that day bailing out water with a solo cup. As for me, at 240, 5'10, I have 4 Kayaks. The most stable and luxuriously comfortable one is the Bonafide SS127. Awesome kayak, but heavy as a tank to deal with loading and unloading if you don't' have a dedicated trailer for it. Probably be the same for any "big boy" kayak, so be prepared. Its also cost me a lot of money being such a great base to build out your fishing machine beast of a kayak. The other favorite is an Oldtown Sportsman106, like Chad mentioned. Great kayak. I tend to use it more then my SS127 because it's just easier to deal with on those days I just want to get out and not dedicate a whole day. My third that I've not tried yet and just picked up over the winter is the FeelFree Moken 10 V2. Its going to be my new throw and go for those spur of the moment runs to the farm ponds after work. Good luck new Kayakers! Welcome to the club and keep those lines tight!
Thank you for making this video. I reached out to another you tube personality with a question abt a fishing kayak for big ppl and the response was very disappointing so I stopped watching his channel. Anyway your video was very informative. All of the information you put in this video confirms everything it took me 2 years to put together on my own and a thing or two I hadn't taken into consideration. Thank you Thank you thank you
Hey Chad thanks for the video. These are my favorite videos. Question for you. I have the Pescador outlaw and I’m hanging around 260. I’m working on getting lower but I’m going to put the motor guide xi3 on the front. Do you think after wiring and battery and all my gear and me will I max out the weight. Just thought of that watching your video. Boat weight is 77lbs and max is 425. I mainly fish small lakes and medium size weight. Looking forward to your answer
I’m a big dude and I approve this message 💪
Hey man, you’ve really gave a lot of useful information on this topic. I can tell you though, I’m 6’2” 460lbs and sport the NuCanoe Frontier 12, zero issues with it! The only questionable aspect is when being out in the sun for a while the deck begins to bow a little. Super stable, easy to get in and out of especially with the 360 swivel seat.
Brother there’s no way you’re 460 I just watched your videos !
@@bridgelaurie9490 well I appreciate that big time, but I absolutely am
I’m not a particularly big dude but your vid really is for all of us. Demo, don’t plop into seats, get in and out of kayaks responsively. and just generally use your head. Well done. Thank you.
Thank you. I appreciate that
*0:56* "...Like I don't have mirrors in my house.". Love the self confidence.
🤷🏻♂️😂😂😂
I'm 6'4" 300+.
I love my WS Ride 135 with the classic low seat. I go inshore fishing in the aegean sea and this yak is super stable!!
When I was researching my kayak I saw a video of a guy who had to have been north of 400 pounds and more like 450 riding a BigRig through some pretty rough water. It looked like a barge and he never lost position. It was hilarious. I still own and use my 2014 BigRig. Still a great platform for fishing the tidal Potomac, upper Potomac and Susqy.
Great video! Great tips. It's the small stuff we forget about that can easily ruin your fishing season. I would love to see more paddle content. Paddle Kayak fishing is truly an art form that is being phased out of competitive fishing. It's not only a healthier way to fish, but IMO, it's a much more rewarding technique.
Thank you. I do quite a bit of it from my river trips to several of my big bass videos from last year. I have many more planned.
What a great video. I have been watching you and Gene for several years now and I was researching different kayaks to see which one best fit me. I'm 5'9" at about 250lbs. After weeks of research, my wife and I went down to Farmville VA and stopped into Appomattox River Company. They were great. They listened to what I was wanting it for and let me try a couple of different brands. Ultimately, I went with the SS107. I have had it over three years and I am happy with it. Also, three great videos that you suggested to watch. Thanks for the info and I look forward to your next video.
The video I needed! 6'8" and fitting my frame has been a big concern. I had my sights set on a PWR129. I still plan to try and demo one but know now that a demo is mandatory. Thanks for the honest video Chad!
You are welcome Chris, glad I could help
Thank you for the video. I don't considered a big dude but heading in that direction with age.
I'm gonna demo a Native propel in July and pick up one by September.
One Goal: Knucklhed in November and Ohio is coming with me.
Chad dude you are so back! Your content. Your advice, your focus is inspiring. I have been watching and following you for years. I met you wow over 10 years ago. Your work over the recent past is as good as it has ever been.So fun to watch you today. You today are the definition of a come back my friend. The knuckle head tournament! Come on what a huge idea. IMO today you are back to the top 5 kayak experts on the planet! Manufacturers take notice. You want to align with an influencer that can change your bottom line. His name is Chad Hoover.
Thanks Stephen. I appreciate that.
Thanks for the video Chad. Very helpful. Would be interesting to see you explain more the difference for tall big and shorter big kayaks.
tactical gondola side panels
Love the video. A honorable mention of sorts. Is the wilderness systems ATAK series I love my atak140. Not pedal drive but is a amazing big person kayak I'm 6,3 at 350 and zero issues
Nice video! Not a big dude but no question on the NuCanoe Unlimiteds stability, me my little brother stood on the edge of that boat and it didn’t flip, total of use combined was 240lbs.
Definitely a good video! I still need to tighten my SS127 seat but I've still got a little time yet before it warms up. I was envious seeing you down in Florida. But we don't have to contend with swamp puppies up here.
Love the Kaku Zulu I got, great stability and maneuver characteristics
I just bought one, I’m 290lbs. I’m hoping it’s everything I need to get on the water and fish. The seat height is what got me with it. I got the pedal drive system. Any problems you have with yours or things you don’t like to much, and if you could tell me what you really like about it?
Something to add, or I may have missed if you did include it, is that most of these "big guy" kayaks are HEAVY. I went with the Nucanoe Unlimited and love that boat, but my god there are days I wish I had bought the Lynx when I'm loading/unloading. Ensure if you are demoing a boat that you get the full experience of loading/unloading/portaging to the water. I think one of my biggest barriers to getting out sometimes is thinking about the hassle of moving that boat during the heat of summer. I ended up getting a Boonedox Landing Gear w/ a custom seat base to support it and that remedied the issue a bit, but there are still days I don't end up going out because I'm too tired to wrestle with that boat after a long week.
I would also add that a number (not all) of these boats designed for bigger dudes paddle poorly. Regardless of whether a boat your looking at is PDL or motor driven, ensure that it paddles suitably for your abilities/strength. I can paddle my unlimited fine, but I discovered quickly that the trolling motor was the way to go if I didn't want to sweat to death after paddling more than a mile.
For all of the bitching I've done in this comment about it, I really like the Unlimited as a bigger dude boat. The customizability of that boat for the entry price is awesome, it is stable as a table, and given its design paddles/handles alright. Additionally, the customer support from Nucanoe has been great for me, and parts for life is a pretty good vote of confidence in the quality of their product.
Excellent Chad! I always believe the Jackson Yupik is the best for bigger dudes
reference for selene castle kayak port sizing
One boat that could be added to this list but it’s a not an obvious fishing kayak is the crescent crew. It paddles really well and is very rigable.
Thanks for the suggestions. Hoping to demo a Titan X 12.5, a OT 120PDL and an OT 136AP at a dealer later this month.
Those are good choices
@@ChadHooverFishing any additional suggestions for a big guy that is 79 years old with knee, hip and lower back issues?😊
Just passed you on interstate in Forsyth ga!! Love it man!
Excellent video to help big dudes/gals select the right kayak. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Chad. I’m 6’7 and 330#. I have a Sea ghost 130 now but looking for something better.
Prego Naomi Fo++ Similac Decal
Thanks for the info and many other videos you make to help us! I’m in need start kayaking to loose weight and start my healthy journey. I currently weigh 340lbs at 5’11 so yeah I’m in need. Been listening to you and researching to purchase the correct one. I love fishing so want to combine fishing with exercise. Im leaning towards pedal drive. If you were me , what would you recommend? Thanks in advance
Similar to you, I went with a Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL. I didn't like pedaling at first because of what Chad pointed out in this video with the hip/knee/ankle angles, so made risers out of 2 x 4 for the rear of the seat and it was golden. Ended up buying some seat risers for it. Made pedaling work out great with my big ole gut and PFD. I also spent a lot of time just paddling and it paddled well.
@@kayakfishin966 hey thank you much for the info, I will look into the old town as well as the risers for the seat . You should do a video on the 2x4’s among other things that help you as a bigger guy
The scuppers that allow water out but not in are worth looking into if thats an issue
Great video. A lot of great info shared as always.
The best big dude kayak was the native Titan 13.5 but unfortunately they’ve discontinued it. Next would be a bonafide 127 aside from a grossly over priced Hobie lol
Love my Bluesky Boatworks 360 Angler for fishing
👍
Yes the blue sky 360 is way above the ones he is talking about!!
im 5,11 270 im running a old town sportsman 120 paddle, with a xi3 100ah battery and a full to the brim 16x16 blackpak. i feel like its testing the limits but not sure. i want to get into the pwr119
Thank you thank you!!! You helped me so so much.
Thanks. Glad I could help
What would you recommend for a good lake and pond kayak that's pretty stable and trolling motor ready
5'5" around 355 I just can't afford the nucanoe unlimited do know anything about sun Dolphin boss 12ss great information on you helped my brother knowing what was best for him
I really don’t recommend that kayak for bigger anglers, I just don’t think that you would be comfortable
@@ChadHooverFishing ok thank you
Check out the lifetime Teton 12 pro , I'm 6,2 325 and I don't have any issues , the foot stirrups are highly adjustable and it has a decent removable seat , if you're near the Florida panhandle I'd gladly let you give mine a try , happy fishing
I wish Jackson would bring back the Cuda HD and Liska. Both of them are good for big guys.
I'm getting back into kayak fishing and have a question. I'm a double amputee and was told I could not use a sit on top because it would tip. I don't wear prosthetics while kayaking. So I bought a hybrid. When I first started many years ago I used a sit inside. Is it true I couldn't use a sit on top? Do you use your legs for stability?
You could definitely use a sit on top. You should use your feet for bracing, but that’s true of any style
Of kayak, but you don’t have to do it if you can’t. I also feel like a sit on top would be safer because it’s self bailing and should he ever flip it, it would be much easier to get back onto as it wouldn’t fill up with water like a sit in or hybrid kayak.
@@ChadHooverFishing thanks for replying! I just recently bought my hybrid (used) so I'll use it for awhile until I can upgrade and will go with a SOT in the future. The hybrid has been fun though. I'm in upper East Tennessee and plan on fishing lakes around here.
I am 6’3” ,260 pounds and 59 years old. I want to buy a kayak but don’t want to spend a fortune. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast about 40 minutes south of Houston. I’m scared to spend a lot of money on a kayak only to find that it doesn’t work for me (end up flipping over) Do you know of anywhere in the Houston area that I can demo a kayak before buying? I can’t seem to find anywhere looking on line. Please help an old big guy get into kayak fishing in the bays.
I thought for sure the Big Fish 108 with a 38 inch width would be on the list, I’m a little disappointed, but being it’s not a “high end” kayak that would explain it. 🤷♂️
The video is called the BEST Big Dude fishing kayaks, not ALL Big Dude fishing kayaks. I think the Big Fish 108 is a good option, but it isn’t better than any of those discussed here. Hope that makes sense.
@@ChadHooverFishing I’m just an average guy, average income, a vet looking to making the most of his retirement, got what I could afford, , I guess tournament fishing would be out of my reach, appreciate your videos and you’re knowledge, Thank You.
Another option, Crescent CK2 Adventure.
Have you tried a kaku zulu pedal drive for a bigger guy ?
Haven't heard anything on ascend 133x ?? Is it a good option for a big dude?
At 6"3 220, it's hard to find someone to relate about needing stability for a kayak
You found him on this video 😜
When the cost of a comfortable kayak starts to get close to the costs of a used full size bass tracker with a 40 horse 2 stroke motor and a trailer, i am going to start reconsidering weather i prefer plastic over aluminum???
Cool. The initial cost is only half the equation. And you can’t get where I go with a 40 Horse on anything
Very informative thanks bud :)
Awesome video and agreed the bigger you are the more you will probably want to stand up occasionally just for comfort!
Great video Chad! Very diversified and unbiased. Should be very helpful for those looking for a kayak.
My tip for those looking to buy, you get what you pay for! Never more true then in the Kayak world. Save up for something good if you can't afford it now. Sure, you can go cheap, but you are going to feel unstable and hate it. Most cheaper ones are uncomfortable, unstable, and have poor handling. Even worse, going "newbie cheap" and buying one of those junk kayaks (like sundolphins at Walmart), that have two halves sandwiched together. Those leak horribly from the seam. May be fine for the lightweights and kids, but any grown adult will hate them pretty quick. Once the weight increases, and water starts getting in those seams, it will fill up quickly. I rented one many years ago for a river trip when my buddy who I was to share a canoe with had to back out of our group outing. I spent most of that day bailing out water with a solo cup.
As for me, at 240, 5'10, I have 4 Kayaks. The most stable and luxuriously comfortable one is the Bonafide SS127. Awesome kayak, but heavy as a tank to deal with loading and unloading if you don't' have a dedicated trailer for it. Probably be the same for any "big boy" kayak, so be prepared. Its also cost me a lot of money being such a great base to build out your fishing machine beast of a kayak. The other favorite is an Oldtown Sportsman106, like Chad mentioned. Great kayak. I tend to use it more then my SS127 because it's just easier to deal with on those days I just want to get out and not dedicate a whole day. My third that I've not tried yet and just picked up over the winter is the FeelFree Moken 10 V2. Its going to be my new throw and go for those spur of the moment runs to the farm ponds after work.
Good luck new Kayakers! Welcome to the club and keep those lines tight!
restroom partition(s) are opinionated
Chad, have you tried a Sholie?
Thank you for making this video. I reached out to another you tube personality with a question abt a fishing kayak for big ppl and the response was very disappointing so I stopped watching his channel. Anyway your video was very informative. All of the information you put in this video confirms everything it took me 2 years to put together on my own and a thing or two I hadn't taken into consideration. Thank you Thank you thank you
Now you’ve to do another video, “Fitness Workout for Kayak Fishing.”
Crescent Crew a great double better single.
Chad what's your height and weight as a reference
Any idea on kayak im about 300lb only wanting to spend areound 900 or 1k
Not sure where to start
Perception Outlaw, Jackson Bite or Bonafide RS117
I'm 6'6 278lbs
Listen and learn from The Authority.
Blue sky 360 ????????????????
The Blue Sky 360 is a great watercraft, but it doesn’t have adequate capacity in my opinion to add it to my list of big guy approved watercraft.
What did you mean when you said "Biden money?"
Hey Chad thanks for the video. These are my favorite videos. Question for you. I have the Pescador outlaw and I’m hanging around 260. I’m working on getting lower but I’m going to put the motor guide xi3 on the front. Do you think after wiring and battery and all my gear and me will I max out the weight. Just thought of that watching your video. Boat weight is 77lbs and max is 425. I mainly fish small lakes and medium size weight. Looking forward to your answer
Perception Outlaw 😉.
Seaeagle FastTrack 385fta