My first time Kayaking and this Kayak held strong. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx4k5UrhC3v_Y4hIEaXLGvHcN5a5aBmZNB The water got pretty rough as a speed boat zipped by me, and the Kayak withstood it (I expected to be capsized). The Ores are very easy to put together, the pump worked beautifully. the seats are a bit hard to sit in after a while (I recommend sitting on the floor). after reading the reviews I was very scared it'd get a hole in it, the material is very strong and durable. The Air valve may need a small Phillips head screwdriver to adjust, other than that, it's well worth the money!(update)I've gone Kayaking in 3 Lakes and 2 rivers totaling about 40 miles. the kayak had two holes and they patched easily and no other problems can't wait for kayaking season this year!
Just bought this from walmart site to store $230 including tax/shipping. Hard to beat that deal. I have a lifetime dealership close to my house and it was $550 there!!!!! Can't wait to get rid of my stupid folding kayak I've had for years, thanks for the video.
Looks like a great little kayak. I just picked up the same one. Been looking around on UA-cam for ideas on how I could modify mine. (Being that I'm new to this kayak thing). Thanks for posting and don't forget to keep us posted on how it works out for ya.
Thank you for the video, very helpful and informative! I picked up this same model last fall on sale at Big 5 for just under $200 and am about to start kitting it out for some lake fishing. I wish I had a kayak when I lived in CO, many more opportunities to use one than where I currently live, but I'm gonna make the best of it!
Nice review and tips.. I picked up the same kayak from Sports Authority a few days ago and took it out on the water for the first time today. I found it to be very stable and easy to handle in and out of the water. Another idea for tying gear. I found these braided dog leashes at the dollar that work great for leashing the paddle. I put the paddle through where the hand goes and clipped the other end to the paddle holder by the side handle. It works great and plan on getting some more to tie up gear.
Mine is on the way.. can't wait! You must be an engineer or something.. very mechanically inclined. I'm not much for clutter, but I really like that anchor trolley! Nice job.. thanks man
I've been considering this one also...I just wanted to commend you on the thought and your craftsmanship you have put into these mods. I pay extreme attention to detail. I think you planned well and looks like you shouldn't have any failure on the water
I have this kayak and use it for river fishing and it works great. I am 6' and 160 lbs. Very stable. I also have a bass boat and when I am going to go fishing on a lake I use it but for ponds and like for me moving water river fishing this works good. I would say that I have found two negatives. #1 It is slower than some other 10' kayaks. The Heritage and the Prescador 10 footers seem to go through the water better. #2 I also like to do some Level 1, 2 and 3 whitewater kayaking. This kayak does good for the Level 1 and 2 but with level 3 you end up getting a lot of water inside your kayak and the two aforementioned kayaks drain out MUCH quicker and don't seem to take in as much water to begin with. When I would hit a nice sized wave of water going down the river it would fill the boat immediately and then it would stay that way until well after exiting the set of rapids making it very difficult to maneuver and giving you the feeling that you were not going to make it through and drag bottom more. I got to the point where I was using my paddle to scoop water out before the next set of rapids. It was always stable and I have never turned over in this kayak in my many different kinds of trips but the other kayaks seem to be faster and took on much less water in white water conditions.
Great detailed video! I've been eyeing this kayak for a while now. After watching your video, I'm going to pull the trigger on this now. Do you have any plans on installing a fish finder? If so, please make a video on that. Thanks
Great video, I bought the same kayak and looking to do similar mods. Do you recall what diameter bungee cord you used for the rod leashes? Also, I'm having troubles find the same carabiners you used for the anchor trolley system. Any information you can provide would be really helpful! Thanks!
Just picked mine up from Walmart and it must be bigger than yours. Came with adjustable seat and you can fit a full sized milk crate in the back. Time they are a changing
Nice mods my fellow Coloradan! I saw the same sale at Big 5 as Ive been kayak shopping for a couple weeks for a good deal sub $400. It seems like a pretty decent kayak for super cheap. Any major cons about it? Im pretty sold at that price even if it needs a few cheap fixes.
Great review and video. One question: how did you attach the nylon anchors used for the anchor trolley system? Are they just screwed in or did you have to drill holes and use bolts and nuts?
sengx I have 2 of these and u can stand on them, just make a rope out of short dog leash and put an pad eye hook in middle of yak up at top of where feet end and it gives you a stable grab while getting up :)
+Larry Talbot sorry for the late reply, I was rewatching the video and I noticed you had replied. I ended up going with a Sun Dolphin Aruba 12ss and I'm in love. Your comments about the Walmart kayaks is very true in regards to the seat and lack of space in back for a crate. I have a new seat coming from amazon and I figured out a way to make the crate fit. Guys like you are the reason I even tried kayak fishing and I can't thank you enough (my wife probably won't though).
Jared Brockway I've been kayaking for over 30 years (give or take) , started with my father on the weekends. He used to stuff a whole camping trailer (some how) in a rental and we'd just hit the water and find a place to camp as we went. Today they call it "stealth camping," my father just called it "a weekend camping and fishing trip!" I'm glad I could help! I've learned a lot from watching UA-cam videos, despite the fact that I've probably been doing it longer than most of the people posting videos, there's always something new to learn. I'm thinking of building a "tower" for mine because I like the idea of filming my excursions. I never had that option in the 80s or 90s, so that would be something fresh for me. I don't have anything against the Sun Dolphin brand, but I did notice they are a little thinner (the plastic) than most. If you don't hit any stumps or rocks, you should be fine. I've hit a few unseen objects in my day and made some pretty deep gouges. I noticed you went with the sit in. I'm not much for sit in kayaks because they can get hot. You'll see what I mean when the temperature is 100 deg. outside, but they more than make up for it on those chilly days, because the cockpit stay's warm. I also like the idea of letting my legs hang over the sides and sight fishing. If you are in salt water, you probably don't want to do that anyway, because of sharks or stingray's. I'm glad you like your new kayak! I went out the other day for the first time this summer but only got a couple of hours in because of my ex kept complaining about her back! I'm sorry your wife won't thank me, but than again...they never do!!! (I expect a strongly worded e-mail any day now).
does a scotty rod holder fit in the side rod holder mount? if not can i remove the flush mount ...assuming its screwed in and not riveted ...and use the same holes to install a flush mount scotty rod holder there?
Nice kayak, but the only thing I don't like is the point behind the seat. It is like a pivot and does not allow for the milk create to seat flush against the kayak, that was just bad design ergonomics on their part, IMHO.
Joe Watson I just got the Tamarack 100 and in one of the other reviews someone had recommended foam practice golf balls for the scupper valves in the seat to keep any water from splashing up on your backside. They have worked well for that.
+Chris Fagin The website says 240. Not much to spare after a grown man and 50lbs of fishing gear. I guess its would have to be down to bare essentials only.
+Larry Talbot Thanks. I'm getting ready to buy my first kayak and I'm 6'2 and 300 lbs. What do you think is the average weight of equipment that kayak fisherman bring? I plan on doing a lot of bass fishing, but also inshore fishing as well.
+Chris Fagin I made a slight error on my original post. The website states the weight is 275. With that being said, its kind of hard to say, because everyone is different, and certain types of fishing require certain types of equipment. Plus I've never weighed each item to get an accurate weight. I'd say roughly around of 30-50 pounds of gear. But that would include the poles, tackle boxes and everything. Personally I carry around a bucket too, to keep the live fish in, which is filled with water of course. As for the kayak you'll also have to allow for a little extra weight for items like a cooler, anchor, etc.
+Larry Talbot Thanks. That's not bad. For some reason I was thinking around 100-125lbs for equipment. But like you said have to weigh it. So I'm thinking a weight capacity of 400+ would be good. Or I need to lose some weight.
+Chris Fagin Actually I think you might be right too. I was watching a couple dozen videos today and I noticed some people add all sorts of mods to their yaks and that adds weight. Live well, camera mounts, milk crate pole mounts, etc. All of that little stuff adds up! Someone needs to make a page where you put in all your accessories and it adds up the total weight. They got pages for everything else, why not kayak cargo weight too?!
Don't think he looked at Walmarts. There the same exact thing mine is from Walmart. But I don't have mine Gypsied like that one. Take pride in ur project
Did it ever occur to you to ever stand back and show the entire kayak in one shot instead of just waving your camera around at close range? Not once did you show it all completely in a shot. Here, let me show you this thing while I talk about it and hold my camera right up to it so you can only see little parts of it. How very unhelpful .
Wow people's propensity to be rude and outrageous is amazing. While I agree a full view would be great I must say the delivery of your tip is bound to be met with a big F U.
My first time Kayaking and this Kayak held strong. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx4k5UrhC3v_Y4hIEaXLGvHcN5a5aBmZNB The water got pretty rough as a speed boat zipped by me, and the Kayak withstood it (I expected to be capsized). The Ores are very easy to put together, the pump worked beautifully. the seats are a bit hard to sit in after a while (I recommend sitting on the floor). after reading the reviews I was very scared it'd get a hole in it, the material is very strong and durable. The Air valve may need a small Phillips head screwdriver to adjust, other than that, it's well worth the money!(update)I've gone Kayaking in 3 Lakes and 2 rivers totaling about 40 miles. the kayak had two holes and they patched easily and no other problems can't wait for kayaking season this year!
Just bought this from walmart site to store $230 including tax/shipping. Hard to beat that deal. I have a lifetime dealership close to my house and it was $550 there!!!!! Can't wait to get rid of my stupid folding kayak I've had for years, thanks for the video.
Love the mods you did. I'm looking to buy this particular yak so very helpful info. Great video! Thanks.
Looks like a great little kayak. I just picked up the same one. Been looking around on UA-cam for ideas on how I could modify mine. (Being that I'm new to this kayak thing).
Thanks for posting and don't forget to keep us posted on how it works out for ya.
Thanks for checking it out. If your ever in Colorado let me know and we'll go fishing!
Thank you for the video, very helpful and informative! I picked up this same model last fall on sale at Big 5 for just under $200 and am about to start kitting it out for some lake fishing. I wish I had a kayak when I lived in CO, many more opportunities to use one than where I currently live, but I'm gonna make the best of it!
Nice review and tips.. I picked up the same kayak from Sports Authority a few days ago and took it out on the water for the first time today. I found it to be very stable and easy to handle in and out of the water.
Another idea for tying gear. I found these braided dog leashes at the dollar that work great for leashing the paddle. I put the paddle through where the hand goes and clipped the other end to the paddle holder by the side handle. It works great and plan on getting some more to tie up gear.
Thanks for checking it out, the dog leash is a great idea. If your ever in Colorado let's go fishing!
Mine is on the way.. can't wait! You must be an engineer or something.. very mechanically inclined. I'm not much for clutter, but I really like that anchor trolley! Nice job.. thanks man
Badass mods. Love your attention to detail
I've been considering this one also...I just wanted to commend you on the thought and your craftsmanship you have put into these mods. I pay extreme attention to detail. I think you planned well and looks like you shouldn't have any failure on the water
"This one has a nice wide rear end, so if you like that kind of thing, this is the way to go." Sounds like a double entendre haha
Im scarred that if I get one of these that the mods wont stop and my boat will look like something from star trek
You are so creative and a handyman!
Got mine at Tractor Supply ,love it
huh, I ran into a guy in CDA, ID today that had this all done to his kayak and it looked good. Kudos.
update to my last post. picked up this kayak today. 60.00 off at Big 5, total price 280.00.
I have this kayak and use it for river fishing and it works great. I am 6' and 160 lbs. Very stable. I also have a bass boat and when I am going to go fishing on a lake I use it but for ponds and like for me moving water river fishing this works good. I would say that I have found two negatives. #1 It is slower than some other 10' kayaks. The Heritage and the Prescador 10 footers seem to go through the water better. #2 I also like to do some Level 1, 2 and 3 whitewater kayaking. This kayak does good for the Level 1 and 2 but with level 3 you end up getting a lot of water inside your kayak and the two aforementioned kayaks drain out MUCH quicker and don't seem to take in as much water to begin with. When I would hit a nice sized wave of water going down the river it would fill the boat immediately and then it would stay that way until well after exiting the set of rapids making it very difficult to maneuver and giving you the feeling that you were not going to make it through and drag bottom more. I got to the point where I was using my paddle to scoop water out before the next set of rapids. It was always stable and I have never turned over in this kayak in my many different kinds of trips but the other kayaks seem to be faster and took on much less water in white water conditions.
very nice video, I got this kayak for my kid, cool ideas!
big 5 has them on sale for $289. Just picked up one today. going to do a couple of these mods for sure.
Great detailed video! I've been eyeing this kayak for a while now. After watching your video, I'm going to pull the trigger on this now. Do you have any plans on installing a fish finder? If so, please make a video on that. Thanks
2:34 Lol square foot....
Lol i was thinking same thing!
Great Video Kayak Colorado,I'm curious what is the purpose of an "Anchor Trolley System"?
Great video!
Great video, I bought the same kayak and looking to do similar mods. Do you recall what diameter bungee cord you used for the rod leashes? Also, I'm having troubles find the same carabiners you used for the anchor trolley system. Any information you can provide would be really helpful! Thanks!
Just picked mine up from Walmart and it must be bigger than yours. Came with adjustable seat and you can fit a full sized milk crate in the back. Time they are a changing
What material are you using for your leashes and where did you purchase?Thanks
good kayak!
Nice mods my fellow Coloradan! I saw the same sale at Big 5 as Ive been kayak shopping for a couple weeks for a good deal sub $400. It seems like a pretty decent kayak for super cheap. Any major cons about it? Im pretty sold at that price even if it needs a few cheap fixes.
This kayak is currently listed at $215 at my local WallyWorld, if you're inclined to buy from them. Just FYI. (SW Ohio).
I got same one from Walmart for 230 I might add another pipe holder and troll for some trout
Great review and video. One question: how did you attach the nylon anchors used for the anchor trolley system? Are they just screwed in or did you have to drill holes and use bolts and nuts?
Hey Tim, thanks for checking it out. I just used some screws with aggressive threads. It's held up really well. That's a good looking beard!
Tim Reynolds you can use rivets :) rivets are us sit ontop kayakers best friends :)
Have you had any problems with any leaks in yours? and how is the tracking.Thanks
Hey KC... What did you use to screw the eyelets into the side of your hull?
Would you recommend standing while fishing on this yak? I am a small guy, 145lbs, 5'4".
sengx I have 2 of these and u can stand on them, just make a rope out of short dog leash and put an pad eye hook in middle of yak up at top of where feet end and it gives you a stable grab while getting up :)
Are you able to stand up in this kayak? It looks flat enough where the seat is
Do you think it would be possible to rig a trolling motor on this kayak? I've seen them rigged on other kayaks that appear similar
are you still using this kayak. hows it been holding up.
Nice review i have the lifetime tahoma an made it into a fishing kayak
What's the weight capacity? I've been looking at 12' boats but I really like how this one looks.
+Jared Brockway Website says 240.
I made a slight error. The weight limit listed is 275. Sorry about that!
+Larry Talbot sorry for the late reply, I was rewatching the video and I noticed you had replied. I ended up going with a Sun Dolphin Aruba 12ss and I'm in love. Your comments about the Walmart kayaks is very true in regards to the seat and lack of space in back for a crate. I have a new seat coming from amazon and I figured out a way to make the crate fit. Guys like you are the reason I even tried kayak fishing and I can't thank you enough (my wife probably won't though).
Jared Brockway I've been kayaking for over 30 years (give or take) , started with my father on the weekends. He used to stuff a whole camping trailer (some how) in a rental and we'd just hit the water and find a place to camp as we went. Today they call it "stealth camping," my father just called it "a weekend camping and fishing trip!"
I'm glad I could help! I've learned a lot from watching UA-cam videos, despite the fact that I've probably been doing it longer than most of the people posting videos, there's always something new to learn. I'm thinking of building a "tower" for mine because I like the idea of filming my excursions. I never had that option in the 80s or 90s, so that would be something fresh for me.
I don't have anything against the Sun Dolphin brand, but I did notice they are a little thinner (the plastic) than most. If you don't hit any stumps or rocks, you should be fine. I've hit a few unseen objects in my day and made some pretty deep gouges.
I noticed you went with the sit in. I'm not much for sit in kayaks because they can get hot. You'll see what I mean when the temperature is 100 deg. outside, but they more than make up for it on those chilly days, because the cockpit stay's warm. I also like the idea of letting my legs hang over the sides and sight fishing. If you are in salt water, you probably don't want to do that anyway, because of sharks or stingray's.
I'm glad you like your new kayak! I went out the other day for the first time this summer but only got a couple of hours in because of my ex kept complaining about her back!
I'm sorry your wife won't thank me, but than again...they never do!!! (I expect a strongly worded e-mail any day now).
"This one has a nice wide rear end, so if your into that kind of thing"
Quick question would it be stupid to put fish in the dry storage, would it be okay for water to be in there or would it effect the way it floats?
I think it would effect it. There is videos on how to make a kayak live well out of a cooler.
Where do you put big fish?
Where do you put the fish??
On the grill !
lol me too, but where is your cooler as I don`t think you have a live well, or do you use a stringer?
Awesome!
does a scotty rod holder fit in the side rod holder mount? if not can i remove the flush mount ...assuming its screwed in and not riveted ...and use the same holes to install a flush mount scotty rod holder there?
+Eduardo Cabrera Hey man, they are riveted but could be drilled out, I don't think a scotty would fit so you would have to go with a scotty flush
so what exactly does the pulley system do?
+Tobias Jacobson Pulley system is for your anchor, you are able to move the anchor point to the front or rear depending on the current.
+Kayak Colorado ok thanks a lot!
Could you not just hook it to the front or hook it to the rear??
Got mine yesterday. $278+tax, Walmart Colorado Springs.
Nice kayak, but the only thing I don't like is the point behind the seat. It is like a pivot and does not allow for the milk create
to seat flush against the kayak, that was just bad design ergonomics on their part, IMHO.
Got mine for $200 from Walmart on Cyber Monday, 2017.
Mon S yep just picked one up today for 200. Stoked
Just got mine for 190 from a discount store,super stoked .
any of you guys have any experience or knowledge concerning those one way scupper values??? Do the fit a Lifetime Tamarack 120 Angler Kayak
Joe Watson I just got the Tamarack 100 and in one of the other reviews someone had recommended foam practice golf balls for the scupper valves in the seat to keep any water from splashing up on your backside. They have worked well for that.
Smart!
Does anyone know what the weight limit on this kayak is?
+Chris Fagin The website says 240. Not much to spare after a grown man and 50lbs of fishing gear. I guess its would have to be down to bare essentials only.
+Larry Talbot Thanks. I'm getting ready to buy my first kayak and I'm 6'2 and 300 lbs.
What do you think is the average weight of equipment that kayak fisherman bring? I plan on doing a lot of bass fishing, but also inshore fishing as well.
+Chris Fagin I made a slight error on my original post. The website states the weight is 275. With that being said, its kind of hard to say, because everyone is different, and certain types of fishing require certain types of equipment. Plus I've never weighed each item to get an accurate weight. I'd say roughly around of 30-50 pounds of gear. But that would include the poles, tackle boxes and everything. Personally I carry around a bucket too, to keep the live fish in, which is filled with water of course. As for the kayak you'll also have to allow for a little extra weight for items like a cooler, anchor, etc.
+Larry Talbot Thanks. That's not bad. For some reason I was thinking around 100-125lbs for equipment. But like you said have to weigh it. So I'm thinking a weight capacity of 400+ would be good. Or I need to lose some weight.
+Chris Fagin Actually I think you might be right too. I was watching a couple dozen videos today and I noticed some people add all sorts of mods to their yaks and that adds weight. Live well, camera mounts, milk crate pole mounts, etc. All of that little stuff adds up! Someone needs to make a page where you put in all your accessories and it adds up the total weight. They got pages for everything else, why not kayak cargo weight too?!
I heard from some reviews that a lot of water gets in around all of the fixtures, does anyone experience these problems?
I've flipped my tam/100 and only had a few drops in the hull silicon seems like overkill
Don't think he looked at Walmarts. There the same exact thing mine is from Walmart. But I don't have mine Gypsied like that one. Take pride in ur project
make more videos
That kayak sucks bro
Did it ever occur to you to ever stand back and show the entire kayak in one shot instead of just waving your camera around at close range? Not once did you show it all completely in a shot. Here, let me show you this thing while I talk about it and hold my camera right up to it so you can only see little parts of it. How very unhelpful
.
shut up clown.
Wow people's propensity to be rude and outrageous is amazing. While I agree a full view would be great I must say the delivery of your tip is bound to be met with a big F U.