I am purchasing a tandem kayak for my wife and me within the next month, and would really appreciate your opinions. We are leaning toward the Nucanoe 12' Frontier with 360 Pinnacle seats. We will be adding a trolling motor and fish finder, as well as other fishing accessories.

Do you all like the Nucanoe, or is there another choice that would be more stable? What would be your choice of 55lb thrust trolling motors? I like what I'm reading about the Lowrance Elite Chirp series fishfinders, but what do you all think?

Thanks very much for your advice!

Will you have enough room? I have a pair of Native Ultimate Tandems that are 14' 7" long, and I thought that was a little cramped for tandem fishing and paddling. Also factor in weight of you + wife + gear and leave a good safety margin.

Have you considered a pair of solo kayaks?

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you try out a tandem rig before spending money on the described setup. My wife and I thought we wanted a tandem and are very thankful to have not gone that route. If you are really set on such a rig, with a trolling motor, I would suggest a small boat.

Thanks for the replies, guys! Yes, I was concerned about the length, too, but this video kinda made me feel better about that...



My wife and I total about 300 pounds, and top out at 5'9". We are not largemouth bass anglers, so no need of a ton of gear. Although we do throw some small artificials for crappie and white bass, we tend to use cut bait or live worms for cats, gills and bowfin. The reason for looking at kayaks is our desire to get way back in the creeks and trees where larger craft can't go.

We are planning on testing them before we purchase. Who knows we may not even enjoy this type of fishing. The wife is antsy about being alone in a kayak, which is the reason for tandem.

Do these facts influence your opinions?

Go for it. If it doesn't work out, you can always sell it.

The Frontier is a great choice no doubt. I do have an Ultimate FX tandem model for sale that I could throw in an aluminum trolling motor mount with if you are interested.....

Highcountry,

I'd only add that the NuCanoe, from my personal perspective, is more canoe than kayak, so it opens up your range a bit unless you trip over the terminology. If you want a really, really stable vessel, at least take a look at a Meyers Sportspal S-15 or S-16 canoe. The 15 has a flat stern, the 16 is double pointed. Either one would be much more stable than a NuCanoe and you could bring along a full sized ice chest, lawn chairs for super comfort, get back in really skinny water. Either model is light, >600 lbs. carrying capacity. Both can manage trolling motors.

Not sure what the cost of a Nucanoe 12 would be so that may be an issue. These canoes are in the $1200 range give or take.

Brad

Thanks, again, guys! Some great advice. Brad, is there a dealer for Sportspal in or near DFW. They look interesting online, but would like to see and maybe "test drive" them.

No, no local dealer. I had to order mine and they sent it right away, drop shipped it to a shipping company down by TCJC South Campus.

But, I have it in the garage for now. I am near the Zoo in Fort Worth. If you want to see it, just PM me and I'll set it up for you.

A Meyers may be your best fit under the circumstances.

Brad

I think tandem kayaks are way over rated. Imo a canoe is the best tandem option. They haul more weight and gear. They can be just as stable as a kayak also. Generally they are cheeper also.

Not only should you and your wife demo a tandem kayak...you should rent one a couple of times as well. My first kayak was a tandem because my wife wanted to go with me and she didn't want to be in her own kayak. You should also consider renting separate single kayaks to see if your wife can actually handle one by herself.

I spent 95% of the time by myself in that kayak...and eventually sold it and purchased a single kayak. I was lucky to find someone who was looking for a used tandem kayak...they are definitely not the most popular kayaks out there so the number of potential buyers is much lower than for a single kayak.

Another thing to consider, if you're not doing a lot of fishing or just doing simple live bait fishing, a canoe might be a better choice or a very small boat or small Jon boat.

A lot of this, of course, has to do with your intentions/use to begin with. "Form follows function".

Not sure if you have seen the Jackson Kayak Kilroy DT tandem but is a nice option, have one if you would like to try it out.

Thanks, again, for the advice, guys! Another consideration is that we do not have a place to "store" a boat/trailer. If we did, that might be our direction. We plan on toting the yak on top of my vehicle and storing in the garage. One of the features we really love with the Nucanoe is the new 360 Pinnacle seats. We also love the extra width and rail system for mounting seats/accessories in multiple positions. These "yaks" seem to be kinda a combination of a kayak and canoe.

You can get a trailer with a collapsing tongue and stand it upright. I can still get my truck into the garage that way.

Very cool! I cannot read the brand name on it. What is it? Thanks!