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Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 #9976885 05/12/14 03:23 AM
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Bine Offline OP
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Hello, TFF! Tonight's new guy here.

I just bought my first kayak after being a canoe guy for years. It's a Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120. I picked this kayak because (in no particular order):

Nice price at Sports Authority. $319
Light weight. 50lb. So much lighter than 95lb.
Short, but not a whitewater shoe. 10 feet. Feels good. Fits in the bed. Don't need a blanket, two ropes and a ratchet strap to secure it to my roof.
250lb weight limit. About that...
Sit On Top. Ha-ha. The Sit Ins are called sinks. They don't like that.
Padded seat with adjustable back rest that felt right. Ah, very nice.
Screw top hull storage.
One swivel and two fixed rod holders.
Drain plugs.
Scupper holes.
Four Handles.
Flat(ish) bottom.
No moving parts on the foot braces.
Cup holder. What? I get thirsty.
My legs fit most comfortable of what I sat in; Lifetime, Ascend, Malibu and something else.
Flat deck areas with cords.
Lifetime is not a kayak company, but they are a plastic products company. I figure they know how to make stuff out of plastic. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
It felt to be of the same quality as other kayaks.
It generally looked like what I wanted.
Mostly great online reviews.

I've only been out on two short paddles with it. So far, so good. I don't yet feel it's more stable than a canoe, which is something I read about kayaks, but I'm new and was mostly canoeing two-up rather than solo. It's certainly easier to deal with solo. Water is not constantly coming in through the scupper holes. Really, I drip more in from the paddle than anything. I haven't flipped it, so there's that. It's got a bit more wiggle in its track than I expected, but, again, I'm new to kayaks and haven't been paddling much at all in the past few years.

The only dislike I have so far is that both storage lids open to the entire hull. I don't plan on loading this up like a canoe with homemade pontoons anyway.

I also bought a Lifetime adjustable paddle. Still getting a feel for it.

Okay, so for the first time in my reading, I read here for the kayak to be rated 150lb over what I put in it. That would be from Fish ZoMbiE. Hi, Fish ZoMbiE. This means I'd need a 365lb rated kayak just for me, naked. Hey, whatever floats your goat, and I understand to give yourself some fudge factor, but why 150lb over? Heck, the Ascend D12 would still be too small. And I am working on my butt to boat ratio. Down 10 pounds so far.

So, that's my piece about that. Thanks for the read, and thanks for the comments. See y'all tomorrow.

Bine.

Last edited by Bine; 05/12/14 03:27 AM.
Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #9977439 05/12/14 02:12 PM
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Neumie Offline
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Looks like a nice 10 foot fishing kayak. As long as it gets you on the water and you're happy with it, then it's all good.


"Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." - Heraclitus
Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #9978790 05/12/14 11:13 PM
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The Tamarack Angler was my first yak. I've caught a ton of bass out of mine before I graduated to a Wilderness Ride 135. Its an excellent first kayak. The good: It's light. You can lug it around by yourself and cartop it without problems. It's maneuverable. Spins on a dime. It accelerates quickly. It's not an especially fast kayak, but it's relatively stable for a ten footer. I only turtled once, and that was because I stupidly leaned backward to untangle a rod and over I went, losing some gear in the process. For the price, it's a solid buy. The bad: It's cramped. Not a lot of room to stretch out. After a long day on the water, your back will definitely feel it. The rear deck isn't recessed, so while you can strap a milk crate to it, it increases how top heavy it can be.

I hope you enjoy your yak as much as I've enjoyed mine. It handles the big water okay if you don't try to anchor up in heavy wind. My girlfriend had it out on Ray Roberts this past weekend and she did just fine in some nasty conditions. Good luck and post your impressions when you've slimed her up.

-SSJr

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #9978867 05/12/14 11:40 PM
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The Tamarack Angler was my first yak. I've caught a ton of bass out of mine before I graduated to a Wilderness Ride 135. Its an excellent first kayak. The good: It's light. You can lug it around by yourself and cartop it without problems. It's maneuverable. Spins on a dime. It accelerates quickly. It's not an especially fast kayak, but it's relatively stable for a ten footer. I only turtled once, and that was because I stupidly leaned backward to untangle a rod and over I went, losing some gear in the process. For the price, it's a solid buy. The bad: It's cramped. Not a lot of room to stretch out. After a long day on the water, your back will definitely feel it. The rear deck isn't recessed, so while you can strap a milk crate to it, it increases how top heavy it can be.

I hope you enjoy your yak as much as I've enjoyed mine. It handles the big water okay if you don't try to anchor up in heavy wind. My girlfriend had it out on Ray Roberts this past weekend and she did just fine in some nasty conditions. Good luck and post your impressions when you've slimed her up.

-SSJr

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #9979243 05/13/14 01:27 AM
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Thanks! I'll certainly keep the TFF posted as I paddle on.

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10008038 05/23/14 07:23 PM
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Just got done my fourth creek paddle on the Tamarack.

I said it was 250 pounds weight limit. Correction. It's 275 pounds. Says so right on the boat.

With getting more familiar with the boat, and with kayak paddling, it's faster and tracks better than my first impression.

The screws that hold stuff on are not normal headed. They're some kind of round hole with three slots. Weird. Maybe Sears or Harbor Freight has a tool.

I haven't caught a fish from it yet, but it's easy to cast and reel from. The adjustable rod holder is nice.

All in all, I'm happy with my purchase and look forward to kayaking in it.

I'll update when I take it to a lake.

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10047647 06/08/14 11:24 PM
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Well, this is handy. Bait bucket fits right in. Gives me ideas for storage, too.


Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10112425 07/04/14 08:51 PM
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I survived Marine Creek Lake on the Fourth of July in my Tamarack. grin

Today was my first lake trip, and the Tamarack did fine in every respect. There was light breeze in the morning. No problem. There were some light wakes from power boats. No problem. And on that, the power boats on little Marine Creek Lake were all quite well behaved today. Good boaters all the way around. cheers



Here's a stock photo to show the whole boat.




Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10112541 07/04/14 10:13 PM
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Great post/topic. I'm liking the updates.


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Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10385549 11/02/14 05:08 AM
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I was out in my Tamarack on Halloween on Marine Creek Lake. Wind was from the north at 11-20 mph, gusting to 28. The lake was choppy.

I paddled the length of the lake, into the wind and chop, in one shot. No speed records were set, and I got some bow spray, but I did it without ever feeling like I was going to tip over. I drifted back and paddled long ways with to the chop for a bit, just to see. I also tested out my homemade anchor and trolley in multiple positions to the wind and chop. All's well.

This cheap little yak has not disappointed me.

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10386617 11/02/14 10:45 PM
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Lifetime bought out a number of kayak lines.

I bought their Manta (not Manta Ray) 11 foot tandem because I wanted a very stable first kayak. I still own it and use it in a nearby pond. Heavy, wide but stable as an ark. It is a wide body, minimalist, and safe yak. I don't think that they sell them anymore, though.

I liked it so much, I bought a second Manta for a summer home that we owned a few years ago.

I had an issue trying to get an MSO from the seller (Sports Authority), and Lifetime went to bat for me and secured the necessary paper.

Incidentally, if you have an MSO (Manufacturer's Statement of Origin) hang on to it. You WILL need it if you ever decide to put a trolling motor on the yak, or if you sell it to someone else who decides to do so. If you don't have one, NOW is the time to go back to the seller and get one, just for future use. Rich

Last edited by richg; 11/02/14 10:48 PM.

regards, richg
Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10386625 11/02/14 10:50 PM
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One more thing, would you mind measuring the length of your yak accurately for me? I have some strict limitations for carrying a yak, and if it is really ten full feet, I can't consider it.
Thanks, Rich


regards, richg
Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10390390 11/05/14 12:57 AM
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I missed this post last July (don't get on here as much as I should), but cool little post. Good information for someone on a budget who wants a good entry level kayak. Keep us posted.

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #10390394 11/05/14 12:57 AM
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PS: a belated Welcome aboard! welcome

Re: Lifetime Tamarack Angler 120 [Re: Bine] #12218518 04/27/17 01:25 AM
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So....I'm looking to buy one of these, possibly two of them so people can go with me. I know most people prefer a longer kayak than 10 feet, but for the price, I'm not seeing many down sides. Thoughts?


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