I had to leave my kayak up north when I moved from PA and rather than pay a few hundred to ship it down here I'm going to buy a new one. I'm not too heartbroken as I wanted to upgrade a little anyway. I was looking at the Ascend Sit On Kayaks and wondering if anyone on here has one? I want a sit on with a more open layout like this one has and the price seems good for the features and it seems to have good reviews. Any input is helpful!


Ascend Kayak

I have that exact one and so far so good. It has treated me right and yes, it is a lot of kayak for the money. I will be doing a review video soon. But I have a couple of videos on YouTube already about it.

How big are you and what kind of fishing will you be doing?

I'm 6'2" and float around 210lbs.

I mostly do bass fishing but I would like to use it for the marshes getting into some reds and specks as well.

I'm 6'2" 250 and it holds me fine. Also only do bass fishing. I can stand on it with a little bit of effort. It tracks decent, and I can get it up do a decent speed. I haven't done much as far as rigging goes, but will be changing that soon. The storage hatch is in the perfect spot. Just far enough to reach in and out of, it's where I keep my tackle boxes. The seat is very comfy, and high enough to keep the cheeks dry when a little water collects under me.

There are definitely con's to the kayak, but far more pro's when you bring in the price tag. Solid purchase. Keep an eye out for a deal on the classifieds on here, craigslist, and also on the "DFW kayak fishing" page. Might run into a good deal from one of the other guys.

I'm picking mine up this weekend. Gotta say, after many demos I really didn't see such a significant difference between the boats to justify paying some of those higher prices, from my perspective anyway for what I'll be doing which is nothing too hardcore, just getting out on a weekend when I can and doing some relaxed fishing.

I have the Ascend fs128t and I absolutley love it. Im a big guy. 6'1" and 235lbs. The only drawback is the wieght of it. Its not unmanagable, but gets pretty cumbersome at times. It tracks well for its size and is actually pretty swift as well. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one. I can stand and fish with ease, and the layout is fine for the type of fishing I do. Tons of deck space for extra storage and the swivel seat is phenomenal. Comfortable as heck too. And I have a bad back. If you were closer Id let you take it out for the day.

I have the Ascend FS12T, and it's my first Kayak. I'm 6'0 around 210 - so slightly shorter. My only reservations on it (which can be rigged) - the seat isn't full grown man friendly. It slides between the 3 slots when I lean back/forward, and the pegs that slide into the track bend after first use. Not detrimental whatsoever, but a bit annoying to keep readjusting the seat. Second, it is definitely a bus...and the speed reflects that. Not an issue for me as I fish for bass and I'm not racing anyone.

Other than that - it's fantastic. I recommend getting a 240cm paddle and I get soaked. I probably just suck at paddling. That does remind me, though - in front of the seat there are little compartments that tend to be full of water if I splash a lot...and I do.

So, for me - as far as the Ascend FS12T: I couldn't be happier. Sure, I would love to have a Jackson, Vibe or Moken (Those are my 3 favorites), but I opted for the Ascend just for what you get for the price.

You can easy fix the seat issue with either a section of pool noodle or some pipe insulation wrapped around the back bar of the seat. Keeps it from sliding out of the desired notch.

Glad to hear someone say that. I thought that foam was just to prevent the bending of the bracket pins things.

I have two 2014 Ascend FS12T kayaks. I did a lot of research on kayaks in this price range and checked out the reviews on YouTube. Despite some minor design snags, this is a very good model for its class. As others have said, it has lots of deck space - basically a floating platform with a seat. The seat fix for earlier 2014 models is easy and there's a guy on YouTube that walks you through it. Not needed in the newer 2014 models. The rod holder was moved forward so no more paddle interference. It's not a fast moving boat but it makes up for that in stability. Plus you can make all kinds of mods on this puppy. I have a very short video on YouTube where you can see how it tracks and how it sits high on the water. Just search Ascend, Calaveras if the link doesn't work. NOTE: this is a heavy yak for a 12 footer. About 70 pounds or so. Best to make a kayak cart to save your back.

I have since added Scotty rod holders and mighty mounts.