I'm 6ft and looking for a Jackson Kayak, if you guys would know which one would be best or have one for sale that would be great or if you have any reviews that would be helpful.

If i may ask, why just jackson? Dont get me wrong they do make a good solid kayak its just that there are soooo many others to choose from.
How do you fish?
Where do you fish?
What is your weight?
Do you like to paddle only short distance or long range also?
There are a few more details needed to make any kind of recommendation. To be clear, a recommendation is only to demo. Kayaks are very specific at times and when you find the right one it speaks to you.

Here is kindof my run down.
Im 6 ft tall and 170 lbs
I like to catfish mostly but also paddle long distances in both fresh and saltwater. I dont mind rough water or bad weather. I like speed but i also must be able to stand and throw my castnet.
I paddle a viking reload. Great luck on your hunt. I hope you find your dream ride.

I've got a Coosa HD and it's perfect for me. But I don't fish big water often and love to take it to rivers. It won't win many races but it's wide and stable enough to easily stand while still portable enough to put on top of my 4Runner for transport.

Thanks for the advice I found it really helpful!

I love my big rig.

Its as it says... BIG!

Not fast, not light weight, but its stable and has PLENTY of room for your gear if you want to camp out of it etc.

I can stand no problem and fish all day. Really happy with mine.

Again, its slow. I get blown away by my buddies in smaller rigs. But I am not in a hurry.

I just got a Coosa HD and I had it out in the wind on Saturday on Somerville. It took the waves pretty good.

I have a cuda 14 and really like it. HOWEVER, it really is going to depend on you and your paddling style and fishing style, type of water you will be in (lakes, rivers, ponds) etc ... so go DEMO , DEMO , DEMO ...

Go visit Dave Holl at Kayak Instructions. He is a jackson dealer and rent a kayak for a day so you really get a feel for it. Take some gear and go fishing on Ray Hubbard. Your rental fee goes toward purchase. Dave is a class act.
http://www.kayakinstruct.com/kayakrental.html

Or over in arlington, go see https://www.mountainsports.com/ ... they will do demos on lake arlington for a few hours at a time.

I think Jackson kayak's are great, but you may want to look into other brands. Hard to beat Mariner Sail's selection and they will also setup one on one Demos of all their kayaks. Go talk to Adrian Acosta.

It is also hard not to suggest the Vibe Sea Ghost. Not my personal favorite, but very hard to beat the value it provides for the price.


Without knowing more about your budget, abilities and needs, it is hard to make any good recommendations. For example here is my criteria that lead me to purchase the cuda 14 ... my runner up was a Viking Reload or Jackson Kraken.


I have kayaking experience and I kayak to fish plus get exercise. I am 6', 220lbs, not as flexible anymore so comfort was a factor. Love my Jackson seat. So the kayak's paddling ability was higher on my list then most people that fish first and kayak only to get on the water. I wanted a kayak that tracked straight and paddled fast with decent stability. I didn't need the ability to stand in my kayak. I also tend to fish by trolling for sandies, stripers and hybrids etc and black bass are my secondary target.

I also needed a kayak that could go thru waves and chop, I knew I was going to be out in the lake. So a longer kayak was part of my criteria. Longer helps speed, tracking and stability. But it doesn't turn on a dime and weights more. Most people would prefer shorter kayaks.

I didn't want to have a crate and a bunch of stuff on the top off the kayak sitting behind me, so the Cuda's center hatch allows me to store 4 large plano boxes, my fish finder battery and tons of other stuff were I can easily reach it and keep the weight down low in the kayak. Lower center of gravity helps stability and less stuff above is less area for the wind to catch.

I almost always release my catch, so I had no need to mount a large cooler behind my kayak to hold my fish. But the Cuda 14 has a large rear tankwell if I ever wanted to.

I have a large HB fish finder and older eyes, so again the Cuda Center Hatch lets me mount my HB 998 right between my legs close enough to see and reach the buttons easily. The Cuda's rear end has a cutout that also let me mount the large transducer without having to hang it over the side.

It had to have the option for a Rudder with a preference toe controlled pegs vs the sliding foot pegs most have. Cuda is rudder ready, but I had to goto an aftermarket rudder to get the toe controlled pegs.

I am building a kayak trailer, so wasn't concerned about having to unload everything from the kayak so I could car top it. I can leave everything in my kayak and slide it onto the trailer or the back of my suv. But HOW you transport your kayak is going to always play a factor in your kayak choice. I am older and lazy, my days of car topping are over

So my point is that my criteria is probably different than yours. Hopefully this long post ( sorry ) will help you work out what you need.

The only real advice is DEMO, DEMO , DEMO ... or at the very least buy a used popular kayak to get experience in and then you can always sell it next year and not lose to much money. Check out DFW Kayak Fishing on facebook, always posts for kayaks for sale, check here, check craigslist etc.

Please leave room in the budget for PFD, Good Paddle, spare paddle, 360 light, dry bags, kayak dolly/cart etc..

And if you are new kayaker, spend some time on youtube watching some videos on how to paddle. Good paddling form and technique can really increase your fun on the water.

Good Luck.