If you did not have the time to go paddle them but could choose one of:

ATAK 140
Pursuit
Coosa HD
Big Rig
Ultimate FX 15 Tandem

AND someone else was paying for it, which would you pick. I am nearly 6'4" and 230 pounds. I like to river camp and fish for bass in lakes and reservoirs.

The Pursuit doesn't have the weight capacity you need. The Big Rig is pretty heavy, as is the Coosa, for their weight capacities. The ATAK is also pretty heavy but can carry a lot of weight.

Why the Ultimate FX 15 Tandem? The FX 15 Solo is lighter but with the same carrying capacity.

How do you plan to carry your kayak around? Trailer? Truck bed? Top of vehicle?

The Pursuit claims 350#s self bailing with a 500 max.

I would use the tandem solo 90% of the time and I think you can easily switch it between solo and tandem.

I have a truck (Toyota Limited) and could use the T-Bone but I also have a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 and don't mind buying some Thule equipment for it.

Assuming I can get a hold, I can put 100#s onto either fairly easily.

Have you looked into the Bonafide Kayaks? http://www.bonafidekayaks.com/

Bonafide, cannot go wrong.

If I were choosing a kayak with capacity to haul overnight camping gear and carry you at 230lbs, then it would be a sit inside type, like the Ultimate FX 15. A sit on top kayak of similar weight and length, cannot match the cargo carrying capacity of a sit inside boat. I have used a 12ft Perception Acadia with 400lb cargo capacity for overnight river camping. The challenge will be to find a boat that doesn't weight 70-80lbs. If you plan to cover long distances on open water you will want something with a lower profile and narrow beam. You will need to decide if you want speed or stability, because you usually cant have both.

I think you should look at the Ocean Kayak, Prowler Big Game 2. It has plenty of storage for gear and a weight rating of 550lbs.
https://www.oceankayak.com/kayaks/angler_kayaks/prowler_big_game_II/

Phil

I do not envy anyone trying to decide which kayak to get with all the great choices available today. It might just come down to what color you like the best. All the companies you mentioned make great kayaks. If you are set on getting one that will seat two people, I'd go with the Native. If I were fishing by myself 90% of the time, I'd get the Atak 140 and fish by myself 100 % of the time.

I would really devalue any stated load capacities from most kayak manufacturers. Whew! They are all over the board, often make no sense. I see 13' 38" vessels that supposedly have less capacity than shorter vessels with less beam. Go figure.

If you want to get on the lake with my Big Rig and give it a test drive, live close to Lake Athens, let me know.

And, if you are a serious big time camper, going to have company with you in the vessel, then while you would be down here, you'd need to try my Sportspal S-15. I take it out with me, my son and a young grandchild, I guess 575 lbs. of just "us," and it has room for a whole lot more gear. Just in general, if I were buying for camping, taking a friend, I'd be looking this direction.

Brad

If you are going to buy one of these kayaks new, you need to set up a demo with the dealer you plan on purchasing from. Allot of people make the mistake of purchasing a kayak that they think looks "cool" instead of what it is capable of or finding out if it matches their needs. These same people are the ones I contact and buy said kayak for 1/2 the price after it has set in there garage for a year.

Take my advice my friend, if you are buying new, pick two from your list and find a dealer with demos and try them out.

Dmfo is correct. You can find used kayaks all of the time where the seller says "only been on the water 4 times." The other day, I believe it was on FB, a man was selling a 2011 kayak model, a really nice one, decked out with a fish finder and a whole list of after-market add-ons. He said it had NEVER been on the water. 2011 and brand new!

Kayaks are one of the more expensive "impulsive" buys out there for many people. No doubt about it. Boats, too, for that matter. Many get used a few times then stay parked in the garage.

Brad

When I lived in south Florida, folks were practically giving kayaks away in my opinion. Lots of folks were buying them on impulse and never took the time to learn how to paddle, had close calls with mother nature, the winds, the waves, the current... bought kayaks that weren't suitable for their size. A lot of gear lost, folks scared themselves and then they would get out of the sport. I found 5 rod/reel setups my first year on the flats and in the mangroves, most I would assume were from kayaker's. Met a guy that bought a 10 foot kayak and heavy duty rod and reel loaded with 50lb braid as he was coming back in from offshore fishing one day. He had over a hundred yards of nylon anchor rope scattered all over his deck.Luckily he didn't get bit by anything big because I checked out his reel (pawn shop purchase) and the drag was seized on it. I was scared for him...he didn't have a clue.

Don't think I ever paid more than $250 for any used kayak that were normally selling for $700 to $800 new back then. Was surprised at how much folks in Dallas area were paying for used plastic. Now days with all the lower end pricing for new stuff from so many new companies it seems to have lowered costs over the last few years and makes it better than ever to get on the water for folks that are just entering the market.

Had folks approach me twice in Florida that just noticed I had a kayak rack on my car and asked if I wanted to buy theirs. I asked them what kind, how much. Was in shock when they would throw out a number like $100 bucks, $200...and just like new. Ocean Kayak Malibu II, Perception Illusion, Ocean Kayak Drifter.. I bought them all. Put flush mount rod holders on them, use them a few times to see what I liked or didn't like about them, let friends use them and then sell to anyone that was half way interested in getting out on the water cheap.