Anyone had a chance to try one of these out yet? Looking to potentially get one. It's up against a Jackson Cuda HD. Put my hands on both at FTU. The Bonafide seemed more flimsy; It flexed a lot on the floor, but since it has the cat hull design I have to take that with a grain of salt.

The Bonafide SS127 really rides low in the water. Chad Hoover is hardly what anyone would call a lightweight or dainty, so when he floats around in one, the distance from the water line to the gunwale lip back near the tankwell looks to be about 3".

Now, this is a legitimate design and some of the Wilderness kayaks have this low profile, too, to minimize the effects of wind. But, Chad Hoover is often working back in shallow coves, small lakes, rivers, not an open water guy. I'd keep this in mind if I were choosing a new kayak, to focus in on where it'll be used.

Oh! And, take a look at the Jackson Liska and the new Native 12XC. The Native 12XC looks to be sort of a smaller version of a Jackson Big Rig. I think it looks very solid.

All top kayaks, including the Bonafide, for sure.

Brad

That's interesting and answers my question of how they were able to keep the weight down.
The new kayaks that are coming out are hitting the 75 to 80 pound mark and some even hitting the century mark with no excuses.
That is a big deal when considering any kayak.
You have to think about how am I going to get it to and from the water?

one of the main things i look at in a kayak is the weight. i like being able to carry it to and from the back of my truck. i've actually thought about waiting on the ss107 to come out just because it's lighter by about 10 lbs.

I've got one. Bonafide SS127 in Hondo orange. I've had it out twice. Once on Marine Creek Lake. Once in the creek at Trophy Club Park. Me likey.

It's not too heavy, but noticeably heavier than my Lifetime Tamarack 10 ft. It tracks well. Paddles easy; faster and easier than it feels. It's so big it feels slow, but then you realize you're where you normally are faster and not as tired. Has good glide. Stable. I didn't get as much bow spray paddling into the wind as I do with the Tamarack. What water I did get drained down the channels and out the scuppers. It doesn't turn as sharp and fast as the Tamarack, but it's 2 feet 7 inches longer, and heavier. The chair and seating positions are amazingly comfortable. It doesn't feel cramped. Lots of room to fiddle with tackle. The junk drawer is nice.

Two issues. For $1,600, a fishing kayak should come with a deployed rod holder. It does come with over $100 of gear track, though. I tired the Yak Attack Omega rod holder. Even all the way toward me, it was difficult to reach. I've got the Omega Pro now. I think it will work better.

I was hesitant to spend so much on a kayak. My Lifetime was $300 something with two molded rod holders and a deployed rod holder. I did not pre-order because I wanted to lay hands on one first. The hull material feels solid. So far, I'm very happy with my purchase.

I purchased one too. Coming from an Academy special I feel like Im in a Bentley. With all the horizontal rod storage the lack of flush mount rod holders are a non issue for me. I have seen people put the smaller low profile gear track in the perch pad area for an extra rod holder. But with a black pack behind me that has 3 rod holders, I don't see the point. Good luck on your choice man and hope you find what works for you.

Thanks for the info. Have yet to pull the trigger on it yet, but I'm leaning that way.

Take a look at the Jackson Kilroy, or do like I did and get a Tripper 12which is the Kilroy without the fishing goodies for about $500 less. If you notice on the kayak fishing shows, the camera man is usually in a Kilroy. If you like to carry a lot of stuff that you can easily access, it�s the way to go.

And, once you pass a certain top weight threshold, it really doesn't matter much since you will likely cart it to the water one way or the other.

So, also consider just as a top "value," the Big Rig.

It is 38" wide by 13'2" (as I recall) and really one of only a handful of kayaks with rock solid stability for true standing and fishing. Yes, I can stand in my SP 10, but I have to stay very focused and it has to be a calm day. Not so in a Big Rig. Most people could fish standing up in a Big Rig; this is not the case on most kayaks.

Items that are standard:

A stand up assist/leaning bar;
Two rod holders located just behind the seat;
Another track-mounted rod holder to put where you want it.
High and Low seat positioning;
Built in storage on the left and right sides of the seat for large Plano tackle boxes;
Built in anchor deployment system (no need necessarily for an anchor trolley after market install);
Mounting area with pre-sets to mount all sorts of things including a trolling motor.

The list is longer but this is what comes off the top of my head. At $1600 new, likely $1200 for a used almost new one, this really comes ready to fish.

The downside? It is heavy at 99 lbs. with its seat making the vessel a bit slower overcoming inertia. But, once you are out on the water for recreational fishing, what you will find is we all move around at sort of a slow to average walking pace.

Brad

I'll add one other thing and that is how the Bonafide paddles and maneuvers for such a stable platform. A Jackson Mayfly or Big Rig will be as stable or probably a little mores so. But if you ever get in big wind like we have on my home waters or do a brutal river trip like the Devils or Pecos rivers you will regret those heavier, less nimble boats. The Bonafide hull does a pretty good job in most waters. Not the best for one type- but a really good boat for all types. Thats the difference. A long skinny fast boat for distance, a wide slow boat for standing, a short, light, maneuverable boat for rivers/rapids/portaging. Nothing will handle all waters perfectly. But the SS127 has shown me it can do alot pretty darn well without sacrificing speed, weight, turning radius, or stability. Just my experience.