I've been looking for a yak that I can stand up and fish from. came across this one at Cabela's.com. I would like to here testimony from an actual person that has used one. I'm thinking the 12' model. Any opinions??? http://www.freedomhawkkayaks.com/

wk,

1st thought: was "i really like how the pontoons are built in & can deployed." 2nd thought: "just something else that could go wrong and this thing doesn't track well at all" slow & IMO it wansn't a smooth or an easy paddle but i did find that once the toons were deployed it was real stable. although you wont be able to paddle anywhere until you retract them which was noisy IMO. i don't sight cast except on surface feeding bass. so, it wasn't the yak for me. when chasing them or trying to get somewhere quickly i didn't want pontoons slowing me down & wanted something that tracked better. looking at anything else?

everyone,

HOT Kayaks & other shops have "demo days". one of the best ways to try out different kayaks fast & do side by sides. even real narrow yaks are pretty stable once you get use to them. you'll likely roll or turtle at least once or twice. why? because it happens. experienced yakers make it look too easy. i know there are folks that have never rolled theirs but a lot of folks don't push the limits either. ever threw a net from one or attempt to stand up, re-entry in the surf or do the cha cha? :~P

Check out the Coosa kayak from Jackson Kayaks.
Very easy to stand up and fish out of.
They have a demo unit at TG Canoe in San Marcos that you can try out.

I stand and fish in my Native U12 all the time.....works great.

Check out Diablo's kayaks. They are one of the mot stable on the market. Natives are about as stable. I've never paddled a Coosa, but I bet it's about the same in stability. With my Diablo I can stand up and walk back to the milk crate and reach over it to get something from a cooler, or stand up and grab things out of the front hatch.

I fly fish from my Nativecraft multisport 12ft. You must center yourself to maximize stability, but you will still rock. The Freedomhawk has a lot of metal, not a good idea in the bayous I fish and they are slowwww and stable. Several people construct outrigger-type pontoons I have seen as quite effective. Basically, you must compromise.

I made pontoons out of pool noodles - problem solved.