Hi, all.

I have been looking for a kayak I can take fly fishing. I've tried pontoons, and I don't like them, unless someone else is paddling and all I have to do is fish.

Some important requirements for me:
Sit on Top with standing area for casting
Raised seat
Adjustable foot pedals
Storage areas

I saw BPS's Ascend FS128t this weekend, and it has a lot of the features for which I have been searching. Does anyone have any experience with this kayak?

Does anyone have any comparable suggestions?

Thanks!

I'm a little on the heavy side, and it is a little wobbly for me trying to stand up. Heard of another guy who is around 150 lbs and he can stand on it easily.

the concept is nice but I have been told not to buy one of those because from what I am told they are poorly made and there are a lot of reviews on them about leaky hulls.

I would also look at the Chupacabra by Diablo Paddlesports, but it's about twice the price of the Ascend FS128T. However, it is more stable. Then there's also the Native Watercraft Slayer, Santa Cruz Raptor, and Freedom Hawk Pathfinder. These yaks, along with the Ascend offer clean decks to so you're fly line won't get caught, all have a raised seat, and are very stable. Also there's the Malibu Stealth and Ocean Kayak Big Game.

Internal storage on the Ascend isn't very good because they have a lot of foam blocking to support the deck. The slayer has zero internal storage. The Diablo, Raptor, and Freedom Hawk do offer decent internal storage.

If you're looking for a stable kayak remember that you're going to sacrifice efficiency to obtain it. Just below those aforementioned kayaks in stability would be the Wilderness System Ride and Jackson Coosa.

There are also canoe/kayak hybrids such as the Wilderness Systems Commander, Native Watercraft Ultimate, Malibu Ranger, and Nucanoe Frontier that offer tons of stability in a different package.

Where do you plan on fishing the most? REC TCF is a full time fly fishing guy and just made the switch to the Native Slayer.

If you can hold off some for a few weeks you should check out the Fall GTG and you'll be able to paddle most kayaks on the market.

Also stability is unique to each person. I can routinely stand and fish from kayaks most wouldn't even consider. On the Ascend, most people I know have positive reviews about how it paddles. Remember, it's a calm water kayak designed to stand and fish from, so it's not winning any races. The deck of it does flex more than I would like it too since it's so wide and flat. This could cause problems with leaking around the hatches located on the decks.

Lots of deck flex when standing. Not good because you are standing directly on top of two of the scuppers and that huge square hatch. The deck flex causes the scuppers tubes to be deformed by vertical pressure and repeated standing and flexing will cause the plastic to fatigue and crack in the scupper tubes. Fixing a cracked scupper is near impossible, and even if you could it would just break the repair once you stood on it again.Granted, the individual I saw this happen to could stand to go on a diet, so your experience may vary.

The Ascend is inexpensive but they are not renown for their build quality. They do have a load of storage, and the seat is rather nice, if not height adjustable. The forward rod holders are kind of useless as they are mostly unreachable, but the rest of the platform is sorted well. They also have a reputation for lots of hull noise and scupper noise, which I have also witnessed first hand.

For a less expensive entry level kayak, it is probably one of the most full featured options you could buy aside from picking up a used yak, but it does have its issues.

Julia,
I replied to you FB message!

Fist negative I've heard of on that ascend
BassPro will b featuring That same yak at the gtg on grapevine lake.
You'll be able to paddle several different yaks & b able to make side by side comparisons.
the nucanoe tracks well & is super stable but it's not exactly light.
How about the ride 115 with rudder or 135?

Thank you, Everyone. I really appreciate your insightful advice and informative suggestions. Cody and I are going to Mariner Sails, today, and looking at several models and testing them tomorrow at WRL.

The deck flex on the Ascend does surprise me, since it is a Wilderness Systems kayak with the BPS label.

I do like the idea of the foam inserts, because on long-haul trips down a river, those keep your stored stuff from moving around a lot.

I have seen Shannon and Austin with their Diablos a couple of years ago, and I liked those kayaks, but the heaviness of that brand was a concern.

I have not heard of the Santa Cruz or Freedom Hawk, and I do not see them on the Mariner Sails website. Does Backwoods carry them? If not, who does carry them?

I used to compete in kayak racing, and still have one of my sit-ins (which is next to worthless as a fly fishing vessel) and if a Class IV scuffed my boat, I never gave it another thought; however, if we do long-haul trips, down the Devil's River, e.g. (when the waters return), I want something that can handle the river diversity and be able to fish those gorgeous pools occurring right after that rapid run without damaging the boat.

I have an Acend FS12 and love it. I'm 6-4 and weigh 260 and I stand up on mine regularly . The paper work says 65 lbs dry weight, my guess is closer to 80. A cart makes it very easy to transport. This is my 1st yak and could not be more pleased with it. Sme of the reviews I read mention that the storage lids leaked and advised silicone for those. I took the advise and no more leaks.

I will be bringing one to the Fall GTG again if anyone wants to demo one.

The 12 foot Freedomhawk might work. Very low wind profile and lots of flat deck space. Only fifty pounds if you don't mind disassembly. Paddles great with outriggers in, standup fishing excellent. Don't know where you could demo one.

http://freedomhawkkayaks.com/freedom_12.php

I was thinking the RIDE 135. Short enough for smaller rivers like the Devils, good storage for longer trips and stable enough to fling flies from.

Thinking AGAIN /;-{ )>

Norman, We have our 2013 Ride 135s included in our special end of season pricing on in-stock kayaks. Now would be a good time to get one.