Longo

What a great post. Thank you for sharing!

If you are thinking about the ATAK contact Kayak City. I just bought a 120 from them for $1,275. They are located in Sacramento, CA but only charge $60 shipping. The boat was their Kayak show model so it has some very light surface scratches but it's never seen water and the scratches are so minor they aren't noticeable. Not sure if they have any of the show models left but it's worth the 5 minute phone call to save $375 OFF MSRP. Great people to deal with too. Either way all of the boats you listed are very solid and great choices in any price range.

I would have to agree. I own an older Cuda. When I bough it, Jackson had a lot of features not offered in other kayaks. Now, 5 years later I'm looking at buying a new kayak and the Jackson Cuda is literally the same boat that I have with the exception of Jacksons new seat (not specific to cuda) and the lid on the center hatch. After 5 years I would have expected a few more advancements comparable to the ones seen in other companies offerings. Jackson has become the Iphone of the kayak world. They were once innovative and cutting edge but now just re-brand the same product in different colors year after year.

That's pretty much what I was looking for. I car top my Cuda 12 on my Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 120 is about 15lbs heavier. Any chance you have any experience with the AirPro 3d seat? I got a chance to look at it this past weekend at a local kayak/canoe show. It looks like a great little accessory. Thanks again for the thorough answer. I definitely think the 120 will be my next boat in the very near future.

Thanks for the reply. I was more referring to people who would reply that the boat is the exact same boat only shorter. One question I had was how well does the boat track? On the Cuda I have a rudder. Before I put it on it seemed like I was always fighting the boat. Some of this I'm sure was due to my paddling ability but it just seemed like the boat needed a rudder. do you find this the case with your 140? Also, in one of the reviews I saw the guy mentioned that the 120 takes on quite a bit of water. In the review he mentioned that this was also the case with the 140. I tried finding more info on this but couldn't find any other mention of this issue. Do you find this to be the case? Other than that, what is your general impression of the boat? After owning the boat for a while have you found any issues you weren't aware of before you bought the boat?

I'm thinking of getting another fishing kayak and have been toying with the idea of an ATAK 120. Does anyone here have a 120 that they could possibly give me the pro's & cons on? I've looked around a lot at reviews but because it's relatively new there are few out there that aren't paid or pro staff reviews of the 120. Looking for a real world review. I have a Jackson Cuda now and although it's a nice boat for being 5yrs old, it's just not on par with some of these newer boats. Even the 2017 Cuda's are basically the same as my 5yr old Cuda. Not much if anything besides the seat and center hatch lid have changed. Not enough has changed for it to be considered an option for me to buy another one. And before someone chimes in that the 120 is the same as the 140 only 2' shorter......think before you speak. Thanks for the input!

FWIW.........For your specific needs of home defense and hunting while not needing range, I would suggest a shotgun. Slugs for deer, shot for home defense and you also have a wider range of hunting opportunity if you are into bird hunting. For home defense a shotgun is optimal as there's not as much marksmanship needed and you also don't have to worry about over penetration depending on the round used.

If these are what you are talking about http://www.***.com/Reel_Grips_Pro_Series/descpage-RGPS.html?gclid=COGd9bmOwM4CFYGEaQodsqIL1Q Personally I'm not a fan. It seemed like they were always sliding around. I ended up taking them off. For me they just weren't a fit.

In my opinion it all depends on what you are looking to gain by upgrading. If you are looking to cast considerably farther, then no I wouldn't bother upgrading. You may gain a little distance but not enough to justify the cost of full Boca ABEC 7 orange seal.....these aren't cheap. I would just flush the existing bearings and then apply one drop of light oil. By doing that you'll be surprised by the improvement. With that being said I have upgraded all the bearings in my reels also. These range from cheaper Lews to Shimano Aldebaran. My reason being is that I fish out of a Kayak and a large portion of my casts are made while sitting down. As rippin-lips said, the upgraded bearings aid in getting the same distance with less effort. Which helps considerably when casting while sitting down.

I've been wearing a pair of the Astral Porter water shoes for the last couple years now. They are light, comfortable and dry very quickly.

Z man makes both. Their products are super durable also. You can literally use the same bait all day most of the time.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for your posts in the flea market from now on

Most will use a medium or medium light in the 6'6" - 7' range paired with a lighter reel in the 1500-2500 range. There really are lots of options. I'd suggest a google search and start experimenting with a few of them. You have to find what your preference is. Most times that will depend on the budget and body of water fished. Just keep in mind it's called finesse fishing which means light. You don't want a MH rod with 60lb braid for drop shotting..

If you are trying to keep the price low, take a look at the Pflueger Trion's. They retail for around $30. I have a couple of them and for the price they are nice little reels. Then there are always the Pflueger presidents which are highly regarded. Those retail in the $50 range. Hope this helps.

If you have a local dealer check out their demo models. I bought my Jackson Cuda 12' with a rudder for right around that price as a demo model. The above advice to paddle as many boats as you can is also great advice.